Next month, a group of Salvadoran workers from coastal communities will embark on a new chapter in their lives as part of the Ministry of Labor’s Labor Migration program. This contingent, made up of mothers and fathers who have been working in the mangroves to support their families, will travel to Canada for employment opportunities.

Rolando Castro, the Minister of Labor, shared that the initiative was made possible through collaboration with a Canadian businessman who decided to send a contingent of workers, specifically targeting parents of children who have been engaged in child labor in the mangroves. «We managed to speak with a Canadian businessman, and the businessman made the decision to send a contingent next month, focusing on mothers or fathers of children who are involved in child labor in the mangroves,» explained Castro.

Many of these workers have been earning between two and four dollars a day while collecting products from the mangroves, making this opportunity to work in Canada legally a life-changing one for their families. Castro expressed his optimism about the potential impact on the workers’ lives, particularly for their children. «We are very happy because in the next few days, they will travel, and that will help the children start school,» he added.

The Ministry of Labor’s team is currently processing all the necessary documentation and preparing the files for the workers who will soon leave for Canada. This is part of a broader effort to combat child labor in El Salvador’s coastal regions, with the hope that this migration program will provide better opportunities for families and reduce the reliance on child labor in the mangroves.

This initiative is a significant step in the Ministry of Labor’s ongoing campaign to address child labor and improve the lives of workers in vulnerable communities. The program’s success offers hope for many families who are striving for a better future.

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