Ricci & sister, Sarahi
Cindy
Students at Transition House with Anne Morawetz
Angie
Marcela in 2012
Marcela in 2017!
Feliz Navidad from Nuevo Paraiso
Jan Carlos is delighted to display the Christmas tree he made to celebrate the holiday.
As you read this, the children in Nuevo Paraiso are as excited as children in Canada about Christmas. But what is Christmas like for them?
It is a tradition in Honduras to have a new outfit including shoes to wear on Christmas Eve. The staff and Tia’s at Nuevo are busy organizing new clothes for all of the children in the village. We are very grateful to an anonymous Peterborough donor and to the organizers and supporters of the Tree of Dreams at St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church in Peterborough, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chateauguay and St. Martin of Tours in Ennismore whose gifts help to make Christmas a special celebration.
Mae, affectionately known as the Grandmother of Nuevo, helps little Alina with the new shoes that will complete her Christmas outfit.
One of the most heart-warming traditions in the village is the “secret friend” gift exchange. Each child draws a name and then goes into the cafeteria and “buys” a gift with tickets. Each gift is worth a different ticket amount. They learn to give another child a gift that they have personally picked out with the other child’s likes and needs in mind. And they learn the joy of giving!
The children have dinner in their individual houses, and the menu varies in each house but everyone looks forward to the tamales that appear at Christmas time. Unlike tamales here in Canada, they are wrapped in plantain leaves rather than corn husks. Torrejas filled with dulce de leche are a special dessert for the holidays.
Feliz Navidad from all of the children, the Board and staff at Friends of Honduran Children. Merry Christmas to all!
The Brigade Experience
So many lifelong memories but one stands alone. My 16 year old nephew, Hector, 13 other volunteers and I stood outside the one-room schoolhouse without electricity but with an outhouse perched on a hill. We had arrived in this remote, mountain village after a three-hour drive on roads (?) severely impacted by the heavy rains. One by one, the 32 beautiful children were given a knapsack filled with the essential items our friends and families had generously gathered. Borders disappeared and the sense of a global village emanated.
Judy Blaney, First Time Brigader
Thank you so much to the participants and supporters of the recent FoHC Adult Awareness Brigade. Your gifts made so much possible!
Brigade members painted at the elementary school in Nuevo Paraiso. A highlight was the mural painted in the lunchroom by OCAD student Heather Lapp with assistance provided by team members. The rest of the team’s painting was a bit more mundane.
Heather Lapp and the completed mural .
Only Through Education
FoHC Board members on the brigade met with 15 of the full-time students who received scholarships from the FoHC Education Committee. Not only do these young people maintain an average of over 85 percent, they show their appreciation for their scholarships by tutoring fellow students. Two of the young women have started a fundraising program in their community to fund another scholarship.
High school staff, scholarship students and brigade members.
We cannot thank Lynda Hodgins and Millbrook Cavan United Church enough for their support of scholarships for these students.
As Judy indicated, a visit to a remote school is a highlight of every brigade.
Not only were we able to deliver the planned school supplies, personal items and food for the students, a generous passenger seated beside Anne Morawetz on the flight to Honduras, handed her a $100 US bill when he learned about our work.
All hands on deck to prepare for hitting the piñata at the mountain school.
In the Village…
And of course, brigaders spent much time with the children in the village. From simply reading to the children at night, spending time making cupcakes or special events like our Halloween party or dinner out for the young men of Santiago Apostle, brigaders demonstrated their personal commitment to making lives better for these children.
Just hanging out!
Making bracelets.
Funny Canadian tradition – bobbing for apples!
Thank you to our corporate supporters. Giant Tiger (Lakefield Highway) donated umbrellas to provide coverage in rain and sun for the Tia’s (housemothers) in the children’s village. Giant Tiger (Lansdowne Street West) gave bags of shoes, t-shirts, shorts and baseball hats. (The hats were for children who walk a long way to get to their school in the mountains.) And thank you to Value Village (Peterborough) for much needed socks.
Interested in the Brigade Experience?
A brigade provides a fascinating opportunity to learn firsthand about the work of Friends of Honduran Children. If you are interested in participating in or organizing a brigade, please contact Allison Grierson at 705.749.1900 or allison@honduranchildren.com
A Young Visitor’s Perspective of FoHC
By Ivin Roxana Medina Matute
Ivin arrived in Nuevo Paraiso in 2008. She is presently attending Fleming College thanks to generous sponsors and the support of the College. Thank you! We asked her to write about FoHC from her perspective.
Seeing innocent kids on the streets working, begging for money or food, eating junk from the garbage and young adolescents with babies without economic resources to raise their children instead of being at a school studying hard for a better future is a normal day in Honduras.
