Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace...
Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos™ International
Country Reports 2008
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos™ International (NPHI), has
Our programs provide quality education, healthcare
been caring for children for over 50 years. In 1954, Father
and spiritual formation with the goal of raising good
William B. Wasson took in the first boy after catching
Christians and productive members of their respective
him stealing money from the offering box. NPHI is a
societies. Over the years, more than 15,900 children have
Christian mission that strives to provide a permanent
been raised in our family which has expanded to nine
family and home for orphaned, abandoned and other
countries, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
at-risk children who live in conditions of extreme poverty.
Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru.
where there is injury, pardon;
Dear Friends,
2008 was a year full of challenges,
especially the sudden downturn in
the economic situation that surprised
us all at the end of the year. At NPH
Mexico we are always thinking of the
children and are currently doing our
utmost so that they will not suffer
consequences in the coming year
due to the economic situation.
This year, our state, Morelos, suffered
a teachers’ strike in the public school
system lasting more than 10 weeks.
The children of Morelos could not
and did not go to school. Our three
schools, elementary, middle and
technical high school, all stayed open.
We are proud to say that not only did
our children not miss any school, but
we were able to accept more children
than ever before from the surrounding
communities, unconditionally, so that
they too could access their right to an
education.
This year our house will turn 55 years
old. Throughout these 55 years,
including when our beloved Father
Wasson was here with us, we have
always had, one way or another,
economic issues. Our donors and
godparents have always helped us,
and this help has allowed us not
only to treat our children well, but to
continue accepting new children into
our family. In these difficult times, the
2 Mexico
poor suffer more than anyone and it
is more important than ever that we
keep our doors open to children in
need. We pledge to welcome with
open arms the children who need us.
In the coming year our work will be
challenging but all of the staff at NPH
Mexico are dedicated, and conscious
that the work that we do is the
most important in the world. We are
forming, and transforming the lives of
thousands of children.
We hope that this year the spirit
of our beloved Father Wasson will
continue to guide us as he did when
he was here with us on earth.
We could not be so successful in our
labor of love without the help of our
godparents, benefactors and friends.
With your help we will weather this
economic crisis as we have so many
before, and our family will continue
to grow.
Rafael Bermudez
National Director
Public Relations & In-Country Sponsorships are responsible for
30% of income for the total operating budget.
Public Relations
Our Public Relations department,
headed by the capable and
talented Alicia Caro is a growing,
successful and important part of our
home. Together with the Mexican
sponsorship department, run by Alicia
Caro and Bruni Caro, and special
projects, it is responsible for 30% of
our total budget, quite a feat!
The department has secured many
in-kind donations this year and staff
members furthered their training
with a conference series given by the
government. A wonderful new deal
with a state-wide newspaper means
that we have a reporter attending all
house events. A feature was done on
NPH Mexico with National Director,
Rafael Bermudez, on the cover of
a Sunday supplement magazine.
Summer activities this year were
greatly enriched by free movie passes
for all children as well as free tickets
to several area water parks.
This year the PR department helped
the high school students to enter
a drawing contest held by HSBC, a
worldwide bank. One of our students,
Irving, won for the state of Morelos
and was awarded a trip to Cancun.
For 2009, Public Relations has many
goals. They would like our house to
be known throughout the country
and for more people to be part of
our family and feel proud of us. They
would like to start an art fair where a
portion of the proceeds comes back
to the house. Also, they would like to
increase their budget responsibility to
help the house in this time of crisis.
Needs:
Assistant to make phone calls/solicit
donations/ make connections and
contacts in local businesses
Computer for the PR director
Correspondence
The correspondence department is
a bustling, busy place. Director Bruni
Caro and one assistant are in charge
of all the mailings for NPH Mexico.
This means that three times a year
they do mass mailings to all donors
and godparents within Mexico, about
10,000 letters!
The first and second mailings of the
year are general information mailings
which include a newsletter about
events at the house. The third
Mexico 3
is the Christmas mailing, in which
a campaign is included to ask for
donations for the children’s daily
needs, such as underwear, shoes and
clothes. This year they will continue
with this campaign, as it has been
very successful in the past. The
surprising and wonderful thing is
that help comes in all forms, from
the well-off donor who can donate
everything a child needs, to the donor
who helps with any small amount
they can.
We have many donors who help
monetarily without the commitment
of being a godparent and these
mailings serve to remind our donors
that it is time to help, as well as
help to spread the word about our
organization.
The correspondence department
would like to reinitiate the direct
mail program again next year. It
was stopped this year due to a low
response, but we believe that it
can continue to help us gain new
godparents and donors.
The correspondence department
would like to thank all the young
people of the high school who help
stuff envelopes to get the mailings
out on time. Without their help, these
mass mailings would be impossible!
Psychology
One of the most important priorities
of the department continues to be
the preparation and development of
psychologists and teachers through
training and issue awareness courses.
Courses for caregivers were also
provided this year. This protects our
children by directly helping those who
help them.
The biggest goal of the department
is to improve the evaluation system
and continue to find and implement
advances in treatment. We would
also like to start another Special
Education section for the primary
school students as there is currently
only one.
Carlos is a boy who came to our
home after an extremely difficult
home life through age five. Due to
the neglect of his parents he did not
know how to socialize, follow rules or
behave. He has now been in therapy
and special education for 10 years and
is a changed young man. He attends
classes and is motivated to learn and
participate, and he knows how to
treat his peers. We are so proud of all
his hard work.
Needs:
Didactic materials
Teacher for special education group
Psychology Department employees: 13, Psychologists: 4, Speech therapist: 1,
Special Education teachers: 4, Volunteer teacher’s aide: 1
4 Mexico
Milpillas Garbage Dump
Outreach Program
NPH Mexico started a program in
1999 to help the people of a nearby
garbage dump named Milpillas. The
people that work in the dump are
called “pepenadores”, or garbage
pickers, and live in a town constructed
from and built directly on, garbage.
Their children traditionally did not
attend school, and instead helped
their families gather recyclables and
anything that could potentially be sold
from the tons of garbage that were
dumped each day.
This outreach program is all
encompassing. NPH not only provides
any child from the community who
wishes to go with schooling, but
also uniforms, gym clothes, shoes,
sneakers, books, school supplies,
transportation, a hot shower in the
morning and two full meals a day. We
currently have 110 Milpillas children in
our schools: 73 in elementary school,
18 in middle school, 13 in high school
and 2 in university. Like all of our
children, they are offered an education
through the university level.
The dump closed last year but we
have not lost any children as families
stayed living on the garbage remains,
but went to work on other dumps. In
fact, enrollment went up as children
were allowed to go to school instead
of working with their families at the
dump. The children now play after
school. There is a rumor that the
dump will reopen, the people of
the town want this even though the
government recently lowered the
price paid for recycled goods by 40%
and it will be harder than ever to make
a living.
Gerardo and Milton are students
in our primary school. They are in
kindergarten and second grade. Their
mother is a housewife and their
father is a blacksmith’s assistant.
He has trouble getting work due
to a spinal injury that will not allow
him to lift more than 10 pounds.
Gerardo and Milton have big dreams
for their futures and we know that
with our help they can break the
cycle of poverty. Their family appears
very dedicated to helping them to
succeed.
Milpillas Students: 73 in elementary school, 18 in middle school,
13 in high school and 2 in university.
Mexico 5
Elementary School
There were two very significant
events that coincided with the
beginning of the school year. The
first was a 10-week teacher strike,
which crippled the state of Morelos’
education system and filled our
school in Miacatlan to capacity as it
was the only school open in the area.
The second was the arrival of Jesús
Nares, a new principal with a fresh
vision for our children.
Jesús’ first order of business was to
coordinate teachers helping teachers.
He set up a public internet forum
where all teachers post their lesson
plans a week in advance so that other
teachers can comment on and help
their fellow teachers be the best they
can be and teach as well as they can.
The exam system has
been overhauled to eradicate written
exams for young children in favor of
hands-on testing through third grade.
Fourth through sixth grades will no
longer have multiple-choice exams;
instead they will have exams that
better test their knowledge.
A reinforcement group has been
started for children who need extra
help or extra time to learn a subject.
The subject is taught at a slower pace
in this group, with the goal that the
students will then rejoin their peers.
Leonardo was having problems
in school, both behaviorally and
academically and was passed through
different fourth grade classes and
even special education, without any
positive results. One day he was
Total enrollment: 355, NPH: 154, Milpillas Garbage Dump Outreach Program: 70
Padre Marcos Street Children Program: 24, External students: 107
6 Mexico
in the principal’s office and picked
up a fifth grade textbook and grew
engrossed in what he was reading.
Jesus spoke with him about what
he had read, and he had understood
perfectly. Through meetings with his
teachers and the school psychologist,
the decision was made to move him
up to fifth grade. Now Leonardo is
a different child, he is excited about
learning and pays attention in class.
He has even asked permission to join
the school band!
Needs:
Full time gym teacher (regular
teachers now teach gym to their
students)
Special education teacher
Director’s assistant (current secretary
does everything, including correcting
and grading exams)
Middle School
This has been an exciting year for
our middle school. Middle school
in Mexico is slightly different from
those in other countries, as it
consists of 7th, 8th and 9th grades.
Our middle school is also a technical
middle school which means that all
students learn a skill that they will
hopefully nurture with further studies.
Our middle school has two new
workshops this year, Industrial Design
and Accounting, bringing the total
to four with Sewing and Mechanics.
These two new workshops will
hopefully lead to a discovery of
interest and the pursuit of higher
education studies in accounting and
architecture. Students have shown a
serious interest and they are proving
to be quite successful.
A school band was started this year
and we can now, as a school, take
part in town parades and celebrations
such as the one on Revolution Day
this past November. Having a band
also gives students more avenues
towards finding a personal interest
and being involved in school activities.
It is also great for school spirit! Our
middle school students have also
shown their school spirit by
competing and winning many athletic
competitions this year.
They have won 30 medals overall,
in competitions against 45 other
technical middle schools state-wide.
Andrea came to our home a year and
a half ago. Through sports she has
found a way to relate to her peers
and has become a changed young
woman. She is completely adapted to
the house and is always seen with a
huge smile on her face. She won two
gold medals this year!
Needs:
Workshop materials, $8,000:
materials for four workshops for one
year
Computers are desperately needed
for the Accounting workshop,
computer lab and the library.
Total students: 232, NPH: 159, Milpillas Garbage Dump Outreach Program: 18
Padre Marcos Street Children Program: 14, External students: 35
Mexico 7
English Department
The English department continues to
thrive and impress the importance
of learning a second language on
our children and young people. The
department has started a new focus
this year on speaking, in class as well
as in more public forums. Speaking
is the most difficult part of learning a
language and this new concentration
will help the students in all areas of
language learning. The first annual
spelling bee was held this year and
was a big success. It will now be
held every May to give the children
an exciting motivator to study as well
as practice speaking in front of large
groups.
Francisco arrived at our home as
a small and shy boy. Now, after
dedicated study, he is one of the best
English students in our home. For the
International Meeting last year he was
asked at the last minute to perform a
dialogue. He did so very successfully
with very little preparation. This year
he was one of the winners of the
spelling bee!
Needs:
Extra funds to pay an existing teacher
to teach English to special education
students
A big challenge of the department
is to integrate new children into
the program. The director, Elda, has
started a new program that uses
extra help and private classes to help
new and struggling students to catch
up with their peers, with a special
concentration on those entering high
school.
Employees (teachers) Primary: 2, Secondary: 2, High School: 4
Volunteers: 1, Director: 1
8 Mexico
Bachillerato (Technical High School)
Our high school is a technical high
school and each student chooses
between the offered majors of
Tourism, Computers, Accounting,
Child Development and Electronics.
When they graduate with this
technical degree and certify, they are
qualified to work in their chosen field.
With 181 of our students and 116
external students, the school has a
healthy mix of young people.
In 2008 we were proud to see
36 of our students graduate, with
an excellent 95% of the class of
2008 completing their professional
practices and social service. These
young people are now qualified to
work in their chosen field of study and
many will go on to university.
A new multi-faceted program was
started this year to help students
in academic and personal areas.
Extra help is now given to struggling
students in the form of tutors and
teachers attuned to their students’
needs can now request individual
attention for that student. As high
school is a recognized difficult time,
students need all the personal help
and attention possible. This new
program has helped greatly to reduce
the number of young people leaving
school for personal or academic
reasons. As a part of this program, all
seniors are given a special class every
week called “Educational Orientation”
in which real life themes are talked
about to lower risky situations.
The high school’s most important
goal for the future is to have 100%
of prospective students graduate and
certify in their major.
Needs:
Remodeling of bathrooms for men
and women (currently closed)
Roof waterproofing so rain does not
further damage the building
Computers for the computer lab
Total enrollment: 297, NPH: 181, External students: 116, NPH Graduates: 36
Mexico 9
Casa San Luis in Monterrey
Our home in Monterrey is full of
serious students, working towards
the goal of so many of our children,
to graduate university. This year, 31
young people successfully completed
their two years of service and went
to Monterrey, bringing the total to 90
students living in this home.
A new focus was placed on moral
and civic duties this year, with the
constant goal in mind to help our
young people in every way possible
graduate university. Our young people
study anything from psychology to
engineering to nursing to graphic
design. Many students are now
doing professional practices in their
sixth trimester so that they may
gain professional experience and
knowledge with their degree. The
Students: 90, Directors: 2
10 Mexico
students report that this gives them
more confidence in their abilities
and will help them greatly to find
employment after graduation.
Flor is a young woman who was
unsure if she wanted to study at
the university level. She completed
her two years of service reluctantly,
knowing it would be better to
have options. Through the efforts
of directors she decided to take
advantage of the opportunity for an
education and is now just one year
away from graduating with a degree
in Psychology. We are extremely
proud of Flor for making the mature
decision to study, and of all of our
university students and graduates,
who remind us that NPH provides
a brilliant future to every child that
enters our home.
Medical Clinic
This year was one of training and
prevention for our medical clinic.
Medical care was improved for
our children with the training of all
caregivers in first-aid and all medical
and dental staff in CPR. As the dental
clinic has now moved to the medical
area, they are an important part of the
team.
Successful campaigns this year
included treatment to remove/
prevent parasites, administered to
all children every six months, and
vaccinating all the children against
Hepatitis A, Influenza and Pneumonia.
Conferences were given about eating
disorders and at-risk behaviors to
our young people to warn them of
possible social and personal dangers.
Miguel is a 5-year-old boy who
accidentally slammed his thumb in a
door. It was such a grave injury that
it was thought that his thumb would
have to be amputated. Thanks to
excellent medical care in a respected
hospital and in our clinic, his thumb
was saved and is functional.
Needs:
Funding and completion of the
Physical Rehabilitation Center
New furniture, including beds, for the
new second floor
A new addition was built this year
and a Physical Rehabilitation Center
will be opening as soon as funding
for equipment is complete. This is
the medical clinic´s biggest goal
for next year, to have our Physical
Rehabilitation Center up and running
and be better able to help our
children with physical therapy and our
permanent residents to alleviate pain
from chronic ailments.
Doctor: 1, Nurses: 8, Housekeeping: 1, Volunteer: 1
Mexico 11
Casa San Salvador
It has been a wonderfully busy year
at Casa San Salvador. With 530
children living here full time and a
further 95 coming in every day from
the garbage dump outreach program,
it is certainly full of life! Casa San
Salvador is our main home, where all
of our children live until they graduate
from ninth grade, which is the end
of middle school here in Mexico. Our
smallest children live in kinder, and
we currently have seven precious
little ones, under age 6. Once they
graduate from kindergarten they are
separated by gender and the first
and second graders live in Chicos
and Chicas (girls and boys), third
and fourth graders are together in
Medianos and Medianas, fifth graders
in Grandes B, sixth graders in Grandes
A, and seventh, eighth and ninth
graders each in their own dormitories.
This creates a unity between school
and home, where children share
similar classes, homework and
maturity levels.
This year a new horticulture project
for girls was started by girls’ director
Graciela Lopez. The girls are learning
how to do everything from planting
the seeds to harvesting the crop.
This teaches them responsibility and
benefits the house in the form of
more vegetables for the kitchen.
Monthly birthday parties have been
started for all children and have been
very popular. Sharing Fund money is
used to provide a special dinner and a
cake, and donations are collected and
used as presents. Caregivers dress
up in costumes and balloons provide a
festive atmosphere. It is a wonderful
way to help the children feel special.
Thirty-one young people completed
their two years of service and went
to college this past July. Of course,
every child that goes to college is a
success for the house and a tangible
reminder of all that we work for.
Employees: 55, Volunteers: 14, Year of Service: 60
12 Mexico
Needs:
Sneakers and clothes for girls
More funding for the women’s
horticulture project
Sneakers, shoes and underwear
for boys
A new visitor’s room
Finish waterproofing of dorms and
medical clinic
A wonderful new
thing this year
was a renovation
of our program for
new children. New
children are now
given a point person
who will help them
through their first
three months. These
months can be
difficult for a child as
they adjust to their
new environment.
Giving them
someone on whom they can rely and
trust will make their transition easier
and so far has had excellent results.
We want all members of our family,
especially the newest, to feel good
about themselves.
Karina is a girl who came to us three
years ago, and through neglect by
her family, did not know how to take
care of herself or relate to her peers.
She would not work in school or in
her dorm and failed seventh grade.
Her family thought of taking her out
of NPH and putting her to work, but
directors convinced the family to let
Karina have another chance. Through
the hard work of her caregivers and
directors, Karina is now a changed
young woman. She is happy and
doing well in school.
Casa Buen Señor
This year has been a healthy one. The
directors and staff have been working
together all year to improve the
nutritional needs of our children. Now
the kitchen tries to serve licuados,
or fruit shakes, in the morning with
breakfast, more vegetables with lunch
and dinner and has at least two types
of fruit out as a desert for the young
people to choose from. This helps our
young people to make smart choices
and lead healthier lives.
In July we had the proud moment of
seeing 34 of our children graduate
from high school. They are now in
their first year of service, helping their
little brothers and sisters.
One change this year has been
getting netting for the sport court here
in the house. Before, games were
interrupted constantly by the ball
flying out of the court. House Director
Carlos Olguin says that they are
saving a lot of money now that they
do not have to replace soccer balls
that went flying over the wall, gone
forever.
Due to the financial crisis of the
moment, the needs of the house are
paramount, from small things such as
sheets and towels, to big ones such
as a new bus and a room for the girls
in their year of service in Miacatlan
to stay in on their weekends off. Our
biggest need, however, is computers.
Right now we have only 11 computers
Mexico 13
for 181 children, all of whom are given
homework to do on the computer
at night. The computer lab is open
from 4 pm-9 pm each day and each
child is given a one-hour turn, but it is
nowhere near enough. 25 computers
would be a good start.
In past years our high school students
received school shoes and sneakers
twice a year, now they are receiving
school shoes once a year and
sneakers only if there is money. This
is hindering their ability to participate
in gym class and sports after school.
Sneakers would make them more
active and healthy.
Juan Manuel is one of our most
special students. He is deaf-mute
but takes it in stride. This past
July we were proud to see him
graduate middle school and start to
look towards his future. He is now
studying in a local university in a
special program for deaf students. His
class is made up of deaf students and
they have a sign-language translator
to help them communicate with their
teachers. In this way, they are able to
attend the same classes and enjoy
the same teachers as their peers.
Recently it was discovered that Juan
14 Mexico
Manuel is a candidate for a Cochlear
implant. He has a working auditory
nerve and therefore may one day,
with this implant, be able to hear and
speak. We hope for the best for him
and know that with his incredibly
positive attitude, he will go far in life.
Volunteers
We currently have 16 volunteers
working at NPH Mexico from
The United States, England and
Germany. These volunteers work as
caregivers, English teachers, special
education teachers, maintenance,
visitor coordinator, clinic assistant,
Life Teen youth ministers and a
librarian. Our volunteers are incredibly
dedicated individuals and consistently
provide caring, love and a different
perspective to our children.
The biggest success of the volunteer
program this year has been the
reopening of our library at Casa
San Salvador. Our library had been
closed for over a year when a new
volunteer, Josie, arrived in July, full of
motivation and brimming with fresh
ideas. She has turned the dusty room
into a welcoming place and through
activities and her bright smile, has
encouraged the children to come and
read. She shares the philosophy that a
child´s mind can be opened positively
through reading, and she has doubled
the rate of visits to the library in just a
few short months.
Volunteers have many goals for
the future, including creating a
better community for volunteers in
Cuernavaca (high school students’
home), putting volunteers in Hotel
Villa and recruiting an activities
coordinator for our university
students’ home in Monterrey.
Taekwondo
Our Taekwondo program continues
to be incredibly popular, thanks to
dedicated creator and instructor Jón
Levy. Levy now has 150 children
participating in the program and
several of his students have won
national and even international
competitions. One of the greatest
accomplishments of the program
this year was to send three top
competitors to Iceland, the home
country of Jón Levy, where they
competed and won tournaments.
Levy also opened a NPH Iceland
office which will be staffed by a
volunteer and will start gaining new
sponsorships in 2009.
A big change this year was that Kinder
started Taekwondo and they love it.
They scream “Taekwondo!” in the
section all day long. The presentations
this year have been very popular and
have generated a lot of interest and
many donations. Christian is the star
of the show with his front and back
flips and his impressive breaking of
boards and a brick!
Jón Levy’s goals for the future are to
have 80% of the children in the house
participating in Taekwondo within
three years. He would like to take
more students to tournaments in the
United States so they can compete
internationally. His most immediate
goal is to have students trained to
take over the program in 2009.
Mexico 15
Sponsorship
The Sponsorship department has
been extremely successful this year,
continuing to facilitate excellent
communication between themselves
and the fundraising offices in Europe,
the US and Canada. They have
continued to complete, on time and
with great success, the three large
programs they execute each year:
Christmas Cards, Godparents’ Day
Cards and Report Cards. The intranet
continues to be an indispensable
tool in running the department,
making organization, coordination and
communication easier.
The biggest future goal of the
department is to continue to give
excellent attention to all godparents
and godchildren.
This year a small boy of seven came to
live at our home in Miacatlan and he
was asked to do his introduction letter
to his new godparents. He would not
16 Mexico
do it, and insisted that he did not want
to have any godparents. It was decided
to hold off on giving him godparents.
Once he had been in Miacatlan for
awhile and saw that the other children
were so happy when they received
letters and photographs from their
godparents, he changed his mind. He
started to send an introductory letter
and drawing every single day. Finally
Director Mayi Lopez had to ask the boy
to stop sending so many letters, as
he could only have 10 godparents. The
little boy cried because he wanted to
have many godparents!
Needs:
A volunteer to translate letters
Special Projects
Projects Completed:
1. Slaughterhouse and water treatment
plant
2. Girls Horticulture Project
3. Mobile library for middle school girls’
dorms (rotated monthly)
4. Corn harvester and tractor
6. Painting the high school boys’ dorms
7. Well maintenance work
8. Mats for the Cuernavaca
Taekwondo dojang
9. School backpacks for all high school
and many middle school students
Projects in Need of Funding:
1. Computers for middle school
accounting workshop
2. Homework computers for high
school students
3. Another assistant social worker to
help the department with home
visits
4. Repairs at Hotel Villa (plumbing,
waterproofing and electrical work)
5. Workshop materials for the middle
school
6. Renovation of the bathrooms in the
high school, elementary school and
the boys’ dorm
Social Work
We are lucky to have two new social
workers, who arrived full of new
ideas and methods. This past August
these two remarkable women,
Marisol and Elvi, came to our home
and completely restructured our
acceptance process. They have made
it clearer for children to know where
they will be living and to have a
better idea of how they will be living.
This coupled with an exhaustive
acceptance process that includes
many home visits and meetings with
relatives and the children, as well
as help after they arrive in Miacatlan
from house directors, has raised our
retention rate significantly.
We have accepted 32 children into our
home since August and we have six
who have been accepted, but are just
waiting to come join our family.
The department has begun to
promote the house to other
institutions, such as government
organizations, through guided visits so
that they can understand our system
and recommend and help us to
accept all children into our home who
need us. They have also been more
closely working with government
agencies to facilitate easier judicial
processes.
Guillermo and Alejandro are two
young boys, ages eight and ten,
who were recently accepted to
our family. They were abandoned
by their mother and their father, a
severe alcoholic, who was unable
to care for them. Their neglect was
noticed by a neighbor and our social
work department was called. After
many weeks of visits and talks, the
father agreed to let NPH care for his
children. Guillermo is now receiving
ophthalmological attention due to
a severe eye infection that he had
had for some time. Alejandro has
discovered a passion for Taekwondo.
Both boys are adjusting well and
happy.
Urgent Need:
An assistant social worker to help
with home visits and paperwork
New children: 38
Mexico 17
Life Teen
Life Teen is a Catholic program that
helps young people learn about
and grow closer to Christ. Last year
Director Jacqueline Baker added
the EDGE program as well, which
is designed specifically for middle
school students. We currently offer
Life Teen for our high school students
and year of service and EDGE for the
middle school students. Jacqueline
says, “Life Teen is a hugely important
program for the home as it nurtures
the spiritual growth of the children
in a very different way. They are able
to achieve this through dynamic
meetings, fun games, community
service and faith-sharing nights. The
teens are taught about the Catholic
faith, how to live their daily lives as
Catholics, how to build and be a
part of a young Catholic community,
as well as global topics like social
justice.”
All three parts of the program
have weekly “Life Nights” where
our young people are engaged
in discussions and learn about
Catholicism. These are very popular,
especially amongst the middle
school students where attendance is
consistently more than half of
Director: 1, Volunteer: 2
18 Mexico
all of this age group in our home.
Jacqueline also offers weekly prayer
times, social
activities such as the All Saints’ Ball
on All Saints’ Day and retreats several
times a year. Some of these retreats
are local and some are in the United
States. When the young people are
able to go to the United States it is
a wonderful opportunity for them
to get to know another culture as
well as experience Life Teen with
their international peers. Volunteers
Natalie and Mario offer weekly prayer
meetings for the high school students
as well, and this fall organized a
hugely popular casino night for all 181
students at Casa Buen Señor.
Future goals of the program
include more service projects in
the community, Bibles for all of
the children and an assistant youth
minister for EDGE in Miacatlan.
Needs:
Two projectors, one for Casa San
Salvador and one for Casa Buen Señor
Hotel Villa
Hotel Villa is the home to 11 of our
most special children. Most come
here after completing middle school
(9th grade in Mexico) because they
do not have the ability to go to high
school. At the hotel they are trained
to do many daily tasks, such as
navigating the city buses, cooking
and taking care of themselves.
The ultimate goal of the Hotel Villa
Program is to socialize and prepare
these students (most of whom are in
their 20s) to live independently.
This year, we have had great success
with two girls. Marisol was shy and
intimidated by the world when she
first came to the hotel seven months
ago. She did not know how to talk
to or relate to people and she spent
most of her time in her room. Through
caring, structured outings and the
full program at the hotel, she began
to come out of her shell, bit by bit.
She now has a good job working at a
supermarket, where she freely talks
to strangers all day. She applied for
the job by herself and now enjoys
such benefits as health care and
social security. She is saving to get a
place of her own and will move out
when she feels ready.
The hotel’s greatest needs are
structural. The roof leaks and is
causing damage to the building. The
plumbing and electrical work need to
be redone and bedrooms need to be
remodeled because a large
group is coming in July of 2009. The
director (the only full time, permanent
employee) also needs a maintenance
worker to help him.
In its second year, Hotel Villa has
proved to be an essential part of NPH
Mexico. Our most special children
deserve to have this help and training,
and we are proud to give it to them.
Catechism
This year we have been able to
achieve a deeper and more fruitful
formation of our children through
their classroom studies and taking
into account their needs and wishes.
It has been a foremost quest in our
program to continue the spiritual
growth of our children. Each catechist
has her own classroom and materials
which nurture the children and aid in
their reflection.
This past summer we were helped by
a seminarian who contributed to the
program for the preparation of new
children who received the sacraments
of Baptism (35) and First Communion
(27). We are proud that these children
have affirmed their faith.
Our immediate future goal is the
preparation of almost 70 children for
confirmations before the end of the
school year.
Needs:
Up-to-date material on CD and extra
reading material
Mexico 19
Farm
We have had wonderful improvements
on our farm this year. A new tractor
was bought and is being put to good
use. Our three other tractors are
extremely old and this new one greatly
helps production. We recently received
a new corn harvester, which will save
us significant money in both the short
and long term as we harvest and no
longer have to rent equipment. We are
currently harvesting 100 tons of corn,
which we will use in the kitchen to
make tortillas and to feed our animals.
Construction was completed on our
new slaughterhouse this past June
and this has improved the sanitary
conditions of our farm. Pigs continue
to be our main source of meat and
between eight and ten are used in
meals weekly.
It was discovered this year through
careful cost analysis that eggs are
cheaper to buy than to produce and
consequently our chickens are now
being raised for consumption. We
are also continuing our goal to make
all of our chickens free-range as it is
more humane and also provides better
quality meat.
Engineers: 2, Employees: 6, Year of Service: 3
20 Mexico
We are also acquiring more sheep
as they are inexpensive to raise and
healthy to eat. Our sheep population
is now at about 220 and our pig
population about 270, with new
animals consistently being integrated
to strengthen bloodlines. We have
20,000 fish, served about every three
weeks in our dining room, and about
600 chickens which are currently being
raised for the Christmas season.
The farm’s biggest accomplishment
this year was to attain almost 100%
self sufficiency in grains. The farm’s
greatest goal for the future is to pursue
and attain self sufficiency in other
areas, such as tomato production.
Overall, a $30,000 investment in the
farm this year resulted in $100,000
worth of produced goods.
Needs:
Machine to separate corn from the cob
Hay Baler and a tractor front loader
Animal feed mixer
where there is doubt, faith;
As 2008 draws to a close, we look
back and see the challenges that we
have faced, the triumphs that we
have celebrated and the progress
that we have made. We look forward
to 2009 to another precious year of
family, sharing, and gratitude.
This past year has brought us
54 new children — 54 new sons
and daughters from all over the
country who have come to us
in desperate need of love, care,
support and guidance. And while the
circumstances that bring them to us
are tragic, the smiles, the laughter
and the mischievous giggling that we
see and hear everyday tell tales of
comfort, acceptance and belonging.
This year, 34 children graduated
from secondary school, 11 youths
graduated from high school, three
young adults graduated from
university and 52 of our children
passed their national certification
in our workshops, gaining them
passage to a two-month internship
in companies and enterprises in the
capital and throughout the country.
And while the success of each one
of these children and young adults
makes us proud, it is often in the
more subtle achievements – a child’s
lessons learned and their wisdom
gained – that we find our greatest
accomplishments and victories.
In the coming year we will continue
to strengthen the programs and
projects that teach our children
to be honest, good, independent
and responsible leaders. We will
be focusing on improving our
school system and expanding
our Montessori program, while
2 Honduras
continuing to develop the training
programs for our childcare staff. We
will strive to further increase our
independence from the fluctuations
in food prices by strengthening
and increasing the production in
our farm and gardens. We also will
be supporting 21 youths in their
transition to high school and six
youths who will begin their university
studies, in the hope that in the future
they will help guide this country
towards better days. And most of
all, we will all work hard to ensure
that Father Wasson’s dream, that our
children may become caring, loving,
giving and responsible Christians,
is upheld.
The ongoing financial crisis, coupled
with the dire local situation of rising
malnutrition and crime, forces us
to find ways to do more with less,
and requires us to come together,
to pool our ideas and to revise some
of our plans. And while some costs
and expenditures are unavoidable
– such as urgent repair work and the
expansion of some of our buildings –
we will all be learning a tough lesson
in trade-offs and sacrifice. But thanks
to our extended family of sponsors,
benefactors and friends who support
us and help us, we trust that we will
continue to grow as a family and
that we will continue to carry out the
work that our beloved Father Wasson
started 55 years ago.
