A lifetime of serving others

Jose Nelson has worked with World Vision for 26 years. In that time he has served in his home country of El Salvador, as part of the regional office for Latin America and the Carribean and also on emergency response like the Asian Tsunami and the Haiti earthquake response.  Growing up in El Salvador, one of the most vulnerable nations in the world, meant Jose was exposed to several emergencies even before he considered a career as a humanitarian. 

"When I was a little boy, I saw a flooding. Many of my friends were affected. I listened to the cries of their parents for help."

 “When I was a little boy, I saw a flooding that dragged the houses of a community behind our house. Many of my friends from school were affected. I just listened to the cries of their parents for help," he recalls.  Jose also lived through the 1986 earthquake that hit El Salvador in October of that year and is believed to have killed at least 1000 people. Three years later, Jose joined World Vision, where his job was to help families who had been displaced by armed conflict in the country. “Being a humanitarian worker means putting my talents towards people who are affected by emergencies, especially children who are the most vulnerable in time of crises," says Jose.

“Being a humanitarian means putting my talents towards people who are affected by emergencies, especially children."

 In 1991, Jose worked on creating a handbook for emergency and response work, as part of a major international forum. It was this work that confirmed his calling to the humanitarian world.  “I have many unforgettable experiences. I remember being part of the response team in the South East Asia tsunami, considered the largest humanitarian operation in recent history. I was also deployed to help after the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. These are all experiences that have reaffirmed my vocation and calling to humanitarian service."
Jose´s current role is to strengthen the skills of children, adolescents, youth and adults so they know how to prepare before and respond during an emergency. The community members who are trained by Jose then pass this information on to others. 

"The most rewarding part of my job is when I see the smiles on the faces of children and parents."

 "The most rewarding part of my job is when I see the smiles on the faces of children and parents, who, despite being affected by an emergency - losing their possessions, pets etc - recognize your service with a good handshake."