How the Gang Crackdown in El Salvador Affects Families

“Upbeat is home. Upbeat is family in a lot of ways, because we had to leave family in El Salvador, but this family has chosen us.”

Jorge and Karla (names changed) arrived in the UK in December 2020, with their children, and claimed asylum. They decided to flee the Central American country due to the high rates of gang related violence and fear of raising their children in a place even they were scared to live in.

Currently, the high presence of gangs in the country has been devastating the lives of people like Jorge and Karla, living in El Salvador, as most homicides and violence is gang related. This also has a direct impact on children going to school who could be kidnapped and forced to join the gangs or to blackmail their families, which is exactly what Jorge and Karla wanted to remove their children from.

Recently, it has been found that as many as 3,000 children have been swept up in detentions since President Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on gangs two years ago and some even lead to torture. Up to 1,000 children have also been sentenced between 2 to 12 years in prison due to gang affiliated crimes.

Before the gang crackdown, most business were extorted, and the homicide rate was at 103 per 100,000. The most notable gangs were Barrio 18 and MS13, who collectively had 60,000 members as of 2015. So, whilst the crackdown has positively impacted the rate of crime, it has also lead to innocent children being exposed to awful living condition for something they are not apart of.

Jorge shared: “I never felt that I could walk around on the streets without being aware that someone might be trying to kill me,”

“We tried to live a very family-based life… trying to do the best for our children. We lived in fear of not only the situations of the bandillas (gangs) but before that, the war.” Jorge added.

There was no other option for Jorge and Karla’s family but to seek refuge.  They were provided accommodation in Derby and within two days were visited by a member of the Upbeat team.

When Karla and Jorge arrived at Upbeat, it was important to us to let them know that they were now safe and welcome here.

“My first experience was online, an online Upbeat Women session. At that time, I spoke no English, I could say hello, good morning, I could smile and say yes, but even that experience was significant for me.” Karla explained.

Jorge told us how being able to meet people face-to-face became a significant part of integration into the community: “My experiences were similar (to Karla’s), they were online English classes to begin with. Then eventually they were weekly calls with other families who came to the online English Classes, just to chat but those became like a lifeline for us.”

At its core principle, Upbeat strives to empower those who need our help. We want to give families the opportunity to meet people, do things and go to places they may have never had the opportunity to before. For Jorge and Karla, meeting more Salvadoran families through Upbeat was exciting and a sense of familiarity in a time that can be overwhelming.

Jorge said: “I think ultimately, Upbeat has been a refuge for me. It’s been a place of harmony and love. They’ve helped us take our first steps and figure out what life in Derby is like. They’ve shown us what unconditional love looks like.”

Jorge and Karla’s children are now in the education system, integrating and learning English. They told us that they now feel safe, more confident and established within the community. They have been able to make friends and relationships with more people in Derby since joining Upbeat and get to share their language and culture, as well as learning new ones.

Your donations could support more families like Jorge and Karla’s, giving their children access to English classes, more opportunities and a safer environment to live in. Donate at https://www.upbeatcommunities.org/donate