We anticipate a challenging year, but
thanks to your help, a good year. In
the name of all of our children here in
Honduras, a big, heartfelt thank you!
Stefan Feuerstein
National Director
Casa Suyapa Babies’ Home
Our babies’ home, Casa Suyapa, is
one of our visitors’ favorite places
to go, ensuring an action, smile, and
hug-packed experience. Our babies’
home houses 64 of our youngest
children ranging in age from two
to 10 years old. The home provides
on-site preschool Montessori classes
for our toddlers where they can
learn, explore, and prepare for the
Montessori program at our Ranch
school. The children also participate
in a colorful folkloric dance troupe,
performing often at special Ranch
celebrations and promotional events
in Tegucigalpa.
Two achievements that stand out
for 2008 are academic achievement
and caregiver initiative. At the special
Montessori program in our Ranch
school, 1st and 2nd graders achieved
a 100% passing rate. Caregivers
have been putting extra focus into
helping children with their studies.
They have also led several fundraising
initiatives to finance special trips to
use as incentives and rewards for the
children’s studies. Our children are
clearly benefiting from these efforts.
Needs:
Repaint bedframes/walls in rooms
Computer for educational games
and homework
Small therapy room for autistic child
Angel is one of the oldest boys
in Casa Suyapa, and his behavior
earlier this year was very poor. His
learning disabilities made academics
a struggle for him as well. After
receiving special attention from the
psychologist and tutoring sessions
with his caregivers, Angel’s attitude
has shifted entirely. His self-esteem
has been boosted and the caregivers
say that now he seems to care about
his behavior and grades, asking them
for extra practice problems during
free time. As a result of this family
effort, Angel will proudly enter first
grade next year.
“Better caregivers shape better kids,”
shares our new coordinator, Lesly,
talking about the goal of continuing
to equip our staff with the training
and support they need to give our
children the care they deserve and
create more of a family environment
in which they can grow. “We will
continue to focus on value education
with our kids, recognizing that when
kids are young we have the best
chance at giving them the strong
foundation they need to make the
best of their lives.”
This year several of our youngest
children’s major needs were met.
A new industrial sized washing
machine and dryer were purchased
and installed, ensuring clean, dry
sheets, blankets, and clothing for
the children even during the rainy
season when the typical method of
line drying becomes frustrating, if not
impossible. The children also received
two new CD players, one for the girls,
and one for the boys so our children
can listen to music and stories. A final
need met by special donations this
year is the purchase of a microwave
and blender to aid in food preparation
for our children with special dietary
needs.
Children: 64, (24 girls, 40 boys) from 2-10 years old, Employees: 18,
Volunteer: 1, Year of Service: 1, New arrivals: 13
Psychologist salary
Honduras 3
Talitha Kum Girls’ Home
There are 141 girls and young women
living in our girls’ homes. The girls
range in age from seven to their
late twenties. These homes, being
significantly older than our boys’
homes, are structured differently.
Each of the six main homes has two
dormitory areas for beds, lockers, and
study tables, connected by a shared
common bathroom. There are two
major dining areas, one for the three
youngest girls’ homes and one for the
older girls. There is also a separate
house for nine of our special needs
girls.
At the beginning of this year, our
girls’ home received a new name,
“Talitha Kum,” as part of an effort
headed up by our priest, Father
Reinhold, to give our buildings names
with more religious meaning. This
name, meaning “Arise, little girl,” is
taken from a Bible story where Jesus
raises a little girl from the dead. In our
home it serves as a reminder to our
young women of the second chance
they have been given to create new
lives and futures for themselves here
at NPH.
One way our girls are preparing for
their futures is through excellence
in their studies. Our coordinators
report that 95% of our young women
passed their classes this year and will
continue on to the next grade. 100%
of our girls passed their vocational
certification exams and will complete
internships in the coming months
with local businesses throughout
Honduras.
Girls: 141, Employees: 12, Year of Service: 3,
New special needs girls: 2, Quinceañeras: 19
4 Honduras
Our homes underwent a variety of
improvements, from roof repairs to
repainting to renovating our exercise
room and constructing new lockers
for our tableware.
There was a special emphasis on
staff trainings and support this year.
Our caregivers attended seminars
and workshops on topics ranging
from leadership and effective
communication to strategies for
improving child behavior, gaining
knowledge to improve childcare
practices in our homes and develop
fresh approaches to the typical
challenges of caring for young girls.
We are very proud of the progress
made in our two oldest girls’ homes.
Our Sponsorship office was so
happy with the cards and letters
they write that they rewarded the
girls with dinner and a movie in
the city. These young women have
demonstrated a great deal of maturity
and responsibility in their studies and
their home management, proving
themselves important examples for
their younger sisters.
Next year, we look forward to
developing a leadership program,
giving youths a bigger hand in
the decision-making and planning
processes of the homes, with the
goal of further instilling in them a
sense of ownership and belonging.
We will continue working to motivate
our girls academically and teach
them the values necessary to lead
successful, contented, independent
lives when they leave us.
Needs:
New wooden lockers to store
belongings
Paint older girls’ homes
Computers for the homes
Board games, creative materials,
puzzles, etc.
Fun books for a reading library
The Good Shepherd Boys’ Home
141 boys and young men from age
seven and up make their home in the
Good Shepherd. This year they were
spread throughout eight of the ten
mini-homes housing about 20 boys
each. One home was closed due to
lack of children and another home
was closed for roof repair.
The boys live together by age and
maturity level. Each home has a
dormitory, bathroom, locker area
and large kitchen where they share
meals, play games, experiment
with cooking, and do homework in
a family-like atmosphere. There is
a special home for 7 of our special
needs boys and another separate
home for 10 young men who, for
behavioral reasons, do better in
a smaller setting where they can
receive more individualized attention.
As Roger, one of the home’s
coordinators shares, “Each youth is
really a world in himself. They are not
all the same. We try to respond to
their special needs.”
Priciliano is one youth who has
benefited from this approach.
Prici was caught stealing at one
point during his time here at the
Ranch, but instead of the traditional
consequences, Roger, one of our
coordinators, decided to give Prici
another chance, build some trust
between them, and challenge him
to make something of himself. On
a recent visit to the Ranch Prici
sought out Roger, wrapped him in a
big hug and said, “Because of you I
was able to stay with the Ranch and
continue my studies.” Priciliano is
now in university studying agricultural
engineering.
caregivers with set objectives
like teaching values and creating
a family environment. Activities
included service projects to improve
the gardens and cooking together
to share with other homes. Our
younger boys’ homes responded
especially well to this program
and have impressed us this year
with their behavioral and academic
achievement. There is a 94% passing
rate in school for boys in our younger
homes.
We were fortunate enough to receive
funding for various renovation efforts
in our homes this year. The most
urgent was the replacement of the
roof of one home which had been
on the verge of caving in. The largest
project was the renovation of all our
boys’ showers, transforming them
from common shower rooms to
several individual stalls per home for
increased privacy. We installed new
curtains and windows to protect
against the cold and dampness of
the rainy season, and a visitor group
repainted our outdoor passageways.
Plans for the coming year include
supporting a new leadership initiative
for the young men and special
programming to promote Father
Wasson’s philosophy among both
caregivers and the children.
Needs:
7 computers (one for each home that
does not have one)
Construct a study lounge
Construct an extension for the
growing special boys’ home
Construct a space for gym equipment
Paint all the homes
This year we improved activity
planning in our homes, aligning
weekly activities planned by the
Lights for outdoor passageways
Boys: 141, Employees: 12, Year of Service: 3,
New arrivals: 2, Quinceañeros: 13
Honduras 5
Casa de los Angeles
Disabled Children’s Home
Our special needs home in the capital
city of Tegucigalpa provides aroundthe-clock professional care for 13
children with an array of neurological
and physical conditions. The children,
ranging in age from three to 24 years
old, receive physical and occupational
therapy several times a week and
visits from psychologists and doctors
on a monthly basis. Many of the
children have special diets and
medications which require 24-hour
supervision provided lovingly by our
staff in a single level home.
Two young women with Down’s
syndrome attend a special school in
the city and Ondina, 24, attends a
deaf/mute school on the weekends
and has just completed a vocational
program in jewelry and piñata-making.
She has a real knack for these
creative endeavors and enjoys selling
her wares. Ondina came to us a
couple years ago from the state-run
orphanage. She had been having
trouble socially with the other children
and showing aggression. The smaller
setting of Casa de los Angeles suited
her well. She has built up trust with
the caregivers and is very loving
toward the other children in the
home, though she certainly has not
lost her stubbornness!
We have been very happy with the
progress our younger children have
been making in their therapies.
Josue, 5, has moved from babbling
to forming words now and making
deliberate sounds. Our caregivers
enjoy assisting our children to learn
and keeping their minds active and
stimulated throughout the day.
Our social worker has informed us
of five pending cases of special
needs children and we look forward
to welcoming new children into our
home in the coming months.
Casa Eva
Our grandparents form a very
special part of our family, adding
to its diversity and providing our
children with extra care, attention,
and wisdom. This year we welcomed
three new grandparents and said
farewell to two of our grandmothers
who passed away, both grandmothers
to some of our children. Currently
Casa Eva houses eight ‘grandparents’,
four women and four men.
These men and women come to us
for various reasons. Some have no
one else to care for them and are
unable to live independently. Others,
like Anatalia, come with their children.
Anatalia came to us earlier this year
accompanied by her six grandchildren.
All three of Anatalia’s own children
have tragically passed away, leaving
her to care for their young ones at the
age of 65. Despite the heartbreaking
losses she has suffered, Anatalia
maintains a joyful and grateful
spirit, showing strength of character
inspiring to all who have the pleasure
of meeting her. We are very happy to
be able to care for her family and keep
them together here at our home.
Casa Angeles Needs:
Funding for various emergency
renovation efforts completed this year
Copy machine
Special transportation fund
Casa Eva: Employee 1, Year of service: 1, Residents: 8
Paint for the children’s beds
Large plastic tub for water therapy
Physical therapist to work full-time in
the home
6 Honduras
Our ‘grandparents’
keep busy receiving
physical, occupational,
and creative therapy
weekly, cooking
delicious goodies,
sewing, gardening, and
doing various chores
around their home.
They also host two daily
masses in their home
each week as well
as monthly birthday
celebrations for our
younger children.
Casa Eva Needs:
New wheelchairs
Set of pots and pans
Sofa for the living room
Social Work Needs:
Copier
Digital camera to document
investigations
This year our
grandparents were
happy to receive two
new storage lockers, a new piece of
furniture for their living room, and a
new microwave.
Social Work
Our social work department is in
charge of identifying new children and
families to bring to our home, doing
investigations, building relationships
with government agencies in the
social sector, and ensuring that
our children have all their official
documents. No small task. This year,
52 new children joined our family.
Due to better access to transportation
this year, our social worker was able
to perform an average of twelve
investigations in communities in
and around the capital area each
month. This year she began working
intensively with our psychology
department developing entry
evaluations to help determine which
children we can really help here at our
home.
We are finding more and more
children with special needs who
are in need of a home. Many
public children’s institutions are not
equipped to serve these types of
needs so children like Carlos, 11,
are neglected, their conditions left
to worsen. This year we welcomed
Carlos and three other children with
disabilities into our family. Now
Carlos lives in our special boys’
home, receives weekly therapies,
and participates in our handicrafts
workshop. We are grateful to have
the facilities and specially trained
staff necessary to offer these young
people the care they deserve.
With the assistance of one of our law
students, this year we were able to
secure official birth certificates for all
but one of our children, and we are
confident that hers will soon follow.
This is a huge achievement which will
help our children with anything from
enrolling in school to finding a job.
Aside from bringing new children to
our home, our social work department
serves as the main link between our
children and their family and friends
outside the Ranch. Each year our
department works hard organizing
home-stays and Visitor Days to help
maintain and build relationships
between children and their families,
understanding this contact is
essential for our children’s happiness
and sense of belonging here at the
Ranch. In the coming year we look
forward to expanding this aspect of
the work with the help of a volunteer
who will be traveling around to followup with families.
New children: 52, Children who left our home: 27,
Children outside the home that receive social assistance: 30
Honduras 7
Primary and Secondary Education
Our Rancho Santa Fe School provides
quality education to over 200 of
our children from kindergarten
through the 9th grade. Pre-school is
offered on-site in our babies’ house.
Our teachers are all committed
professionals and the majority
are continuing their studies at the
university level, earning special
licenses. Our children attend regular
classes every weekday from 7:301 pm and have clubs, sports and
tutoring sessions in the afternoons.
There is always something special
going on at our school from science
fairs and mathematics day to cultural
celebrations or the Reader’s Club.
Education being an integral part of
Father Wasson’s philosophy, we work
hard here at the Ranch to ensure that
our children receive the very best
learning opportunities available. In
part due to the international nature
of our organization, our school has
succeeded in offering a level of
education difficult to find in other
Honduran institutions.
We are proud to report that our
school is one of the very first in
Honduras to have fully implemented
the new national curriculum the
government produced last year.
Next year, it is our goal to begin
adapting this curriculum to integrate
subjects, a concept very foreign to
traditional education systems here in
Honduras. We will also be focusing
energy on formalizing our English and
computation programs to ensure our
children leave the Ranch with these
highly marketable skills. At the
staff level, we will begin to rotate
our teachers through each other’s
classes to observe different teaching
techniques, discover their strengths
and weaknesses, and develop more
effective teaching practices.
Our staff has received a great deal
of training this year through NPH
International as well as national
institutions. Our principal reports
obvious improvements in classroom
discipline, with teachers working
hard to make learning activities
innovative and engaging and putting
increased effort into building trusting
relationships with their students.
Joseph, 10, was struggling last
year in both his academics and his
behavior. He transitioned this year
from the Montessori method in first
grade to the second grade. Joseph’s
teacher, realizing how much older
he is than the other students, began
giving him greater responsibilities
in the class and encouraging him
to be a leader. The principal invited
Joseph to do work in his office to
boost Joseph’s confidence and get
to know him better. As a result of
these efforts, this year has been
Joseph’s best yet. He stays in the
classroom and does his work and has
discovered a natural aptitude and new
love for mathematics.
Kindergarten graduates: 9, 6th grade graduates: 19, 9th grade graduates: 11
Employees: 23, Volunteers: 3, Student to teacher ratio: 9:1
8 Honduras
Needs:
Various structural renovations including
roof repairs, renovating classrooms, new
auditorium stage
3 computers for administrative offices
Sound system
Text books, calculators and school supplies
Special Education
The Special Education Department
works on providing essential
reinforcement and therapy
programs to our children struggling
with coordination, fine motor
issues, developmental delays,
social interaction problems, and
concentration/attention difficulties.
We support over 261 children at the
pre-school, primary
and secondary level,
provide therapies to our
children at Casa Angeles
(our disabled children’s
home in the city) and
our elderly living on the
Ranch. We offer tutoring
in Math and Spanish,
physical, occupational
and creative therapies,
evaluations and a special
orientation classroom for
new children, as well as
individual aid sessions.
This department is
perhaps our most international, relying
primarily on foreign volunteers with
special therapy and teaching degrees.
An Austrian volunteer secured
donations to purchase new equipment
for the occupational therapy room
including a ball pit, bean bag chairs,
scooters, a trampoline, and swings. In
July we were blessed with the arrival
of two occupational therapists from
Spain. These volunteers evaluated
all of our preschool level children to
determine which should be receiving
special attention, headed up an effort
to get a computer and special program
to use in therapy with our older
vocational center students,
Needs:
Speech therapist
and outlined and proposed a plan to
improve the division of space in our
therapy rooms.
This year we have been able to
expand therapies offered to students
in our Vocational Center where the
majority of children with behavioral
and learning challenges are educated.
We have also worked more closely
with our social work department this
year to ensure that we are able to
offer needed attention to new children
entering our home.
Eda, 15, arrived at our home earlier
this year and was placed in our
special needs girls’ home. Since
her arrival, Eda, who has polio, has
begun receiving both physical and
occupational therapy on a weekly
basis. Her fine motor skills have
improved and she is now able to feed
herself and sign her name. With the
aid of a leg brace, her walking has
also improved. These advancements
have given Eda increased confidence
and the higher sense of freedom all
young adults crave.
Next year we will focus on developing
a program for gifted and talented
students. We are also excited to begin
evaluating students in our newly
completed Evaluation and Diagnostic
Center equipped with a special
observation room and the latest
psychological and educational testing
materials. This project was funded
through the NPH France office. A final
goal is to start an internship program
with local university students studying
special education and related fields.
Occupational therapy: 71, Physical therapy: 44, Creative therapy: 30, Tutoring: 44,
New students passing through orientation classroom: 33, Employees: 3, Volunteers: 7
Honduras 9
Vocational Center
Our Vocational Center at the Ranch
provides a practical alternative
for our young people who do not
respond well to traditional education
approaches. The Center includes both
academic and vocational preparation
programs geared toward preparing
our children with trade and life skills
that will help them find employment
and successfully support themselves
when they leave the Ranch.
Aside from meeting these educational
goals, our workshops meet many
of our home’s material needs,
producing doors, shelves, lockers,
uniforms, shoes, and a variety of
other products. Our skilled youths
also perform needed repairs and
installations on appliances, furniture
and buildings all over our home.
We currently offer workshops in
eight different areas: shoemaking,
electronics, welding, sewing, tailoring,
carpentry, ceramics, and agriculture.
Each year we participate in a national
accreditation program giving our
students official certifications in their
trade, a huge advantage when they
eventually enter the workforce. This
year over 75 young people earned
their certifications and will continue
on to complete internships with small
businesses throughout Honduras
during their school break.
On the academic side, there were
19 graduates from our Educatodos
program, for junior high students who
receive their classes on site at our
vocational center, and 16 graduates
from our Adultos program which
serves older students who are still
working on primary level studies.
This is the first year we’ve offered a
formal agriculture workshop and it has
been a real success, drawing over 30
students to participate and providing
much needed labor for our fruit and
vegetable gardens. During the last
few months of the year we piloted a
special workshop called “Preparing
for the Future,” designed for students
who have experienced difficulties and
frustration in other workshops due
to learning disabilities and attention
difficulties. Made up of 19 young men
and women, the workshop focused
on teaching various handicrafts like
jewelry and piñata-making. Next
year the workshop will expand to
include training in cooking skills as
well as essential life skills such as
budgeting, managing a household,
and how to get around in the city.
A related program will be offered
separately to all of our 7th-9th graders
to prepare them for independent
living. We also plan to begin a much
needed computation program in our
Vocational Center next year.
Great support for this new workshop
and other projects developing in our
Vocational Center has been provided
through a growing partnership with
an innovative vocational school in the
Netherlands. Our directors visited
the school early this year and several
Dutch teachers came and did special
trainings with our education staff. Our
relationship with these professionals
has provided us with fresh ideas for
enriching our programs.
Total enrollment: 182, New workshop enrollment: 49, 6th grade Adultos graduates: 16,
9th grade Educatodos graduates: 36, Certifications earned: 75
Needs:
Purchase more modern equipment to
meet accreditation standards
Two transformers for energy needs
($15,000 each)
Recondition one classroom into a
kitchen for new programs
10 Honduras
Vocational Internships
This year 67 youths are partnering
with 55 businesses throughout
Honduras participating in our
vocational internship program. These
young people work for nine weeks
in areas such as sewing, welding,
shoemaking, maintenance, sales,
etc. The youths live with extended
family and friends and receive small
stipends for transportation and food
costs. All the interns get together a
couple times each month for special
educational and social events and our
coordinator regularly visits their places
of work and the homes to make sure
things are going smoothly.
This program is in its 8th year and
continues to improve and expand. This
year we formed a small committee
of responsible young people to assist
our coordinator with the orientation
process our youths go through
before beginning their internships.
We also initiated a new program
for young people who did not pass
their certification tests and therefore
do not qualify for the internship
program. We are giving these youths
the opportunity to find temporary
employment during these nine weeks
in whatever areas they can. We hope
that this option will help these young
people learn responsibility and more
about the real world.
We were grateful this year for
donations from the Netherlands which
made it possible for us to purchase
needed materials for our interns,
coordinator and office. We were also
thankful for six former pequeños who
opened up their homes and families
Needs:
Laser printer
to host interns this year. We hope
that this generosity continues in the
future, giving our young people the
opportunity to get to know former
pequeños and the examples of
success and hard work they provide.
Youth Leaders
Our Youth Leaders program plays
an integral role in the preparation of
our students for independent living.
Each of our youths is required to give
two to three years of service back to
our home, one before entering high
school, one after graduating, and
one final year if he or she plans to
attend university. During their years
of service our young people work
in different areas all over the Ranch
from administration to agriculture to
working as caregivers. The youths
live together in special housing,
receive a small stipend, and are given
more freedom than other children
at the Ranch. These years are a very
important opportunity for our young
people to explore potential career
paths, learn more about themselves,
begin the transition into independent
living and the responsibilities it
entails, and experience the blessings
of living in service to others.
“We want our young people to see
their jobs, not just as places of work,
but as places of formation,” shares
our coordinator, José Ramón.
One youth who has taken this to
heart is Yonel, 22. Yonel completed his
third and final year of service working
as an assistant in our warehouse,
managing the sale and receipt of
Youth Leaders from 15-25 years old: 60, Continuing on to university: 9,
Continuing on to high school: 25
Honduras 11
goods ranging from office supplies,
food and hardware. In addition to
this full-time job, Yonel chose to get a
head start on his university studies,
attending classes twice a month on
his free weekends. In February 2009,
he will begin classes on a full-time
basis, working toward a degree in
Public Accounting. We are proud of
Yonel and others like him who show
the initiative and determination to
forge their own opportunities in life.
New programs begun in our
department this year include an
orientation program for future year of
service students, providing our young
people with the opportunity to rotate
through various areas each weekend
to discover their strengths and likes,
and a volunteer-directed English class
which we hope to formalize next year.
Other plans for the coming year
include continued trainings and
workshops on topics like self-esteem,
health, and conflict-resolution and
handing more decision making
over to the young people with
the development of a leadership
team. This team will be involved in
planning service projects and other
events, learning about budgeting and
organization.
Needs:
Remodel youth leaders’ homes
(paint and furniture)
Remodel bathrooms of young
men’s home
Higher Education
Over 80 of our young people were
enrolled in high school and university
programs this year. The majority of
our students study in and around
Tegucigalpa, living in student homes
there, supported by NPH, and
returning to the Ranch every two
weekends to continue serving their
family here in various work areas.
Some students choose to rent
their own apartments or study in
special programs not offered in the
capital area. We currently have two
students, Edwin and Dora, entering
their 3rd year of studying on a special
scholarship at the Latin American
School of Medicine in Cuba. Santiago,
who is studying civil engineering,
is another student attending school
outside of Tegucigalpa, at the
prestigious UNITEC University.
This year 11 students graduated
from high school and 3 students
completed their university degrees
in law. Graduating in January, Arony
and Suyapa are the first lawyers to
graduate from NPH Honduras. This
year, Suyapa assisted our social work
department in obtaining legal birth
certificates for all of our children
and Arony worked with our public
relations office to secure a special
tax-exempt status for our home. Both
of these dedicated young people
plan to continue giving back to NPH
in gratitude for the opportunity it has
provided them
We are very proud of the leadership,
hard work, and enthusiasm for
learning that our students display.
Needs:
Roof repair of 3 home
Complete final reparations in Casa
Altamira
Repair electric work in one home
Reinforcement tutor
Internet and four computers
High school graduates (8 male, 3 female): 11, University graduates: 3,
High school students (39 male, 25 female): 64, University students (13 male, 9 female): 22
12 Honduras
Technical/educational books,
encyclopedias, and career materials to
expand mini resource library for youths
They understand how essential
education is for opening doors of
opportunity in their lives and they are
willing to put in the effort required of
them to reach their goals.
for the typical pressures young adults
face. We would also like to make
some important home improvements
in the student houses and expand our
resource library.
“The schools our young people
attend have been very satisfied
with the behavior of our students,”
shares one of our coordinators. “The
principals are asking us to bring them
more of our young people!”
Ex-pequeño Follow-up Program
When our young people leave our
home their membership in our family
does not end. We do all we can to
provide our youths with the resources
and support they need to begin
independent life. Our young people
receive funds to help them pay their
first month’s rent while they search
for work in the city. Our coordinator
writes recommendations and helps
to prepare them for interviews and
find housing. In special cases, we
also provide scholarships, loans,
and medical assistance. This year 15
academic scholarships were offered
and all the students successfully
passed their year.
One young woman who really
impressed us this year is Nancy.
After failing her first year of high
school, Nancy was sent back to the
Ranch to do a year of reflection,
working in our special needs girls’
home. The following year she was
given the opportunity to enter a
vocational certification program in
sewing. Our coordinator discovered
she was not attending her classes.
After talking with her and working
out some consequences, Nancy was
given a final opportunity to prove her
desire to study. Since this time she
has graduated from her program,
started a new certification program in
computation, re-entered high school
and earned a GPA of 86. We are so
proud that Nancy decided to take
ownership of her future.
For the next year our coordinators
plan to continue offering workshops
and lectures on themes like
leadership, self-esteem, life skills,
conflict management, and career
counseling. We hope to provide our
students with more regular contact
with our home psychologists, making
sure they have the outlets they need
Estimated pequeños since 1985 that
are now living independently: 1500+
An exciting program, started this
year with funds from a donor in the
Netherlands, is a microcredit program
for former pequeños with the drive
and the skills to start their own private
businesses. This year we were able
to provide two loans, one to Ansi, a
young man who purchased machinery
to start his own welding workshop,
and one to Nelson, who started a
business selling dairy products. The
loans funded the start up costs for
these ventures, and as the young
men make a profit they will be
paying back the loan, replenishing
the fund so other young people can
be given the same opportunity. They
are hard workers and it is exciting
to see the entrepreneurial spirit and
Former pequeños that receive direct help from NPH (scholarships, loans, medical
assistance, etc.): 50-60, Academic scholarships: 15
Honduras 13
determination driving these young
people to succeed. In the coming year
we look forward to formalizing this
program and expanding it to benefit
more young people.
Another achievement this year was
the start of a special partnership with
a graphic design/printing business
where ex-pequeños who successfully
complete internships are then
guaranteed jobs with the company.
Four young men and women have
already become employees and two
are currently in the process.
In the coming year we will continue
to provide this needed support to our
young people helping them to reach
their potential and find their place in
service to their society.
Needs:
More funding for the microcredit
program
More funding to meet emergency
medical needs
Healthcare
Our clinic staff is always busy
tending to the healthcare needs of
our children, staff, volunteers, and
members from our neighboring
communities. We are proud to be able
to offer needed professional medical
attention to thousands of people
each year who would otherwise
be unable to afford services. Our
facilities include an internal clinic
and pharmacy, a community clinic
and laboratory, a dental clinic, and a
surgery center. A new staff position
of Healthcare Coordinator was added
14 Honduras
this year to better integrate and
improve communication among these
areas.
Out of all the NPH homes, NPH
Honduras has the highest number of
children living with HIV on premises.
Rancho Santa Fe is currently home
to 24 HIV+ children and youths who
travel weekly to the capital city of
Tegucigalpa for consults and testing.
This year we formalized a special HIV
care program, designating one nurse
and volunteer to work specifically
with these children, providing
more continuity and consistency in
their healthcare. At the core of the
program are support groups where
our children meet twice a month,
over a meal, to discuss topics related
to their conditions and learn more
about how to care for themselves
and one another. Through these
sessions many questions have been
answered, and a real community has
emerged, helping these children to
confront their conditions in honest,
constructive, and responsible ways.
Another new program this year
was a vision initiative headed up
by a volunteer optometrist from
Germany. With her dedication, vision
exams were performed on our staff,
community members, and children
and over 50 of our kids received
nice-looking, specially prescribed
glasses to help them in their studies
and reading. Luis, 11, who had always
been embarrassed by his glasses
before, now wears them proudly,
looking smart and handsome, and
improved grades due to better reading
are an added benefit!
Our clinics have undergone a flurry of
construction improvements this year,
among them window installations and
room divisions in our external clinic,
roof repair and installation of a new
examination chair in our dental clinic,
an addition to our laboratory, and
construction of a storehouse and x-ray
lab for our surgery center.
Our surgery center is up and running,
our local surgeon performing an
average of six minor surgeries each
week. Progress this year included
the installation of an air conditioning
system and a special gas system,
remodeling of the floors, and the
purchase of a sterilizer machine. We
continue to work toward meeting
national standards to pass necessary
government inspections. Special
thanks to the Daly’s for their continued
support with the center.
Other new medical equipment
received this year include a spirometer
(for treating children with asthma),
an ultrasound machine, and a CD4
machine (for monitoring the health of
our HIV+ children).
Needs:
2 microscopes for laboratory
4 metal filing cabinets
Additional room for quarantining
patients
Hemogram machine
Electrocardiograph machine
Average monthly consultations: Community clinic: 629, Internal clinic: 186,
Dentistry clinic: 130, Children receiving glasses: 55
Honduras 15
Farm and Gardens
Our farm and gardens play an
essential role in helping us keep
our children healthy and well fed.
Our farm provides a variety of dairy,
pork, poultry, and egg products
while our gardens produce fresh
fruits and vegetables. We are
always looking for new ways to
increase production and efficiency
in our work, keeping in mind our
long-term goal of being able to
produce 100% of our home’s
needs.
A second installation of three new
chicken houses has allowed us to
maintain our chicken production
in a more hygienic environment.
We were also able to expand our
livestock to over 100 head this year.
In our gardens we renovated an old
greenhouse and now have a total of
two functioning greenhouses to aid
fruit and vegetable production.
Aside from production, our farm
and gardens provide important
places of learning for our young
people. In our gardens this year,
a year-of-service student began
two new projects, a parcel for
growing red beans and a parcel for
growing plantains. Both ventures
were a great success and will be
expanding in the coming year.
Another project, new this year
and directed by a youth, was the
cultivation of homegrown fertilizer
using worms. This project has
helped us to cut the costs of
purchasing from outside vendors.
We are proud to announce that
three young people who did their
year of service in our gardens
this year have chosen to study
agriculture when they enter high
school this February.
We continued our agricultural
education program with the
participation of over 220 students.
Employees: 11, Year of service: 13, Acres of cultivated land: 37.5,
Head of livestock: 100
16 Honduras
This program teaches our kids how
to prepare land, plant, care for,
and harvest fruits and vegetables.
Children are assigned plots of land
and are given half the production
for their own use, to sell, give
away, or eat. This program and our
year of service program aim to
instill in our children the instruction
and tools necessary to encourage
self-sufficiency. These programs
also provide labor essential to the
effective functioning of our farm
and its efforts to cut our reliance on
purchasing from outside markets.
In the coming year we look
forward to planting an orchard of
60 fruit trees which we will expand
gradually according to how well
they do. We also hope for donations
to purchase a third greenhouse and
construct a small classroom on-site
at our garden for our educational
program.
Needs:
Another greenhouse
Construct a small classroom and
bathroom in the gardens
Volunteer Program
Our volunteers at NPH Honduras
form an integral part of the Rancho
Santa Fe family. Every six months,
volunteers come offering time,
heart, and expertise. This year our
volunteers came from Belgium,
Holland, Honduras, Austria, France,
the United States, Spain and
Germany. They worked in a number
of different areas including education,
therapy, childcare, medicine,
technology and administration.
The true dedication and enthusiasm
of the volunteers is evident
every day. Volunteers often work
above and beyond their expected
responsibilities, and this year’s group
was no exception. A few projects
begun this year include English
classes for the young people in their
year of service, swimming and life
guarding classes, a spiritual/prayer
group in the volunteer community
and language exchanges with
Honduran employees and youths.
