He Has $150 in Hand, $25 Million to Go : Salvadoran Seeking Funds to Rebuild War-Damaged University

Mauricio Guevara Pacheco, vice chancellor of the University of El Salvador, left Glendale Community College Tuesday with a check for $150.

But he still needs about $25 million.

The $150 will be used, he said, to buy chalk, blackboards and books. But the more expensive items, such as laboratories, buildings and computers, will have to wait.

Guevara Pacheco’s visit to Glendale Community College was one of eight stops he has made in the last two weeks throughout Southern California to establish links with local educators and to solicit any money or material the schools can spare.

His tour is part of the University of El Salvador’s first attempt to raise money and support in Southern California since the school reopened last May, and he has drawn large audiences at the campuses he has visited.

The university was closed in 1980 by the then-ruling military junta because it was considered to be a focal point of political subversion. During the four years it was closed, the campus and its buildings were nearly destroyed during fighting in the country’s civil war. Although it was reopened, “disgracefully, we don’t have enough influence to get the government to channel much money to us,” Guevara Pacheco said.

Guevara Pacheco said Southern California is a promising source of money because of the area’s large population of Central American immigrants.

In his appearances at local schools, Guevara Pacheco has reviewed the school’s history, the events that led to its closure and the importance of restoring educational programs for its 30,000 students.

“Education is a fundamental human right . . . especially in El Salvador where only 1.4% of the population has experience in higher education,” he told an audience of about 125 students and faculty members at Glendale Community College. “We need the solidarity and support from the United States.”

Needs $25 Million

Since the campus reopened, the Salvadoran government has allocated $7 million to cover the salaries of university employees--$5 million less than the school’s annual budget before it was closed, Guevara Pacheco said. But more importantly, he said, El Salvador’s only public university needs about $25 million to buy supplies and to repair the damage done while it was closed.

The repair work will be extensive. Classrooms were pillaged by the army, desks and books were stolen, medical laboratories were ruined, electrical lines were torn out and some buildings were gutted by fire, Guevara Pacheco said.

“The school needs whatever it can get,” said Rolando Castillo, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Friends of the University of El Salvador. “And if nothing else, it needs moral support from American schools.”

The Friends of the University of El Salvador, the University Movement of Salvadorans in Exile and several other Los Angeles-based groups are trying to help Guevara Pacheco raise money.

But so far, he has received more moral support than cash. Student organizations at the eight campuses he has visited have donated about $1,000, but Guevara Pacheco has not received any large financial commitments from the school administrations.

Gets Moral Support

“I have received some strong possible agreements for the exchange of professors or students and maybe some future financing for specific projects,” Guevara Pacheco said through an interpreter. “But moral support is very important for us so we don’t feel so alone. So far, we have been received warmly, and that’s the main thing we need now.”

At smaller schools Guevara Pacheco has visited, such as the state universities at Northridge and Fullerton, officials have discussed donating surplus books and typewriters and other material, but no contributions have yet been received, according to Carlos Ugalde, who coordinated Guevara Pacheco’s visit to the Glendale campus.

Guevara Pacheco said his current tour is the first step in what he hopes will be regular contact with schools across the United States. He said he also will begin pursuing possible funding from various foundations and will visit private schools, as well. His visit to Southern California ends Saturday, when he will leave for Northern California to continue his efforts.