Committee
Pro-Guatajiagua

Pro-Guatajiagua is a small city in the eastern department of Morazán, which has about 12 thousand inhabitants and has held that title since 1928.

Its name means "Tobacco Cultivated Valley", although its best-known industry is the production of utensils made by hand with black clay: griddles, pots, pans - which are used in the kitchen mostly in rural areas -, as well as others. ornamental utensils.

The Pro Pro-Guatajiagua Committee was founded 19 years ago and they are part of the group of communities that formed COTSA in 2009. Who would have believed that there are so many people originating from the population of Pro-Guatajiagua in Washington, Maryland and Virginia.

This was demonstrated when more than 60 Pro-Guatajiaguan residents attended in 2003 the call of Mayor Salvador Amaya and Trustee Firmo Medrano, who visited Virginia for a meeting that became a Constituent Assembly to create the Pro-Pro-Guatajiagua Committee with the sponsorship of Saúl Solorzano, executive director of the Resource Center for Central Americans (CARECEN)

Before the election of the Committee, the mayor listed the greatest needs facing his municipality of about 15 thousand inhabitants, located in the southeast of the Department of Morazán. The mayor said: I am sure that with your participation as an organized group, with our own funds and from the central government of our country we can carry out great projects.

The new Committee was formed as follows:
Vicente Velis – President, Jorge Hernández – Vice President, Silvia Noemí Amaya – Secretary, Neftalí Granados – Pro-Secretary, Jorge Granados – Treasurer and Raúl Vásquez – Pro-Treasurer.

1.- Improvement of drinking water in Pro-Guatajiagua, in coalition with the municipal mayor's office and the Social Investment Fund for Local Development (FISDL). Total cost $497,155, Committee contribution $24,850.00
2- Support schools with school backpacks, water pumps, computers, projectors, musical instruments and making improvements to infrastructure. Also 12 computers were donated to the National Institute. Total $10,711.00
3- Construction of sanitary bathrooms in the Pro-Guatajiagua market. Total $3,800.00
4- Solidarity aid (around $15,000.00) to 40 families who lost loved ones in a traffic accident in August 2014
5- Purchase of land and construction of the Pro-Guatajiagua Training and Development Center, this project was developed in coalition with the Inter-American Foundation (FIA). Total cost of the project $259,000, Committee contribution $35,000.00
6- Financing of personnel and equipment for pottery, cutting and sewing, cosmetology, electricity, computing, welding and baking workshops at the Training Center for young people and artisans. Total $11,330.00
7- Help at the local level to families with serious illnesses or who have lost a loved one. Total $4,379.00
8- Support with uniforms for local soccer teams and in El Salvador. Total $1,435.00
9- Support with musical instruments for the Catholic and Evangelical Church. Total $1,625.00
10- Donation of medical equipment, computers and a photocopier to the Pro-Guatajiagua Health Clinic and the sister organization APROGUA for distribution to needy people in the municipality. Total $24,800.00
11- Scholarships have been awarded to more than 10 young people for higher studies, several already graduated and we currently have 6 scholarship recipients who we need to continue supporting until they complete their degrees. To this date we have invested around $20,900.00 in scholarships
12- Last year we negotiated land adjacent to the National Institute of Pro-Guatajiagua, for $25,000, to build a multiple-use Center, $12,500.00 have been paid. We hope this year to complete the purchase and start building.
13- In this time of Coronavirus, $3,000.00 in groceries and medicine has been donated.
For the Pro-Pro-Guatajiagua Committee it is a pride to be able to support our municipality and be part of COTSA. We want to continue in this effort and we will achieve it if you continue to support us.

Silvia Noemi Amaya – President
Edgar Martinez - Vice president
Bessy Granados - Treasurer
Glendy Argueta - Secretary
Jorge Granados - Syndic
Fermin Rodriguez, Edwin Lazo, Lesly López, Edwin Posada Molina, Mirian Jiménez y Héctor Perez - Vowels

For us as the Pro-Pro-Guatajiagua Committee it is a pride to be able to support our people and we want to continue in this effort and we will achieve it if you continue supporting us and believing in us, whether by inviting new people who want to volunteer for our Committee as a member active, being part of the board or forming other committees in other cities to join this effort. When you visit our municipality, stop by to see the Training Center where different workshops and seminars are held. We invite everyone to continue fighting to make Pro-Guatajiagua a municipality with better opportunities for its inhabitants.

The patron saint festivities of Pro-Guatajiagua are celebrated from January 18 to 20 in honor of San Sebastián Mártir. As the Pro-Pro-Guatajiagua Committee we have participated in the patron saint festivities, carrying floats with several of the Miss Pro-Pro-Guatajiagua queens.