This Oven Smells Like Victory…

Well, thanks to the support of all my wonderful family and friends, the Los Alas Bakery Cooperative finally has its oven!!  Give yourselves a big pat on the back!

No, seriously, do it.  And a great big hug.  And maybe a kiss.

Your support has will enable a number of community members to make a drastic difference in their family’s economic wellbeing.  Most villagers in Los Alas are subsistence farmers, growing mainly beans and corn.  Some people trade or sell parts of their crops to buy other foods, clothing, and necessities.  Some have small side businesses, like my host family, who have a little shop in the front of their house.  Still others rely mainly on money sent to them by relatives living and working in the United States.  This oven represents a substantial change in the ability of many of my community members to support their families.  Bread is a staple food in El Salvador.  Unlike in the United States, where we eat it with the occasional meal, Salvadorans eat it with every meal – and often as snacks in between meals.  As of now, the closest bakery servicing Los Alas and the surrounding area (a population of about 1,000 people) is in the pueblo of Chalatenango, about 30 minutes away.  By the time the trucks arrive with bread, it’s not very fresh, and is considerably more expensive.  Everyone I’ve talked to in the area has told me continually how excited they are to have a bakery opening so close by.

The generosity of all who’ve donated have given me something very special as well – a real sense of accomplishment.  I’ve spent two years in Los Alas, mostly teaching about nutrition, hygiene, healthy cooking, and basic health principles.  And while I like to think that I’ve made some difference in the lives of people I’ve taught, like most teachers, I find it difficult to quantify the positive changes I’ve made.  Who knows what I’ve done?  If someone five years from now decides to go to college to get a degree in tourism because I tutored them in English, I’ll never know it.

This bakery, however, is a thing of substance.  I can literally see the results of my efforts, my community’s efforts, and the donations that you’ve all so unstintingly given.  And being able to see a difference that I helped bring about is a great gift to me.  So thank you all, so much.

On my last day in site, my community decided to christen our brand new oven by making pizza.  We spend all afternoon making the dough and preparing ingredients, and we produced some mighty fine results.  At the end of the day, we even had people walking buy and asking to buy some of the leftovers!  I was thrilled to be able to the Los Alas Bakery Cooperative make its first dollar.

To share the fun with all of you, here are some photos I took that day.

This is how you mix dough without a mixing bowl…

First time I’ve ever seen my counterpart cook

The secret’s in the sauce

This is how we roll in the campo

Our oven!!!!!

Let’s get cooking!

Making the pizzas on my front porch

Hot pizza!

The fruits of our labor

The Los Alas Bakery Cooperative…and me.

So…delicious…

Look how happy this pizza has made me!