El Salvador
El Salvador, which is Spanish for ‘the saviour’ – or Jesus Christ – sits on the West Coast of Central America, bordered by Guatemala and Honduras. A tiny country, El Salvador is both the most densely populated state in Central America, with a population of 6.7million, and the most industrialised.
From 1980 until 1992 there was bitter civil war between the small wealthy elite dominating the government and economy, and the disenchanted majority of the population. This was followed by a succession of natural disasters, including two earthquakes that devastated the country in 2001.
This turbulent history has left its mark on the country and both the society and economy are still recovering. Poverty and social inequality continues to define much of contemporary El Salvador with a third of the population living on less than $1 a day.
Plan continues to work with the poorest families to help them build the facilities they need, such as health centres, schools, improved sanitation and housing.
Some of the reasons why Plan works in El Salvador
- 19% children under five years old suffers from stunted growth due to poor nutrition
- Less than half of children attend secondary school
- 20% of the adult population are illiterate
- 60% of the rural population does not have access to adequate sanitation facilities
- A quarter of the population does not have access to an adequate water supply
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