▲ The groundbreaking ceremony for the El Salvador National Health Education Center

This year marks three years since I began living in El Salvador, located on the opposite side of the globe from Korea. Known among coffee lovers as a region producing high-quality coffee, El Salvador remains relatively unfamiliar to most people in Korea. I have previously worked in Paraguay in South America, but I did not know much about El Salvador, which is located in Central America. So when I was assigned here, I did some research and asked my predecessor various questions to learn about this unfamiliar country. The more I learned, the more concerned I became, since many Latin American countries struggle with unstable security.

In February 2023, when I arrived on site, contrary to my concerns, people were freely walking the streets and going about their daily lives without much caution. Seeing the significant improvement in public safety, I could feel that the security capacity-building projects led by the KOICA El Salvador Office had greatly contributed to enhancing safety.

El Salvador has long been a country with a history of serious gang-related incidents and crimes. KOICA has worked in consultation with the Salvadoran government to strengthen the local police’s capacities in crime prevention and investigation. Through three phases of the project, KOICA installed over 200 surveillance cameras and trained management personnel. Last year, a CCTV control center was opened, establishing a stable CCTV security system. Additionally, more than 1,000 specialists were trained in areas including dedicated female crime investigation and digital forensic capabilities. As a result, the people of El Salvador are now able to live safer lives.

▲ Completion ceremony of the CCTV Control Center

The people of El Salvador I have come to know are truly diligent and sincere. They start their day at 4:30 in the morning and usually work Saturday mornings, too. Compared to other South American countries rich in resources, El Salvador has a harsh environment and limited resources, so people have had to work hard to build their lives. It reminded me of just how much this place resembles Korea in spirit. Like Korean people, who achieved remarkable economic development with their bare hands from the ruins of war, the diligent locals here felt familiar, and I quickly grew attached to them. Currently, the El Salvador Office has 12 Koreans, including myself, and 10 local staff working together. Although busy covering neighboring countries such as Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, and Nicaragua, we all take care of each other like one family while carrying out various projects for the development of El Salvador. Among these, the dynamic small business development project stands out.

El Salvador, with a weak manufacturing sector, has most of its economically active population working as micro and small business owners. Considering that El Salvador’s population is about 6.3 million and there are 1 million micro-enterprises, the majority of people appear to be engaged in small-scale self-employment. In simple terms, it is common for a woman to run a small food stand while also selling handmade accessories and local produce. People here, even with limited education, are eager to start their own businesses as soon as possible. This is why El Salvador is called a "land of self-employed people."

However, small-scale businesses such as restaurants or cafés have limitations in significantly growing the national economy. In response, KOICA is helping strengthen the capabilities of small business owners and support high value-added startups through the dynamic small business development project. For example, KOICA runs a program for prospective entrepreneurs and identifies excellent business ideas through startup funding competitions. In this process, digital education is also provided to help participants effectively manage their businesses.

▲ Scene of inspecting a T-shirt made with 3D printing

The Digital Startup Center, which opened last year, supports creating prototypes using 3D printers and producing promotional videos with drones. In the case of 3D printing, aspiring entrepreneurs can quickly and precisely create prototypes, which has been well received for reducing costs and saving time. The Digital Startup Center, though newly opened, has already received a great response and produced its first batch of graduates. One graduate, smiling brightly, said, "Thanks to KOICA, I have come one step closer to my dream of starting a business. I am truly grateful to the Korean people.“ This moment has stayed with me.

KOICA projects are usually planned two years before actual implementation begins. After thorough preparation, a project agreement is signed between the two countries, and the fulfillment of milestones as the project progresses brings an indescribable sense of accomplishment. Over the past two years in El Salvador, several projects, such as security capacity building and dynamic small business development, have come to fruition. The ‘World Friends Korea’ volunteer program, which had been suspended due to COVID-19, resumed after four years. Witnessing the fruition of these projects and the dispatch of volunteers brought a fresh sense of emotion. Feeling that our efforts have improved the lives of the people of El Salvador fills me with pride as well as a profound sense of responsibility.

Several major projects are planned for this year. The El Salvador National Health Education Center and the El Salvador Bus Information Monitoring Center are set to be completed, and construction will begin on an Innovation Center at the Central American Institute of Technology (ICTA). KOICA needs to start the second phase of the Central American three-country Dry Corridor greenhouse horticulture capacity-building triangular cooperation project in Costa Rica and complete, this year, the technology innovation-based startup and industry-academia cooperation support project in collaboration with Costa Rica National University. I am actively planning new projects linked to ongoing initiatives. Over the past two years, I have gained a deeper understanding of El Salvador and the Central American region, and I have worked to identify projects tailored to the needs of Central America. Moving forward, I hope to carry out my entrusted duties smoothly and wish for all the staff at the office to remain healthy and safe.