History of DGH In the Community

Santa Marta is a rural community in the Department of Cabanas. It is about 20 km from the border with Honduras, tucked away between the provinces of San Miguel and Chalatenango.

Community development in Santa Marta

The community of Santa Marta faced severe repression in the Salvadoran Civil War. Because of the violence, members were forced to flee to Honduras. The massacre at Rio Lempa marked a tragic chapter in the community’s history, with the military targeting unarmed civilians as they crossed the border into Honduras, killing at least 200.

Over the next years, living in refugee camps in Mesa Grande, Honduras, the community regrouped and grew together. Beginning the slow return to Cabanas, El Salvador, in 1987, the community has since grown, creating the communal foundations for its own autonomy in the region. From a war-torn region with no structures, it now has grown to a population of about 3,000 with 550 households. DGH began to build its decades-long history with the community in 2001, walking on the path of accompaniment together.

Watch Las Manos y el Maiz!  This video presents the moving and inspiring story of the people of Santa Marta, a repopulated community of Cabañas, El Salvador, in their struggle to overcome the tremendous traumas and losses faced during the 12-year civil war (that forced them into exile).

Community Development in Santa Marta – Current DGH Projects

DGH supports a wide variety of programs focused on community development in Santa Marta:

Rehabilitation Center

Started in the ’90s, the Rehabilitation Renter is DGH’s longest-standing commitment. It is run by two community health practitioners trained by international colleagues. They provide a wide array of services, including physical therapy and other bodywork techniques, specifically developed to address the needs of war wounded, injured, and people suffering from chronic musculoskeletal conditions and brain injuries. They perform home visits as well as facilitate programming for all ages.

The Rehabilitation Center has group activities that introduce parents to the importance of interactive play and stimulation in early development. They offer yoga classes for youths and adults and have a workshop entitled Adults in Movement, helping elderly community members maintain healthy habits and relieve stress. Their work continues to expand and now includes pregnant community members and family members of individuals experiencing mental illness.

COCOSI (COmite COntra SIda)

CoCoSi is a youth-led organization that uses theater, role-playing, and support groups to facilitate HIV treatment and prevention. Their newest programs address community needs in the areas of domestic violence prevention, deconstructing masculinity, and supporting LGBTQI communities.  The range of their work continues to expand from Santa Marta, now including other rural communities, local jails, clinics, hospitals, and schools.  They also create and produce short radio segments on their work.  They have gained wide recognition locally, nationally, and internationally, and are partly credited for lowering the rate of teen pregnancy in Santa Marta.

Invernadero (The Greenhouse)

Invernadero (The Greenhouse) is a popular program in the community, run by a local DGH board member, the Greenhouse is practicing organic forms of agriculture, to produce pesticide-free vegetables for the community.  In addition, it functions as an educational program to offer pesticide-free agricultural practices to the many community members who rely on subsistence farming.

Trauma-Informed Mental Health

Trauma-Informed Mental Health is a newer initiative. Members of the community trained in mental health have begun addressing the oftentimes neglected mental health needs of community members. Using home visits and dialogue, they focus on community members working through issues of trauma, isolation, and violence.

Conectando con la Vida (Connecting with Life)

Conectando con la Vida is an initiative that offers radio programs that address mental health needs of the community, in particular of those who are survivors of the armed conflict but also the population in general. It offers several different self-help groups, providing a space to process the issues and address them. Topics range from PTSD to domestic violence, from substance use disorder to teachers and parents facing schooling challenges.

While these are a short list of programs that DGH materially supports, there are a variety of regional community partners that we have relationships with.  These include ADES (Asociación de Desarrollo Económico y Social), which is working to build a solidarity economy in the region, and Radio Victoria, which is a widely successful and popular community radio program.

Check out Abriendo Brecha, a Santa Marta-produced quarterly magazine for updates.  Also, check out the radio feed from Radio Victoria!

Opportunities to Make a Difference

Current material needs:

  • New massage tables and/or headrests
  • Exercise equipment, specifically an exercise bicycle
  • A desk
  • A reliable vehicle
  • ACE bandages, arm slings, neck collars
  • Gauze bandages, tape, bandaids, topical antibiotic cream
  • Sunscreen, moisturizing cream
  • Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, multivitamins, calcium supplements. probiotics for adults and children
  • Male and female urinary catheters (not in-dwelling)
  • Canes
  • Clay and Legos for kids

Contact us at dghinfo@dghonline.org if you would like to help.

We source most supplies locally. A $50 donation goes far in allowing us to purchase supplies in-country. You can also donate here.

Future volunteer needs:

DGH volunteers have many opportunities to choose from to volunteer in El Salvador. We prefer volunteers who can commit to 3 months (exceptions for specific project expertise) and are fluent in Spanish.

  • Volunteers with experience in grant writing and project evaluation, to help obtain and maintain needed funding for COCOSI.
  • Physiotherapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists, yoga instructors, and body work practitioners to aid with work in the rehabilitation center.
  • English as a second language teachers to help teach English and aid with website translation.
  • Volunteers with organizational or librarian skills to create a system to check books out of the local library.
  • Volunteers to teach computer skills.
  • Volunteers with experience in participatory art, theatre, and performance to work with COCOSI.
  • Volunteers with experience working with and educating people on gender and LGBTQI issues.
  • Volunteers with experience in mind-body medicine, shamanism, or indigenous medicine to develop programs to reclaim lost indigenous traditions.
  • Volunteers with experience in early childhood education and/or working with severely disabled children to aid with work in the rehabilitation center.
  • Psychologists, social workers, and other volunteers trained in mental health practices and trauma-informed care with experience in teaching.