Oscar Brown says it does. I saw numerous successful projects. Yet Beatriz Bejarano isn't so sure. A native Salvadoran, Bejarano lived in Canada for eight years and only just recently returned with her journalist husband and their son after fleeing El Salvador's bloody, civil war. She says millions of dollars of aid from around the world has poured into her impoverished country, yet nothing seems to change.
Garbage is scattered along the highways.
Shotgun toting private security guards are posted at every gas station, restaurant and motel. Gains in development need to be measured over time, Brown says. We're lending to small co-operatives for medium and small initiatives. Brown's biggest headache is deciding which project to invest in. The CCA wants to get the most bang for its buck, says Jonathan Wells, the CCA's program manager for the Americas region based in Ottawa.