A b o u t t h e M o s t I n s p i r i n g P e o p l e
Irma Lorena Oppenheimer
Born to Be Courageous for El Salvador
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
El Salvador, the country with the highest rate of crime and poverty in the world. The smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. About 6.38 million population mostly in need for help.
TheMagazyne has today the Honor to introduce to you
Mrs. Irma Lorena Oppenheimer
Int: Welcome Mrs Oppenheimer and thanks for having chosen TheMagazyne for sharing your amazing life. You live in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, a country that still, after years, is not able to emerge and survive from chronic political and economic instability, inequality, atrocious violence on children, women, and among gangs. The famous motto that stands onto the beautiful flag of El Salvador “Dios, Unión, Libertad ” that means “God, Unity and Freedom” it seems so awkward.
God has been put aside by many. Unity appears as a utopia. And Freedom for all is a distant dream to grab. Directly from your daily and personal experience... what's going on in El Salvador at the right moment?
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HOST: Thank you for having me here to share part of my story. El Salvador is such a beautiful country in the middle of the new continent, America.
We have been through so many wars and have been suffering for many, many years.
The corruption is really a problem and it trickles down and affects people's health, the education, the economy and our national security.
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Health and education are not considered priority by our current government and the culture of violence is everywhere. The only reason the country has not been defeated yet is because Salvadorans' beautiful work and dedication all over the world have helped the country survive a crashing economy.
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There are no job opportunities for our young people graduating from university and no future for our children. This is the main reason young people are leaving the country, thousands every year. And the remaining youth is killed in wars between gangs.
Moreover the young girls in the inner cities are spotted by the gangs' leaders as future brides. A huge problem that has been polarized by the Social war.
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El Salvador could be a Mecca for tourists. The land is wonderful, you can be on the mountains or to the beach in about an hour. The Nature has been kind to our country. It is so fertile that you drop a mango seed in the soil, even without planting it, and in few days you will have the plant, they grow everywhere.
There are great resources in our country but they have been really badly managed.
Born to Be Courageous for El Salvador
Int: It's an absolute intricate situation. What are in your opinion the weak points of the country we should focus on for a real change?
HOST: Real change will come when we start thinking like a country and when the members of the Government, past, present and future, begin to put people first.
We have 3 Presidents being formally accused of corruption and dealing with gangs. One of them is dead, the other one went to Nicaragua and the last one is in jail with all his cabinet. This in the last 5 years.
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We have to change how we do politics and think of our people first. I had been saying that for years using also my hash tag #ElSalvadorPrimero. And right now I think people are listening.
Interviewer: Emanuela Clari SEPT 9, 2017
Int: Your everyday is already devoted to your community, Senate member or not, you already embody for many in your city, a strong woman who wakes up every single day, with the heart full of love, presence, practical help, a warm smile, kindness and passion for indigent people and especially ...for children in need. Tell me more about your inspiring every days.
HOST: Everyday is fun for me. I love having the direct contact with our people and planning trips to different schools and various places.I visit the people in the neighborhoods, see their conditions, I plan how to help or where to get the stuff I need to assist them and then try to make their life a little bit easier.
I get together with the leaders of the communities and see what they need. We have different NGOS (non-governmental organizations) we work really close with. So they help me get different aid like medicines, doctors, food, wheels, chairs and much more.
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The need, so so impelling, is sometimes overwhelming, but.. I know we have to go on. We do as much as we can... it is very sad sometimes but ... my faith kicks in and always something good happens exactly where I am with the urgency to help.
Int: The tremendous reality of abandoned children you found in the rubbish bins and that you saved from dying left me speechless and profoundly touched. Once a newborn is rescued, how is the baby sheltered, helped and brought up?
HOST: Well, when I find a child or someone calls me that a baby has been found, we shelter them into right orphanages... and they do the paperwork.
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I have rescued babies from the trash almost dying... and 3 to 4 months later the difference in the child is so clear. The baby is like another child.
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and you know what? There's no news about this in the papers ...or very seldom.
Int: Is it correct that life for women in San Salvador is, in some circumstances, extremely unfair and violent ? A miscarriage can become an “accuse of murder” and bring a woman to face long prison terms. What's the cultural belief behind a legal ordinance like that?
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HOST: Right now there is a law against abortion in our country, I'm myself against it. We have to work in the education and also on programs that protect pregnant women and the unborn.
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I will protect the unborn child with all that I can.
If there is a danger for the child or the mother is not abortion, it is a medical condition. That, it has to be addressed by case. However abortion is a crime. It is the murder of the unborn and it has to be punished.