In addition to serving alongside
local staff members in their daily
jobs, volunteers spend evenings
and weekends helping out in the
children’s homes. This time is often
described as the most special and
important part of the volunteer
experience. Each volunteer becomes
a valued member of his or her
home, and it is there, in a smaller
group setting, that people from
diverse cultural and socioeconomic
backgrounds come to feel that
the Ranch is truly their family. This
year, volunteers began helping
out caregivers in weekend activity
planning sessions.
One important volunteer contribution
this year has been in the area of
internet and technology. We were
fortunate to receive U.S. volunteer
Tom Chenier who has made
enormous strides in improving
technology in our home. He has
expanded internet access to
additional buildings and extended
network and connection options for
our young adults on the Ranch and in
Tegucigalpa.
Another new development this
year was the addition of eight expequeños to our volunteer group.
These young men and women asked
for the opportunity to give a year of
service. Having them in the volunteer
program brought a unique element
of cultural diversity to the community
and contributed to further integration
of the foreign volunteers into the
Honduran lifestyle.
Needs:
Speech therapist
Coordinator for daycare center in
Tegucigalpa
One special goal for 2009 is to
establish an educational program for
volunteers to learn more about the
history, culture and current social
and political conditions of Honduras.
We will offer various lectures and
other information through visits to
nearby NGOs and exchanges with
people from the Honduran society,
both internal and external to NPH.
We hope this program will improve
the awareness and sensitivity of our
volunteers as well as better prepare
them to be cultural ambassadors and
representatives of NPH upon their
return to their home countries.
Volunteers served in 2008: 49, Countries represented: 8
Volunteers who returned for a visit: 25
Honduras 17
Pasos Pequeñitos Daycare
Pasos Pequeñitos (Little Steps)
Daycare Center currently cares for
19 children in Honduras’ capital
city of Tegucigalpa. The center
was created in 2005 by an NPH
volunteer impressed by the need
for reliable, affordable childcare for
women who are struggling to start
their independent lives in the city.
Originally funded and managed
independently, 2008 was the first
full year the center spent under the
official care of NPH.
Pasos Pequeñitos provides care
every weekday to accommodate the
mothers’ typical work schedules.
The children, who range in age from
1 ½ to 8 years old, are provided
with healthy meals and activities
ranging from educational and
moral instruction to creative and
recreational ventures.
This year the center is especially
proud of the children’s academic
success and the mothers’ dedication
to their studies and commitment to
keeping steady jobs. Three mothers
completed their internships this year
and will begin fully salaried jobs, one
in public accounting, two in nursing.
One 27-year-old mother of three
children is working and studying for
her nursing degree. She sometimes
will work up to three shifts in a row,
taking her children with her to the
hospital for the evening. Without
the assistance of Pasos Pequeñitos,
it would be impossible for her to
maintain such a demanding schedule.
For the 14 single mothers the center
partners with, there are workshops
and speakers addressing topics
related to both job skills and child
development/parenting. Aside from
these educational resources, the
center works to secure needed
in-kind donations and free or
discounted medical and dental care
for the children and their mothers.
Religion
Our children gather together weekly
to celebrate mass as a family, and
the various homes take turns cycling
through the two weekday masses
held in our grandparents’ home. In
addition to these weekly celebrations,
there is a general mass held each
month for all children, volunteers, and
staff.
The holidays at the Ranch are made
extra-special for the children by
the rich religious traditions which
accompany these holy days. Holy
Week and Christmas are two prime
examples of our children acting out
their faith through reenactments
of biblical stories and in service
to each other and the surrounding
communities.
This year seven of our young people
will be traveling to remote rural
communities on a special Christmas
mission trip, joining with youths from
other parishes throughout the capital
area. We are proud to see our young
people taking their faith seriously,
understanding how much they have
to be grateful for, and learning the
Employees: 3, Year of service: 1, Volunteer: 1,
Children: 19, Single mothers: 14, Average salary of single mother: $85/month
Needs:
Educational and craft materials
New set of pots and pans
New stove
Filing cabinets
Outdoor swing set
Tricycles and cars
18 Honduras
beauty of serving the less fortunate—
one of Father Wasson’s greatest
desires for his children.
The Atrium catechism program at our
school has continued this year with
great success, teaching our children
more about their faith and even
instilling in several, like Luis, 11, the
desire to become priests.
Fiama, 17, has shown great leadership
and dedication this year heading up
our team of 15 altar servers. She has
expressed interest in continuing to
support our religion department by
doing her year of service there this
coming year.
One program we are excited to pilot in
2009 is a 10-week prayer and life youth
group to foster religious interest,
showing them practical ways to apply
their faith in their everyday lives.
After 5 years of service to NPH,
Father Reinhold Galindo, our beloved
chaplain, received orders from his
Bishop back in Germany that he was
needed there. The Christmas and New
Year holidays were bittersweet, as we
celebrated with Father Reinhold, but at
the same time were already missing
him. We pray for him, thank God for
him, and beg God’s blessings on his
ministry with his people “back home”
in Germany.
Needs:
Chaplain
Sound system for special events
Re-furbish Atrium classroom
Family Services
The local Family Services department
was created this June to support
the in-country implementation of
projects and programs developed
by our international Family Services
team. Our coordinator supports our
directors in their role and responsibility
of creating a family environment
that promotes the well-being of our
children.
Our coordinator provides trainings
and organizes programs aimed at
improving childcare practices and
relationships between our staff and
our children with the goal of promoting
their fullest possible physical,
intellectual, emotional, social and
moral development.
This past August, NPH Honduras
had the privilege of hosting the 2nd
annual Family Services Conference,
welcoming over 50 key staff from
all nine NPH homes to share ideas,
experiences, and best practices.
This year we had special trainings for
our teachers, caregivers and youths
on topics including delinquency,
violence, honesty, and leadership.
We are currently working on a special
leadership initiative, giving child
representatives from each of our
homes the opportunity to exercise
more independent decision-making
and aid in planning events and service
activities for the home. Next year
we will be working intensively with
the issue of sexuality, helping our
children better understand themselves
and God’s plan for marriage and
relationships.
Honduras 19
Psychology
Our psychology department provides
essential support for our children
and staff, working one-on-one and
in group sessions with our kids, and
providing trainings for teachers and
caregivers, showing them how to
support the emotional development of
our children and developing strategies
for improving child behavior in the
homes and classrooms. The most
common issues our children display
are those of aggression, impulsivity,
and attention deficit.
This year our psychologists
collaborated with staff and children
in our homes, education centers,
social work office, clinic, and Family
Services department. They also had
contact with psychologists working
in other children organizations to
share experiences and approaches to
therapy. With our social worker, they
developed a detailed evaluation for
prospective new children to identify
the children’s needs and tendencies
before entry and better determine
whether they can be served in our
home. This year psychologists began
working more intensively within
family groups, with the understanding
that often siblings share many of the
same issues.
One of the biggest struggles for our
children, especially for those who
have just arrived at the Ranch, is
learning to deal with the loss of a
loved one. In response to this need,
this year our psychologists began
taking groups of children to visit their
parent’s graves to teach them how to
express their pain and hurt to others
in a group setting and learn how to
sympathize with the pain that their
fellow pequeños feel. Due to the
success of these excursions, our
psychology department will continue
these visits with the rest of our
children.
In the year ahead, our psychologists
will continue to work closely with
support groups for our HIV+ children.
We will also be moving into our new
Diagnostic and Evaluation Center
beginning in February, providing us
with specially conditioned spaces and
materials for evaluating and holding
therapy sessions.
Needs:
Psychologists for babies’ home and
school
Qualified, licensed volunteers in field
of psychology or special education
Funds to take children on more
excursions off the Ranch
Public Relations
In April we created a formal public
relations office in the capital city
of Tegucigalpa to promote NPH
throughout Honduras and strengthen
relationships with organizations
in both public and private sectors
interested in supporting our home
and our children.
Achievements we are proud of this
year include establishing community
partnerships inviting businesses to
involve their employees in service
projects with our home, securing a
special government donation toward
the purchase of educational materials
Average number of cases each month: 65, Employees: 4
19 Honduras
for our children, and being one of
the organizations nominated for the
Honduran government’s “Human
Rights Award” for 2008. Throughout
the year local and national newspapers have published articles about
our projects, introducing NPH to
many who had never heard of our
home before. Through a partnership
with HSBC Bank we will be placing
donation containers at over 20
different locations to inform people of
our work and bring in extra funding.
We will also hold our first fundraising
dinner in
January,
giving us the
opportunity
to share our
mission with
60 important
public figures
and increase
our number
of national
godparents.
Aside from
building
relationships
with potential
donors, our
coordinator
has been
developing partnerships with other
NGOs. As she shares, “The idea
is not just to raise more funds and
receive more help for our home, but
also to get our name out there for
the kids who need us—to send the
message that our doors are open.”
Sponsorship
Our Sponsorship Department is in
charge of managing correspondence,
gifts, photos and funds exchanged
between godparents and their
children. They work intensively
with our foreign offices to ensure
that our children are given the
beautiful opportunity of building
relationships with godparents, and to
provide information about our kids.
Our sponsorship staff translates
correspondence and maintains an
up-to-date database with background
information on every child that enters
our home.
This year our office worked hard
to improve the quality of cards
and letters our children sent
their godparents and ensure the
correspondence was delivered in a
timely manner—not an easy task
considering our 500 children.
Our sponsorship office also throws
bimonthly birthday parties for our
children. The children are taken on a
bus to the city for a special meal and
shopping outing. This year we were
able to negotiate special discounts
with local businesses to help us save
on costs.
For next year our office plans to
design calendars using artwork
created by our kids and sell them
to donors and visitors, raising more
funds for our children. We also
plan to coordinate closely with
our public relations department
developing strategies and materials
for increasing the number of national
sponsors.
New godparents this year: 528, Honduras godparents: 4,
Employees: 2, Volunteers: 2
Honduras 20
Outreach Programs
The External Clinic served
approximately 10,000 people from
nearby areas last year. People pay
a symbolic fee for treatment at the
clinic, and also a small fee for the
medicine. The current economic
situation in Honduras has become
very evident in the number of
malnourished children who are being
brought to the clinic, making this work
ever more important for the nearby
communities.
Spearheaded by the Daly family,
the Surgery Center will host
visiting medical personnel that will
perform surgeries. One surgery
room is already used once a week
by a Honduran surgeon for minor
surgeries. These patients would
receive no treatment at the public
hospitals because their ailments,
though often very painful, are not
considered emergencies. The surgeon
is an employee of the San Felipe
Hospital which has granted the
doctor permission to work one day
a week at the NPH surgery center.
There is possible future cooperation
with hospitals in Tegucigalpa, or with
medical brigades from the US.
Currently we participate in and
support a US medical brigade that
comes once a year to treat people
in an area of remote communities
where medical services are poor
or non-existent. Almost all of the
financial cost of this brigade is
covered by the group of doctors.
The brigade returns every year to the
same communities and have begun
to not only to bring medical relief but
also work on infrastructure changes
to prevent diseases. For example, in
some of the villages, the brigade in
conjunction with a US based NGO
installed filters to make well water
potable.
22 Honduras
Our children maintain and clean a
small home near the Ranch, called
Ciudad Blanca, where the monks
who run the place are completely
overwhelmed, understaffed and
underfunded. The home caters to
abandoned elderly and people with
mental disabilities. We also support
the home with some medicines and
medical care.
There are currently 32 families who
receive financial support from NPH,
so that their children can attend
school. These children are also
required to give a year of service back
to the Ranch upon completion of 9th
or 12th grade.
In some cases, we support families
with small donations of food (currently
four families). Much of this food is
given directly by our children through
tithes, substituting a whole meal for
a glass of milk and bread. The boys’
and girls’ houses take turns to fast
the one meal a week, and the saved
rice, beans is then donated to people
in need either by our social work
department or directly by our chaplain.
where there is despair, hope;
At Nos Petit Frères et Soeurs (NPFS)
Haiti our team is continually trying to
increase our quality and our growth
by responding to the many and
changing needs around us. NPFS
administration has been improving as
we have put into place a structure that
demands the highest form of fiscal
responsibility and improved checks
and balances.
The school in our home, St. Helene,
is run by the Salesian Sisters and
we are happy to see the results are
continuing to improve year by year.
We also noticed that the behavior of
the children and their attitudes toward
school are also continuing to improve.
NPFS House Director, Ferel Bruno
and the Social Work Department led
a well-attended conference with the
staff and administrators to discuss
ideas on how we can continue to
adjust and adapt to the needs of our
children here in Haiti and how we
can prepare them for life after the
orphanage. Family Services continues
to provide seminars, engaging our
staff and giving them the tools and
resources to better perform their
jobs of rearing our children. We
thank the fundraisers in all countries,
and especially the sponsorship
departments, who are so faithful in
helping us achieve these goals.
In response to the hurricanes this
year, NPFS has distributed over
$413,000 worth of food, clothing and
medical supplies. We are happy that
many of our staff, administrators and
even the children have been involved
in delivering the relief supplies to
those in great need. I was especially
happy with the way our Home
Director, Ferel Bruno, engaged the
children at St. Helene in our efforts to
reach those affected by the hurricanes
with relief aid packages in Miragoane
and Fonds des Blancs.
Two ex-pequeños, Julien and Nirva,
have completed a training program in
Italy where they learned to be surgical
assistants. The two have returned to
Haiti and are now working with Dr.
Riitano to prepare the Surgery Center
at St. Damien Hospital. Julien and
Nirva are a tribute to the formation
they received at St. Helene as children
and the value of giving back that was
instilled in them.
At present we have about 14 students
studying in universities, among them
are three in Monterrey, Mexico and
two in Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic. We have started three
language labs, with the hopes of
using the “Father Wasson Forum”,
as a way of getting Haitian students
degrees from abroad, online. The St. Luke program has continued
providing to the poorest of the
poor areas by offering educational
opportunities in the street schools,
water delivery, dignified burials,
movies in the margins and disaster
relief programs. St. Luke is a credit to
the St. Helene Orphanage because it
was formed and is continually run and
operated by ex-pequeños.
We have been developing St.
Francisville thanks to the generous
Kindergarten graduates: 14, Fundamental 9th grade graduates: 10,
Students in the Extern Program 160, University students: 14
2 Haiti
land purchase by NPH Italy Fonazione
Francesca Rava in the name of
NPFS. St. Francisville will provide
opportunities for children for higher
education and will provide the skills to
children who can benefit from training
in specific trades.
St. Damien Hospital has begun
to more fully develop the hospital
systems in order to maintain
higher levels of treatments. We are
also improving specific programs
like cancer treatment in order to
better respond to the needs of our
patients. Through to the end of
September we have seen 20,000
consultations, 1,900 admissions, and
980 emergency room visits. Thanks
to NPH Italy, and NPH France, there
is good dialogue and planning for
improving general services in the
hospital, cancer treatment, starting
a surgery program and planning for
neonatal care. We are also converting
the volunteer house into rooms for
children in the malnutrition program
who are not yet well enough to go
home, but do not necessarily need to
stay inside the hospital.
The highlight of the year is we
have opened our third location for
helping children with disabilities, Kay
Germaine in Tabarre! We refer to our
whole program for disabled children
as the St. Germaine Program, with
three kays (homes): Kay Christine at
St. Helene in Kenscoff, Kay Eliane at
the Fr. Wasson Center in Pétionville
and Kay Germaine at the St. Damien
Hospital compound in Tabarre. We are
thankful for the support of NPH Italy
Fonazione Francesca Rava and Casa
dei Piccoli Angeli for funding a large
percentage of this project including
the building and equipment. We
were happy to welcome Paul Haggis
and a group of Hollywood friends to
the inauguration in December. And I
would like to mention a very special
thank you to Maestro Andrea Bocelli
and the Marcegaglia family for the
benefit concert offered to complete
the project.
Goals for 2009:
b Provide more resources for higher
levels of education for the children
and staff.
b Continue to increase staff training
and formation. This year we were
able to send Ferel Bruno and several
administrative staff for training on
grants in Washington D.C. and for
Navision training in Mexico.
b Continue to offer training through
Family Services.
b Upgrade our facilities at St. Helene
because after 20 years the homes
need improvement to the sanitation
and electrical systems.
b Increase programs at St. Damien
that fight against malnutrition and
offer food assistance.
May God continue to bless each one
of you and your families.
Fr. Rick Frechette
National Director
Year of Service youths: 24, New children at Ste. Helene: 4,
Children that received their first communion: 34,
Haiti 3
NPFS has three distinct locations
with numerous programs.
St. Helene located in Kenscoff
St. Helene is a home to over 430
children and is located on 14 hillside
acres with 22 residential cottages,
varied by age and gender. A preschool
through secondary school is located
onsite and operated by the Salesian
Sisters. Kay Christine is home to 35
children and adults with special needs
inside St. Helene.
St. Damien Pediatric Hospital located in
Tabarre, Port-au-Prince
St. Damien is the only free pediatric
hospital in Haiti. The program began in
1989, but the new facility was opened
in December 2006. The outpatient
clinic attends to 100 children daily.
The average stay for a child who is
admitted is two months. The hospital
currently has 120 beds. Other hospital
areas include a surgery, cancer
and emergency ward, pharmacy,
radiology, critical care, isolation room,
infectious and non-infectious disease
wards, and a dental clinic. Also on
hospital grounds, Kay Germaine, a
rehabilitation and education center
for disabled children is now up and
running.
Kay Pere Wasson (Father Wasson Center)
located in Pétionville
This five-story building, formerly St.
Damien Hospital, is the administrative
hub of NPFS and the home to social
workers who manage new cases
and the Extern Program. Kay Elaine
is located on the premises and,
much like Kay St. Germaine, is a
rehabilitation and education center for
disabled children.
4 Haiti
St. Helene
Our home in Kenscoff, St. Helene, is
proud of the year our children had.
We saw many children graduate with
many thanks to the hard and dedicated
work of Sr. Altagrace Mathias and her
staff running our school. Each day our
school welcomes 200 children from
the neighborhood to study alongside
the children who live in our home.
Ferel Bruno and his team have been
working with the staff to ensure we
are responding appropriately to the
changing needs of the children at St.
Helene. A two-day conference was
organized with staff and caregivers to
talk about the philosophy of Fr. Wasson
and to discuss ways we can improve
the way we care for the children.
The meetings included breaking into
groups to brainstorm ideas and offer
solutions. We are looking forward
to the implementation of the great
suggestions from this conference.
St. Helene is also seeing some positive
changes to the grounds. Foyer George,
our outside gathering area, is in the
process of having a roof constructed
over it to protect the children from
the elements. This will be a wonderful
improvement when it is finished
because this area is where we have
mass, where meetings with the
children are held, and where the dance
and song programs are performed.
Each year the children look forward to
the summer program where they have
the opportunity to learn about painting,
woodworking, knitting and embroidery.
This year they also had the opportunity
to learn English with volunteers Jean
Paradis and her friend Kathy Porter. The
children learned Italian from Caterina
Bonino.
The photo to the left is some of the art
that the children made in the summer
program. At the end of the summer,
just before school started, the children
put on an excellent dance and singing
program for each other, the staff and
volunteers. It is always so wonderful
to see the joy the children have in
performing their talents for others.
Family Services
The greatest success of our Family
Services Department is that we finally
have a local team that includes key
personnel such as psychologists, social
workers, childcare director, house
director, and education personnel.
This past year, one of our goals was
to work on reviewing the Family
Services Childcare Manual with the
Haiti 5
team. We have had several seminars
to introduce the manual and talked
about what Family Services seeks to
provide for the children and the staff.
We spoke about the importance of
being good role models for the staff
and the children. The seminars were
based on Fr. Wasson’s philosophy and
his book The Sermon on the Mount. I
am happy to share that the staff at
St. Helene understands the purpose
of our mission and is receptive to the
work of the Family Services team.
Family Services had meetings and
leadership seminars with four main
groups: key personnel of St. Helene,
childcare workers, the older pequeños
who are either in their year of service
(24 year of service youth) or are
responsible enough to hold positions
as house assistants, and youth in the
external program or recent graduates
who show interest and potential for
leadership.
The groups participated in thoughtprovoking activities focusing on
changes they would like to see in the
home or what they feel is missing in
the organization and how they can
help turn their ideas into reality. For
example, the groups talked about how
to appropriately direct the children,
increase recreational activities for the
children, cooperate with each other,
look for areas in which to improve the
lives of the children, like making sure
they are sleeping properly, and then
apply those ideas when they are with
the children.
This year, the focus for all groups has
been on leadership. We discussed
leaders that we admire in order to
define what a good leader is, what
leadership is about and how we
can apply the principles of being a
good leader to our present roles at
NPH. Emphasis has been placed on
the idea that the caregivers serve
as parents and they have been
encouraged to read Fr. Wasson’s
books and the Family Services
Childcare Manual to gain a deeper
understanding of the NPH philosophy
and to encourage increased
commitment to the programs we
have at NPFS.
Goals for next year include continuing
the leadership training and helping
staff to become aware of the correct
procedures such as those involved
when a youth decides to leave the
home. I would like to find help with
the translation of the Family Services
manual from Spanish to French or
Creole and follow up with distribution
of translated materials.
I am proud of the group of external
program children who suggested that
we create a library at the Fr. Wasson
Center in Pétionville. They want to
promote reading and a love of books,
and they also want to help look for
funds to support the library so it can
grow.
Needs:
A projector for presentations during
trainings
A video camera to give audiovisual
reports
Alfonso Leon
Family Services Coordinator
6 Haiti
Social Work
The annual report is
always good for us
to evaluate the work
we did over the past
year, which we are
happy to share with
our sponsors, donors
and benefactors.
Ferel Bruno and the
social work team,
Welchel, Whilerne and
I, are making efforts to
improve our program
and also to continue to
work with the children
in the external program.
The social work team
and psychologist have
worked closely this year to develop
strategies on how we can continue to
better serve the children of NPFS.
The external children are happy
because we continue to work with
them and offer guidance while
they are studying their secondary
education. Our department oversees
and offers food, housing and medical
and moral support to the external
children. These children also like to
participate in the activities we offer
such as excursions to the beach,
movies and visiting museums.
Many of the children are interested in
the language laboratory that we are
working on with Fr. Rick Frechette.
This will allow the children to expand
their knowledge and increase their
education. We also have several
children interested in helping us
create a library for use by all the
children in the external program.
The Social Work Department does
not have any volunteers, but 24
children who are doing their year of
service help in this department. These
children are in secondary school and
give their service to the home on the
weekends. Because the economy and
job situation is so bad in Haiti, youth
at NPFS give their year of service on
the weekends while they are in the
five years of secondary school and not
after they graduate.
The school year 2007-2008 was good
despite the trouble in the country.
All the children in the last year of
secondary school graduated! And we
had one graduate in a professional
program.
We have 14 students at the university
level and in 2009 we anticipate
two graduates from university and
six graduates from professional
programs. We look forward to the
coming years when many more
of our NPFS children will have the
opportunity to reach the university
level of their education.
Leopole Cherry
Social Worker
Sponsorship
One more year is ending and thanks
to the Lord everything is going well.
This is a great opportunity to thank
all offices in the United States and
Europe that have put their strengths
together to find godparents for our
children, and for that we are very
grateful.
Here in Haiti, my two assistants,
Guerda and Michelle, and I worked
Haiti 7
together to maintain communication
between our godparents, the offices
and our children. We continue to
strive towards quick delivery of
correspondence, Godparent Day
cards and Christmas cards. This
has been possible because of
improved dialogue among us and the
fundraising offices. From January
2007 up to now we received many
new godparents and most of our
children now have six godparents,
meaning that the offices are working
hard.
Once again we thank you for your
help, generosity and your kindness.
Without caring people like you it
wouldn’t be possible to move onward.
We are looking forward to keep
working together.
May the Lord bless you and your
families.
Rhau Nadine Dede
Sponsorship Coordinator
HIV/Public Health Programs
The HIV program succeeded in
screening for HIV almost 98% of
new children and their parents
seen at the clinic. The program
succeeded in encouraging more than
75% of parents to attend support
group meetings: those meetings
help people to cope with HIV and
keep compliant to the follow-up
care of their children. Also the
program succeeded in securing free
medications and lab tests for all the
HIV+ children at St. Helene for the
last three years.
The Public Health program
participated in the last national
immunization campaign and exceeded
all the objectives planned in terms
of numbers of children and women
vaccinated. We did an excellent job
at educating adolescents and other
people in the community against STI
and AIDS.
We did some renovation of our
building to better accommodate
new staff and to have a better flow
of patients and parents coming for
immunization. At the end of 2008 we
will be able to finalize the work and
enjoy better working conditions.
In the coming year we will work to
improve the TB service, a service
done at the hospital level but linked
with the HIV program. We will also
offer training at our site to other
health care providers to help expand
the pediatric AIDS treatment in
the country. This will keep our staff
motivated for continuing education,
indispensable for good level of
care. Also, we want to improve the
immunization coverage of the children
in our target area, close to the
hospital. We need to train our midwife
in sonography to offer this service
on site to the pregnant women seen
at our prenatal clinic. We will also
work to improve the management of
human resources to keep the staff
motivated. By doing this we will be
able to better achieve our goals: to
improve children’s health and help the
parents prevent common diseases in
their children.
Dr. Jacqueline Gautier
Director, HIV and Public Health
Employees: 22 (ARV) 9 (Public Health), Currently we are following a cohort of 300 children
infected with HIV, with 143 receiving Antiretroviral Treatment.
8 Haiti
Kay Christine, Kay Eliane and
Kay St. Germaine
We are nearing the end of 2008 and
I am happy to say that at Kay Christine
we have had a good year. The kids
have been well and have enjoyed a
healthy year. This means everything
when you consider that they face
many difficulties in their everyday
lives. The purpose of our rehabilitation
programs is to work with special
needs kids that have families and to
help their parents take care of them.
By so doing we hope they will not
abandon them.
Kay Eliane operates out of the
building that used to be our hospital
in Pétionville and Kay St. Germaine
is a beautiful new building that just
opened in September 2008. It is really
very special to see how happy the
children and mothers are as they bring
their children for treatment. For sure
life is not easy for them, as Haiti is
never easy, but at least they feel they
can get help from us.
The children make a lot of progress
and this is most rewarding for those
of us working directly with them.
In each of the programs we have a
school for special needs kids and
this is fantastic as so many of these
children had never been to school
before. They are very eager to learn
and very proud of their uniforms.
Up the hill, at Kay Christine in
Kenscoff, we have had many
successes also. In September three
of our older “kids” moved onto a new
stage in their young lives. Clothaire,
Darlene and Nadege are now working
in our program in Pétionville – Kay
Eliane. So they have to get up early
and be ready for the car at 6:30am.
Clothaire and Nadege are assistants
in the school and Darlene is in our gift
card program. All three are very happy
with their new responsibilities.
In March, Darlene was in the US
along with Pascal, Xiomala and Mania.
They were part of the horse riding
group and this group included Genet
from Kay St. Germaine. All the kids
did very well, with Darlene winning
both her events. In June, one of our
staff got married and we were able
to take a lot of the kids there and it
was great. Innocent got a great laugh
out of the part where the groom can
kiss his bride! You can see him in the
photo and he does look like an angel,
but believe me he has his moments
when his behavior does not at all
match his name.
We had eight children receive their
First Communion. They were all very
excited and enjoyed their day. Jean
(bottom left) is one of our more fragile
children. Luckily for us he is doing
well and is generally healthy.
A few weeks ago we had five athletes
competing in the first ever National
Sports Day for the Handicapped.
Clothaire came home with a medal for
third place in the 100 m. He was very
happy.
We are looking for volunteers in
Special Education, Speech Therapy,
Music Therapy, Hydrotherapy, Art
Therapy, and indeed any other related
therapy. We also need to somehow
Haiti 9
help educate the general population in
Haiti so that children with disabilities
are treated with respect and dignity.
On a more practical level, we need to
find a way to get proper wheelchairs.
This is one of our biggest difficulties
and without proper chairs it is hard for
our children to make good progress.
What are our dreams for 2009? We
hope to achieve as much as we did in
2008 and that we are all healthy and
still alive by this time next year.
Best wishes to all and many thanks to
those who support us!
Gena Heraty
Director, St. Germaine Programs
Home Correspondence
Volunteer/Visitor Coordinator
I am very excited to have joined
the team in NPFS Haiti. The past
two months have been filled with
information gathering and learning
new faces and a new language. The
time I have spent here has helped
me to fall in love all over again with
the NPH programs and especially our
children at NPFS. I am looking forward
to the next year and increasing our
efforts in getting projects on the
intranet in order to help our wonderful
fundraisers seek out funds for our
programs in Haiti, and I’m excited
to play a small role in seeing those
projects realized.
This year was filled with many
hellos to new friends and several
tear-filled goodbyes to long term
volunteers. 2008 brought with it
the departure of Adele Lawler who
10 Haiti
started volunteering with NPFS in
1990, when she would come for three
months at a time, until 2000 when
she came on full-time. Not enough
can be said about the impact Adele
had and continues to have on children,
staff and volunteers. Saying her name
in Pétionville around children who
grew up with her, brings a multitude
of smiles and voices asking when she
will be coming back. Her influence
on the children will last their entire
lifetimes because she so graciously
loved everyone she touched. She
taught the children life skills, talked
to them about setting goals and how
to achieve them and often times just
listened when they needed someone
to confide in. Her presence is missed
and the children are anxiously
awaiting the day she returns to visit.
NPFS also said goodbye to Sr.
Lorraine Malo this year. Sr. Lorraine
is remembered for her ever positive
and cheerful attitude and willingness
to always lend her help and hand.
She left behind a legacy of not
wanting to leave any child without the
opportunity for education as she was
responsible for starting the classroom
at the St. Damien Hospital, where she
welcomed children who were well
enough to participate in activities of
play and learning. Her ability to relate
to others is unprecedented and she is
truly missed on a daily basis. We wish
her many blessings in her new path.
Carlo Diy returned home to California
after 18 months of dedication at
the hospital. On top of carrying the
volunteer and visitor coordinator role,
Carlo so graciously took on many
administrative responsibilities at the
hospital until he turned them over to
Romuald Cauvin earlier this year. This
fall we also said goodbye to Erin Kloos
as she returned home in the hopes of
attending medical school. Erin jumped
right into her volunteer time at the
hospital and played a pivotal role with
the kitchen staff.
We welcomed Maeve Bracken to
Kenscoff this year as she started her
two-year commitment as a volunteer
in Kay Christine. She has taken so
easily to life here in Haiti and at St.
Helene that she has also now taken
on some administrative roles.
St. Damien Hospital is happy to
have surgeon Guiseppe Riitano
from Italy with us this season.
Guiseppe is responsible for heading
up the surgery room along with Sr.
Judy Doehner. We have graduates,
including Julien and Nirva who grew
up at NPFS, from a training program in
Italy who are working with Guiseppe
each day to prepare the surgery room.
This fall Juliette Salmon has joined us
from NPH France to facilitate a project
with hospitals from Paris. We had several returning visitors/
volunteers throughout the year,
including Christi Smith and Norma
Lopez who came in the summer to
help with therapy in Kay Christine
and Kay Eliane. Vicky Hernandez Leon
has been with us for several months
and has done a remarkable job with
the older girls and a micro-finance
project to help them start businesses.
Caterina Bonino has continued to
come to NPFS every three months.
Caterina is someone who knows all
of our programs and lends her hand
and talent wherever she is needed
to close the holes. Ron and Ronnie
Pruhs were with us again and after
years of hard work and preparation,
they proudly handed the Dental Clinic
over to our first full-time dentist!
The Kay Germaine opening brought
many guests to stay with us and
celebrate including Paul Haggis
and many friends from Hollywood,
former U.S. Senator John Edwards,
Mariavittoria Rava and her staff from
NPH Italy Fondazione Francesca Rava,
and many wonderful sponsors and
supporters.