A good education, health care and the basic necessities are what all parents want for their kids. Sadly for many of the parents in Honduras this is just that, a wish. Honduras is a very poor country where, while the rich grow in abundance, the poor are sinking in misery, facing low and limited possibilities of growth. Honduran parents feel unable to bring up their children and achieve their dreams.
This is where Friends of Honduran Children appears and plays a great and important role, performing and fulfilling every single word of its mission “Changing Lives”. FoHC gives hope and faith to desperate parents who want to see their children achieve their goals in life and change their whole life story.
FoHC’s efforts are immensely helping to raise children and prepare them for the future, to make a difference in the society that will change and benefit the country. Because of FoHC, the dreams of parents, kids and country continue.
Ivin and Fany enjoying a Canadian adventure with their Peterborough family, Shannon and Karen Hartford.
Ivin is enrolled in Tourism program at Fleming. One of the pleasures of being in the Peterborough area is the challenge of outdoor activities. Like most of us though, she hates the deer flies.
Preparations Underway for the 12th Grace Brigade
Many Thanks to the Brigaders and the Volunteers and Donors Who Support their Work
Members of the February 2016 Grace Brigade on the ground in Honduras
Members of the congregation and friends will travel to the Nuevo Paraiso Children’s Village in November to start construction of an office for the school nurse and principal to share. Part of our 5-year construction plan in the Village, the new office will release the existing office space to be used as a classroom. With more children in our children’s village, the school is now at capacity and needs more classroom space.
Not only do these dedicated volunteers raise the brick walls on the site, they are tasked with raising the funds to provide the bricks and other materials that will be used in construction. Grace United’s Annual Fall Yard Sale will take place on Saturday, September 9th from 7 AM to 1 PM at 581 Howden Street, Peterborough.
This will be the 12th year that Grace United has undertaken a trip to Honduras through FoHC. For some members of the brigade it will be an opportunity to visit with the children that they sponsor in the children’s village.
Brigade member Debbie March met her sponsored child on her second brigade in 2007. Jose Luis and his sister Ana Paola were in transit to Nuevo Paraiso but the vehicle they were travelling in had broken down by the side of the road. In one of the many “coincidences” that seem to populate our stories, Debbie was in the vehicle that stopped to help. Not only does her brigade work contribute to the well-being of many children in Honduras, it allows her to keep tabs on Jose Luis as he grows up.
You can sponsor a child in Nuevo Paraiso without going on a brigade. For more information visit our website or call 705.745.1900.
Two Nuevo Paraiso Graduates Arrive in Canada
Their dreams have come true thanks to people like you!
Ivin and Fany and their two little sisters arrived in our children’s village in 2009. Canadian volunteers were on the ground and picked them up form an overcrowded and severely underfunded government orphanage.
They couldn’t believe it when they saw Fany carrying a garbage bag full of all of their possessions. Everything that these four girls owned fit into one small garbage bag. The girls were very withdrawn and scared, unsure of where they were going. It didn’t take long for them to adjust to life in our children’s village, and now 7 years later they have turned into bright young women, full of potential.
Above Fany and Ivin when they first arrived in our children’s village in 2009.
The girls arrived in Canada in January and are adjusting to their new lives here. We are so grateful that Fleming College has partnered with us to reduce the tuition cost, and that a family in Peterborough is providing a home for the girls at no cost to Friends of Honduran Children. With the support of generous sponsors and donors like you, the girls’ dreams have come true.
Thanks to the ESL education they received in the Nuevo Paraiso village, the girls were accepted into the highest level of ESL. They did four months of ESL and will start their programs in September. Fany will study Business and Ivin will study Computer Engineering Technology.
Fany and Ivin on their day of arrival, ready to start their new lives…thanks to you!
You Make the Difference in Your Sponsor Child’s Future
“What happens when my sponsor child graduates from high school?” After sponsoring a child for years, you want to continue to help and see that your sponsor child has the opportunity to reach their dreams. For some that may be learning a trade, starting a small business, or getting a job, while others have great potential to go to University or College and further their education. No matter what direction a child goes, they need your continued support.
Living expenses, transportation and costs of school are significantly more when a child moves on, and your support is more vital than ever. For this reason, sponsors, just like you, are planning ahead for the future by simply adding $5 or $10 to their monthly sponsorship. This money will be used to start a future’s fund to help our graduates as they transition into life outside of the children’s village.
Any amount you are able to give, will make a big difference with your sponsor child. Contact us today to learn more.
