El Salvador: Stabilizing a Nation at RiskLast year’s earthquakes in El Salvador have only added hardships to difficult economic conditions throughout the country. Because many businesses and shops are located in the homes of the workers, mudslides and fissures that accompany earthquakes do double damage, often destroying the means of earning a living along with the home. |
Remberto Soto spent 8 years working for an international hardware and appliance company in El Salvador before starting his own bakery two years ago. Using recipes his mother handed down, he now employs 12 people to produce a full range of bread and pastries in two locations. The earthquakes in 2001 damaged his new bakery and destroyed parts of the buildings where he lives. Without government assistance, he and his El Salvador family have rebuilt their homes and the bakery and are operating again. A $3000 loan from the BPN program allowed him to purchase an oven that increased his capacity by 30%. Since then he’s hired two new employees. In addition to managing his bakery, Remberto teaches business administration at a nearby state university and serves as a deacon at the New Covenant Church, where he organized a marriage conference for engaged and young married couples this spring.