Robin Schwartz
Home Correspondent
Visitor/Volunteer Coordinator
Haiti 11
St. Luke Outreach Programs
I would like to highlight some of our
dreams that turned into reality in
2008 and some of our goals for 2009
and the years to come. We focused
more on education than anything else
because we believe that the future
is in the hands of the youth. There
is no future without education and
education is life. We still have a long
way to go and it is not an easy task,
but with God’s help and the help of
our fundraisers and donors we will be
able to go further.
We have made many
accomplishments in the past year.
Apart from the 14 schools we have in
Cite Soleil (a slum in Port-au-Prince)
we started a new school named St.
Patrick. In Beudet we also opened a
new school, Notre Dame du Rosaire.
This year we purchased the property
where one of our schools, St. Martin
de Porres, is located in Wharf Jeremie.
We organized seminars for our
teachers and reassigned some
teachers to assure we had them in
the right classrooms. We now require
all the teachers in our schools to
be certified. We added a canteen/
cafeteria in some of our schools that
did not have one before. As a result
of these few changes, more of our
students are passing their elementary
school proficiency examination. The
percentage of students passing this
equivalency test has risen from 65%
to 85%. With the opening of our
school, St. Patrick, we were able to
offer educational opportunities to 146
more children.
We opened two healthcare facilities,
one in Tabarre named Kay au Bois
where we take care of malnourished
children and another one in Delmas
24 named St. Luke Social Service
where we care for disabled children.
Most of the time malnutrition
brings with it some other diseases.
Sometimes, the children need
surgeries. It’s amazing to witness
how many lives can be saved, just by
feeding the children. We are working
and trying to do whatever is in our
power to make these children’s lives
better.
We have added a sport center behind
the Kay Germaine building on the
St. Damien Hospital grounds. There,
we have different types of activities
and organized sports. Things are
going very well. Our teams already
competed against many other sport
teams and are showing a winning
streak.
Every Thursday, we gather the
unnamed dead from the morgue
at the General Hospital (County
Hospital) and St. Damien Hospital.
We have a religious burial ceremony
so they can have a dignified funeral.
In Haiti, the cost of a funeral is high
and not everyone can afford it. The
dignified burial program adds many
jobs because we employ people to
make the coffins, crosses for the
graves, rosaries, play the music during
the ceremony and to transport the
deceased from the morgue to the
cemetery.
The St. Luke Street School program has grown from 3,354 to 4,500 children.
12 Haiti
We now have a virtual university
where our people who hope
for trainings overseas, can start
studying languages like, French,
Spanish, English, German, and
Italian. We hired a teacher to
monitor the students and oversee
the room with all the necessary
equipment to make it a real
classroom.
Some of our goals for the next year
and years to come are:
St. Luke has a rent program for the
families of HIV positive children.
Because someone is infected with
the disease it does not marginalize
him. Most of the time the parents
cannot afford to pay rent, so they
have to resort to living on the
street where the children are more
vulnerable to other diseases.
b Provide transportation for our
four school zones for academic
end explorative trips.
b Develop a campus, where
we can help people learn a
profession and advance their
education.
b Computerize the street schools.
b Open some schools in the
countryside.
b Establish a clothing factory in
Beudet to help with the cost of
school uniforms, creating jobs for
some disabled people and others
in the area.
To achieve these goals, we
definitely need God’s help and
people like our donors and
fundraisers who are willing to help
us realize these goals. We are
thankful for all the help we receive.
Our major necessities for the
coming year are furniture for our
schools and the enlargement of the
street school St Jude.
God bless you all!
Jean Augustin Nebez
Director, St. Luke Outreach
Programs
b Establish relationships between
our street schools with
schools abroad.
Haiti 13
A Big Thank You
On behalf of Fr. Rick Frechette, Ferel
Bruno and everyone at NPFS, we
would like to thank all the offices for
their hard work and dedication to
St. Helene Orphanage, St. Damien
Hospital, Kay St. Germaine and
the St. Luke Outreach Programs.
Even in the midst of our changing
world economy, the fundraising
offices continue to seek and receive
funding allowing us to serve the
ever increasing number of children
and adults in Haiti. We value
our relationships with each and
everyone of you and look forward to
continued collaboration in 2009 the
Year of Grace!
Kay St. Germaine was made
possible because of those who
understood Gena Heraty’s dream
and made it happen. In addition
to generous funding previously
mentioned from NPH Italy
Fondazione Francesca Rava, we
would also like to mention planning
of the project was made possible
by an Italian volunteer engineer,
Alessandro Cecchinato and Ennoi
Antonello who oversaw construction
management early in the project.
Kay St. Germaine is home to
beautiful ceramics which were
generously donated by Massimo
14 Haiti
Tognon. The children of Kay St.
Germaine will benefit from our
services because of the generousity
of NPH Spain and AECID - Spanish
government. The support we
received for this project from our
constant companions, Hope for
Haiti, will not be forgotten.
The hurricane relief we provided
was made possible by the
overwhelming response from all the
offices including UKBS Germany,
UKBS Austria, NPH Spain and
the Roviralta Foundation, Amsala
Association, Renta Corporation
Foundation, NPH Italy Fondazione
Francesca Rava and EXPO 2015,
Friends of the Orphans US, the
Passionists, Hotel Villa Creole, the
Diederich Family, Espoir pou Haiti,
and Sisters of St. Joseph. We were
able to provide a vast amount of
relief because of the many in-kind
gifts and hard work of Friends of
the Orphans Miami, Action Medior,
Catholic Medical Mission Board, and
Humedica.
Our St. Luke street schools continue
to offer the poorest of children a
place to come for a meal, to earn an
education and hopefully keep them
away from a life of crime. We would
like to thank NPH Italy Fondazione
Francesca Rava and NPH Germany
for the constant support for the
street schools.
St. Luke is also able to offer water
delivery into Cite Soleil thanks to
Piccolo Fratello and Fondazione
Mediolanum. Dignified Burials for
countless unnamed deceased were
made possible possible largely in
part because of WereldOuders,
Netherlands.
St. Damien has received continued
generous funding from OKW
Belgium. The hospital is in the
process of improving general
services in the hospital, cancer
treatment, starting a surgery
program and planning for neonatal
care thanks to NPH Italy Fondazione
Francesca Rava and NPFS France.
NPH Spain has continued to
contribute to our nutrition programs
and our AIDS programs at St.
Damien because of the generosity
of the following donors: Roviralta
Foundation, Netri Foundation,
Amsala Association, Creatia
Foundation, Renta Corporation
Foundation, Cofares Foundation and
the AECID Spanish Government.
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy;
Dear Friends and Family,
As a pequeño, I believe in the
miracles that God performs in
our daily lives at NPH. In the two
years that I have been the National
Director in Nicaragua, I have been
blessed by the many achievements
of our pequeños and the love that
they have shown me. As many of
you know, I am a former Honduran
pequeño, and I would like to thank
my brothers and sisters in Honduras
for many of the successes in my life.
But NPH Nicaragua has helped me
become the man I am today. The staff
and the children at NPH Nicaragua
have truly been inspiring in their
ability to succeed despite the many
unexpected challenges that we faced
throughout 2008. I believe that each NPH home should
develop leaders that can help run our
homes in the near future, and here in
Nicaragua we have been working on
that. Yader, who is our first Nicaraguan
university graduate, has become the
first Nicaraguan House Director. This
seems to have inspired many of our
children and staff, especially from
Casa Santiago, to improve in many
ways. We are proud to report that our
school now has the highest grade
point average in the region. Along
with this was the phenomenal
success achieved by the hard work
of our dance and music group that
traveled to the United States to
support fundraising for all the NPH
homes. We in Nicaragua feel that Father
Wasson’s love was based on the
beatitudes from the Sermon on the
Mount and this year we gave our
2 Nicaragua
children the opportunity to live and
share these values. Many of our
children participated in Confirmation,
First Communion and Baptism
programs, where
they were required
to give service to
those in need in the
community.
We are happy
to report the
completion of four
homes at Casa
Padre Wasson, our
new property in
Jinotepe. At the
beginning of 2009,
the first group of
children will begin living in these
new homes. The next phase of
construction will soon begin, bringing
us closer to achieving the goal of
moving all of our children from the
dangers of the active volcano on the
Island of Ometepe to the new home
on the mainland.
Casa Asis, the babies’ home,
continues to be a phenomenal
success, largely due to the constant
dedication of our beloved Sister
Alana. This year our graduation
ceremony was attended by all
directors and many family members.
Our youngest pequeños performed
many of Nicaragua’s beautiful dance
routines for the occasion. The children
who graduated have moved on to
Casa Santiago.
As you all know, the current world
economic situation has affected all
of our NPH homes. As a family we
have been looking for ways to support
each other during these tough
times, and I was truly surprised and
pleased with our university students
in Managua. Many have voluntarily
interrupted their university studies
in order to support our other homes
in Nicaragua. This is exactly what I
believe Father Wasson envisioned
when he created the year of service
program.
Although this year was filled with
incredible successes, perhaps the
most satisfying for me came at the
very end of the year. Because of the
violence and stress caused by the
elections here, I was very worried
about the security of our homes, thus
I was unable to attend the second
annual soccer tournament dedicated
to Father Wasson. All the children
were disappointed that I couldn’t
make it, but they understood and
went on to represent our home with
pride and success. Both our teams,
boys and girls, played in the finals
and we came in first and second
respectively. Our boys were also
awarded the most disciplined team,
and our girls won awards for the best
goalie and scorer. We thank you for all your support
during this last year and would like
to ask for your continued prayers for
all our family here in Nicaragua. We
firmly believe in the power of your
prayers and support, and we are
praying for all of you every day. Thank you and God bless you!
Your little brother,
Marlon Velasquez
National Director
Babies’ Home: Casa Asis, San Jorge
The babies’ home survived three
weeks of continuous rain, which
left the home isolated when the
road was washed out. Provisions
were obtained by walking through
the fields. The home constructed a
water filter to ensure that none of
the water drains into Lake Nicaragua
and survived two electrical fires that
destroyed their electrical lines.
Among other things, Casa Asis is
becoming more self-sufficient. They
have ensured less dependency on
outside sources by growing plantains,
eggs, chicken, and pork – enough
to share with the other homes in
Nicaragua 3
Managua and on the island. The
home also successfully provided
their own milk from the use of their
cows. The home also planted sugar
cane and corn in order to maintain
the animals through the dry season.
become unsafe for the children. The
home also wants to hire a folkdance
teacher and enlarge the play area so
that the smallest children have more
activity options.
The kids are venturing into new
projects. For instance, fifteen of
the children are taken to San Juan
del Sur each Wednesday to receive
swimming lessons. The kids are also
being exposed to new visitors. On
March 7th, a group of Belgians with
different disabilities visited Casa Asis.
This group was walking from coast
to coast in Nicaragua and asked to
spend the night at the home. Their
visit was filmed by Belgian TV to be
aired later in the year.
Casa Santiago, Ometepe Island
Back on the island, the home with
the most kids, there have been many
happenings in 2008.
Thirty-seven children grace their
presence at the home requiring
a lot of special attention. Ten of
the thirty-seven are new for 2008.
There is one director, twenty-nine
employees serving as drivers, cooks,
and caregivers, three youths helping
in their year of service, and fourteen
short-term volunteers who have
graciously given their time and love
to the kids.
As with any babies, there are many
needs. The most pressing are baby
formula, diapers, a freezer to store
chicken and pork to be able to use
and send to the other NPH homes
in Managua and on the island,
paint for the guest home (hasn’t
been painted in nine years) and for
Casa Asis (hasn’t been painted in
five years), and materials to build a
new roof, as the play area will soon
House Anniversary, May 10
Educators, employees, volunteers,
and caregivers celebrated with
all homes in Nicaragua. Fourteen
teams were formed to represent
the fourteen years of existence. The
day started with mass, then moved
onto a big lunch and many sports
activities and cumulated with a large
dance. This was a very happy day for
everyone celebrating together as one
family.
Family Carnival, June 28
To celebrate the take off of the
Family Program, our coordinator Sana
Jubayli organized a family carnival
among all the homes in Nicaragua.
Families formed teams and visited
stations that included picture taking
and pony riding.
Father Wasson Anniversary,
August 16
The home started preparing 15
days before this special day of
remembrance. The day started at 2
am with singing and prayers led by
House Director, Yader Rayo until 6
am. Mass was shared among the
children, directors, employees, and
educators of NPH Nicaragua. The
Casa Asis Children: 37, New Arrivals: 10,
Employees: 29, Year of Service: 3, Short-term Volunteers: 14
4 Nicaragua
kids competed in sports and games
in the afternoon. The day ended
with a vigil with the department
of Masaya until 10 pm. The kids all
paid condolences by wearing Padre
Wasson t-shirts.
American Nicaraguan Foundation
(ANF), November 15
The values of brotherhood, unity, and
companionship were celebrated with
another children’s home, CICERN.
The kids from CICERN and NPH
helped with mass and later gave
presentations including theater and
dance, specific to Nicaraguan culture.
This was a day to celebrate the strong
relationship ANF has with NPH. ANF
provided the food and decorations
for this day. The oldest kids served
as waiters as everyone ate on tables
draped with table clothes. This day
included sports teams as well. The
kids all worked together to earn points
for their team, which they could use to
buy donated gifts from ANF.
a key element in making this event
happen.
Another huge accomplishment has
been the soccer teams. The girls’ team
took first place, repeating their victory
from last year, at NPH Guatemala
in November. The boys took second
place. These teams are a source of
pride for all of our family.
Approximately 20 of the Estudiantina
and Danza troupes youths traveled
to the U.S. twice this year, in April
and in October. Their tour consisted
of Chicago, Minneapolis, California,
Arizona, and Washington State.
The kids’ minds were opened, most
flying and visiting another country
for the first time. Ensuring visas and
passports was a long process. The
dance and music teams are also a
strong source of pride. The groups
perform for visitors and on holidays at
the home.
Quinceañeros, November 34
Ten pairs of boys and girls floated
across the floor as they celebrated the
passage of becoming young men and
women. Father Phil Cleary came to
celebrate mass as everyone watched
in amazement of the beauty of the
young men and women. This event
required a lot of preparation, including
buying the appropriate material for the
girls, so they could make their own
dress designs. This was appropriate as
the coming into adulthood is done in
the child’s own manner. The support
of the house directors as well as the
caregivers doesn’t go unnoticed. Anna,
the NPH social worker, also played
Nicaragua 5
Girls’ Home: Corazón de Jesús
Ometepe Island
The girls’ home in Casa Santiago
adds a lot of flavor to the culture of
the home. There are seven sections
of girls, ranging from age seven to
eighteen with eleven caregivers.
Raquel has been a shining star in the
home for 2008. Not only is she an
excellent student, she is responsive
to all the girls in her section. At times,
she is the only caregiver present in
her section when the others have
break.
This year, 93% of the girls passed all
their classes. This is an improvement
from last year. After the workshops
were given by the Red Cross, eight
of the 93 girls at Casa Santiago were
special facilitators given training
throughout the year. This too has
given our girls more responsibility
and self-esteem. Three youths are
considered as support for specific
sections in the home.
Variety has been added to the home.
More participation in workshops has
improved the overall quality of the
girls’ lives. They can choose from
bracelet making, kitchen help, arts
and crafts, dance, soccer, or sewing.
Health and cleanliness have also
improved this year.
Changes are bound to happen
throughout the year, many of them
positive. The home was painted a
light green, a nice change from the
brown. Caring volunteers
Girls: 93, Caregivers: 11
6 Nicaragua
from various groups assisted in
this project. As of March the girls
all eat together. This has brought
unity throughout the home.
Everyone enjoys eating together as a
community and catching up on things
with the others. Due to financial cuts,
a significant change has been made
to the usage of electricity and water.
Stricter rules now apply.
Needs:
Clothing, towels, bed sheets and
hangers
Boys’ Home: Casa Divino Nino
Ometepe Island
The boys’ home consists of 98
boys as well as ten caregivers with
one youth acting as a caregiver.
Furthermore, the house relies on
support from some of the older
and more mature boys who help in
specific sections.
Of the 98 boys, only fourteen did
not pass all their classes, mostly
in secondary school. This is an
improvement from the last year.
Six boys were chosen as facilitators
for the Red Cross. This training
and leadership has given them the
confidence they need to improve
their life and try new things. The
support that ten older and more
mature boys provide in the sections
has improved the overall health of
individual sections. More attention is
being given and the boys are learning
what it means to be a role model for
their younger brothers.
Jonathan was always a special kid.
He required a lot of attention and had
issues with discipline. However, this
year, he surprised everyone. He has
passed the year and is continuing to
have better discipline. His reunions
with his older brother (due to the
Family Program initiative) have helped
him adjust to living a normal and
healthy life.
There is also more community since
the move of the older boys. Since
March 2008, the older boys of Casa
San Martin have moved to live with
their little brothers. This has helped in
reducing costs of water and electricity
as well as in creating community
and maximizing control. In general,
the level of respect among the boys
is better. Due to the move, the boys
eat together. The younger boys can
interact more with their older siblings
now.
in this section has been cut in half,
allowing more individual attention.
This has drastically improved the lives
of some of the boys in this section.
They also have the new help of a
volunteer who serves as a caregiver.
For the coming year, there is a need
for two caregivers in this section that
requires a lot of attention.
A goal for 2009 is to have two
caregivers in each of the seven
sections. This is a pressing need
but is also difficult with the current
financial situation. Currently, some
youths act as caregivers to their
section. This provides them little free
time when they need to study. The
coordinator would like to improve the
percentage of boys passing to 95%.
The caregivers also want to have a
good retention rate and not lose any
boys due to behavioral problems,
since some have left
in 2008.
Our special needs boys, who used to
live at “Casa Corazón de Oro”, moved
to be with the other boys. This has
helped them adapt to a more normal
living situation. The number of boys
Boys: 98, Caregivers: 10
Nicaragua 7
Education
The children and youths at NPH
Nicaragua take their studies
and education very seriously.
Four students in both primary
and secondary school received
scholarships in Managua. They are
shining stars and good examples for
the others in the school.
Ninety-three percent of the
students in primary passed
all of their classes. This is an
improvement of 10% from the
previous year. Seventy-four percent
of the students in secondary passed
all their classes, a jump of 22%
better than the previous year.
In December, at the end of a
long and successful year, 25 NPH
students graduated.
Our school won first place at
municipal and departmental levels
in the youths’ scholastic sports
competition. Our girls’ soccer
team obtained second place at the
municipal level. The school took
second place at the municipal level
among children ages 8 to 10. It is
nice to know that our children are
capable of doing well in school and
Primary graduates: 25
Primary students: 91, Secondary students: 67
8 Nicaragua
on the field; it makes them well
rounded.
There were some changes worth
noting this year. The young adults
in both their second and third year
of secondary school were moved
to a different location to finish their
studies. They were moved to the
secondary school where our first
year students are. A lot of changes
were made in the in the school
which required the joint effort of all
the teachers.
A new disciplinarian joined the
team and has helped to keep the
children on track. She has helped
with getting the children to class,
especially when they have to switch
rooms. More books were donated
to the library, so we now have a
wider selection of books for the
children to choose from. Due to the
increased emphasis on reading,
especially through the hard work of
one of our volunteers who spends
time reading to the children, more
children are reading on their own.
During the past year 67 students
were enrolled in secondary school
91 students (equal ratio of boys
to girls) were enrolled in primary
school. In the summer cycle
classes, which are designed to
jumpstart education, there were 33
students.
Five new students joined the
primary school in February 2008
and two new students joined the
secondary. There are 11 teachers
in primary, five in secondary along
with one director and one secretary.
They manage class sizes of around
20 students.
The school is in need of a minimum
of 10 computers. The students are
very interested in learning how to
use the computer and learning to
type. Currently the students are
working on the few computers we
have, but these are mainly used by
our staff. We would like to give a
computer course in the afternoons
for the students. Acquiring
basic computer skills will help
them prepare for university and,
eventually, their professional lives
outside of NPH. We are also
in need of a projector machine. Since
fewer funds were received this year,
we were not able to purchase all of
the needed school supplies such
as books, rulers, markers, pencils,
notebooks, etc. There is now a
greater need for these items.
Psychology Team
Last year, a team of professionals
was formed to offer holistic
approaches to the treatment of the
children at NPH. The team consists
of resource teachers, psychologists,
occupational and physical therapists,
an art therapist, and, new this year,
the family program coordinator and
the English teacher.
Different therapists who treat the
same child have joined together to
talk about how they can better treat
that child. The team meets bi-weekly,
sometimes more, depending on the
need.
We need volunteers. There is a need
for an art therapist, occupational and
physical therapists, and resource
teachers. There is also a need for
basic materials such as paper,
markers, pens and folders.
The psychologists form discussion
groups every month about sex
education, hygiene and emotional
health. This has improved the overall
health of the kids. Each gives six to
seven sessions of an hour each day
for 30-35 students weekly.
Healthcare
Every week a physician from
the Ministry of Health visits our
home on the island. This is a big
accomplishment, given that the
home doesn’t have a full time
doctor. Also this year, Swiss dentists
implemented a program for their
continued visits for routine checkups. Dentists from Managua come
every month for continued checkups
as well. A new dentist chair was
donated with all the proper materials
to continue this program for our
children.
The Nicaraguan Red Cross partnered
with us to provide monthly HIV
workshops for our caregivers and
older youths in leadership positions.
The youths that received the training
then implemented discussions
geared towards our younger kids.
Chronic illness improved due
to increased effectiveness and
administration of medicine.
Nina Ehrle, the NPHI Regional
Medical Coordinator for Nicaragua,
implemented more and better
cleanliness practices this year.
The art therapists started a public art
project for the clinic. A contest was
made to design the best mural and
our little artists have designed and
painted it to make it more patientfriendly.
The clinic averages 10 consultations
daily and when the doctor is in
weekly, roughly 20 children. There is a
separate doctor for the babies in Casa
Asis and for the university and high
school students in Managua. There
Nicaragua 9
are two nurses and one coordinator
in the Casa Santiago clinic and Nina
is working on team solidarity. In the
future, a volunteer nurse is greatly
needed.
Needs:
Materials for making stitches, an
oxygen tank, a blood pressure reader,
a thermometer and an ear probe
Full-time doctor
Volunteers
Being a volunteer can be an amazing
journey and this years’ group of
volunteers has really shined. This
was the last year a large team was
brought in. In January 2008, nine
volunteers joined the team of five
existing volunteers at Casa Santiago
(one joined Casa Asis).
Our volunteers consisted of: one
English teacher, one Family Program
Coordinator, two Psychologists, three
Resource Teachers, two Occupational
Therapists, one Physical Therapist,
one Volunteer Coordinator/Home
Correspondent, and two Caregivers.
Countries represented included:
Lebanon, Holland, Norway, Spain,
Austria, Germany, and the United
States.
Workshops held this year for the
children included talks on hygiene,
vocational trades, health, Bible study,
salsa club, and reading club. The
resource teachers also spent extra
time helping during study hour and
tutoring individually outside the
Volunteers served at Casa Santiago: 14
10 Nicaragua
classroom. One volunteer opened the
“Sala de Bienestar”, a place where
kids can play during their free time.
The dance group that traveled to
the states received English classes
from volunteers prior to their trip.
Volunteers also added a flag group
was started to add to the existing
gymnastics and drum lines. This
group performs for Independence
Day and other special celebrations.
The Biological Family Program was
resurrected by a volunteer who
has done an amazing job in joining
siblings for special events and for
birthdays. All the other volunteers
help in preparing two events each
month with two separate families.
For Christmas, the volunteers put
together photo albums for each child,
with photos from the whole year.
Starting July 2009, the home will
need a Physical and Occupational
Therapist, Family Program
Coordinator, three Resource Teachers,
one or two English teachers in the
primary and or secondary levels, and
a Home Correspondent.
The goal for July is to solidify a large
group of volunteers.
Sponsorship Department
Writing letters to their godparents is
the most important thing a child can
do to ensure a healthy relationship
for the child. Extra importance in
writing to their godparents has been
communicated to the children and the
results have paid off.
In 2008, Belgium joined the team
as the newest country to sponsor
Nicaraguan children. We have
developed our card-writing system
this year so it is faster and the
information is being communicated
more efficiently with the Intranet. The
communication between the offices
and the home is also stronger.
Brochures were made as well as the
yearly Christmas cards. Four artists
won a competition for the best
designs for the Christmas cards. The
art therapist headed up this project
and it served as a good motivator
for the undiscovered artists. It also
made the designs more personal and
meaningful.
Once a year, all godparents receive
one report card accompanied by
a photo. This year the children’s
photos were taken by a professional
volunteer photographer from Holland.
It takes fifteen days for the child
to write a card and send a card to
the USA; thirty days for European
godparents.
its godparents from Germany 24%,
Italy 17% and Holland and the U.S.
offices accounting for 12% of our
children.
This year in November, a group of
sponsors from Holland visited the
home. One of the sponsors talked
about the promise he made to his
wife before she passed away. One
was that he must continue to sponsor
their child, Kimberly. The other was
that he would continue to visit NPH
Nicaragua and give Kimberly gifts
and a letter from his wife that she
wrote before her death. The first
time that Mr. A.F.G Van den Berg met
Kimberly, he got so excited that the
tears streamed down his face. Maybe
Kimberly wasn’t able to understand
why her godparent was crying, but
at the same time, she knew how
to console him and pretty much
everything changed to happiness and
smiles. Kimberly spent three more
days with her godparent, playing with
toys that he brought for her. It was
amazing how they communicated;
she didn’t speak Dutch and he didn’t
speak Spanish! However, they
enjoyed their time together. Finally,
the last day arrived. One more time,
Mr. Van den Berg cried and promised
to continue sponsoring Kimberly.
As of October 2008, 88% of our
children have godparents. Of the
godparents, 83% are active in writing
continually to their child and 3% are
new. NPH Nicaragua receives most of
Nicaragua 11
Farm and Gardens
Running a home for children relies
on a steady intake and production
of healthy foods. Many people are
involved in the growing, cultivation,
buying and prepping of food for Casa
Santiago.
We plant beans, tomatoes, yucca,
green peppers, limes, oranges,
papayas, bananas, and cucumbers.
Eggs are grown on the farm in San
Marcos. The cows in San Marcos give
Casa Santiago and other homes milk
and beef. The house has maintained
the production of eggs and chicken to
cover all the needs of the homes.
The children obtained good results in
the care and cultivation of the bean
fields. The projection of plantain,
green pepper, lemon, and yucca
maintained their value in sales.
This was also an excellent year for
watermelon production as well as for
cucumbers and tomatoes.
Two youths help in the food
warehouse as well as two in the
kitchen. There are four cooks and one
coordinator who prepare breakfast,
lunch, and dinner every day. One
coordinator receives, records, and
gives out food in the bodega. There
are four dedicated field workers who
help plant and maintain all the fields.
Yubran helped in the bodega this
year and has taken his role seriously.
Not only is he responsible, he
communicates new ideas to his
coordinator, keeps order and follows
through on his tasks.
12 Nicaragua
This year we purchased a freezer for
meat and chicken and installed new
shelves for vegetables and dry foods.
Needs: Industrial blender and a larger
refrigerator.
Girls’ Homes: Casa Santa Clara and
Casa Guadalupe, Managua
Visiting Managua is often a fun
adventure, especially with the NPH
homes for our older high school,
technical, and university students.
Situated in the safe and convenient
neighborhood of Las Palmas, Casa
Santa Clara has a lot to be thankful
for this year.
This year, 70% of the girls passed
all their classes. The Red Cross also
gave many workshops and some
girls have taken leadership roles as
facilitators. New partnerships have
been made with organizations for
social service. The girls serve at
various places two times a week.
In Casa Guadalupe, weekly English
classes are given by a retired
journalist. NPH is constantly looking
for new partnerships, ideas and
projects, such as these English
classes.
As well as accomplishments, there
are many stars. Maria, a street girl
new to NPH, has been successful
in Casa Santa Clara. She has a really
good relationship with her caregiver
and is passing many of her classes.
Another success story is Sujay, who
is not only maintaining her
scholarship, but is also receiving
high marks in all her classes, even in
English, which has been a struggle
for her.
There are two girls as support
(serving as the point of contact for
the girls when the primary caregiver
is not available) in the home of
thirteen. Six more live in Casa
Guadalupe, also in Managua. Four
are in university working on their
bachelor’s degree or technical school.
The others are in secondary school.
There are needs for more books
in the library. New living room
furniture, and 10 beds are needed to
accommodate the new girls coming
at the start of the new year. The
caregiver wants to ensure a smooth
process when eight new girls join the
family at Casa Santa Clara.
Boys’ Home: Don Bosco, Managua
This year, 95% of the boys passed
all their classes. Next year, the goal
is 100%. This is the first year a youth
was enrolled at UPOLI, a prestigious
university in Managua. Hopefully
more partnerships can be developed
for higher education.
The home has two stars for 2008.
Natanael, an older boy in the home,
has maintained his scholarship and is
receiving high marks on his degree
in banking and finance. Marcio,
scored 100% on his entrance test
in receiving the scholarship. He is
studying math and Spanish and is
receiving very high marks.
Twenty-eight boys and one caregiver
currently live at the home and 13
to 15 new students will arrive for
the school year in 2009. There are
sufficient beds and rooms in the
home to accommodate the family.
Jasser, an older boy in the home, was
the only one to graduate this year
from a technical high school with a
degree in auto mechanics. His other
brothers and sisters supported him
on his big day, complete with an NPH
house party.
Workshops for the Red Cross were
implemented this year, once a week.
Some of the boys have received
special training as facilitators.
Soccer teams were implemented
to compete against other teams in
Managua. On Saturdays, this provides
an activity for all of the boys in the
home.
Nicaragua 13
Art clinics really took off this year
with artists from Managua and with
NPH’s art therapist on the island.
The products they made went up
for sale to gain money for the home
and to help pay for the international
meeting. Bracelet making will take off
in February 2009 to also gain funds
for the home.
Four new computers arrived at the
home, three from a US family. More
computers are needed for 2009.
A Swiss dentist who comes to NPH
every year helped pay for 20 fans
for the home. The dentist keeps up
a long lasting relationship with the
boys. They always welcome her visit.
14 Nicaragua
O Divine Master, grant that I
may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
Dear Family and Friends,
I would like to thank all of our donors
and all the people who work as
fundraisers in our offices throughout
the world. Every one of you has given
a piece of your heart to NPH, and
for that we are truly grateful. Your
generosity and donations support
our home’s many projects and have
allowed us to improve the lives of
our children. All of us here at NPH
Guatemala acknowledge this blessing
daily and are thankful for your
assistance. The dreams we have for
the future of our children could never
be realized without your support.
I would also like to extend my sincere
gratitude to the dedicated staff who
work within our Guatemala home.
The love and devotion shown for the
children by everyone here has been
incredible, and is visible through their
work, including our year of service
youths. I am extremely grateful for
their dedication and service. We
would not be able to achieve anything
without their commitment and
perseverance.
A very hearty thanks to Father Phil
Cleary and Mike Markoff, as well,
for their support of NPHI’s second
international soccer tournament, and
Charlie and Colleen Swope for their
assistance with the construction of
the soccer field. It was truly amazing
to witness so many members of our
different NPH homes together as
family on behalf of Father William B.
Wasson’s mission.
2 Guatemala
Special thanks to Hugh McElroy for
his volunteer service and generous
support of our orchestra and for
assisting us with the purchase of
musical instruments and the payment
of teachers’ salaries. Thanks for
supporting our religion department,
helping to furnish the visitors’ houses,
and supporting our youth leadership
program, including
the financial support
he has given us for
those in their family
year-of-service who
are volunteering
outside of NPH
serving community
needs.
