A beneficiary of the Work Is Progress programme in El Salvador is Rosario.
Born in the department of Chalatenango, like most people in this territory she had decided to emigrate to Europe to support her family. Rosario lived in Spain for four years, often in difficult conditions, without the possibility of returning and watching her daughters grow up from the screen of a telephone. The distance is too vast and Rosario decides to return.
Once she gets back home, Rosario realises that life in Chalatenango is no longer the same: her relationship with her daughters has to be restored, her husband‘s support and interest in her dreams is non-existent and Rosario’s self-identity becomes increasingly fragile. No one, not even herself, has ever wondered what it must have been like for her to return to a community and a family that were apparently the same, but in reality profoundly changed. This is precisely why she has never sought support.
It was only when Soleterre arranged meetings in schools dedicated to returned immigrants, asking the students to spread the word among family and friends, that Rosario became curious; she did not know what to expect but decided to participate: this was a turning point for her. The psychological support group and the guidance of Soleterre’s psychologist allow her to analyse her life and experience from another point of view. “These meetings made me realise that in these four years I never took time for myself, I never thought about myself”.
Thanks to the sessions provided by Soleterre’s psychologist, Rosario was able to take time to process her past griefs and present challenges, and to share her experiences with others who had gone through similar journeys.
Rosario learnt that it is good to ask ourselves from time to time: is this really what I want and need? She has gained a new awareness and developed a new life project, where her well-being, not just her role as mother and wife, is at the centre. With the money she is saving, she plans to open a clothes shop that will allow her to support her family, but also to be happy and fulfilled.
You can read more about the work that Work Is Progress does with beneficiaries in Central America, on the page on our website.
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