MOGOTILLO, El Salvador –
Members of Joint Task Force-Bravo (JTF-B), Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, donated $2,254 of construction materials to the Jose Anastasio Bonilla Education Center, May 16, through U.S. Southern Command’s (USSOUTHCOM) Humanitarian Assistance Program.
“The Humanitarian Assistance Program is a USSOUTHCOM initiative aimed at supporting our partner nations through the coronavirus outbreak,” said U.S. Army Capt. Johnny Villagomez, a project engineer with Joint Task Force-Bravo, Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras. “By providing them with the needed construction material, they can improve the sanitation and the infrastructure of their facilities.”
Only select schools are identified to be considered for the HAP.
“The school is normally identified through the Ministry of Health and Education,” said Villagomez. “With their coordination, we go to those schools and we do the site assessment, figure out what damages are done and whether it falls under the minimum HAP cost criteria, and we select the schools that way.”
The Jose Anastasio Bonilla Education Center serves as the primary elementary school for the local community with an estimated 90 students enrolled - 60 boys and 30 girls. The building also serves as a community center and occasionally hosts communal events.
This school was selected and JTF-B worked to donate materials so they could renovate their kitchen, fix their sidewalks, improve their bathrooms and latrines, as well as fix damages done to the roof.
“By helping the communities, we also help the nation as a whole improve the conditions that the community is under,” said Villagomez. “We want to help improve the medical and educational aspect of the community - that overall fosters a better lifestyle for the community.”