Last, but not least,
we would like to
recognize and show
our appreciation
to Gunther and his
bakery project, for
the equipment he
has provided and the
delicious bread he has baked on a
daily basis for the children.
Our prayers are with you and God
bless each and every one of you in all
of your family endeavors. We hope
you will continue to join us as we
move forward in the coming years.
Prof. Carlos Viveros
National Director
Casa San Andrés
Casa San Andrés is home to 337
children, whose ages vary from
six months to 20 years. We have
four homes in which our children
reside: the Babies’, Boys’, Girls’
House and the Castillo Magico,
where our special needs children
live and receive care.
In the area of education, many
curriculum and structural
modifications took place. This year,
the school created a Guidance
and Counseling Department
to assist with the facilitation of
students in the school, and the
Tutoring Department, to provide
help to those youth with academic
difficulties.
To bring more cultural experiences
into our children’s lives, we held
activities in celebration of several
of Guatemala’s holidays, including
Carnival, Saint Valentine’s Day,
Mother’s Day, and Independence
Day. We also planned and
executed a celebration day for the
anniversary of the school.
Holy Week was celebrated with
great fervour, where beautiful
decorations were made by the
children at the school with the
assistance of those children who
work in the sewing workshop.
In our vocational workshops, we
now offer five different areas from
which the students can choose to
study, including sewing, carpentry,
cosmetology, welding, and the
bakery. This year 73 students
participated in the workshops.
These trades are important so that
our youths learn life skills in order
to live independently in the future.
The music department was also a
success this year. In addition to the
school’s orchestra, which practices
at the home and in Antigua with
other students from the La Merced
Church, a group of our students
are now studying electronic music
on Saturdays in the country’s
capital. Other creative arts have
also become popular among the
youth this year and the home now
brings some of its youth to Antigua
on the weekends so they can
participate in courses in theatre,
painting, poetry, and handcrafts.
We have organized a community
service program where youths
assist organizations in order to
help and share with other people
in need. Currently, there are eight
students who work as volunteers
in two retirement houses in
Antigua.
As we plan for the upcoming year,
we look forward to continuing
with these successes and further
enhancing our ability to meet the
needs of our children. We hope
you will be with us on our journey.
Prof. José Orlando Ramos
House Director
Guatemala 3
Babies’ Home
The coordinators of the babies’
house have one of the most
important and difficult jobs in the
home. Given the impressionable
age of the children, everything they
do, from the behaviors they exhibit
to the values they teach, will have
a long-term impact on the children
and play a critical role with regards
to how they develop and who they
become.
Keeping this in mind, the
coordinators of the babies’ house
continually strive to create a
loving environment where respect
between the caregivers, children,
and the older youth exists and
where mutual signs of affection are
prominent.
The coordinators have been working
hard to create a “sibling” bond
between the children by promoting
excursions and social events and
attempting to coordinate at least
two excursions each year to places
outside of the home such as zoos or
children’s museums.
This past year, the babies’ house had
several priorities, including teaching
the children about the importance
of having good personal hygiene
and health with the help of videos,
books, and talks, and establishing a
room for the special needs children
who have downs syndrome and fetal
alcohol syndrome. An experienced
caregiver and volunteer have now
been placed directly in charge of
taking care of these children.
We have also improved the
performance of the caregivers as
a result of training in the areas
of understanding and tolerance,
helping, and communication. As a
result, the overall atmosphere of the
house has improved and employee
retention has increased.
Everyone at the home is very proud
of one of children who has greatly
improved since his arrival. Alexi,
who integrated himself into the
NPH home when he was just two
months, was very fragile and sick
upon his arrival. It was difficult
Children: 11 girls, 13 boys (ages 5-7), Babies: 11 (ages 1-4),
Special needs children: 2 (ages 3-5), Volunteers: 2, Employees: 11,
Year of service: 2
4 Guatemala
for him to drink the milk from
his bottle and he almost always
threw it up. He was a baby who
had suffered much in the first few
weeks of his short life. With the
help of the caregivers, he has now
developed into a calm, collaborative,
and obedient boy who earns good
grades in school and has taken on
a leadership role in the house and
become respected by all. Alexi is
now 8 years old and dreams of
being a fireman so he can help
others.
Boys’ House
The coordinators of the boys’ house
always keep one goal in mind: to
teach good values to the children
and to broaden their perspectives
and their understanding of their lives
within NPH and the world outside
of the home. We want to teach the
children to take advantage of the
valuable opportunities they receive
while they are with us in order to
make the best of their futures.
Needs:
Funds to build a small library, four
new radiators, reflectors for when
the electricity goes out
We work on educating our caregivers
on culture, values, habits, and customs
of the children in order to enhance
their ability to give the children proper
care, and to improve the integration
process of new children.
Another concentration is preparing our
youth leaders by giving them individual
responsibilities and chores. We want
to empower these leaders to care for
their younger siblings and to help the
current employees and caregivers of
the house. The long-term goal is to
improve employee retention and better
the workplace atmosphere, including
the management of personnel and
resources.
We incorporated several boys into the
farming agricultural project to increase
their learning and self-sustainability
skills in the area of food production.
Other accomplishments were the
number of boys who passed the first
level of school and the boys who
successfully finished the workshop
courses and began furthering their
occupational training outside of the
home. Fifteen boys participated in the
home’s orchestra where they learned
skills in group performance.
For 2009, plans are to paint the house,
create more garden areas, and reforest
the areas next to the river. Inside
the home we would like to create a
common area for each section of the
home.
Needs:
Sneakers, dress shoes, flip-flops
for the showers, underwear, socks
.
Other needs are: Constructing a
new roof or for sealing the roof-tiles;
shower dividers, 15 additional lockers,
mirrors, 20 large metal beds, fixing
the windows of the house, making
clotheslines, and changing out eight of
the door panels of the house
Girls’ House
This year has been one of positive
changes for the girls´ house. As a
result of the caregiver trainings that
were implemented in the house
throughout the year, relations have
improved significantly between the
girls and the caregivers, which has
created more stability in the workplace
and higher employee retention.
Another goal the house took on for
the year was to empower the girls
by teaching them to learn about
responsibility and holding them
accountable for their behavior. One of
the ways this training and mentoring
took place was through the task of
managing the tidiness of the house,
through a distribution of chores and
other responsibilities.
Several construction projects took
place this year including repairing
showers and adding a playground
behind the girls’ house, to give the
younger girls a place where they can
play together and have more social
interaction.
In addition, with the help of our library
volunteers, fundraisers, and sponsors,
a mini-library was built in each section
of the girls’ house, with a storage area
for books and a quiet area for relaxing,
with bean bags, an overhead light, and
carpet. Along with the reading area,
a game area was constructed for the
younger girls to give them a place they
Children: 125, Employees: 17, Coordinators 2, Year of service: 13
Guatemala 5
can call their own.
For the upcoming year, we look
forward to adding a volunteer from
the United States who is Guatemalan
in heritage and will be serving as a
caregiver, and we are hoping that
upon her arrival, she will provide
the girls with a fresh opportunity for
learning and developing as a result of
her guidance.
Needs:
Jeans, pants, shoes, underwear,
socks, sweaters
Castillo Magico Special Needs House
Alvaro is a boy who was found by the
police roaming the streets. The police
returned him to his family but then
he was brought to our home with his
sister Odillia in March of 2007. Upon
their arrival, both were diagnosed with
a highly functioning level of autism
and were permanently placed in our
home.
At the beginning, Alvaro could not
speak. He was very withdrawn
and did not have any social skills.
However, after spending a bit of
time in the home, and with therapy,
he has learned many functional
skills including tying his shoes,
doing chores, and communicating
through easy speech and letters.
He has greatly increased his social
interaction with the other children, the
caregivers, and the volunteers and is
now seen by everyone as someone
who is helpful and a delight to be
around.
The volunteer currently working with
Alvaro hopes that he will be able to
receive more therapy so he can learn
to function independently and express
himself better. He feels that Alvaro
has the ability to speak and is capable.
This year, new therapies were
added in the department, including
hippo therapy (riding horses to get
the wheelchair children’s hips in
motion) and cooking therapy (to
develop their senses). The children
also visited a neurologist who gave
recommendations regarding better
control of their medications.
The children were also trained in
functional skills and were taught
many new words in order to
enhance their verbal skills. A visiting
team of dentists cleaned all of
their teeth and made future dental
recommendations, and the children
visited a nutritionist.
One of the department’s hopes
for 2009 is to receive more
employees who are trained, skilled,
and knowledgeable in the area of
disabilities so the department can
better meet the needs of the children.
They are also hoping to receive
funds to send more children to
therapy sessions at Supongo’s clinic.
This therapy is beneficial because
it is holistic in nature and includes
occupational, sensory, special
education, and language therapies.
Girls: 113, Volunteers: 1, Employees: 12, Coordinators: 1, Year of Service: 1
Castillo: Children: 9, Volunteers: 2, Coordinator: 1, Year of Service: 2
6 Guatemala
Castillo Needs: Home expansion
$24,000, therapy at the Supongo
clinic, specialized tables and
wheelchairs
Montesorri Needs: Funding to
continue training the teachers
and construction.
Montessori Preschool
The Montessori Preschool’s motto is,
“help others to help themselves.” This
year that motto was put into action
as the director of the Montessori
Preschool worked hard to solicit
funds and implement several training
courses for the local Montessori
teachers at NPH, in order to increase
their knowledge regarding Montessori
methodology, pedagogies, and
the use of didactic materials in the
classroom. The director’s goal is
to train the teachers so they can
successfully and sustainably direct the
school themselves in the future.
This year’s theme revolved around
the solution of conflicts. The primary
objective was to listen to the children
in order to learn how they adapt to the
rules of the classroom with regards
to respecting their work and the work
of others and following the rules of
the teacher. Afterwards, small lessons
regarding how to share, deal with
others, respect others’ space, and
deal with conflicts were implemented.
The project was a great success, as
the little ones learned how to conduct
themselves respectfully in the
classroom.
We received several new items
this year, including chairs,shelves
and wooden benches which were
all produced internally in the NPH
workshops. Also, a play area with new
games and sand was added to the
children’s yard.
We are very proud of the eight
children who graduated to first grade
this year and hope to have
many more successes in the future.
Other accomplishments for the year
included a new agricultural project,
where the children planted, sowed,
and harvested their own vegetables.
We are searching for funds to
finance the architectural plans and
construction of a new preschool,
as the number of children has
outgrown the assigned room in
the babies’ house. During this year,
a soil analysis and geo-technical
study was undertaken and general
architectural plans for the school have
been finalized. The new preschool
will provide a sufficient atmosphere
for all of the children, who range
from one to seven years of age. It is
not only a school, but an educational
and innovative center, where the
children can develop their potential for
independence, learning, loving, and
respect for peace, lessons based on
the Montessori methodology.
School
This year many structural and
curriculum changes took place in
the school. For starters, the school
created new orientation, counseling,
and guardianship departments and
hired a counselor to help the students
and teachers improve disciplinary
tactics and processes of the school,
and to train the teachers in the area of
discipline.
The occupational workshops for
students in the first and second
grades were also further developed
to increase the percentage of
Montessori Preschool Children: 25, Volunteers: 1, Coordinators: 1,
Teachers: 2, Year of Service: 1
Guatemala 7
diplomas earned and granted from
the workshops area and INTECAP,
which is a well respected Guatemalan
educational institution that grants
educational certificates in various
technical or occupational areas.
In the Basico School, structural
changes were made in order to
integrate the workshops department
into the school’s educational
curriculum. For the 2009 school
year, all Basico students will now be
required to take courses and exams
in the workshops department and will
learn technical skills as part of their
formal education.
The highlight of the year for the
students was the civic parade they
participated in on Guatemala’s
Independence Day. A group of the
home’s girls where given the privilege
to design a unique presentation on
behalf to showcase during this parade
which helped to better integrate the
home’s children into the surrounding
community and gave them a branded
design that they can display and use
in all future parades.
With the assistance of the Ministry
of Education, the English department
and its courses were further
developed for the second year
running. For the coming school
year, all of the students will now
be assigned classes based on their
abilities and will be classified into
groups accordingly, instead of being
put into classes based on age.
The Ministry of Education also helped
the school to develop a computer
class, donating the equipment and the
teacher’s training as part of its overall
assistance program. The school is
looking forward to offering this class
to its students in the coming year.
For the 2009 school year, we plan to
develop a special program for those
students who are not progressing
in school due to factors including
learning disabilities. The school will
also implement an outreach grant
program in the community to help
those most needy with their studies
in occupational workshops, computer
training, and English.
Special Education Class
In the Special Education department,
15 new students with moderate to
severe disabilities were enrolled this
year. We focus on a variety of learning
techniques, including engaging the
students in weekly cooking courses
and after-school job shadowing (e.g.,
working in the bakery, welcoming
visitors at the front gate, maintaining
the sewing machines, etc.), in order
to help them contribute to the
NPH home and improve their work
skills. This increased their chances
of obtaining employment after the
completion of their schooling. The
department also began a new project
to assist the students in learning daily
living skills such as basic hygiene and
money management.
Addressing some of the more specific
needs of the children, three severely
disabled students began receiving
therapy at a neurological treatment
center in the town of Sumpongo
Primary: 164, Secondary: 70, High School: 33, University: 1
Volunteers: 2, Employees: 13, Year of Service: 1
8 Guatemala
School Needs:
School chairs (table/chair units
Primary school texts (800 texts)
twice a week, and a rest area with
couches and curtains was added to
the special education classroom to aid
those students who have problems
regarding overstimulation. Some
students also began attending equine
therapy once a month, in which they
were able to ride horses with the help
of a caregiver.
A new project was started
where the students spent
part of their day making
handmade products to sell
in the local community.
This coming school year
the special education
teacher plans to teach
more functional academic
education, in which
students will learn basic
skills such as writing,
numbers, and reading,
through learning about
and practicing daily life
activities.
To effectively deal with behavioral
problems, the special education
teacher implemented a positive
behavioral management system
in class where he could monitor
behavior on an ongoing basis using
a “stoplight” approach (with red
equaling poor behavior, yellow
equaling average behavior, and green
equaling good behavior). Students
received tokens for the days they
maintained good behavior and could
redeem the tokens for prizes at the
end of each week.
A particular student received a
prize for nine weeks out of 12 and
Needs: Wheelchairs, glasses,
and hygiene supplies
demonstrated acceptable behavior
75% of the time he was in class.
Furthermore, his participation
in lectures increased, he had a
better attitude, and he completed
more homework. This was a major
improvement for him and we were all
very proud!
For the coming year, the department
is hoping to solicit funds to extend the
space in the special needs house to
include more individual workspace for
the special needs children who have
difficulty focusing on their homework.
Academic Tutoring
Funding was raised this year to hire a
native tutor to work full-time with the
volunteer tutor, amplifying the number
of students being reached through the
department.
We relocated to a larger classroom
which we painted and restocked with
a wealth of new materials, including
things like interactive games, flash
cards, art supplies, books, and blocks.
We also surfaced tables to create
more tactile, hands-on activities and
games, and chairs to accommodate
seating more students simultaneously.
Academically, the tutors implemented
an Instigated Positive Behavior
Interventions program, a positive
behavior system that rewards
students for effort and good behavior
during individual tutoring sessions.
The program focuses on building
self-esteem, pride in effort and work
realized, and positive academic
performance.
Special Education: Volunteers: 5, Employees: 9, Year of Service: 2
Guatemala 9
This past year, the tutoring
department has improved due
to a recent merger with the
psychology department, speech
and language therapy department,
and the occupational therapy and
special education departments. This
integrated department is responsible
for all the children who have special
educational and psychological needs.
It is a cohesive unit and a mutual
space in which the therapists are
free to share relevant situations and
experiences, cultivate new ideas,
and carry out initiatives to implement
positive changes for the children
being served.
In the future, the tutorial department
hopes to become a more prominent
resource for the primary school
by aiding in the early detection of
learning disabilities and by providing
relevant information, methods, and
materials for the teachers. We are
also planning to create two new
“Stages” designed specifically for the
students who struggle in a standard
classroom environment.
Library
The dedication of some of the home’s
children to the library is amazing. Rain
or cold, no matter what is going on
outside, every afternoon the library
is full of children who want to read.
From encyclopedias to novels and
joke books, the kids are learning to
love reading.
After implementing a new curriculum,
we received a generous donation
with which to renovate and improve
Academic Tutoring: Children: 39, Tutors: 2
Library: Volunteers: 1, Employees: 1
10 Guatemala
the library system. Upon receiving
these funds, several purchases and
improvements were made, including
600 new books, a computer and book
cataloguing software system, and a
television and tape player to add to
the library’s educational resources.
The library staff then created a
relaxing corner where the children
could read in comfort; with soft chairs
and carpets.
“Programa de Lectura,” a reading
program, was also initiated. In each
section of the children’s homes, a nice
and quiet place to read was created
with fun and interesting books to
enjoy. The short-term goal of this
project was to encourage furthering
their reading comprehension and
interest in reading. The library
staff worked with each section of
caregivers to develop their group’s
reading corner.
The program was officially launched
August 15th and has since been a
growing success. NPH feels it will
only get better and currently has
plans to purchase and distribute new
books in January of 2009. Eventually,
the library is hoping to add didactic
and academic materials in order to
serve as a supplement to the general
reading materials and school work
they receive, to further develop their
reading and critical thinking skills.
For 2009, the library hopes to
improve the system for tracking
books and have more one-on-one
communication with the teachers,
while continuing with their afterschool homework helping sessions.
Tutoring Needs: sturdy and lockable
filing system, materials and books
especially geared towards learning
disabilities, pillows and rugs for the
reading area
Libary Needs: Updated library books
and materials
Vocational Workshops
The vocational workshop department
was busier than ever in 2008. Two
new workshops—the beauty salon
and the welding workshop—were
introduced this year thanks to the
department’s collaboration with
INTECAP, and recently the project of
paving the workshop grounds was
initiated, thanks to special donations
for same. Courses in both new
workshops are now being offered to
our children.
Courses were started for 75 youth,
and the school year ended with a total
of 67 students earning their INTECAP
diplomas from different workshops
courses (39 males and 28 females).
2008 was also the first year that nine
youths in their year of service served
in different workshops.
During these courses, the workshop
department also successfully met all
of the needs of the home, including
the construction of lockers, room
divisions, and furniture, and the
sewing of all of the teachers’ and
students’ school uniforms.
Through donations, the department
was able to make several critical
purchases, such as a new computer
for the workshop office, new
polishing materials for the woodshop
and iron workshop, and a new mixer
for the bakery.
costs have impacted the department’s
ability to provide the youth with the
materials needed to complete their
projects.
In the beginning of the year, Rosa
started her year of service in the
tailor/sewing workshop. This was
the first time that a year-of-service
student served her year of service
in this workshop, and the beginning
of her time there proved to be very
challenging. Working with her one on
one to provide her with the assistance
she needed, the department was
pleased to find that after some time,
and with some patience, she began
to learn quite a bit in the workshop
and finished her year of service
by voluntarily helping with extracurricular projects, such as the design
of the school uniforms for 2009. We
are very proud of Rosa and her ability
to successfully rise to the challenge.
Department goals for 2009 include
a workshop for small business
administration, new courses in the
bakery workshop, and educational
seminars on self-esteem and values.
Funds are still urgently needed,
however, to further develop the
beauty and welding workshops and to
cover the general overhead expenses
associated with operating the
workshops. Rising fuel and material
Needs:
Two lathes for the carpentry
woodshop, three new machines
for the welding workshop,
general operating funds
Volunteers: 1, Coordinators: 1, Employees: 6, Year of Service: 4
Guatemala 11
Higher Education
The Bachilleratos’ house in
Chimaltenango, where all of the high
school and university students live,
is currently preparing for the large
increase in students it will be adding
to the house for the 2009 school year.
Next year, 30 new students will be
integrated into the house, bringing the
total count of the Bachillerato family
to 59. This inevitably means that the
house will need additional financial
support.
This year, two students received
complete university scholarships
thanks to the help of the Marfa
Foundation and NPH Spain. These
students included Carlos, who is
studying medicine at the Rafael
Landivar University in Guatemala,
and Jose, who is studying for a future
career in agriculture at the Zamorano
University in Honduras. Scholarships
were also obtained thanks to the help
from the “Santa Maria de España”
Foundation.
In addition, five youth graduated high
school in varying careers, including
teaching, computers, technical
illustrating, and agronomy, with a
large percentage of all of our youth
in school showing positive academic
results for the year.
Starting this year, the older youth
at the NPH home in basico school
who earned a grade average of 85%
or higher were awarded with the
privilege of choosing a private school
to go to in which to start studying
their future career. Also, the youth
who earned excellent grades were
given the opportunity to move on
directly on to the Bachilleratos’ house
to begin their studies in place of
completing their year of service at
the NPH home beforehand. These
programs were initiated with the
hopes that providing this incentive
program would motivate the students
to study hard and improve their
grades.
The four youth currently studying in
university will relocate to the capital
in order to attend school, but they
will remain under the guidance of the
NPH home.
For the coming year our goal is to
raise the percentage of our high
school graduates and increase the
number of university students. We
would also like to create a computer
lab and library for the home.
Occupational Therapy
The goal of OT is to work with
children who have developmental
disabilities (physical, mental, or
social) using action-based therapy
as a means of improving their
functional, perception, and fine
motor skills and their ability to live
more independently. OT follows the
philosophy of learning by doing.
This year, individual and group
therapy sessions were given to
the special needs children and the
special education class. These therapy
sessions focused on cooking and
creating and maintaining a farm
project, using the stimuli of these
Higher Education Students: 34 (14 girls, 20 boys), Employees: 3
12 Guatemala
Higher Education Needs:
Student scholarships, uniforms, house
furniture, renting additional house for
students
activities to assist them in improving
their perception, physical actions, and
overall movement. New materials and
games were developed to aid in these
sessions.
For those children who suffer
specifically from perception issues,
individual sessions were provided
using tactile, visual, and audio therapy
strategies to assist the children in
bettering their equilibrium and their
ability to learn, as well as to improve
their behavior and/or conduct.
This year, the OT department had
its first experience in giving therapy
to a baby. Upon entering therapy,
this one-and-a-half year old girl could
not talk. Singing was used as the
basis for her therapy sessions, as
well as the strategy of developing
small vocabulary words. Over time,
more movements of her mouth were
seen, and after two weeks she sang
with the therapist, a truly incredible
experience.
In addition to receiving items to aid in
therapy sessions, the OT department
also received aids for children with
special needs including glasses,
walkers, and prosthetic pieces.
OT Needs:
Stairs for stepping therapy, saw
for manual tasks and activities,
toboggan, light, and a window
ST Needs:
Clock, mat, mirror, books, trip-trap
chair for children, a notebook for each
child
Speech Therapy
Focusing on diagnosing speaking
disabilities amongst the children, the
speech therapist arranged several
medical exams at hospitals in the
country’s capital for those children
who displayed severe speech
impediments or speech related
medical issues. The children’s specific
needs varied greatly. For those from
the special needs house, the therapist
specialized in treating issues such as
dysphagia and worked with children
suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome
and autism.
For those from the babies house
(many of whom could barely talk
initially due to a lack of speech
stimulation in their previous
environments), problems with
language development and
pronunciation were key issues.
Through the implementation of
functional and symbolic games, the
children have greatly improved their
linguistic speech.
The speech therapist’s goals for
next year are to assist in planning
and implementing a sociopedagogic
center for child therapy and to
continue training the caregivers in
how to better support the children
outside of their therapies.
The therapist’s hope for next year is
that the clinic and therapy department
will further their work as a collective
unit and that the new volunteer will
continue to teach the caregivers of
the home about the importance of OT
and its role in helping children with
special needs.
Occupational Therapy: Children treated: 32 (20 boys/12 girls)
Speech Thearpy: Children treated: 25
Guatemala 13
Clinic
Healthcare is a critical component
of our home. This year, the clinic
has achieved many successes. Two
children received ocular surgeries
to assist them in recuperating
visual sharpness and to prevent
degenerative conditions and
blindness.
We initiated a program of nutritional
evaluation and improvement for all of
the children using vitamin and mineral
supplements and parasite medicines
that were received through donations.
Other health issues the clinic tackled
this year included fighting to eradicate
fungi and warts, diarrhea, and serious
respiratory infections.
Currently, the clinic is organizing the
pharmacy in order to establish better
drug management protocols and
ensure quality control with medicine
distribution and vaccinations.
On behalf of all of the children who
have serious vision issues and
recently received needed eye exams
and glasses, the clinic would like
to thank the gracious donors who
assisted us in this matter.
We are continuing to collaborate
with the Ministry of Public Health to
detect and treat cases of tuberculosis
within the home and provide further
assistance to those children needing
specialized medical consultations in
the country’s capital.
We also have developed a partnership
with a dental university in Guatemala
Volunteers: 1, Doctor: 1, Dentist: 1, Nurse: 5
14 Guatemala
to implement an educational
program to teach the children about
the benefits of dental hygiene and
care along with scheduled dental
examinations.
Psychology
In the beginning of 2008, a young
female adolescent began presenting
inappropriate behavior and conduct,
and caregivers were perplexed about
how to handle the situation. Many
wondered if planning an exit strategy
from the home to a facility that
could better address her needs was
appropriate.
A relationship was established
between her and the home’s
therapist, further consultations were
given by a local psychiatrist,and a
session strategy revolving around
a system of rewards and positive
reinforcement was initiated.
After two months of aggressive
therapy, the therapist started noting
increasingly positive behavioral
changes. She began improving
her conduct, passing her classes
at school, and integrating herself
into a theater group outside of the
house. Seeing the possibilities that
the home could provide for her, she
was allowed to remain at the home
and is continuing her sessions with
the therapist. The therapist is very
proud of her and the strides they have
made in therapy and looks forward to
further assisting this young girl.
Given the backgrounds of many of the
children, being able to provide therapy
is a critical service.
In addition to formalizing the family
services training, the psychology
department started the psychopedagogic center, thereby integrating
all of the therapy areas into one,
in order to better meet the needs
of children who have integral
development difficulties. It also
created a therapy game room for use
in the home’s medical clinic.
A rescue project named “Santa
Teresita” was also implemented,
in which the sole therapist on staff
worked intensively with a group of
seven children who displayed severe
behavioral issues, successfully
assisting six out of the seven. At
the school year’s end, NPH´s sole
therapist had addressed approximately
85% of the home’s pending cases.
Administratively, the department
formed committees for the house,
including the intake area, and realized
a vocational orientation program for all
of the youth who recently started their
year of service.
Needs:
Therapy materials such as
didactical games, toys, paper,
relaxing music, big and small soft
balls, sofa, carpet, filing cabinets,
and additional funds for family/
group therapies
The psychology department looks
forward to further developing and
strengthening the new psychopedagogical center in the coming
year and hopes to strengthen the
intervention programs regarding
behavioral issues, thereby continuing
to help the children by showing them
the love and dedication they deserve.
Social Work
The role of the Social Work
department is to handle all of the
incoming and outgoing children at the
home, while representing the best
interests of all our children in court,
family, and/or legal matters.
This year, the department maneuvered
its way through several new reforms
in Guatemala’s legal system with
regards to childcare law. As a result
of this new legislation, the social
workers successfully drafted a new
form for entering and exiting children
at the home. In addition, the home
was approved and accredited through
the CAN (National Commission of
Adoptions), thereby meeting the
new requirements for all childcare
protection homes in Guatemala,
regardless of whether or not they
adopt out their children.
While working through these logistical
and legal changes, the social work
department initiated several programs
within the home and accomplished
several goals.
For the Christmas holiday, the
department initiated a program where
the NPH children will now be given
their first opportunity to visit their
families (if appropriate) during the
holiday break.
The department also developed
orientation training for all year-ofservice students to teach them about
the area of social work.
To better assist the grown children
(or ex-pequeños) who have graduated
Psychology: Therapists: 1, Volunteers: 2
Guatemala 15
from the home, the department
held formal meetings to learn more
about their needs and concerns.
Based on this information, the
department is currently in the
process of developing a support
plan for these pequeños, to assist
them with their post-home needs
and struggles.
The highlight of the year centered
around graduation. This year 5 youth
graduated from the home, and with
the help of scholarships, 21 were
able to continue their studies after
moving away from the main house
to the Bachilleratos’ house. The
department is proud to announce
that one student recently graduated
with a degree in accounting.
The department’s goals for
2009 include formalizing the expequeño department, restructuring
the complaints department
into a committee that is multidisciplinary in nature, updating the
Social Work Employees: 2
16 Guatemala
socioeconomic studies of all of
the children, and developing and
executing outreach programs with
the assistance of the Lilian Fonds
foundation.
Sponsorship Department
We would like to extend our
gratitude to all of the sponsors who
play a special role in the lives of
our children each year through their
generous care and financial support.
The sponsorship department is
always in search of new sponsors
for the children. To maintain
relations and contact with their
current individual sponsors, each
year the staff of the sponsorship
department assist the children in
writing letters and designing cards
to send to their sponsors. These
projects revolve around two special
days: Godparent’s Day (celebrated
on May 30th) and the Christmas
holidays.
For the 2008 Christmas holidays,
the children sent a special holiday
postcard with their photo attached
inside, along with their own little
Christmas wish. This special
time gives sponsors a glimpse of
how their children are maturing
and growing here at the home
and allows the home the ability
to maintain updated and current
information on each child.
For the holiday season, the
home also sold Christmas cards
throughout Guatemala to receive
additional funds with which to
purchase needed items. The
department has been able to
improve its sponsorship activities as
a result of soliciting and receiving
funds with which to purchase a new
computer, printer, and scanner to
help with the printing of the pictures
and cards.
Also helping us this year were
several sponsorship groups who
Needs:
Coordinator, office equipment
came from Europe and the United
States to assist us with some of our
projects and to continue developing
their relationships with their
godchildren at the home. These visits
were truly enjoyed by all.
Our children really look forward to
receiving letters and news from their
godparents and are always asking
if they have received any mail from
them. They love creating more of a
connection with their sponsors. Many
also appreciate visits from groups of
sponsors, and we hope to receive
more of these in the coming year.
Volunteers
This year, the volunteer department
continued to improve upon the
communication and cultural
adaptation and exchange process
between volunteers and the local
employees through a series of
workshops held within and outside of
the home.
Sponsorship Needs:
Photograph and card stock paper,
ink cartridges, glue sticks, stickers,
stencils, and colored pencils
Amongst these workshops was a
session for the volunteers and the
caregivers to discuss the intercultural
differences between foreigners and
Guatemala natives and to brainstorm
how to improve understanding
between the two groups as they
continue to work together.
A summary session was held for the
finishing volunteers to learn about
their personal experiences, changes
in perceptions and expectations, and
their thoughts about returning and
integrating back in their countries to
learn what was good, difficult, and
surprising, and what they felt needed
improvement in the volunteer service
area.
With regards to important additions
this year, two new volunteer positions
where created: special education
teacher and clinical assistant. The
length of volunteer service was
extended to 12.5 months in order to
allow time for the old volunteers
Sponsorship: Employees: 1, Volunteers: 1
Volunteers: 2007-2008: 9 males, 15 females, 2008-2009: 7 males, 14 females
Guatemala 17
to train the new ones, and a new
volunteer contract was created and
adjoined with the current intercultural
guide and educational country
literature. To round off these changes,
the volunteer coordinator adjusted the
working hours of the volunteers to
match those of the permanent NPH
employees.
Next year, the volunteer department
is hoping to hold a workshop with all
of the coordinators in order to better
understand their needs and how the
department can improve upon the
collaborative work efforts between
the volunteers and each department.
The volunteer coordinator would also
like to create and fill a new position
for a counselor/caregiver in the high
school and university student home.