Despite all the concrete dangers...you have left your wealthy life in the United States ...in a blink you transformed yourself from a very rich business woman to an unstoppable children saviour
Int: Despite all the concrete dangers.. you... Mrs Lory Oppenheimer ... have left your wealthy life in the United States and decided to go back to an unsafe country...the land where you were born. In a blink you transformed yourself from a very rich business woman to an unstoppable children saviour, from an extremely talented amateur Golf Champion to a passionate and devoted Supporter for disadvantaged people. When did all this take place and what happened exactly to push you revolutionize your entire life for ...El Salvador?
God happened !!!!!!
I love my country, the land is so beautiful and the people are so loving and friendly. I was born here and for a purpose, I believe that.
I really enjoy sports, and the competition it's in my blood... and I have a drive for being the best that I can be since I was small. I have a great Son, his name is Sean Paul and he lives in California USA, he is now older and when he left home I decided to change my life.
I got a divorce from my husband , we are still friends but life has taken us towards different directions. The exact moment when I decided to change completely my life, and had a real spiritual awakening, took place while I was teaching golf. I was in Memphis Tennessee, after my Mom's death, and... I saw a group of under privilege kids from the Memphis Athletic Club...in that right moment ...I saw my own people and the kids in my country... in my mind .
Later that week I met a wonderful woman that helped me to come back to El Salvador. She helped me with money and moral support for 10 months.
By that time I had already helped a hospital bloom with the benefits from a golf tournament and also I had worked with different non-governmental organizations to help my country. So seeing this, she told me to come back and help the children directly in my country.
God was the one who was planning this all my life.
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What happened in my mind was the realization that there is a God.
I feel Him everyday and also see His miracles everyday in my country.
I think El Salvador's beautiful people deserve to live with Education, Food, Medicines, Jobs and all the Benefits of a Democracy.
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I believed in this all my life.
From Being an Extremely Talented Amateur Golf Champion
to a Passionate and Devoted Supporter
of Disadvantaged People
Int: I know that the Kimberly Moore Foundation has Adopted your country and that you have become the Director of the headquarter of the foundation in San Salvador. What are the latest projects achieved with the foundation and what are the future plans?
HOST: I met Kimberly and I fell in love with her and her work with the children. There are not many women like her in the world and I have the privilege of calling her my friend.
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Ramon Kury is another friend I am working with.
Together and with different NGOs (non-governmental organizations) we worked to rebuild schools and dealt with different people in the most difficult part of our country.
We have given 5000 books and we are planning to give more programs for education. We need more people to get involved so we can help more the communities.
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With Ramon, visiting communities we evaluate their needs...for example right now we got the funding to rebuild an entire school.
And we want to do that as a model for lots and lots of schools that have no running water, electricity, a kitchen or eating areas or No bathroom walls.
It is a difficult reality... but I put the pictures on tweeter and entire communities responded... and now we have people who live in Guatemala and in the USA helping us rebuild proper schools for the benefit of 300 little children.
Int: To help San Salvador right now, what can we do? What are the projects we could donate for? Let's give all the links and details...
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HOST: Thank you, I would like a place where we can sell the goods of our beautiful people on the internet.
I want to put them to work and for the goods to be paid fairly, so they can have some kind of income per month and also take part of the sale profits to help rebuild the schools.
I was thinking of an internet platform where we can put pictures of all they make, from hand bags to coffee... and the let the world know more about the good hard working people of El Salvador.
And also I would love Educational programs with Europe so we can take them to our youth or apply maybe an internship via internet .
Water is so hard to get in some areas for the children I would like to build wells, so the children don't have to walk so much to get water that is not that good for them.
I would like to get cement..lot of Cement to build them paths to walk on.
Also I would enjoy meeting people from different Parties in Europe, and see if they have the same values and principals as my Party...and form alliances to benefit both Parties.
Int: Young generations are our voice for the future. What are your special words for them?
HOST: To be aware of one another and to believe in something bigger than themselves.
This generation has a great future if they can see it...but they have to be able to be awake to see it.
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Not to watch too much television and trying instead to read more, trying to travel, and to meet people and the most important thing is Love and Faith in God. Without that I could not have made it.
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Int: Wishing you the Best for the election in January 2018, as a brilliant and wise member of the Senate in San Salvador, TheMagazyne thanks you for having shared your life and for being a constant positive voice for all your fellow countrywomen and countrymen.
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You were Born to Be Courageous for ...El Salvador.
Your courage will make the difference.
TheMagazyne is ready to witness all the progress and goals
you'll surely achieve very soon.
TheMagazyne loves El Salvador and admire people just like You.
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Thank you Emanuela for the Opportunity to share a little part of my life with you, your readers and my people. Thank you. We are sending you and your readers lots of love and light and lots of blessings from EL SALVADOR
Lory Oppenheimer
