Wilmer first came to Europe as a teenager with Father Wasson, where he was allowed to visit his godmother and proved to be a true talent for languages. Although he later had a chance to stay in Germany, he decided to study dentistry in El Salvador. Despite many difficulties in a country where this field of study is rather reserved for children of privileged families, he successfully completed his studies in 2019.
Sometimes Wilmer thinks he’s down on his luck. But we can perhaps see just the oppo-site:
Because the dental association had made a mistake in his license to practice dentistry, he was not given it
like his fellow students after graduation, was not allowed to take the intended job and consequently had no income. And then came Corona, which hit the country hard. And the measures were drastic: banned from going out except for certain days and only to buy food. The stores were controlled by the police, without the right final number in the ID valid for that day, people were even detained. Hospitals were overcrowded, staff over-whelmed. The government was desperate for medical personnel, and many young doc-tors came forward to help care for the Corona patients. But hygiene in the hospitals was poor. Two of Wilmer’s young fellow students soon died of Corona. And Wilmer? His application had been rejected because he couldn’t prove he had a license to practice. And the dental school remained closed for an entire year. So he tried everything to keep his head above water. He sold sandwiches until the police forbade him to do so (right, he didn’t have a license for that either). He asked all his friends to lend him money.
When the chamber finally reopened, it was staffed with young officials to protect the older officials. The new “powers that be” told him that if he wanted his certificate, he would have to pay another thousand dollars. Wilmer con-tinued to run up debts… In May 2021, an opportunity arose to come to Germany as a skilled worker. We have a shortage of doctors in many areas. He soon began helping out at the nursing home while he prepares for the various exams to be “put through his paces” by the medical board to work as a dentist. We accompany him on his way through the jungle of regulations, procedures but also funding opportunities and have arranged a loan for him to cover the costs he has to bear himself.
Wilmer is the oldest of four children. His mother died giving birth to his youngest broth-er. The latter had a serious accident in the fall, he was hit by a car and almost killed. The surgery and treatment in El Salvador consumed a lot of money, luckily Wilmer was able to support his family. Since his sister is a nurse, his little brother was in good hands. His psychological strength was then put to the test once again when two siblings and the stepfather themselves fell ill with corona. He advised them not to go to the hospital under any circumstances, and in the meantime all three have recovered.
In December he got a first professional license and accepted a job in a dental practice. The road to licensure in Germany is still long (and costs a lot of money), but we are con-fident that he will make it.
