Think Creative Issue 8

Left: Factoría Ciudadana staff and beneficiaries share personal testimonies in a group circle.

Eduardo sits on a table in his undershirt and waits as “la doctora” puts on her infrared protective glasses and moves a large laser machine over to him. He lies back and takes a deep breath as she begins the painful and slow process of burning away layers of ink from his skin. Once covered in tattoos, Eduardo watches his past fade little by little with each pulse from the laser. “I believe that removing my tattoos isn’t just going to change me physically,” says Eduardo. “It’s going to change in many ways how I live, because I’ll have more freedom to work and move and be with my family.” The former gang member had been in prison seven times before making his way to La Factoría Ciudadana, or Citizen Factory. More commonly known as La Factoría, this non- profit organization dedicates itself to serving Salvadorans who have been both victims and perpetrators of violence and are looking for a new start. Located in the heart of El Salvador’s capital, San Salvador, the organization works with men and women who have left prison, are returning migrants with a history of violence, and those who have abused drugs. La Factoría offers them psychological services, therapy and job training. Tattoo removal is one of La Factoría’s hallmark services, giving many a better chance to re- enter society and find steady employment. “In El Salvador we complain a lot about the problem of violence,” says Jaime Zablah Siri, La Factoría’s founder and director. “But one day I said, ‘I’m going to stop complaining and see what I can do to help.’ We have an important population and if we let them work, we can improve our gross domestic product, we can improve the situation of violence in our country.” The USAID-funded Crime and Violence Preven- tion Project (CVPP) was the primary catalyst for La Factoría. CVPP— as part of its work to strengthen the ability of Salvadoran communi- ties, municipalities and national institutions to address violent crime —organized study tours to Los Angeles for individuals working in violence prevention. Zablah traveled with one of the first delegations to the annual Gang Prevention and Intervention Conference. Inspired by Homeboy Industries, an L.A.-based gang rehabilitation and re-entry program, Zablah returned to El Salvador determined to start a similar initiative.

Huellas de Esperanza employees deliver fresh bread in La Dina, a neighborhood with high levels of violence.

“

One of the most important things I’ve learned here is humility, to share and know how to feel the same pain as someone else, to be respectful, which is something I never had.”

- Eduardo

Eduardo prepares for a laser tattoo removal session.

From firearms to bread baskets Across San Salvador, another organization is fighting to better the lives of men who have left prison and gang life and have nowhere to go. The evangelical church Eben-Ezer houses a ministry called Huellas de Esperanza, or Trac- es of Hope, that asks former gang members to set aside firearms and pick up bread baskets. “The bakery here is a workshop ... and for me it’s really important to have this work,” says Jorge (a pseudonym to protect his identity), a man in his second year of freedom after serving a 10-year sentence. “It’s a way for us to come and have a responsibility.” Equipped with industrial ovens, the bakery is a central part of Huellas de Esperanza’s ministry. The church also offers temporary housing, ba- sic medical assistance and counseling, as well as skills training in welding and tailoring. Like the study tour that inspired Zablah to

La Factoría Ciudadana opened in 2017. With funding and technical assistance fromCVPP, it has attended to more than 350 men and wom- en since its launch. “One of the most important things I’ve learned here is humility, to share and know how to feel the same pain as someone else, to be respectful, which is something I never had,” says Eduar- do. “I didn’t practice it because my world was something else.” Since CVPP closed in early 2020, La Factoría has sought new funds. The organization has re- ceived in-kind donations from various private sector businesses and recently received federal government funding to continue operations and to integrate with state-led services. Zablah hopes to one day open sister offices in the other two countries of Central America’s Northern Triangle, Guatemala and Honduras. “This place is, will be and has been a model,” says Zablah.

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