For the next set of volunteers that will
arrive, the volunteer coordinator is
looking to introduce and implement a
volunteer quality management manual
which would cover all of the aspects
of and criteria for volunteering, in
order to better assist the home in
recruiting and retaining more qualified
volunteers and to increase their
understanding of the volunteering
process and the job descriptions.
Students: 31, Employees: 1
18 Guatemala
Youth Leaders
The purpose of the year of service
department is to educate the older
youths for their eventual departure
from the NPH family and home and
their entrance into the adult world of
work and responsibilities.
In order to prepare our youth for
this transition, we require them
to work for one year in one of the
departments in our home in order to
learn real-life work skills in a specific
career area.
When not working, the department
instructs and guides them as they
develop their personalities and mature
into young adults through seminars
which focus on topics such as
sexuality, drugs, communication, selfesteem, understanding and managing
one’s emotions, money management,
discrimination, public speaking, and
life planning.
Career management workshops, such
as learning to fill out an application,
interview techniques, and workplace
demands are also given in order to
prepare them for the struggles and
realities of finding a job.
During the year, support from the
department is given through the
implementation of monthly group
meetings to discuss the successes,
failures, joys, and frustrations that
the youths have been experiencing
in their jobs and personal lives and to
provide them with assistance.
Our goal is to facilitate the
participation, progress, and graduation
of as many of the year-of-service
students as possible, making the
youth realize that this year is given to
the family to give thanks for all they
have received and teach them values
regarding work, self-accountability,
maturity, and respect for self, family,
and community.
We also strive to ensure that all
our students can move on to the
Bachillerato house in order to continue
pursuing their future careers by
attending high school and university.
For 2009, the department hopes to
continue soliciting and receiving funds
to cover the administrative costs
associated with this program and
increase the percentage of youth who
successfully complete their service
year.
Religion
We believe that our Catholic faith
serves as a central base for the home
where all of the children can learn
and form a foundation of spiritual
understanding with regards to religion
and God. Our hope is that this faith will
remain in the hearts of all our children
throughout their lifetimes and will
assist them in the walk of life.
One of our goals is to develop a faith
in our children founded in the practice
of unconditional love. Currently, all of
the children attend mass at the church
in nearby Parramos every Saturday
evening or Sunday morning, with
the assistance of our group of altar
children who help during each mass.
Also, several spiritual retreats are held
annually to support our year-of-service
youth.
In the coming year, we hope to provide
a deep teaching of the tradition of the
church, the sacred scriptures and the
liturgy to the children.
To do this effectively, we hope to be
able to seek funding to be able to build
a chapel, as in the future, we would
like to hold mass within the home
during the weekends with a permanent
chaplain. We would also like to be able
to have regular visits from the Bishop
of our diocese.
This would support our overall goal of
ensuring that the children receive the
proper sacraments that apply to their
age group, and to ensure that religious
activities would be able to be carried
out within our home.
Needs: A chapel
Baptisms: 72, Communions: 149
Guatemala 19
Farm and Gardens
With the arrival of the Briones family
from Spain, we initiated a greenhouse
project that included constructing a
greenhouse, growing various types
of vegetables, and educating year-ofservice youths. We provided practical
farming cultivation classes in order to
make the project self-sustainable in
the future.
Mr. Briones worked with various
companies in order to establish
collaborative agreements and
receive donations of fertilizer,
agro-chemicals, seeds, plants, and
technical accessories. In conjunction,
a pilot project for the year-of-service
students was implemented to teach
them about small businesses.
The project has been a huge success
in that vegetables never known
before in the home, including
cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower,
onion, salad, peas, chard, beetroot,
and peppers were produced, and 5.4
tons of cucumbers were grown in the
greenhouse—an astonishing 5.436
kilos in 127 days! The year-of-service
Year of Service: 2, Employees: 3
20 Guatemala
students produced and sold 1,042 lbs
of tomatoes, earning $392.
We also purchased hens for egg
production, and larger pig stalls
were constructed. With the help of a
zoologist from the University of San
Carlos in Guatemala, employees in
the department were trained on how
to better care for the animals.
Our garden staff established a yearly
sowing calendar to guarantee the
production and supply of vegetables
to the home’s kitchen year-round.
For 2009, we hope to increase the
production of vegetables by producing
between 12.000 and 15.000 kilos
of products throughout the year,
reducing the amount of fertilizer used.
Needs:
Hens, salary for additional staff, farm
loans
to be understood, as to understand;
Beloved Friends,
This time of year enables us to see
how much we have grown. Everyday
is a wonderful experience at NPH. I
can still remember when Juan came
to our home nine years ago. He was
full of fear and doubt because of
his horrible history, but at the same
time was hopeful which was most
important. Throughout the years
he grew stronger. Today it is very
gratifying to see Juan as a young adult
preparing himself for high school.
I look forward to the day our
pequeños come to me to tell me,
“Tío Ole, I am the best doctor in the
country.” It might sound far fetched,
but it can happen. I had many
dreams nine years ago that now have
come true. I have always said to the
school principal that I hope our NPH
El Salvador school will one day be
the best school in the country. She
always said that I was making a huge
request. Surprisingly, on graduation
day this year, she had good news for
us. Our school ranked 2nd out of 23
schools in our city. There is still a lot
to do, but we are moving in the right
direction.
studies on 2009, which is a higher
number of students than we have had
in the past.
We are very proud of the first results
of our sewing workshop. Our 9th
grade students who attended the
workshop this year made the school
uniforms for the next school year.
This is a huge help for
the home and it also
shows that they have
advanced greatly in
their sewing skills.
This past year we also
began to work with
the youth leaders
group. This group is
responsible for many
important activities
at our home and is
the voice of our year
of service youths.
The purpose of this
program is to help our
young adults develop
responsibility and independence while
contributing their energy to the home
that raised them.
As you read through the different
areas of our annual report, you will
see that we have many things to
be thankful for. There are satisfying
results and stories that will surely
bring you much joy.
May we continue to grow in love, and
we thank you for making a difference
in our children’s lives. Thanks for
choosing to be part of our family. God
will multiply your blessings in return
for everything you do for our children.
We have the pleasure to announce
that 21 of our young men and women
are going to start their university
Olegario Campos
National Director
2 El Salvador
There are so many facets that
contribute to the magic and success
of NPH. One crucial component is
our commitment to education. We
believe that education is one of the
ways to truly transform the lives of
our children. As I travel to and from
all of our NPH homes, I continue to
be impressed with the quality and
the dedication to education for our
children.
Father Phil Cleary and I were recently
present at the graduation Mass and
ceremony at NPH El Salvador. To
resounding cheers and applause, the
principal, Liliana Lizarde, announced
to all of us the results of the districtwide testing. The cause for such
jubilation resulted from the fact that
there are 23 grade schools in the
district of Santa Ana, El Salvador.
By comparing the averages of the
standardized testing for all the
children in the district, she informed
us that our children’s test scores
at NPH El Salvador ranked 2nd out
of 23. This is truly a remarkable
accomplishment when you consider
that our school is filled with orphaned,
abandoned and at-risk children.
Not only are academics stressed
in our NPH homes, but also our
Vocational Workshops augment our
children’s education so that every
child can one day go out into the
world with a viable skill. Just to name
a few, some of these Vocational
Programs in our nine NPH homes
include: Bakery, Electricity, Plumbing,
Hair Cutting, Carpentry, Tourism,
Welding and Sewing. All of our NPH
schools, both with academics and
vocational workshops, are continuing
to break the chain of poverty in our
children’s lives.
As a priest, I am not only happy
that we have a strong commitment
to academics in our NPH homes,
but also I am very pleased that our
children continue to learn about their
faith and are formed in the love of
Christ. In this way, I have no doubt
that our children will continue to
live out Father Wasson’s dream by
helping to transform our world for the
better and in turn reach their eternal
salvation.
Again, thank you for your generosity
and ALL the ways you help to improve
the lives of countless children in our
NPH homes. Please know that we
pray for you daily with gratitude.
Peace,
Padre Ron Hicks
Regional Director, NPH Central America
El Salvador 3
Casa Niño Jesus Babies’ House
This has been a wonderful year for
our youngest children at NPH El
Salvador. It is so amazing to start
every day with 66 smiling faces
asking for love and support.
Everybody knows that caring for a
baby is a lot of work, but can you
imagine what a huge task it is to
feed and bathe 66 children? Well,
we can do it! We are very lucky to
count on the help of the boys and
girls in their year of service who
are a great support and the key to
succeeding in this daily task.
Our home is full of activities.
Each child has daily chores and
responsibilities, which helps create
an atmosphere of understanding and
respect for others.
This year our afternoons have been
different for our young children. After
their normal morning activities, they
have free time where each caregiver
in their year of service takes five or
seven children for special activities.
This includes storytelling, teaching
4 El Salvador
them how to pray, sing, play and
read. The caregivers also prepare a
special meal every Thursday for the
children in their group. This has been
a great achievement for us because
they have really made a connection
with the little ones. They are truly
like a family.
We learn every day that
unconditional love is a powerful tool.
A year ago we received a family of
three children, María (7), William
(5), and Luis (3). These children had
to be taught many things such as
eating with a fork or spoon. One of
our caregivers worked with them full
time and now, almost a year after
their arrival, she says proudly, “It is
so gratifying to see how much they
have learned in just a short time,
with a little bit of love”.
In the coming year we hope to
initiate a mini-library so that the
children can enhance their reading
skills and interests in learning to
write. We are always looking to
renovate and remodel; we are
hoping to create an educational
game room for our children to play
and learn how to share with others.
The game room would be especially
valuable during the rainy days. We
are still looking for financial support
to begin buying supplies and tables.
Casa Santa Maria Girls’ House
Casa Santa María houses girls
ages seven all the way through
the completion of their academic
studies. This year we had 188
children in our care.
Throughout the year we offered
training to our caregivers in order
to assure that they are providing
proper care to the girls. The training
follows the philosophy of “discipline
with dignity” and also “successful
interpersonal relationships” and are
held in our very own home.
Our home has experienced various
achievements this year and the
most significant of these has been
the improvement in our more
difficult young ladies. Among other
positive changes, we have seen better
organization and work, thanks to our
girls in their year of service.
We also saw the completion and
inauguration of a playground area,
which will be used as positive behavior
reinforcement, as well as an area
for the girls to just spend some time
and be themselves. Additionally this
year, we had two new clubs: the new
reading club and a handicraft club. Both
have allowed our girls to make good
use of their free time.
Last year, our girls participating in
their year of service didn’t have a
designated dorm room. This year we
moved them to a special section in
our home. The changes are based on
positive behavior and maturity and the
level of schooling that they will receive
in the coming year.
One of our young women, Elba, truly
blossomed. In the past, Elba had
problems living with rules as well as
depression issues. Throughout the
years she had difficulties both in school
and in the home and, at one point, was
on the verge of leaving. Last year, with
the help of the teachers, caregivers,
psychologist and her friends, Elba took
on a new role in her section and also
at school. She started to change her
behavior, identifying the educational
opportunities that she would gain at
NPH. Currently, Elba is beginning her
last year of basic education, but she
helps as caregiver in her section and
also in her classroom. She is setting an
example for young ladies struggling to
find their place in the family.
Our goals for 2009 include improving
the relationships between the
caregivers and the girls. We have a
small nursery with houseplants which
is cared for by our young girls. We
want to expand it but we will need
more plants, fertile land, and fertilizer.
The plants will be used to decorate
the entire house. For the coming
year we also want to expand our
handcrafts club. This way we can use
all our handicrafts for presents or sell
them in order to raise money for more
materials. It will help our girls with
their development.
El Salvador 5
Casa San José Boys’ House
Casa San José is home to 211 boys
ranging from six years of age (after
they arrive from our babies’ home)
and up.
Over the past year, the house has
experienced many changes, not all
of which have been positive. Difficult
changes include an important rotation
of personnel. But this year we have
achieved stability in our staff. We also
have had the help of the young men
in their year of service which has
been a wonderful tool and experience.
In addition, we count on the help of
the youth leaders who have assisted
with the organization, discipline and
direction of the house.
The boys, with their caregivers, try to
keep their rooms neat and clean and
work together to accomplish common
goals.
Soccer is a way of life here at Casa
Sagrada Familia and at any given time
you can easily spot our boys playing
the game. This year we had the
pleasure of welcoming children from
the city for small soccer tournaments.
6 El Salvador
It was a new experience for everyone.
For the next year we want to continue
motivating the boys to improve their
school grades and discipline, by
providing the educational support
they need. This will require greater
communication between all the
house members, caregivers, youth
leaders and young men in their year
of service.
We are looking forward to many new
projects for the following year. We
need a didactic play room for the
chicos (the younger boys in Casa San
Jose) section. This will allow them to
keep busy in their free time and be
productive. For the older boys, we
want to renovate and remodel our
existing library. We need more books
and one computer for homework and
resources which will be helpful for the
boys.
Education
This past year has been another
successful one for our school and
education department.Construction
of the third school building was
completed, which was very helpful
and allowed us to make some
changes in our school.
The kindergarten students were
able to return to the school facilities
because of sufficient space.
Previously they were having classes
in the babies’ house for two years.
Another improvement is that we
incorporated an audio-visual room so
that the teachers can prepare different
classes for the students. Throughout
the years we have realized that using
different techniques and methods for
the development of our classes is very
valuable and effective for our children.
In 2008, the Ministry of Education
implemented a new program called
“Edúcame”, whose main purpose is
to help children and young adults to
study their 7th, 8th, and 9th grade in
an accelerated curriculum. It gives
the students the opportunity to study
in just one year and a half what
normally would take three years. Our
first eight young men and women
who graduated from the “Edúcame”
program finished their secondary
education six months before the
estimated time. This program was
implemented last year for high school
students as well. The eight students
who graduated can now start their
year of service earlier than estimated
which is a help to their brothers and
sisters.
Thanks to all of our generous
fundraisers, we expanded our library
with more books, allowing us to
create a reading club. It was so
wonderful to see how easy it is to
increase our children’s interest in
reading.
Last year one of our goals was to
increase spirituality in the home.
We were pleased to offer mass three
mornings per week for our students
and teachers, and this helped us to
create a spiritual environment in our
school.
Nery is a sweet little boy who is eight
years old. He was very hyperactive
and aggressive when he arrived at
our home. During four years, the
situation was very difficult for him and
for all the people who were around
him. But this year, we began to see
some changes in his attitude towards
life and people. He is currently in
second grade and no longer disrupts
his classroom. He cooperates with
his teachers and all the adults around
him. We are proud of his growth and
transformation.
In the coming year, we will strive
to elevate the academic level of
the entire school. We hope that our
students leave the school with a
prepared education to start secondary
school with good Christian values.
Currently, we are developing a
computer lab to support a technology
program.
Neither our projects nor our children’s
dreams would be possible without
your help and support. Thank you.
El Salvador 7
Higher Education
In 2008, we had more than 40
students enrolled in higher education
programs, including high school
and university. The majority of our
students who are enrolled either live
in our two rented houses in the city
of Santa Ana or they commute from
Casa Sagrada Familia to the city every
day.
Thanks to the program “Edúcame”,
15 of our young men and women
finished their high school studies this
year and four students graduated
from the regular high school. We
had a highest number of students
enrolled in higher education studies,
which shows the continued growth
and persistence of our youths. In
total for this year, we had 34 students
studying their high school and six
students enrolled in university.
In 2009, 19 students will have
completed their first year of service
back to the home and entering their
first year of high school.
Attending school outside of NPH is a
new challenge for our youths, but we
try to continue teaching them morals
and values. Because these young
adults have different schedules, once
a week we celebrate mass and eat
a meal together. Workshops, forums
and pep talks with interesting and
useful topics for our teenagers are
organized by our psychologist.
Next year we are going to have 27
students at the university level which
is a great success for all of us. This
creates a necessity for a bigger house
8 El Salvador
for boys and also for the girls. With
the increased enrolment we will
additionally need four computers,
books and school supplies.
Religion
Sharing and love are two very
important aspects of our daily lives
at Casa Sagrada Familia, as they are
key elements to Father Wasson’s
philosophy. We celebrate a weekly
mass on Saturday afternoons with the
entire home, while holding smaller
masses three mornings per week,
organized by the school.
During this year we have achieved
many of our goals, with all of our
children having their sacraments
completed. We also have organized
spiritual retreats for the boys and girls
who are going to make their First
Communion, which has been a great
idea and has helped in their religious
education in school.
Fr. Ron Hicks, our chaplain, along with
the help of a dedicated group, has
worked hard to create more spiritual
retreats and support for our children.
We are very thankful because this
year we received book donations for
our classes but we are still in need of
more.
This year we celebrated 61
Confirmations (which are celebrated
in Santa Ana’s cathedral), 87 of our
beloved children were baptized, and
110 received Holy Communion for the
first time.
There is still a lot to do with regards
to our Religion department and we
hope to continue the great progress
we made this year. This would include
an increase of interest and support
from the caregivers in the completion
of catechism classes. Since they are
the ones in permanent contact with
the children, it would be much easier
to elevate the interest of the children
towards religion with the help and
support of their caregivers.
Sponsorship
The Sponsorship Coordinator had
the opportunity to attend a training
session which was very useful
for the entire home. Each day the
sponsorship department grows in the
number of godparents. Currently we
have 2,061 godparents.
This year we counted on the help of
two young women completing their
year of service. One worked full time
and the other one two hours per
day. We received a new computer
for the assistants which made the
department’s work more efficient,
especially during our busiest times of
the year. Our two large scale projects
every year are Godparents’ Day and
the Christmas mailing.
In October and November we had
visitor groups from Illinois, Arizona
and Washington. They had the
opportunity to bond with our children,
to see our home and to share their
time with us as a family. Our children
love visitors.
The sponsorship office also
coordinates the birthday parties for
all the children. Each child receives a
certain amount of money according
to their age and they get to spend
it in the nearby town of Santa Ana.
We also invite them to a fast food
restaurant for lunch, which they
always enjoy.
The children are aware of the fact that
thanks to their godparents, they have
a home, food, clothing and education.
Thanks to all of our godparents, all
460 children have the hope of a better
life and the opportunity of becoming
generous and kind human beings.
Godparents’ Day is a special activity
especially when godparents can
attend. We celebrated with a mass
by our Chaplain Father Ron Hicks,
in honor of all our godparents.
Afterwards, some of our godparents
who attended mass shared a sweet
treat with our children.
El Salvador 9
Psychology
The Psychology Department’s main
focus is to stimulate and support the
well being of every child in our home
through a variety of different therapies
and activities.
We have four full-time psychologists
who are in charge of trainings for the
caregivers and also for the young
men and women in our home. Every
year they choose a specific topic
for their therapies. This year they
choose “interpersonal relationships,”
which was extremely helpful in daily
life in our home. They also work in
conjunction with the teacher of the
educational support room in order
to choose the best therapy for the
children. Our psychologists are also
responsible for evaluating every child/
family that comes to live in our home,
as well as evaluating the staff. This
process is done in order to assure
the best quality of treatment and
attention that we can provide.
In 2008, the department tested the
students in order to assist them in
making a career choice that best suits
them. One of the principal innovations
in the department is the NEURONET
program. We can see many positive
changes in many children thanks to
the program.
The NPHI Family Services team
has been a great support to our
home. Our staff has participated in
workshops in order to be prepared
with better techniques and therapies
for our children.
10 El Salvador
One special case this year was
Josselyn who is eight years old.
She attends the educational support
classes because she needs speech
therapy. We decided to implement
and develop the NEURONET program
for her. A few months later she made
many improvements in her language
and fine and gross motor skills. There
is still a lot of work to be done with
Josselyn, but thanks to this program
she has made so much progress.
For the coming year, we will work
on the creation and development
of our annual plan which is being
constantly changed accordingly to the
necessities. We also want to continue
to offer training to our caregivers
about interpersonal relationships.
Finally we want to expand the
NEURONET program to benefit more
children.
Social Work
NPH El Salvador started with 12
children in 1999. Our home has
been in constant growth and is now
home to 465 children from all over
the country. We welcomed 40 new
children this year into our family.
Our Social Work Department is
always working hard to be the
bridge between our home and the
surrounding communities. They know
first hand what life is like for many
of the children, understanding their
needs and fears. Our social worker
explains that in the last two years it
has been increasingly more difficult
to get children into our home because
the local authorities are changing the
procedures constantly, which affects
the process of new arrivals.
Locating proper documentation and
legal birth certificates for our children
is another major ongoing project that
our Social Work Department has been
continuously working on. This year
they had a special task which was to
prepare all the documentation that our
children were going to use to travel
to Guatemala for the second annual
soccer tournament. This allowed
them to make family visits and family
reunions with some of our children’s
families.
The Social Work Department also
coordinates three Visitors’ Day so
our children’s families can come to
our NPH home and spend a day with
them.
One case that caught our attention
this year was a family of two
girls Glenda (16) and Cristina (10)
whose mother abandoned them.
In 2006, after living in two different
orphanages, they arrived in our home.
Since the very first moment, we tried
our best to find one close relative.
The first Visitors’ Day was difficult for
the girls because they didn’t have a
friend or a relative who could come
to share the day. Two months ago,
to everybody’s surprise, we found
their grandmother. It was a touching
moment when they finally met.
Moments like these are the biggest
rewards.
original files. We wish to increase
the areas covered by our social
work team and reach a total of 550
children. Another one of our goals is
to meet with every child individually
and also each family group (brothers
and sisters) in order to help them
understand the main reasons why
they are in our home.
Healthcare
The Healthcare Department includes
five different areas: internal and
external practice, paediatrics,
physiotherapy, and dental care.
The internal clinic attends to the
general health care of the children
and employees. We currently have
a physician and four nurses. The
external clinic operates three days a
week and offers services to people
in the surrounding communities. Our
internal medical practice averages 150
patients per month.
One of the new improvements is our
pediatrician who attends to children
under seven years old. She visits our
home twice weekly. We also set up
educational campaigns to prevent
diseases among children and also for
specific topics at school.
We have been working with the
psychologists and social workers
during the home visit investigations
for new children, evaluating the health
conditions in which children enter the
home.
In 2009 we hope to implement a
computer back-up program for the
El Salvador 11
Our dentist visits our home twice a
week, taking care of the oral hygiene
of each child. He also promotes
hygiene campaigns with our children,
teaching them how to prevent cavities
and other oral diseases.
The physiotherapist treats a range
of physical problems resulting from
illness, injury, disability or aging.
She devises and reviews treatment
programs comprising manual
therapy, movement exercise and
the application of technological
equipment. Most of her patients are
our disabled children, but she also
works with injured children or giving
early stimulation to the babies.
This year we have benefited from
the help of the NPHI Medical Team
members. They have come to our
clinic to teach us new techniques and
better ways to make our work easier.
For the upcoming year we hope to
continue working with our educational
campaigns and also to prepare
our caregivers with first response
training. We also will finish the new
organization of our clinic using the
methods suggested from the Medical
Team members.
Thanks to the support of the local
Ministry of Public Health with needed
vaccines, we have been able to
prevent any epidemic outbreak.
Needs:
Books, games, cards, puzzles, toys, art supplies
Sport supplies (balls, ropes, bats)
Cover for the basketball court
Equipment for a science lab
Expand and equip the existing computer lab
Secretion aspirator, oxygen bomb
Videos and Educational material for religion classes
12 El Salvador
to be loved, as to love;
Dear Friends,
“What’s Another Year?” was the
name of a song in a Eurovision song
contest some years back. It may well
be very fitting for us in 2009. We will
be celebrating seven years in the
Dominican Republic. We have lots to
be grateful for and as our home and
children keep growing, we see the
blessings of Fr. William Wasson in the
everyday life of our children. From
the day we accept a child and his/her
siblings, we commit to doing our best
for them through thick and thin.
I have often been asked what part of
our work is most difficult. I always
respond the same: motivating the
children to do their best and strive to
fulfill their dreams.
We recently had a case of trying to
convince an eleven-year-old child
that she is best served to stay
with us, while she struggles with
wanting to return to her grandmother
(a woman with little means and,
one might say, little interest). Even
though the grandmother had been
asked to come speak about issues
regarding her granddaughter, she
did not come. After a recent home
visit, some of her old school friends
spoke with her, and even they did not
understand why she would want to
consider returning to her old home.
They themselves would gladly take
her place if their families would only
agree.
Of course if you see this girl she does
not look unhappy, and actually she is
not unhappy. She is a girl struggling
2 Dominican Republic
with indecision and confusion and
trying to reach out. We do what we
can to give her the attention she
deserves and try to convince her we
know best. I hope we will succeed.
Everyone who has come to visit our
home admires what a beautiful place
we have, and it is. We have made
many advancements during the past
years but there is still a lot more to
be done. The following report will give
you a glimpse into our daily activities
and accomplishments over the last
year.
I want to express my deepest
appreciation to all the people who,
in one way or another, have involved
themselves in sharing the mission
of Fr. Wasson with our children.
My hope for the future is great, but
nothing is accomplished alone, so
stay in touch, keep the help coming
and remember that we think of you
often.
With fond regards,
Kieran Rigney
National Director
House Direction
The home worked with the
Psychology Department and Family
Services to provide workshops and
lectures for both the children and
caregivers, focusing on discipline
and conduct and the communication
gap between the house and school,
between the caregivers and the
children, and the caregivers and
administration.
The home has had a couple of
changes: one, is hiring two cooks
and having all three meals (breakfast,
lunch, and dinner) prepared in the
kitchen. Previously, breakfast was
prepared in the individual homes, but
that has changed due to costs. The
home also has a new mechanic who
is an ex-pequeño from Haiti. Another
change is the start-up of the Youth
Leaders program.
The home hopes to address the issue
of values in both the children and
adults and construct the chapel in this
coming year.
We continue to strengthen the family
unit so that we live and share as a
family in peace, love and harmony
and so that comprehension can be
achieved. We are striving to develop
not only the intellect of the children
but also their spiritual side by
implementing workshops that allow
the children to discover their potential
apart from their studies.
Sister Fanny Barragan
House Director
Education
The Education Department has
accomplished a great deal in 2008
and has implemented many changes
in the academic program. One
of the biggest changes has been
the construction, which started in
January, of the second phase of
the primary school. By the start of
the school year in September, four
classrooms were ready to be used.
The additional space allowed for the
Education Department to implement
a seventh grade classroom, (the
school was previously pre-school to
sixth grade), an accelerated course
for children that are academically
behind age-wise, an English
laboratory, and a religious laboratory.
In 2008 the school hired a secretary,
school psychologist, physical
education teacher and four teachers.
There are now 16 employees and
three volunteers.
We have 23 students enrolled from
the nearby Batey Nuevo, ten students
who are children belonging to NPH
staff members, and 150 resident NPH
children, making it a grand total of
173 students.
There are seven NPH children
enrolled in eighth grade. They attend
school in the nearby town of San
Pedro de Macoris. There is one child
enrolled in an accelerated high school
course, meaning he is completing
his last two years of high school in
one year. He is expected to graduate
this year and will be the first child to
graduate high school.
Employees: Caregivers: 44, Teachers: 17, Kitchen staff: 3
School: NPH students: 150, External students: 23, Students of NPH staff: 10
Dominican Republic 3
There are many students that are
exceptional but the story of Noel
stands out. At the start of the 2007
school year, Noel was 13 years old
and in fourth grade. During the school
year, he studied hard and was able
to test out of fifth and sixth grade.
He is now in seventh grade with an
average of 90. Noel is an exceptional
case and serves as an inspiration for
all the children that want to advance
in their studies.
Some of our needs are teachers’
desks, a printer that has the
capacity to print a large quantity
of worksheets, and two computer
printers. We would like to implement
workshops such as music, sewing,
art, folkloric dance, and vegetable
gardening. Apart from the workshops,
the school would like to hire special
education teachers and a speech
therapist, but again we need funding.
Another goal for 2009 is to reinforce
the reading and writing skills of our
children.
Our home recently received a
volunteer with the objective to start
a library; therefore we need books,
shelves, tables, chairs, and all other
necessary library furnishings.
The NPH school that was built in
2007 is an environmentally friendly
building. The school is in the
process of receiving an eco-friendly
certification. If the school receives
this certification, it will be the
first eco-school in the Dominican
Republic and we hope to receive the
certification in 2009.
Orlando Valdez
School Director
4 Dominican Republic
Youth Leaders
On April 24, 2008, seven children
participated in the very first youth
leaders’ meeting at Casa Santa Ana.
The Youth Leaders group is led by
Sister Yadira Tautiva. The objective
of the group is to create a sense
of unity in the home and to teach
the youth that they are integrated
members of society. The youth learn
to recognize their own knowledge,
skills and abilities and to share
them with other members in their
community. The group also addresses
self-esteem, values, leadership,
responsibility, being actively involved;
but above all, to be creative and
develop projects that are both short
and long term endeavors that will
benefit the development of our home
and younger children. Thus each
participant has developed a project.
Mireya developed a project that
helps another NPH youth, who has
a learning disability, to learn to read
and write. Mireya meets with her
three times a week. Junior and Victor
developed a program that involved
working with Casa San Esteban and
Casa Santa Ana to lay gravel down
and keep the courtyard of the homes
clean. Jose completed a course in
carpentry and used his new skills
to develop a carpentry project with
the boys from Casa Santa Rosa. This
allows him to share his knowledge,
skills, and abilities with other children
in the home. He has taught the
children how to measure wood
boards. The other youth participants
were going to help in projects of
literacy.
One of our goals for 2009 is to create
a project that generates responsibility
and enthusiasm. The participants
are currently investigating the costs
of implementing a chicken and egg
project in the home.
The Youth Leaders program has
started but still has a long way to go,
but the participants have indicated
the most important aspect is that
they have started and are dedicated
to the continued development of the
program.
Sister Yadira Tautiva
Youth Leader Coordinator
Family Services / Workshops / Lectures
The Family Services Department has
three main objectives.
1. To provide psychological attention to
the children and caregivers.
2. To capacitate the caregivers and
children to manage situations that they
are presented in daily life.
3. To train the teachers and caregivers
about discipline in the classroom and
home.
Our team visits the houses on a daily
basis to discuss any concerns or
needs the children or caregivers have.
The committee then meets the last
Tuesday of every month to discuss
workshops and training sessions that
would be beneficial to our caregivers
and children.
On average, 20 to 40 caregivers
participate in the training sessions.
The caregivers have received the
following workshops this past year,
Physical Abuse and Punishments, How
to Handle Aggression, Ideas and Tools
for Parents, Spirituality, HIV/AIDS,
Practical Child Raising, and Teaching
and Consequences.
As a result of the workshops, trainings
and lectures, the caregivers have
learned to handle situations with
better emotional control, improve their
physical appearance, communicate
better, participate in meetings and
integrate themselves into a team.
The children have received workshops
on self-esteem, responsibilities,
discipline, values, HIV/AIDS, and the
children in third through sixth grade
receive a sex education course.
Children who are ten or older receive
lectures on how to set good examples
for the younger children through good
behavior.
The Family Service Department was
fortunate to have a summer volunteer
from Spain who gave lectures to all
the office personnel and teachers on
effective communication and team
work, emotional IQ, public speaking,
developing your potential, creativity
and knowing yourself.
The volunteer also spoke to the
children about values, love, asking for
forgiveness, and commitment.
The Family Service Department is
in charge of making sure children
and caregivers receive technical
courses that interest them. Pequeña
Carmen, one of our NPH youth,
expressed interest in attending
beauty school. Family Services
Dominican Republic 5
arranged to send Carmen to beauty
school on Saturdays. Another child
was interested in carpentry so he
attended carpentry courses on
Saturdays. The department also
organized a sewing course for
the caregivers and they will teach
the children what they learned. In
addition, the caregivers can now sew
the school uniforms, curtains and
other items in the home.
The department also organized the
summer internships for three of our
children at CESPM, which is a local
electrical company and an internship
at Clientes Industriales, which installs
windows.
