In the aftermath of the Salvadoran Civil War which ended in 1992, the United Nations and other foreign aid organizations swept in with large reconstruction projects, hoping to jump-start socioeconomic progress. But when the dust settled, reality came crashing back in, International investment did not sustain itself and poverty levels fell to pre-war numbers. It became clear that the goal of sustainable rural community development to bring about peace and prosperity would not come from imported solutions and experts but only from solutions constructed by and for those directly involved and affected. No existing organizations were found to train young people in the knowledge and skills needed for this task.
In 2007, a small group of U.S. Americans and Salvadorans gathered in Perquín, Morazán, El Salvador and concluded that a long-term educational effort was needed to overcome the daunting socio-economic stagnation. Largely driven by Ronald Brenneman, a U.S. American who has been linked with the people of Morazán since 1983 when much of the population found refuge in Honduras, the decision was made to take the step of forming a non-profit organization established in both the USA and El Salvador to take on the challenge.
From this meeting, Perkin Educational Opportunities Foundation, Inc. (PEOF) was launched.
First Board of Directors
- Donald Warnick of Lancaster, PA served as the first President of PEOF from 2008 up until his passing in 2019.
- Aristides Sorto of Perquín, Morazán served and continues to serve as Vice-President
- Garth Brown of Georgia and Tyler Kobick of Massachusetts served as Co-Secretaries.
- Ronald Brenneman served as the Treasurer and legal representative of PEOF in El Salvador from 2008 until 2020.
- Peter Sellers of Vermont, Board of Directors
- Claudia Bernardi of Argentina, Board of Director
- Stuart Sobel of Indiana, Board of Directors