GUATEMALA Lake Atitlan
Guatemala City Antigua
EL SALVADOR San Salvador
San Miguel Amatecampo
the el salvador project PROOF EYEWEAR
HELP INTL.
Proof Eyewear and HELP International teamed up to serve the communities of El Salvador in Central America. The project started with the design of special edition sunglasses with limited quantities available for purchase. The colorful print on the wooden frames was inspired by internationally recognized Salvadoran artist, Fernando Llort Choussy. Each frame was handcrafted using a complete skateboard deck with the printed El Salvador Project graphic, showing that the purchase was part of something bigger. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the special edition frame was donated to the El Salvador Project where Proof Eyewear & HELP International volunteered in executing projects related to economic development, environmental conservation, education, and visual health. The projects provided solutions that wouldn’t pay off a problem temporarily but would solve economic and environmental challenges for a lifetime.
About Proof
Proof was founded in 2010 by 3 brothers in Idaho, but its roots can be traced back to 1954 when their grandfather, Bud Dame, started a sawmill. The brothers grew up with sawdust in their veins working in the family mill and exploring the Idaho outdoors. The start-up provides products handcrafted from sustainable materials including FSC-certified wood, cotton-based acetate, and repurposed skateboard decks. Proof stands firm on three principles: heritage, sustainability, and giving back. The bird logo represents the belief, “Everyone has wings to fly, some just need a little help.”
About HELP
HELP International is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization specializing in three core competencies: public health, education, and entrepreneurship/business projects. The mission of HELP International is to empower people to fight global poverty through sustainable, life-changing development programs.
village of
Cerro de Oro
After a long journey by bus to the small village Cerro de Oro, we were greeted by a young girl proud to be taking care of her younger sister.
Lake Atitlan Lake Atitlรกn is renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. The deepest lake in Central America, Lake Atitlan is a life source for the people living on its shores; it provides sustenance, livelihood, washing capabilities, innocent fun, and breathtaking views for all who visit or inhabit the region.
Pupusa (n.) Spanish pronunciation: [pu'pusa, from Pipil pupusaw:] a traditional Salvadorian dish made from a thick, handmade corn tortilla usually filled with a blend of: cheese, cooked and seasoned pork meat ground to a paste consistency, or refried beans.
Antigua Antigua is placed in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque influenced architecture and the picturesque ruins of colonial churches.
El Salvador The tiny Central American nation is known for its Pacific Ocean beaches, surfing and mountainous landscape. Its Ruta de Las Flores is a winding journey past flowering coffee farms, rainforest zip-line sites and towns like JuayĂşa, with its weekend food festival, and Ataco, home to vivid murals. The capital, San Salvador, with a dramatic backdrop of volcanoes, has vibrant nightlife and arts scenes.
Eye Camp
Home Reconstruction
Cocoa Tree Farm
HELP
PROOF PROJECTS
I. Eye Camp
The team traveled to Centro Escolar de San Miguel in San Salvador to sponsor an eye screening outreach targeting over 1,000 children and subsequently cover the costs incurred of children needing eye care through eye glass donations and surgeries. Proof was also able to sponsor the surgery of a girl blinded by cataracts. Because she hails from conditions of extreme poverty, she's lived her entire life in a context where her parents could barely afford the bus costs of getting her to an eye clinic, let alone the actual surgery. Because of the project, her family doesn't have to face the financial burden and she's now able to see for the first time since birth.
II. Home Reconsruction
In the aftermath of a tidal wave that hit the coast of "Barra Salada," 19 families lost their homes and nearly all of their possessions. The families had continued in their displaced condition for 4 weeks until Proof & HELP were able to rebuild a foundation for their new place of residence and provide the main raw materials to allow them to rebuild their homes. This project was done in partnership with the regional government in which they likewise agreed and committed to support families with a portion of the construction costs.
III. Cocoa Tree Distribution
Over 500 cocoa trees were donated to a hill community seeking additional forms of income generation through the harvest of cocoa beans. This project was done in connection with the local community leadership who have been trained on successful forms of cocoa harvesting for some years now, but lacked the funding to grant their community the trees to adequately transfer those skills. Aside from allowing people to tap into additional forms of generating household income, this project aided in reforesting the community, as El Salvador is one of the most deforested nations in Latin America.
IV. Capital Donation for Microfinance Loans
Some funding was provided to go towards micro loans for indigenous populations seeking startup capital to begin small businesses. The agreed interest rate was set at 3%, so we will be receiving regular updates on the loans that are granted as well as the investment growth of the donation as it is re-lent to new loan recipients.
V. Community Center Construction
In another mountain community, Proof granted materials for the construction of a community center. Community centers are a crucial part to the development of communities and the entire process of poverty reduction. In the El Salvador context, the community social infrastructure is especially invested in creating a place where the youth can acquire vocational training and other skill-based workshops to reduce their propensity of being recruited into gangs. In addition to helping with building at the center, the Proof/HELP Team did empowerment activities with the community youth. The community center has also been able to acquire a donation of computers which will be granted to them once the center is complete, which is significant for this type of location.
VI. Girls Orphanage/Safe House
Project funds were able to assist a needy safe house with children ages 3 to 17 who have hailed from conditions of abandonment and severe forms of sexual exploitation including child prostitution, incest and trafficking. Aside from self-esteem building and recreational workshops from the participants of the team, we were able to provide them with age appropriate kits which included personal supplies, clothing, shoes, sports equipment, feminine kits, etc.
VII. Underprivileged School
One of the roughest schools in Sonsonate District, which is notorious for violence and lack of resources, was provided paint to redo the walls as well as an inspirational mural focused on the values the principal and school staff are working on instilling in the students. This project was coupled with health lessons for the younger grades and English lessons for the older ones. We were able to involve the students in the painting process.
VIII. Side Projects
Some side projects included bread making workshops to provide another source of income for families who were able to use community ovens, pinata parties at 3 different communities to boost the moral of children, roofing & library improvements at an underprivileged school, and a soccer ball donation accompanied with leadership activitis for 3 soccer teams in the area.
www.iwantproof.com www.help-international.org