In 2009, a new employee will be
responsible for the Family Service
Department. Her goals are to improve
communication and create unity
between all departments, evaluate
how the workshops and trainings are
helping the caregivers and children,
and promote stronger interaction
between the older children and
younger children and siblings. She
would also like to integrate more
workshops led by professionals in
various specialized subject areas.
Juana Rodriguez
Family Services Coordinator
Social Work
The Dominican Republic is a country
that is a unique blend of races
comprised of origins from Spain,
Africa, the British Islands, and Haiti.
At our home in the Dominican
Republic, these various origins
6 Dominican Republic
can be seen in the faces of our
children. To us, our children are all
Dominicans because they are born
in the Dominican Republic and grow
up speaking Spanish and learn the
traditions of the Dominican culture,
not the language or culture of their
ancestry. However, the Dominican
government does not want to
recognize children that were born to
illegal immigrants in the Dominican
Republic. The government passed a
statute stating that all children must
take an academic exam to pass 4th
grade, 8th grade, and again to gain
entry into university. However, an
individual cannot take the exam if he
or she does not have documented
papers. The Social Work Department
realized that 72 children are
undocumented. The goal to get all
72 children documented was realized
by making contact with the “Junta
Central”. As a result of the social
worker’s efforts, all 72 children are
currently awaiting their documents.
In addition to documenting our
children, the social worker has
been busy investigating cases. She
investigated 20 cases between
January and October 2008. Of those
20 cases, 15 children have been
accepted to NPH. Four children left
the home between January and
October 2008. The home currently
has 170 children.
There is a particular case that is
exceptional for our social worker.
Juan’s mother stated very clearly
prior to her death that she did not
want anyone in her family to care for
her children. Therefore, her children
arrived to us from a
nun working in the
community where Juan
and his sister lived.
Juan is an eleven year
old boy who has lived
at our home, Casa
Santa Ana, for one year
along with his nine year
old sister. The siblings
also had a brother who
decided to leave NPH.
Upon arriving at our
home, Juan was very
thin and did not interact
with the other children.
He did not know how
to eat with a spoon or fork and he did
not know how to use a toilet because
he was accustomed to going to the
bathroom in a patio outside of his
house. Even though he had been
enrolled in school and liked it, he did
not learn very much because he lived
in an environment that did not support
his academic learning. After one year
in our home, Juan has gained weight,
learned how to use a spoon and
fork and an indoor toilet. His social
skills have improved greatly and he
interacts with the other children. Also,
he is now able to read, write, count,
and has graduated to first grade.
Juan is a very well behaved child. He
always says thank you, please and
completes his responsibilities on time
and with few complaints.
There have been a few changes
in the Social Work Department.
One of these changes is the social
worker now evaluates all the children
entering the home because her title is
clinical psychologist. Another change
included modification of the form that
is used for children leaving the home.
Our social worker would like to
accomplish the following in 2009:
investigate and present more cases
to the committee, assist the children
in traveling to other countries, and
conclude the documentation of the
72 children waiting for their papers.
In order to accomplish these goals,
it would help to have a camera for
taking pictures, a laptop computer,
and filing cabinet to hold her files.
Olga Lidia de Jesus
Social Worker
Psychology
The Psychology Department
addresses children with mild,
moderate and severe psychological
problems. The children that suffer
from these problems are either
treated in Santo Domingo or the
psychiatrist comes to the home.
The children that have psychological
problems have improved
tremendously. The department
also addresses conduct, emotional
problems and low self-esteem issues.
The school hired an educational
psychologist who uses Montessori
and dyadic techniques. Prior to the
arrival of the school psychologist, our
Human Resources Manager, who is
also a psychologist, was evaluating
the children in the school plus the
caregivers. Now, the HR Manager
evaluates the caregivers and the
educational psychologist evaluates the
children in school.
Dominican Republic 7
Our school psychologist works with
an average of 40 children on a regular
basis. Other staff includes two
volunteers, one art therapist, three
physical therapists, and two support
employees.
There are many stories of children
that have made tremendous progress
with issues of self-esteem, poor
behavior, and emotional problems.
The case of Miguel stands out.
Miguel suffered behavioral problems
and was very aggressive. He would
throw himself on the floor and spin
in circles on the ground, throw rocks
and say bad words to everyone.
One day he was ready to fight with
another child. The psychologist
entered the house and was able
to get control of the children by
having them stand back-to-back and
then slowly they lowered to the
floor and spoke about the situation
and Miguel’s feelings. Miguel is
now a different child. He is an
active member of the family. He is
no longer aggressive but a leader
in the home. He serves food to
other children in his home and is
in charge of putting toothpaste on
their toothbrushes. Miguel no longer
sees the psychologist on a regular
basis. He is an exemplary case of a
child that wanted to receive help and
change his attitude and realized this
opportunity existed at NPH. He has
learned to accept himself and others.
He is learning how to be affectionate
and compassionate toward others by
giving hugs rather than misbehaving.
This is a big accomplishment for a
child that was once unbearable.
8 Dominican Republic
We would like to have a therapy room
which features role playing activities,
puppets, dolls, and memory/
sequence games. These types of
activities help children discover their
world and interests. Another room
would be for occupational therapy
and feature puzzles, games and other
tools to develop skills for children
that are emotionally or cognitively
disabled. A speech therapist is also
needed for our children with speech
impediments.
The psychologist hopes that the
children will learn skills to manage
their emotional, mental, and selfesteem problems so that they
can become active, integrated,
independent and productive
members of society.
Carmen T. Franco
Juana M. Rodriguez
Psychologists
Healthcare
The clinic moved into its newly
constructed building in May. It is
composed of a dental lab, two
examining rooms, a physical therapy
room, laboratory, medical storage
room, kitchen and three observation
rooms.
Several successful surgical
procedures have been performed at
health centers outside of NPH. These
include an operation of a child with
tenotomy who is now able to walk
better. Another boy was successfully
operated on for cryptorchism. A
brother and sister received operations
to repair their perforated eardrums.
Another child received corrective foot
surgery enabling him to walk with
both feet flat on the ground versus
his previous condition in which he
had to walk tip-toed on one foot.
Besides accomplishing these
operations, the clinic has had several
successes. One was in January and
the other in February
in which two Canadian
doctors examined
the caregivers and
women from the nearby
community, Batey Nuevo.
If needed, medicines
were distributed to the
women. In October, the
Lions Club conducted eye
exams, general exams,
and dermatologic exams
for all NPH children and
for people from the
surrounding communities.
They also donated an
extra wheelchair for a boy
with cerebral palsy.
As a result of having a new clinic
building with more space, the
Health Department has been able to
implement several new procedures
and programs. Children that are
two to five years old go to the clinic
once a day to drink milk and all
liquid medications are administered
by syringe. Children who are HIV
positive go to the clinic for their snack
which ensures that it is tailored to
their special needs and verified by
medical staff. Another new procedure
is that all new children at NPH must
first go to the clinic for medical
observation before being placed in
their assigned home. The addition of
a dental lab allowed for the home to
make an agreement with the local
university to have dental students
directed by their professor come to
the NPH clinic every Friday morning
to examine the children’s teeth. A
dermatologist visits the clinic once
a month to treat our children with
skin problems. Children continue
to receive their vaccinations in the
hospital nearby San Pedro, not in the
NPH clinic.
The clinic staff now consists of one
part-time doctor, one public health
volunteer, one full-time licensed
nurse, two full-time auxiliary nurses
and two physical therapy volunteers.
The clinic is in need of furnishings
such as beds, tables, fans, and
lamps. The clinic also needs a fixed
laboratory. The dental professor and
her students are a great help to the
home; however, a four-hour, one
morning per week session is not a
sufficient amount of time to treat the
children. The clinic needs a dentist
that visits the home more frequently.
The home also needs a full-time
doctor. The clinic is always in need of
the following medications that are not
expired:
Dr. Christina Hafner-Eaton
Public Health Officer
Dr. Myra Vittini - Doctor
Lic. Aurelia Mojica - Licensed Nurse
Nicolasa Vasquez - Auxiliary Nurse
Dominican Republic 9
Update on Lisbeth
Thank you to everyone who has
passed along requests and continued
to pray for our most fragile child,
Lisbeth. She has made significant
progress recently.
Lisbeth is an eight-year-old girl who
joined our home in August of 2007
weighing only 16 lbs at the age of
six. She suffers from Cerebral Palsy,
gastric reflux, and severe malnutrition
due to serious constrictions with
her esophagus, the valves along
her GI tract and stomach. Although
Lisbeth’s weight had risen to 22 lbs,
the Gastroenterologist recommended
that she have surgery to place
an external feeding tube into her
stomach and ultimately have the
constrictions in the GI tract altered.
We hoped that this surgery would
allow her to gain strength and weight,
and ultimately move out of the new
clinic into the special needs house.
Unfortunately, there were
complications a week after the
surgery in October, requiring Lisbeth
to be re-admitted to the hospital
in critical condition. She has now
returned home but her weight had
dropped back down to 18 lbs. Since
the last update, Lisbeth has gained
a pound, which may not sound
significant but it is a 5.6% increase
in her weight. At such a low weight,
every ounce makes a difference.
This eight-year-old girl is a fighter
but she has had many obstacles to
overcome in her short life. Lisbeth
likes to have her hair, arms and legs
stroked and enjoys listening to music,
singing, TV, and the other children.
Right now, she doesn’t have the
benefit of much interaction with the
other children because she needs
one-on-one care in the clinic. We
are truly blessed to have a caregiver
who takes phenomenally great care
of Lisbeth. This caregiver lives in the
same room with her at the clinic and
works full days and nights except for
her three days off every two weeks.
We have a gifted Physical Therapist
volunteer from Austria who has a
full program of therapy for Lisbeth. This type of stimulation is essential
for Lisbeth’s recovery and continued
progress because the body absorbs
more nutrients when receiving touch
therapy. While I was showing pictures to the
toddler house, they saw a photo
of Lisbeth and even the youngest
children showed concern, empathy
and love for her that brought tears
to my eyes and a lump in my throat.
When we have had visitors to our
home they are very curious about any
children who are ill because the vast
majority of our kids are exceptionally
healthy, happy and appear
carefree. When they meet Lisbeth
they are often brought to tears, not
because of her dire situation, but
rather they express tears of joy. They
report knowing that Lisbeth wouldn’t
be alive today if it wasn’t for the work
of NPH. This is absolutely true and we
all know that Lisbeth is teaching us all
to be thankful for each and every day.
Please pray with all of us that Lisbeth
will continue to recover, gain weight
and thrive.
Dra. Cristina Hafner-Eaton
10 Dominican Republic
Volunteers
One of the biggest changes at our
home has been the development
of the volunteer program. In the
previous years, the volunteer
coordinator position was passed
from one person to another. Thus,
consistency, formal evaluations, and
guidelines were not implemented in
the program. Thanks to our two new
volunteer coordinators, the program
has changed.
Volunteer Needs:
Activities coordinator for the Special
Needs Children
Computer Teacher Assistant
There are two individuals who
perform volunteer coordinator
functions in addition to their regular
job responsibilities at NPH. One
volunteer coordinator addresses
conflict issues, transportation
when the volunteers arrive, home
responsibilities, and all contact prior
to the volunteer arriving to NPH. The
other one oversees the volunteer
meetings, evaluations, and contact
with NPHI and the volunteer after
officially being accepted to NPH.
The job duties being split between
two people is a new concept in the
volunteer coordinator arena. Other
changes include an orientation
and training program which was
created for our summer volunteers
and evaluations are now done to
assess volunteers’ work. The two
new volunteer coordinators have
also implemented teambuilding
exercises for our volunteers and are
planning one or two retreats a year to
create group cohesion amongst the
volunteers.
There are many exceptional
volunteers, but there is one volunteer
that goes above and beyond what
is expected of her. Kelly received
the Samuel Harrington grant for
$10,000 to start an English program
and language laboratory in the
school. Currently, Kelly has spent
a portion of that money on English
language textbooks, workbooks, and
furnishings for the laboratory. In the
future, Kelly would like to implement
more computer technology as a
learning tool in her classes. Besides
giving English class to our children
that are between the ages of two
and eighteen years old, both adults
and children from Batey Nuevo can
attend classes. One of Kelly’s goals
is to know every single child at NPH
and teach them English in an informal
setting. To accomplish this, she eats
dinner in a different house every
night and the children have to speak
English with her.
The Volunteer Coordinators
planned our summer program
which consisted of two parts. The
first program was in the morning.
Volunteers did sports activities,
creative writing and arts and crafts
with the children that did not need
to do remedial work in school. The
second program was in the afternoon
and all but four children participated
in two workshops. The workshops
consisted of dance, cooking,
art, recorder, music, carpentry,
taekwondo, and computers. The
four children that did not participate
in the summer program did
internships with businesses in the
nearby community of San Pedro de
Macoris. The summer program was a
learning experience for the Volunteer
Art Therapist
Gardener
Maintenance
Summer volunteers served: 8, Volunteers served 6 months or longer: 14
Pequeños from Haiti who completed an internship: 2
Sewing Teacher
Dominican Republic 11
Coordinators in that it allowed them
to determine what aspects need
to be improved upon, developed in
further detail, or eliminated from the
program.
The home currently has four
volunteers committed to one year
of service. The goal for 2009 is to
continue to establish and organize
the Volunteer Department and to fill
the volunteer positions mentioned
above.
Anne Gielen and Megan Popa
Volunteer Coordinators
Agriculture
In 2008, the Agriculture Department
cleared a major planting field and
planted plantains, sweet potato,
yucca, pumpkin squash, eggplant,
bok-choy, onions, cilantro, radish,
squash, sweet potatoes, oregano,
peppers, beans and chives. We
have 150 fruit trees that provide
the home with a variety of fruits
including avocado, oranges, cherries,
soursop, guava, mandarins, mangos,
sour oranges, passion fruit, noni,
tamarindo and papaya.
In addition to planting, this was the
first year that pigs were slaughtered
for meat which provided the home
with a total of 593 pounds of pork
with a value of $1,000. We also
slaughtered two cows which provided
the home with 700 pounds of beef
with a value of $515. This saved the
home a large sum of money because
a pound of pork and beef costs
approximately $1.60. A pen enclosure
12 Dominican Republic
was constructed and finished in July.
The farm has three full-time
employees, one part-time employee
and one agronomist who has been
coming to the home one day a
week since September. These five
employees cannot be responsible
for the whole agriculture project,
thus participation of the children is
essential for operation of the farm
and for creating unity in the home.
The farm has been trying to get
more children involved. As a result,
73 papaya trees are cared for by
seven of the oldest girls. Two homes
are caring for the yucca production
and two older boys are in charge of
feeding the pigs on the weekends.
A local project called Dominican
Experience consists of Canadians
assisting in the caring of the farm and
Project Green.
Yendi and Nicolas cut down a branch
of a guava tree without permission.
They were promptly reassigned to
work in the garden. Now they come
to the garden everyday by choice and
have taken ownership for their work
and created a positive energy in the
garden.
In order to develop the agriculture
program, the home needs a Farm
Director, a wood-chipper, tractor,
farm shed and office, truck, a zinc
overhang for the cows and a pen for
the goats. Our hope is to grow 50%
of our vegetables, 75% of provisions
or food supplies, and 15% of the fruit
for the home in 2009. We would also
like to have nutrition classes for the
children, caregivers, kitchen staff and
medical personnel to develop a menu
that has more fruits and vegetables.
Marijo Rozycki
Special Projects Coordinator
Project Green
Apart from the agriculture projects,
there is Project Green. Project Green
focuses on recycling, composting,
landscaping, vegetable gardening and
environmental awareness.
NPH Casa Santa Ana has been
selected to participate along with 13
other Dominican schools in a nationwide Project Green project which
consists of planting. Project Green
is responsible for the landscaping of
the home. The home has a volunteer
that comes one day a week to help
with the project. The landscaping
crew has planted shade trees in
the park and baseball field area and
palm trees along the sidewalk to
the school and in front of the office.
Project Green is also in the process
of creating a central area for garbage
collection and recycling. The Day of
San Francisco and blessing of the
animals was led by Project Green
leader Marijo Rozycki.
The goals for Project Green in 2009
are to finish the park, start the
Growing Connection project again,
improve the current waste system,
landscape the home, redo the
site plan for all of NPH Dominican
Republic and implement Project ITER,
which is an educational agriculture
project that has been implemented in
the NPH homes of Mexico, Honduras
and Guatemala.
The vision of Project Green in the
upcoming years is to be a model
and an example in recycling,
composting, vegetable gardening
and environmental awareness. The
home is thankful for all the volunteers
and donations that have contributed
toward this vision.
Marijo Rozycki,
Project Green Coordinator
Spiritual Formation
The Spiritual Formation Department
has two programs: catechism classes
held on Saturdays and religious
education received in the school.
The first aspect has focused on
the sacraments initiated through
catechism classes, Baptism and
First Communion, for our children
that are eight years old or older.
These children receive classes on
Saturday afternoons. As a result of
the catechism classes, on February
2, 2008, three children were baptized
and nine children received their First
Communion. During Easter week, the
home baptized six more children. The
Eucharists were celebrated by Father
Eduardo who shares the majority of
his time with us in the Dominican
Republic home. Also during Easter
week, the children participated in a
retreat at the NPH school. The retreat
focused on teaching the children to
recognize God in themselves.
Dominican Republic 13
Besides Saturday Catechism,
the choir rehearses and then the
whole house rehearses the songs
together. This routine changed in
August because the volunteer that
accompanied the choir on piano
finished his service and returned
home. The home is now fortunate
to count on Sister Marisol, who
has been sharing the beautiful gift
of music with our children since
October, plus she has started a
youth music ministry. Sister Marisol
has been reuniting the youth of our
home and helping them develop their
spirituality.
Sister Fanny, House Director, is in
charge of spiritual growth of the
caregivers. The caregivers meet once
a week to share the word of God and
to grow in their faith.
For the anniversary of Father
Wasson’s passing, the celebration
included recital of the prayer of peace
and a variety of special events. Our
children participated in a theatrical
production that was a re-creation of
Father Wasson’s life, recited poems
and sang songs that gave thanks
to God for the marvelous work that
he permitted Father Wasson to
accomplish in his life.
The Day of San Francisco was
another special day for us. On this
day we gave tribute to nature. The
children made posters and dressed
in animal costumes and learned
the importance of caring for nature.
We also had a celebration where
the word of God was shared and a
spiritual link was created between the
14 Dominican Republic
children, caregivers and volunteers
in the name of Jesus Christ and
competition games were created.
Everyone enjoyed the celebration
very much. The Spiritual Formation
Department needs to implement
this type of activity more frequently
because many of the caregivers have
asked for a similar event.
We have organized pilgrimages to
the Basilica Nuestra Señora de la
Altagracia and the children observed
a special event, the ordaining of
the priests. The children also made
a pilgrimage to the Basilica and
celebrate other special religious
events.
Our children go to Mass every
Sunday and at least once on the
weekdays. Every first Friday of the
month, the children and their teachers
celebrate Mass together in the school
because we want the teachers to be
part of the spiritual formation of our
children.
During the month of October, the
children accompanied by their
caregivers recited the Rosary daily.
It was especially beautiful this year
because the children took initiative by
organizing themselves into their own
Rosary communities and sectors.
The second aspect of the Spiritual
Formation Department is religious
education that the children receive
in the school. This is where the
children learn more about the church,
its structure, and workings. In every
class, values are addressed. This year
we received our own classroom and
educational religious games such as
The Route of the Bible. These games
develop a dynamism in class.
God bless you.
Sister Yadira Tautiva
Spiritual Formation Director
Sponsorship
The number of children in the
Dominican home is continuously
increasing which means the
Sponsorship Department is always
looking for new sponsors. The goal
is to provide every child with five
international sponsors and at least
one local sponsor. This was the
first year that local sponsorship
was promoted. A formal brochure
explaining sponsorship was created
and distributed to all visitors. Copies
were also strategically placed in the
information points of a nearby hotel/
resort. In addition to the brochure, a
stronger “word of mouth” promotion
method was implemented. As a result
of these promotional efforts, eight
local sponsors and 956 international
sponsors were obtained. A Canadian
work group consisting of 96 people
visited the home and 12 of the 96
decided to sponsor a child. The home
had nine new children enter this
year and each child has at least one
sponsor.
Six European sponsors came to
visit their godchildren this year. An
Italian sponsor visited her godchild
on Mother’s Day and the home was
having a special celebration to honor
all the caregivers who act in a parental
role for our children. During this
celebration, the Italian sponsor spoke
to the children about the importance
of being a parent and the honor she
felt to be a godparent and sponsor of
one of our children.
Dominican Republic 15
In order to manage the Sponsorship
Department efficiently and
effectively, beyond sponsors,
resources are needed as well.
This year the department received
a color printer donated by our
visitors from Canada and a desk
donated by Ocean Rock. The new
office construction completed in
June of this year resulted in the
Sponsorship Department acquiring
its own office area. There is now
sufficient space so that in the
future, children can come to the
office and write their letters rather
than write them in their home.
The Sponsorship Coordinator
increased her knowledge about
the sponsorship program by
participating in a conference held
in Mexico during September. The
conference addressed revisions
made in the NPH sponsorship
process.
16 Dominican Republic
The Sponsorship Department
is composed of one person
who serves as the Coordinator.
However, for a few months, the
Coordinator was fortunate enough
to have a volunteer to assist in the
translations and help the children
write the letters. The department is
looking for a volunteer to continue
with these responsibilities. The
department also hopes to obtain
more local sponsors for 2009 and
a local professional photographer
who is willing to donate his time
and skills to take portrait shots of
the children and print the photos at
a minimal cost for the home.
The Sponsorship Department is
satisfied with its progress and looks
forward to 2009 so the program
can continue to grow and new
goals can be accomplished.
Roseline Paul
Sponsorship Coordinator
Maintenance and Construction
The home in the Dominican
Republic has only been on its
current property since 2005;
therefore, the infrastructure of
the home is still being developed
and many construction projects
have been either finished or are in
progress.
Accomplishments:
Construction of the clinic was
finished in May of 2008. The
building is 28 X 35.5 meters and
consists of two examining rooms,
laboratory, physical therapy room,
kitchen, three observation rooms,
dental office, bathrooms, medicine
dispensary, meeting room, private
bedroom for the nurses, and an
open courtyard.
Construction of the administrative
office was finished in June of 2008.
The office consists of a conference
room, 12 offices, a small kitchen
and eating area.
Sanitary systems were installed for
the new school, office and clinic. A
system of tubing was strategically
laid so the school will not fill with
water during rainstorms.
The construction of the warehouse
for the Maintenance/Construction
Department was started in January of
this year and is in process.
A water purification room was built
next to the kitchen. It is 6 X 450
meters and is composed of block,
a cement roof, and a ceramic tile
floor and walls. The actual water
purification equipment was installed
in August by a representative from
DPM Water Technologies. The home
is currently purifying its own drinking
water.
A baseball field was built in July for
the children.
Along with the installation of the
oven and mixer for the bakery,
we accomplished daily repairs to
the homes such as fixing stoves
and toilets and general house
maintenance.
department consists of only three
full-time employees and a volunteer
from Washington who finished
his service in August, 2008, but
we are still in need of additional
personnel. All construction workers
are contracted which helps us save
in costs. We also have a need for a
power auger, generators, batteries,
electric wiring that is size 10, 12, and
14 and an industrial bench for the
woodworker.
We are grateful to Canada for the
donation of two electric generators
of 50 horsepower and to a Chicago
work group for the donation of a
lawn mower. Our team is always
impressed and motivated by the
interest and involvement of the
international visitors who visit our
home and dedicate their time, energy
and skills to help us progress.
Some additional construction needs
are a warehouse, sidewalks and
curbs, streets, vocational workshops
for the children (plumbing, electricity,
auto mechanics and wood-working).
Francisco Reinoso
Maintenance Director
We have accomplished a significant
amount of work considering our
Dominican Republic 17
Outreach
Sanitary Installations in Batey Nuevo,
Batey Aleman and La Cubana
Our Casa Santa Ana home is located
about 10 km outside of San Pedro
City. The land is located in the middle
of sugar cane fields. In earlier times,
it was grassland that was used for
pasture. Because of security reasons,
our property is surrounded by a
2m block wall. The only neighbors
we have outside the wall are the
residents of a small and very poor
village, called Batey Nuevo. Some
kilometers north there is another
likewise poor Batey called La Cubana,
and south, another one called Batey
Aleman. In order to maintain a close
relationship with our neighbors, we
try to extend our help and support.
We do this by employing our
neighborhood men as construction
workers, the women as caregivers
or cleaners, accepting their children
in our school, providing medical
attention, and in whatever other ways
possible.
However, there is still an obvious
and immense economical distance
between “inside” and “outside”
the wall. The living and hygienic
circumstances in Batey Nuevo,
Batey La Cubana and Batey Aleman
are on the lowest level of what you
can find in the country. None of the
households have running water and
electricity is available only a few
hours per day. For this reason, we
try to realize small relief projects to
improve their living circumstances.
18 Dominican Republic
The purpose of the project “Latrines”
is to provide our neighbors with new
and functioning sanitary installations,
to improve hygiene and help fight
against illnesses. The existing
sanitary facilities were constructed
in the 1970s by the government and
have not been maintained. They are
deteriorated and have been in nonusable condition for many years.
Thanks to donations from our friends
from Canada and local workers, this
year we were able to build three
latrines for three family units in Batey
Nuevo, one in Batey La Cubana, and
one in Batey Aleman. The families are
more than thankful! Thank you to all
the helpers!
House for Ramon
In Batey Nuevo, we also helped
construct a little one-room house
for Ramon, a disabled painter who
is trying to teach the Batey children
about art and painting. He is not
originally from the Batey and had no
place to stay or paint. Now he has his
own place and he is very happy and
thankful.
House in Santa Fe
In March of this year, the small,
wooden house of the family
members of our gardener, Carlito,
burned down completely. None of his
six children were harmed but they
had no place to live anymore. Right
after the disaster they were living
with neighbors. Thanks to donations
from J&J Kids from Chicago, we
were able to rebuild a little home
made of block walls and a tin roof for
the family.
Education – Alfabetization Course
for Adults
There are many people in the
Batey who are aware of their lack
of education. Although eager for
knowledge, they never had the
opportunity to study or to learn a
craft. Many of them are illiterate. They
would love to learn to read and write.
Others who already know how to read
and write would love to learn to use a
computer, and others who are more
technically talented would love to learn
a trade. In March 2008, we formed a
reading and writing class for a group
of ten women. Unfortunately, classes
have been temporarily suspended until
an adequate teaching room can be
built.
Micro Loans
There is no real “Mom and Pop store”
in the Batey, no access to the most
basic foods like rice, beans, plantains,
potatoes, chicken, drinking water etc.
or to the most basic house wares or
hygienic articles like soap, washing
powder, toothpaste etc. There are
several people that would love to
administer a small business selling
food, meat, hardware, etc., and that
would have the capability, but the seed
capital is not available. Others would
like to open small service businesses
like a beauty salon, a barber shop, a
cobbler shop, or a repair service, but
again, without seed capital it is not
possible. In cooperation with Project
Esperanza, we are in the process of
working out a system of micro loans
to allow people, the Batey women
especially, to start small businesses.
Medical
Thanks to the Midwest Medical
Mission group organized by Maureen
Tippen in March 2008, we were
able to realize a successful medical
operation in Batey Olivares. Batey
Olivares is a very poor Batey not far
from our home and remotely located
from the main road. Normally, help
from the outside world has not been
made available. This was the first
medical group to work there and the
mission was a success. Hundreds of
children and adults were examined
and medicated. The Midwest Medical
Mission group and village were
organized and people were extremely
grateful. The Mission group is planning
to return again next year and is already
thinking of how to screen people who
would need surgery and get them
to the Antonio Musa Hospital, the
public hospital in San Pedro where the
Mission group will be active in 2009
as well.
Furthermore, we had a second
medical operation in October where
all of our children were checked and
treated as well as members of our
neighbor communities, Batey Nuevo
and Batey Monte Cristi. This operation
was organized by the local Lions Club
and Lions from Puerto Rico. There
were ophthalmologists, dentists,
dermatologists, pediatricians, and
other medical professionals doing
the check-ups and administering
medications. It was a huge success.
Dominican Republic 19
Future Projects
Our NPH home in the Dominican
Republic is surrounded by Bateyes.
The Bateyes were built by the sugar
cane field owners or companies to
provide housing for their workers,
the sugar cane cutters. Most of the
Bateyes don’t have running water
or electricity. In earlier times, the
inhabitants had an income, at least
during six months of the year, cutting
the sugar cane. Nowadays the
situation is worse. The sugar cane
export has decreased dramatically so
many sugar cane fields lie idle. The
unemployment and poverty rate in
the Bateyes is incredibly high.
The population of those Bateyes
consists of many children and the
majority are in need of the most
essential things. Often the economic
situation does not even allow having
one plate of rice a day, not to mention
hygienic items like soap, washing
powder, medicines, clothes, books,
or school uniforms for the children.
Our NPH home started helping with
the above mentioned projects in
the nearby Bateyes, trying to better
the living circumstances within the
bounds of economic possibilities.
We would like to establish an extra
fund on a yearly basis to assist our
neighbors with projects such as
building latrines; repairing broken
roofs, doors and windows; painting
houses; and purchasing medicines,
diapers, and milk powder for babies.
Thank you for your support.
Kirsten Henschel-Rolla
Outreach Coordinator
20 Dominican Republic
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
Dear Friends,
As we are closing another full
year of events in our home, I am
proud to say that each year we see
positive changes in our children
due to the patience and guidance
of our team of caregivers and
professionals. Our team focuses
on the principles of our founder
Fr. William B. Wasson, work, love,
sharing, and responsibility, in order
to form productive citizens.
We consider it very important
to thank each and every one of
our benefactors and supporters.
Because of them, we were able to
support the community by donating
10 pre-fabricated classrooms to
the local school which our children
attend. The school suffered
serious damage due to the deadly
earthquake in August 2007.
We were also able to re-build
homes for four families that were
selected with the help of the local
parish priest from Lunahuaná. These
four families were overjoyed once
their homes were repaired and
re-built. Again, we want to thank
all the donors who helped with
this generous gift for the people
who lost everything during the
earthquake.
We also secured funds from the
European offices to purchase a
mini-van to transport our children to
school, medical appointments, and
other related trips. Also, 14 children
received their Confirmation with
the Bishop of Cañete and 9 children
received their First Communion.
Other important milestones
this year were that two children
graduated from primary school
and our teenagers in secondary
school excelled in their academics
due to tutoring support form our
caregivers.
During school vacation, we
implemented summer courses,
Total number of children: 43, Babies: 4, Girls: 16, Boys: 23,
Kindergarten: 2, Primary School: 20, Secondary School: 15
2 Peru
which turned out to be a big hit. We
are very thankful to our caregivers,
volunteers, and teachers who did
an amazing job working with our
children. We also implemented a
library project so now the children
have a place to enjoy books and
relax. Four computers were also
purchased for the library.
The children and staff of Nuestros
Pequeños Hermanos Peru want
to thank you very sincerely and
enormously for all that support and
help during this rewarding past year.
Alfredo Hernandez
National Director
Operating Expenses 2008
Benefits & Insurance 14%
Salaries 30%
Administration 10%
Sharing fund 1%
Utilities 5%
Maintenance 2%
Food 11%
Housing 14%
Clothing 1%
Transportation 7%
Administration and Accounting
In 2008, the accounting department
established strict documentary
control policies which are more
efficient, both of employees’
documents as well as operations of
the home.