Meet your Sponsor Child
You can join with sponsors across Canada, in the fun of virtually meeting your sponsor child! This unique opportunity uses webinar technology that allows you to connect to the children in Honduras, using the internet. Each month, children from one house in Honduras, are connecting with their sponsors. Those who live locally are invited to come to office, and those who live out of town can connect from their home.
If you haven’t had a chance to meet your sponsor child yet…you will!
The best part, is you have the opportunity to tell the children that they are loved and cared for. The children are so excited to meet you!
The best part, is you have the opportunity to tell the children that they are loved and cared for. The children are so excited to meet you!
Bob and Linda even brought a snowman to show to their sponsor child!
Interested in becoming a sponsor? You can! Click here to sign up today
Building Relationships Though Pen Pal Letters
Canadian Grade Four Students Share what Sponsoring a Child Means to Them
When grade four teacher Donna Paquette returned from Honduras, she knew she wanted to find a way for her students to connect with the children in Honduras. Teachers from her school pulled together to help sponsor 17 year old Katlin. Her students at St. Joseph’s school in Bowmanville, ON were eager to learn about the children in Honduras and started writing letters to Katlin. 10 year old Emma shares what this experience has meant to her.
There is someone who is very special to me. Her name is Katlin. She is 17 years old. Her birthday is November 17. Katlin is tall and has long black curly hair. She is very pretty. She has a very kind, caring and sweet personality. She is very nice to other people, and that is very important in life. Katlin can make someone smile and laugh. She lights up people’s day very quickly.
10 Year old Emma loves to get letters from her friend in Honduras
Katlin has dreams just like many of us. She wants to go to college and study to be an architect. She wants to gain great knowledge for her dream. Katlin studies a lot, and that makes her become smarter than she already was. Katlin is really good at drawing. That helps a lot with her dream because architects spend their time drawing buildings for people to live in, or even grocery stores. These people probably designed your house, and you love it! I know I love my house! She wants to design beautiful places that we can enjoy. Maybe she will design a house for families and children who don’t have homes.
She has siblings and many friends. She has a brother named Daniel, a sister named Sandra, and an aunt named Sonia. Her siblings and her are very kind and are as strong as can be together. Katlin also has a friend that’s really special to her named Zabdi.
Katlin lives in Honduras, a country in Central America. Honduras is far from Canada, and hot. I like hot places! It is a beauuuuuutiful place to live because there are beaches, mountains and trees! Lots of trees! Everything is outdoors, well most of it. They love to play sports, like soccer. They are very active because they play lots of sports and they’re almost always outside.
Katlin has a unique home. I love where she lives because it’s so cool to think of it and it’s beautiful. She lives far, I know but we can still be friends. She lives in Central America, and I live in Canada.
Katlin lives in a special place in Central America. She lives in an orphanage. The color of her home is orange. It’s called Nuevo Paraiso. The house/orphanage home that she lives in is called Padma. She is safe at her home, where she gets food, education and love.
Katlin and I are special friends, and that will not change. I love the letters she writes to me and she loves the letters I write to her. I hope that you can write to someone, or make a donation to a place in need, even if it is far away.
I made a difference in Katlin’s life by helping to sponsor her. I even helped toward her college fund. I hope that you can take from this story and perhaps also help someone out.
Emma – 10 years old.
Thank you for Sharing Emma! If you would like to learn how you can help to change the life of a child in Honduras though sponsorship click here.
Share the love this Valentine’s Day!
It’s that time of year again… time to share the love! As we lead up to February 14th, our thoughts turn to roses, candy hearts, maybe a dinner out or a romantic card.
Last year, we had a campaign to raise funds to send to the staff in our Nuevo Paraiso Children’s village… and It was a huge success!
Thanks to donors like you we raised over $1400 and we were able to send each of the Tias (House mothers) a gift of a cash bonus.
We hope that you might consider supporting the staff again this year. Your small donation to the hard working staff in our Nuevo Paraiso Children’s village in Honduras will mean so much to them! We hope to raise $2000 so that we can include all of the hard working staff that care for the children.
You can give a gift to the hardworking staff who care for the children, all year long. Most of the Tias (house mothers) have children of their own, yet care for the children with great love and affection. The staff who work as guards, cooks and in the laundry facility are diligent and kind to the children.
Gifts from their friends in Canada will speak volumes to the staff at Nuevo Paraiso about how we care and want to support them!
If lots of people donate a small amount, we will be sure to reach or surpass our target – and the staff will receive a surprise valentine’s day bonus.
Any amount will go a long way in Honduras! Your gift of $20 or more is eligible for a tax receipt.
Click here to support the staff in Honduras now!
