Salinas El Protrero (Salinas) is a large community located southeast of Nueva Esperanza in the Lower Lempa region of Usulutan. Citizens of most communities in the Lower Lempa have a common thread, such as living in the same refugee camp, that ties them together. Citizens of Salinas, however, belong to one of 14 cooperatives, each of which has its own governing body, competes for resources with other cooperatives, and is generally isolated from its neighbors. Some cooperatives are organized around economic activities such as shrimping or farming, while others are organized around a common experience such as fighting for the FMLN or Government armies during the civil war of the 1980s. Salinas has a couple of stores and restaurants, but they generally serve the members of one specific cooperative. Salinas has an ASPS health promoter, a health clinic, a Catholic Church, a school that serves grades K-8, and a Child Development Center.

Since 1992, Salinas has had a partner relationship with Hands Across Borders based in Erie PA. This relationship began in the early 1990s as ex-combatants from both sides of the conflict resettled in the region, joining families that had lived in the Lower Lempa for many generations. Hands Across Borders has provided important support for development projects in Salinas over the years. The most important assistance has been their funding of an ASPS health promoter to address the public health concerns throughout the community.

For more information about Salinas, contact Pat Lupo at plupo@lea.earthforce.org, or Thomas R. Hughes at voices@votb.org or (202) 529-2912.