COFOA continues to grow

In addition to expansion reported last month into Cuidad Arce in La Libertad Department, COFOA has initiated three new organizing efforts In La Paz Department: one in two deeply gang-troubled neighborhoods of Zacetucola, another in rural Santa María Ostuma, and the third is a youth organizing effort in Cuyultitan. Invited by parish clergy in each community, each leadership team has committed to a series of training session to build a solid organization and address local issues.

Santa María Ostuma and Cuyultitan are municipalities in mountainous rural areas in the La Paz department. Both are farming communities with populations of about 6,000 people. Zacetucoluca is the capital city of the La Paz department with a population of about 75,000 people. Zacatecoluca was the birthplace of Jose Simeon Canas, who fought for and secured the emancipation of slaves in Central America by Spaniards in 1825. The neighborhoods of La Esperanza and Anabella are known to be gang controlled areas. Safety and youth opportunity are major concerns across El Salvador in both rural and urban areas.