LOS OLIVOS CIS
9 Hawthorne Court, North Oaks, MN 55127 cis-elsalvador.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: Promoting solidarity and cultural exchange across borders between the people of El Salvador and others in the search for development and dignity. The mission of Los Olivos CIS is carried out primarily through program grants to the Center for Interchange and Solidarity (CIS) in El Salvador.

Promoting solidarity and cultural exchange across borders between the people of El Salvador and others in the search for development and dignity.

Youth Formation and Scholarship Programs: Provides education to potential community leaders who would not be able to study without help and at the same time build their awareness of their role as agents for making changes for social justice. The CIS worked with 20 local Salvadoran scholarship committees and 20 sister organizations as well as individual donors to raise funds for 189 youth to go to the university, 231 to high school and 75 students in K-9th grade in 2019. Of those students 22 graduated with university degrees and 82 from high school in 2019. The CIS Gender Scholarship Fund provided 8 scholarships to Trans women and women and their children, who have been wrongly jailed for miscarriages and have won back their freedom, so they can work to overcome marginalization and stigmatization and have access to dignified jobs. The CIS visited women in prison and accompanied a broader coalition to achieve the freedom of 6 women from prison. CIS provides the women in prison with care packages and again when they are released, mostly with only the shirts on their back. Scholarship students carried out literacy programs, organized clean water and environmental workshops and projects, tutored younger students, taught computers and English, art and mental health programs, developed community libraries, and participated in activities to build a culture of peace and non-violence. CIS promoters organized workshops on Vocational orientation and life project, study techniques, and sexual and reproductive health. The CIS organized a three-day retreat in La Palma for 105 students focused on gender equality and human rights.

Civil rights, democratic development, emergency aid, and advocacy programs: Los Olivos CIS organizes Community Network for Cooperation and Solidarity made up of 25 community organizations. This year focused on analysis and workshops on gender, human rights, economy, mental health, environment, migration, and election reforms. This included courses on art and mental health for 240 youth and mothers in communities at risk. CIS also coordinated a six-month school for 40 young leaders on gender and health issues. The participants learned about gender inequality, the high level of feminicides, prevention of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, interfamily violence, and machismo. School supplies for 100 students, expansion of playground set, and 12 computers for the local school were donated in Tonacatepeque to support young people in high risk areas. CIS Clean Water program strengthened 9 local water committees and cooperated with local schools and health promoters to broaden the impact and education around clean water. CIS trained and distributed water filters to 234 families and installed 5 Clean Water for the World Purification Units in local schools and a community center benefitting 783 people. CIS facilitated a water diagnosis in Romero Community and the donation of a new water tank to La Loma, Comasagua to provide potable water for 25 families so they do not have to walk 2 kilometers down a steep hill for water. The CIS also repaired solar energy system and a generator in the La Loma community since they do not have access to electricity. The CIS initiated construction of 64 dignified homes in the Paso Puente Community, an urban shanty town in Toncatepeque with families who live in deplorable conditions CIS was able to facilitate literacy courses for 15 single mothers and incorporate 40 children in youth into our scholarship program as part of a broader effort for social inclusion. The CIS is coordinating with the Salvadoran Ministry of Housing the Paso Puente families to build homes, infrastructure, and community.

Educational delegations and language and cultural exchange. 17 international and Salvadoran volunteers trained by the CIS to teach English as a second language taught classes to 205 local community members for 4 nine-week sessions. The volunteers received orientation about El Salvador and the empowerment work of Los Olivos CIS. CIS continues coordinating with the University of El Salvador to provide Salvadoran students majoring in English with training and an opportunity to practice their profession and fulfill their 500 hours of social work requirement by teaching at the CIS. 66 international participants received Spanish instruction and cultural orientation from local native speakers in El Salvador and on-line. CIS hosted 13 delegations with 88 participants in 2019. Delegations included 6 sister communities visiting scholarship programs; one university groups that helped install water purification units; CIS visit women in prison falsely accused of abortion and helped get out their stories to the public which resulted in the release of five women from prison. CIS Director and Delegation Coordinator accompanied scholarship students from Estanzuelas and Mejicanos to visit sister Parishes of St. Patrick's and St. Peter's in Kansas City. The CIS director and delegation's coordinator also participated in the vigil and workshop to close the School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Georgia. CIS coordinated its 13th International Mission of Election Observers with 70 observers and 12 long term volunteers and observed in 9 municipalities in 4 departments. The team translated the instruction manual of the Supreme Elections Tribunal, providing an invaluable resource for all international observer missions to be able to carry out more in-depth observations and significant reports and recommendations for strengthening free and fair elections.

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Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202043189349311109_public.xml