Other major accomplishments this
year have been our external audit
and improving the information in
our financial statements. Also, we
managed the cash flow of projects
such as the library, bedroom furniture,
and TBC health program for all our
children, pre-fabricated classrooms,
and the construction of four homes to
aid victims of the earthquake.
For 2008, we had a total of 19
employees and 2 volunteers
helping raise our family. We have
2 administrative staff, 2 cooks, 2
guards, 11 caregivers, 1 part-time
doctor and 1 part-time psychologist.
This year, as with the previous year,
we have seen the trend of the dollar
losing value against the Peruvian sol,
Medicine 3%
Education 2%
which has contributed to considerable
loss for our home. As of last quarter it
has started to stabilize.
As a general comment, the
uncertainty of the worldwide
economic and financial crisis that
occurred this fall has been on our
minds. We know that our local
bank has great strength and a lot of
presence in the Peruvian market. We
are lucky to say that this crisis has not
deeply affected our Peruvian economy
as of yet, though we are wary and
preparing for the hit.
The accounting department is
always looking to establish new and
better policies to help us work more
efficiently. For example, we have met
the timeline of delivering the financial
information requested to us monthly
by NPHI.
Gilmer Alva Sarmiento
Accountant and Administrator
Peru 3
Construction
Our home is currently located in the
District of San Vicente de Cañete,
1.5 hours south of Lima. As part of
our preparations to move to our new
property in Cañete, where Ciudadela
Santa Rosa de Lima will be built,
we have found the perfect home to
rent. Our present home is a former
hotel complex in the tourist village
of Lunahuaná, with soccer and
volleyball fields so our children can
play outdoors. We also have a small
pond with fish and geese, much to
the delight of our pequeños.
The office of NPH Peru is situated
in the district capital of San Vicente,
some 45 minutes from our home,
because an internet connection is
not available in Lunahuaná. We are
anxious to start building, so that we
will all be living, working, and going to
school close to each other.
The final architecture plan for our site
has been developed, including the
area and location of each building for
our complex. It will include: children’s
homes; administrative office; homes
for the director, volunteers, and
visitors; and a dining/meeting hall.
After a long bureaucratic process
with the municipality of Cañete, we
now have approval to apply for the
construction permits for each building.
We also have completed the technical
studies for the well water, sewage,
and electricity. To assist us with
future relationship building, contacts
with key executives of the supply
companies and the municipality have
been established. We have also met
with potential construction companies
so we can start working as soon as
we obtain the permits.
4 Peru
The original time schedule for the
construction had to be adapted for
2008. This was necessary due to
the proceedings at the municipality
and the supply companies, which
took much more time than expected
and also due to the time needed for
proper coordination between our
home and NPHI. The municipality
of Cañete was also working on the
location of road and street access
for our site. The technical staff of
Cañete’s municipality had defined
a street that would pass through
our land and divide it into two
parts. Working together with their
department, we were able to redirect
them and change the location of the
road so it will now pass by one side of
our property.
For the elaboration of the plans of the
buildings we worked together with
an architect and two technicians. For
other technical reports, such as the
well and sewage, we coordinated
with companies or individual
professionals were contracted.
Our goal is that during the first weeks
of 2009, we have the necessary
financial resources to finance the
drilling of the water well and the
construction of the reservoir tank. This
will mark the beginning of the physical
construction of our complex and also
the basis to keep the proposed time
schedule for construction for 2009.
By the end of 2009, our goal is
to have the construction of three
children’s homes completed, along
with the basic infrastructure, water,
sewage water, and electricity.
Sponsorship Department
Among our accomplishments this year
were that our children made special,
original cards for Godparents Day and
Christmas. All of our children happily
participated in these activities and did
their best in decorating each card with
their own personal touch. We also kept
most of our sponsors. However, with
new children, new sponsors arrived.
We ended the year with 180 sponsors
and 185 sponsorships, Italy being the
country with the most sponsors.
This year we had more options to
share with the children on their
birthdays because we had a little bit
more from the Sharing Fund. Every
three months we celebrate birthdays
when we travel to the nearby city of
San Vicente de Cañete since there
are more options for a nice dinner
and for the special shopping they
themselves do with the money that
is given to them by the coordinator of
the sponsorship department. There we
have a special dinner, birthday cake,
and presents. The children are always
very happy, to say the least.
Two Godparents visited, and their
godchildren were extremely happy.
One visit was for our youngster
Franklin, who was thrilled to be able
to play with the relatives of the family
that came to visit him from Lima on
behalf of her American sponsor. The
other child was Anel who had the
pleasant visit of her sponsor, who also
brought some gifts for all our children.
For next year, we would like one
person to assist with the program
especially around the month of March
for Godparents Day and in the fall for
the Christmas cards, since these are
the two busiest times of year. This
work needs to be done in time and
the cards need to be delivered to the
various offices for our sponsors.
We would like to receive more children
and at the same time more sponsors.
It is important for our children to
understand the beautiful work that
each NPH office does for them and the
many people that without knowing us,
immensely help our homes.
Peru 5
Psychology Department
This was the first year in which
children, caregivers, and volunteers
participated in the monthly publication
of the newspaper. Everyone put forth
their best effort in the content of the
newspaper, showing great artistic and
literary skills.
Our department organized workshops
for children of all ages on self-esteem,
sexuality, personal hygiene, and
abuse prevention. For the caregivers
we had workshops with the theme of
personal growth, reading techniques,
attention exercises, strategies of
leadership and exposition of abilities.
The caregivers were very open
and they had a good attitude. We
completed an evaluation of each
caregiver in the areas of emotional
intelligence, cognitive skills, and the
aptness for work.
We designed a monthly award
program for the children who
received excellent grades. They were
recognized in front of everyone and
were given special recognition and
a prize. Since then, there has been
a positive attitude in all the youths.
Each child will have a monthly report
card completed by the caregiver
and psychologist. Daily activities
such as counseling and tutoring
were scheduled more personalized
attention.
On Valentine’s Day or Friendship Day,
the children created thank you and
appreciation cards for their caregivers.
It was such a good experience to see
even the little ones full of energy and
enthusiasm to prepare very sensitive
cards. When the caregivers received
6 Peru
all these cards, they were very
impressed and touched. They were
not expecting this gesture from the
children. It was a beautiful occasion
to exchange experiences, stories,
songs, and typical dances. Also the
volunteers who participated shared
stories of their respective countries
with regard to the celebration for
Valentine’s Day. The children are
now asking, “When are we going to
celebrate the next Valentine´s Day?”
Perhaps in this coming new year we
can count on the recognition of the
caregivers towards the children.
This year we had the support of
a hired nurse for early childhood
stimulation with the babies.
During this year we incremented our
consultations by 40%, evaluations
of the caregivers by 100%, and
administration by 90%.
Our needs are materials for the early
stimulation program. Some of our
goals for next year are to computerize
evaluations and create a more
comprehensive database for each
child and continue with workshops
and training for our caregivers. We
would also like to create a youth
leadership program.
Lic. Rita Elena Neira Quiroz
Psychologist
Boys’ and Girls’ Homes
This year our children received better
grades, especially all the young
teenagers who are in secondary
school. Their maturity and behavior
also improved during the course of
the year.
Our children participated in the many
local school activities including a
competition in which two students
won first and second place in
Mathematics. A student also won
second place in Communications.
The summer courses were popular
with all of the children. We offered
math and integral communication,
computers, and arts and crafts. The
classes were complemented with
sports during the afternoons taught
by caregivers and volunteers.
Other major accomplishments
were the workshops offered by the
Psychology department and the
implementation of the newspaper.
Two staff and six children rotate
and are responsible for creating the
articles for that month.
With the help and guidance of the
Psychology department we created
a report card for every child, each
month to see their progress at home
and school, while paying special
attention to participation, initiative,
and responsibility.
Our new library with four computers
and many books helps form good
reading habits as well as provides
childcare educational books for our
staff. The books and computers in the
library also help the children with their
homework.
We also implemented an employee of
the month recognition in gratitude for
hard work.
During the last four months of the
year we have tried to reduce costs by
limiting use of the washing machine,
and turning on the water heaters only
during bath time. We also walk with
the children to school every morning
instead of driving them in the
mini-van.
Peru 7
Anel is a very happy seven yearold. She loves to dance, sing, and
participate in all the home activities.
At school she was chosen to
participate in the spring pageant. She
took this very seriously and as a result
could not sleep or eat. She was only
thinking about the contest and was
constantly simulating performing a
speech to an audience and would
start to model. There were times
that she would pick up the leaves
and place them on her head to make
them look like a crown. She even took
the high heel shoes of one of her
caregivers. We did not know what to
do with her. Finally, the long awaited
day of the spring pageant arrived
and she was crowned among all the
participants as the Spring Queen.
Agustina entered our home when
she was eight years old. When she
arrived she was always cursing and
would not obey the caregivers. She
was also rude to her siblings and
would try to hit them. Her four sisters
confirmed that she behaved like this
in her previous home. With the love
and patience of the caregivers and
the work of the psychologist, we
have seen that Agustina has matured
greatly. Now at age 11, she likes to
work in groups, is responsible and
cooperative, and understands when
she is in the wrong. In school, she is
at the top of her class.
Ruben is another case where we have
seen a tremendous change. We used
to send Ruben with another child to a
special school were he was learning
8 Peru
to read and write but he was never
interested. It didn’t help that the other
children would tease him. This year,
we enrolled Ruben in school with
other children and he has responded
very well. We believed that it was
necessary for him to integrate with
the other children in the same school
year.
We currently have 10 caregivers but
are in search for an older caregiver
who knows more about babies and
early stimulation. Next year we hope
to have three youths giving their year
of service, helping their brothers
and sisters. Our population currently
stands at 43 children.
2009 goals are to build the children’s
homes on the new property, create
a youth leader group, educate our
children to become more independent
and have excellent values and morals,
and have more hours of recreation for
our children.
Home Coordinators
Sonia Terán Correa and
Roger Arista Sánchez
Healthcare
The most prevalent diseases among
our children were upper respiratory
infections, fungal skin infections,
gastrointestinal diseases, minor
traumas, as well as allergy reactions.
We also completed the Body Mass
Index measures in all the children
obtaining a normal result in all of
them.
We have also been working on
vaccine schedules that were not
complete for some of the children
because of reasons such as lack
of previous family interest, the
far location of their homes from
government clinics or hospitals, and
lack of monetary resources.
All children older than five were
successfully protected against
Hepatitis B after three consecutive
vaccines during the year provided free
by the Peruvian government. For the
next coming year, we want to protect
our children against Hepatitis A, which
is an endemic infectious disease in
our community.
We also performed general
screenings to determine if there was
a case of Pulmonary Tuberculosis
including the PPD skin test reaction
and the lung X-ray for all the children
and caregivers. No positive cases
were found after an exhaustive
search.
Our part-time physician comes once a
week for consultations. We did have
one professional nurse; however,
she resigned and at this moment
our efforts have been fruitless in the
search for a replacement. However,
we hope that in this coming year
we can hire a competent nurse who
likes to work with the children and
can also be of great assistance to the
caregivers.
Roberto Israel Palacios, MD
Peru 9
Social Work
One of the biggest accomplishments
since I joined NPH Peru was to obtain
the government military service
document for five of our youths,
which is very important in order to
acquire legal documents in the future.
There were also positive contacts
with the family court judge, from
my hometown, with the objective of
finding new children for our home.
We also established contacts with
other provinces outside of Cañete
in the hope that they can assist with
children in need.
We re-organized the case files of
every child with all the relevant
information including the social work
investigation paperwork, psychological
information, medical records, legal
information, academic report cards,
and personal documents. This review
helped us in determining what
information was missing and also
10 Peru
cases of children that joined our
family during the past year.
There was the very specific case of
one child who is 13 years old who
is living with a terminal disease. He
has three younger siblings but we
are waiting for a final decision by the
family judge who asked us to take
them into our home.
Our goal is that we can establish
a relationship with the regional
authorities and create better
networking in other regions and
organizations in Peru with the main
objective that our help and assistance
get to the children that need it.
Lic. Tula Lourdes Cruces Castillo
Social Worker
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
Dear Friends and Donors,
I hope you, your family, friends, and
loved ones have been blessed this
past year and that you receive many
more blessings this year. First of all,
I want to thank you sincerely for the
constant support given to our ever
growing family, especially during
the hard economic times around the
world. I know that supporting the
children means a greater sacrifice.
Our year was full of excitement. We
went through changes that presented
opportunities and challenges in our
home and outside.
us to welcome more children into
the family. The children, helped by
their caregivers, engaged in new
projects around the house and in the
neighboring communities.
It has been a year since we all moved
from the rented place in the city of
Santa Cruz, to a place we can now
identify and feel at home. It took a
few months for the children to adapt
to the new place away from the
city, new school, classmates and
friends, but we are happy to have a
home. Moving to the new place gave
us more space and allowed
Political instability combined with the
world economic crisis resulted in a
steep increase in the cost of living.
The world economic crisis in addition
to the country’s instability is a
worrying mixture. The first one limits
our ability to extend our arms to other
children in need as everything such
as food, fuel, hygiene and medical
products, construction, etc., becomes
2 Bolivia
In the first half of the year, civil
unrest, road blocks, and other civil
manifestations arising out of the
country’s instability, prevented the
children from attending school for
almost two weeks. Gasoline and
cooking fuels became hard to find.
more expensive and scarce. And the
latter doubles the poverty and thus
the abandoned children.
As each day passes, we provide love
and security to the children, many
of them too young to understand
what goes on in the outside world.
However, our hope is to continue
growing, giving life opportunities to
those who do not have them. Once
again on behalf of the Bolivian family,
I thank you for teaming with us in
the most wonderful work that we
do, taking care of the orphaned and
abandoned children.
God bless you,
German Mercado
National Director
The Move & Construction updates
On January 14, 2008 the first of
several moving trucks pulled into our
rented house in Santa Cruz. Moving
day had finally arrived! Our much
anticipated move to Casa Padre
Wasson took place as Bolivia coped
with record rainfalls, but a brief
respite in the rain allowed us to move
everything and everyone to our new
home.
Our new home is located just over
80 kilometers from Santa Cruz near
the town of Portachuelo where the
children attend school and Mass.
Six new houses and a central dining
room/kitchen were the first phase
of construction. Each home can
accommodate up to 16 children,
giving us some much-needed
room to grow. Within one month of
moving, we had already accepted 13
new children and now at the end of
2008 we are caring for 61 children,
something that would have been
impossible in our old home. With
all these new brothers and sisters,
we are once again in need of more
housing, so we hope to continue with
the construction of at least two more
houses in 2009.
Our humble thanks to all who have
helped make this dream a reality.
Our children are thriving in their new
home and we look forward to building
our family here and continuing to
offer a safe and loving home to more
and more children in need. None of
which would be possible without your
generous support.
Construction related projects
completed at our new home in 2008:
(Some projects completed by outside
contractors and others by our own
staff and the older children)
# Walking paths and bridges (needed
during the rainy season)
# Temporary wall in the dining hall to
create three office spaces and a
library
# Improved entrance to NPH allowing
entry during the rainy season
# Temporary doors put in to provide
housing for staff, office space and
pre-school classrooms
# Study area built with individual
study cubicles
# Small group and individual
reflection/meeting space
# Beds, shelves, libraries and
cupboards for the new houses and
storage rooms
# Reinforced roofs and ceilings to
prevent leaks during the rainy
season
# Installed gas tank and protective
fence for use in the kitchen
# Installed satellite antenna for
phones and internet
# Built compost, recycling and
garbage disposal area
# Lighting around playing fields and
houses
# Play room for the youngest children
# Soccer field and volleyball court
Bolivia 3
Construction Needs for 2009:
Continue construction of homes
for the children (we would like to
continue accepting more children in
need. To do so we urgently need to
begin construction on at least two
and preferably four new houses)
S Install an industrial sized
washer/dryer
S Install walk-in refrigeration for fruits
and vegetables
S Complete the play areas for the
youngest children
S Improve the soccer fields
S Furniture for our library, study
rooms and living rooms
Casa San Jorge Toddlers’ Home
It is not uncommon for the eight
children five years old and younger
living in Casa San Jorge to enjoy the
late afternoon sunlight on their front
patio, dancing to one of their favorite
CDs. But between their dance
sessions and running everywhere
they go, they earn their afternoon
naps in their home set behind the
two boys’ homes. Our youngest have
certainly acclimatized well to their
new environment with a home all
their own for their unique schedule.
The biggest change seen in our
youngest over the past year is that
they have made the transition from
being our “babies” to being our “little
ones”. They are curious, intelligent
and independent-minded toddlers.
During the past year, volunteer
Gwenole Leverge from France
worked with our youngest age
4 Bolivia
group on a daily basis in an early
stimulation classroom. Focusing on
development of fine motor skills and
the basics of numbers and letters,
Gwen played games and made crafts
that incorporated these things. It
is essential to develop these skills
and keep our children intellectually
active. The children cherished their
time spent with Gwen and are being
well prepared for their coming years
of school. The eight children of San
Jorge add life and energy to an
already lively environment, quickly
becoming the center of attention
in our constantly growing family.
San Jorge is excited to welcome
volunteer Marleen Bosch from
Holland at the beginning of 2009 as a
caregiver in the home.
Girls’ Homes
The move from our rented home
in Santa Cruz to the spacious
Padre William B. Wasson property
has made a world of difference to
our girls. The conversion from one
shared dormitory for the girls of
all ages into two separate houses
divided by age has allowed our
girls the space and peace to
develop their skills and hobbies.
Casa Ángeles de Dios is home
to our sixteen girls between the
ages of six and 11 and these
smiling little faces add much
happiness to the home. These
growing young girls have strong
personalities that when confined
to smaller quarters were often in
conflict with one another. Daniela
entered NPH three years ago in
2005. She is a child with strong
emotions and had difficulty
controlling them at times. As
more children were accepted
and the home grew fuller, the
more crowded spaces seemed to
exacerbate the situation. With
no space for quiet or alone time,
Daniela was frequently having
conflicts with her brothers and
sisters. Since the move to her
new home in Casa Ángeles
de Dios we have seen marked
improvement. She has learned
to remove herself from the
situation when she begins to get
frustrated. As a result, she gets
angry less and therefore can
better manage her emotions. Her
grades in school and relationships
with her brothers and sisters and
caregivers have all improved.
Casa Estrellas de Belén is home
to our twelve young women and
they have, more than anyone
else, truly embraced their new
home. From the beautiful flowers
that greet you as you approach
their home to the hand painted
table cloth that adorns their
dining room table, they have
made their home their own.
Caregiver Rosy has seen marked
improvement in everything from
school work to cleaning and
chores around the house. They
are a reflection of the impact a
child’s home environment has
on everything they do. These
girls have put countless hours
into our agricultural projects with
a well maintained, healthy field
of yucca, corn, and peanuts.
The walls of their bedrooms are
decorated with their art, and they
are responsible for some of the
most beautiful letters to their
godparents. They are a talented
group. They, like the older boys,
are at pivotal times in their lives
and the separation from the
younger girls has allowed for
more personal and attentive
care to their needs. No longer
grouped with the younger girls,
their progress in everything from
chores to schoolwork has been
impressive. The girls’ homes
are also at capacity and we look
forward to the construction of
more homes to welcome more
sisters into our family.
Casa Ángeles de Dios: 16 girls, Casa Estrellas de Belén: 12 girls, Caregivers: 4
Bolivia 5
Boys’ Homes
The new location and layout of the
homes are such a positive influence
on our children. Where one large
dormitory housed all our boys in the
old home, we now have two beautiful
homes with four rooms each. The
boys have been split by age, the
younger boys living in Casa Discípulos
de Jesús and the older boys living
in Casa San Francisco. The division
by basic age group has allowed the
caregivers of the two respective
homes to focus on more age
appropriate activities, and lessons for
the boys. More specifically, it allows
our older boys to learn and mature in
their adolescence while the younger
boys can also learn and develop.
The boys of Casa Discípulos de
Jesús have certainly been just that,
younger boys, and have pushed the
envelope on a number of occasions.
It has required their caregivers to
take a different approach with the
children, keeping in mind the 14
distinct personalities and dispositions
the children possess. It has allowed
for more individualized care that is
so needed in their young ages. The
boys of Discípulos boast the most
well maintained garden and walkways
and even have their own agriculture
project. Rows of corn and yucca have
sprouted and are thriving under the
watchful care of our younger boys.
The boys of Casa San Francisco are
at a different but also very important
point in their lives. They have already
learned many of the lessons their
younger brothers are learning; they
are now trying to find their own
6 Bolivia
way of putting what they have
learned into action. They seek more
independence, and it is granted as
they demonstrate they know what is
expected of them.
Ever joined our family over two years
ago and his time here has been one of
development and maturity. He entered
NPH behind others his age in school.
He quickly made up the difference and
performs very well in school. He has
also been instrumental in projects and
is leading by example. The successes
he has seen have been due to his
admirable work ethic.
It is through hard work that the boys
of San Francisco have made much
appreciated contributions to the
home. They built a quiet meeting
and reflection space using materials
we had on hand here. Our ‘capilla’
or chapel has proven the perfect
gathering place for our service
group Mi Voz Se Escucha. Since the
beginning of summer vacations, they
have spent many mornings planting
various vegetables and some fruits.
Though we have not yet harvested,
they are very proud, and rightfully so,
to see the corn, yucca, beans, and
others succeeding in the beautiful soil
our property is blessed with.
With our boys’ homes at capacity,
we look forward to the construction
of new homes so that we may take
in more children. The current layout
has now been tried and is a proven
method for raising our boys in a safe
and healthy environment in small
groups that assure the necessary love
and attention.
Education
A new home meant
new schools for our
children in this past
year. Our children in
primary school began
classes in February at
Immaculate Conception
School in Portachuelo.
Immaculate Conception
is a St. Don Bosco
order Catholic school
that sits next to the
church on the town’s
plaza. It has been
a very welcoming
environment to 42 of
our children, with a
rigorous curriculum
and good teachers. Our children have
done very well in their new school;
many ended the year at the top of
their class.
Four of our secondary school students
attend Maria Immaculate School in
Portachuelo which has also been a
wonderful match for our students.
We have been blessed to have
quick transitions into new learning
environments where our children are
able to learn and grow.
The oldest of our family, Jhonny, has
continued at his secondary school in
Santa Cruz. Jhonny lives in Casa San
Jacobo in Santa Cruz. He is learning
to live independently but still coming
back to the home every weekend to
help out with the younger children.
Living on his own has been a positive
experience for Jhonny and yet
another necessary step in preparing
him for his life ahead.
With just our first phase of
construction at our permanent home
completed, only our Preschool and
Kindergarten children stayed at
the home for schooling. Our eight
preschoolers and kindergarteners had
class with their teacher Marioly in
Casa Madre Teresa which, in addition
to housing our female volunteers and
employees, has educational spaces,
such as the kindergarten classroom,
preschool room and study space.
Five children graduated from the
kindergarten program this year and
will be moving on to first grade in
Portachuelo with their older brothers
and sisters at San José.
We had another successful summer
of courses to keep our children
intellectually active and having fun.
The caregivers and volunteers offered
courses in arts and crafts, theater,
dance, and sports that ran for a
month of summer break. The children
were able to choose any two courses
they wanted.
Religion
With the morning sun just barely
over the tree tops on the horizon, the
children are already lined up according
to house from youngest to oldest in
school uniforms representing the two
schools, primary and secondary, that
they attend in nearby Portachuelo. But
before loading the bus and beginning
their school day, we all pause for a
moment of reflection. A passage of
scripture is read and expounded upon
by one of their caregivers employing
stories they can relate to in order to
bring the gospel message to life. The
Preschool: 9, Kindergarten: 5, Primary School: 42, Secondary School: 5
Bolivia 7
nurturing of our children’s faith life is
central to the NPH philosophy and
mission. This past year, NPH Bolivia
has made special attempts to portray
their faith in God as active in their
everyday lives. Jesús Campos, the
head of our Education Department,
has taught catechism classes to
those preparing for baptism and first
communions. We had one baptism
this past year and twelve first
communions, both of which were
affairs our entire family shared.
The oldest boys of the San Francisco
house built a chapel and reflection
space with materials we had on
hand. It has proven a peaceful space
of reflection as well as a space for
groups such as Mi Voz Se Escucha
to meet. Just a short brick-lined
walkway from the main road, the
‘capilla’ is one of the first buildings
you see when you arrive at NPH
Bolivia, which is fitting. It is in this
culture of nurturing faith lives that our
service group thrives, seeking to live
out the Word in our day-to-day lives.
In November of this year, Semillitas
(Little Seeds), a group for our 8 to
11-year-olds began to take shape
under the guidance of caregiver
Ismael Menacho along with Jackelin
and Ever, both members of Mi Voz
Se Escucha. The purpose of this
group is to help the children grow
in their relationship with God, help
them develop Christian values and
give them opportunities to share their
unique gifts with others.
Baptisms: 1
First Communion: 12
8 Bolivia
Mi Voz Se Escucha
Mi Voz Se Escucha (My Voice Is
Heard) is NPH Bolivia’s first youth
service group. They celebrated
their second anniversary this past
December. The group is moderated
by our caregiver Erick Alejo, but is
truly run and driven by pequeños
Alenia and Rodrigo along with
fourteen other members, making
it truly a youth service group. With
the move to our new home outside
Portachuelo, Mi Voz has taken charge
of introducing NPH to our new
neighbors. On a number of occasions
the group has piled into the van
and headed to one of a number of
small communities that share our
highway. Names are exchanged,
smiles shared, and games played as
we get to know our new home and
our neighbors get to know us. Be it
San Ignacio, Burgos, Santa Rita, or
Manzanillar, those that live around us
have a good idea of who we are and
what we stand for. They know us as
more than just neighbors, they know
us as friends.
Erick has run a series of leadership
workshops to encourage and nurture
this culture of change coming from
our children. The group empowers
them to improve their world around
them, within the NPH home and
beyond. Mi Voz has provided a
platform for our oldest children to
take charge and affect real change in
their community. They are learning
that it feels good to help others and
that they are capable of helping
in many ways. Mi Voz is not just
preparing our children to be leaders
in their lives, but compassionate
citizens who put the needs of others
before their own.
Agriculture
Back in September, a rented tractor
from San Ignacio rumbled through
the property, preparing around three
hectares of land for planting in our
pilot farming project. Our region of
Bolivia has famously prolific soil and
growing conditions, thus our home
joined its neighbors in planting as
the rainy season approached. With
our children taking the
lead, corn, yucca, beans,
peanuts, and other
fruits and vegetables
have been planted. The
peanuts will be used to
make a common and
delicious soup, as well
as chicha, a traditional
beverage. Items such as
watermelons and popcorn
are more for fun. The pilot
project has been an ideal
way for the children to get
hands-on experience with
planting and managing
their own food. The first
land to be worked sits below our
water tank, where the pump has
a constant stream of water easily
diverted into a system of irrigation
canals.
Like all older NPH homes, we too
will one day have a farm operation
producing sustainable amounts of
food for our family here. Our current
operation is a start and is small
enough that the children are involved
in every step of the process while
still producing enough food to make
the learning experience worthwhile.
We are excited to eat the first fruits
of our land here and look forward to
the many larger planting seasons to
come.
Sponsorship
The Sponsorship Department is
our children’s connection with their
godmothers and godfathers who live
in the United States, Canada, and
Europe. The office coordinates all
correspondence between the children
and their godparents. The excitement
and happiness of each child when
they receive a letter from their
godparent cannot be overstated. It is
a precious moment when their often
asked question, “Do I have a letter?”
is met with a “Yes.”
Of the 15 new children who entered
our home this year, none have been
more excited to have godparents than
Julieta and her sister. Words cannot
capture the joy on Julieta’s face
when she was matched with her first
godmother. These letters not only
tell the children they are thought of
and loved, but it gives them a unique
perspective in hearing and seeing
how people live in other parts of the
world as well as share how they live
in theirs.
Godparent visits are a very special
opportunity for the children to meet
their godparents face to face and give
one of the hugs they have promised
in every one of their letters. We were
lucky to have had two godparent
visits this year, one from Holland and
the other from Germany. Despite
being the home furthest to the south,
we look forward to more visits in the
future which are viewed as major
events for our children.
Additionally, the Sponsorship
Department uses money from
the Sharing Fund to celebrate the
children’s birthdays. The Sharing Fund
Bolivia 9
is comprised 100% of gifts from
godparents to their godchildren for
birthdays, holidays, or other special
events. All children in first grade and
older celebrated their birthdays with
a trip into Santa Cruz. Each is given
an amount of money based on their
age with which they pick out their
own present. We then eat lunch in
a restaurant, sing happy birthday
and share a cake. Those children in
kinder and younger make a short
wish list and a present is bought
and given to them at a party hosted
here in the house. The parties always
have music, games, a piñata and,
of course, cake! These celebrations
are funded entirely by the Sharing
Fund, and in that way, contributions
godparents make are directly enjoyed
by their godchildren. The fund also
ensures that every child has a gift and
celebrates their special day.
We are happy to have found at least
one sponsor for each of our 15 new
children who came in the past year.
There are still sponsorships available.
The department is currently run by
one volunteer who is also the Home
Correspondent. As our home has
grown significantly in this past year,
and will continue to do so, we will be
seeking a volunteer this coming year
to run this department.
Sponsorships: 345, Available sponsorships: 21
10 Bolivia
Psychology
Psychologist Paula Marin conducted
individual or group therapies with
all 61 children. Schedules were set
up according to the specific needs
of each child and personality and
psychometric tests were utilized
along with therapy to determine a
clinical history of each.
Two goals of the department are
to promote a positive adaptation of
each child into the home and to build
self-esteem as well as trust among
members of the family. We have had
15 children enter since January and
the assimilation process into a new
home is different for each child. This
focus on trust and the self-esteem
that can then follow has proven a
very valuable asset to our newest
members.
Also for the benefit of the children
the department held interviews
and psychoanalytic tests with
each caregiver and those in direct
contact with the children. These
initial meetings were followed up by
weekly meetings with each caregiver
to maintain open communication with
those most directly involved with the
children.
The department also held three
successful workshops to better
educate those who care for our
children in assertive communication,
early stimulation in children under
five, and a workshop on abuses
against children. All three contributed
to an environment of awareness and
understanding and the children are
better off because of them.
A true mark of a successful year
for the department has been the
children’s reception and willingness
to participate. A psychologist can
only be effective if there exist
relationships of trust and comfort, so
we were happy to see how quickly
the children accepted and then
looked forward to their therapies.
As is only natural, there was an
initial hesitancy and skepticism
by the children. Many saying they
didn’t need the therapy because,
“I am not crazy.” They quickly came
to realize a psychologist is not just
for “crazy” people, but can be very
helpful in discussing your thoughts
and emotions so that you better
understand them. Anyone can benefit
from such therapy, especially our
children who, in addition to dealing
with the normal struggles of growing
up, are trying to reconcile their
difficult pasts. The general reception
has swiftly changed from hesitancy
to excitement as many look forward
to their time spent in the psychology
office.
Social Work
2008 was a busy year in the Social
Work Department for Claudia Lopez
in Bolivia. The move to the new
home, though at times making
things slightly more complicated,
has been a blessing for social work
as well. Our new facilities allowed
us to take in 15 new children since
January, raising our total from 46
children to 61 children. Claudia is
pleased to have all birth certificates
and documentation secured for our
newest children. Locating children’s
papers can be a difficult and a timeconsuming process when dealing
with government agencies. So much
so that children can end up living
with us for months before we finally
acquire final papers.
This was the case with José who
arrived with his brother Jesús in
January. José went by the name
“Cayetano” in the home where he
formerly lived, and his official file
there was under the name Cayetano.
Naturally, upon arriving at NPH,
he was introduced to the children
and caretakers as Cayetano, only
to learn in April when his papers
came through that his name was
Jose. Upon hearing the news, José
immediately embraced the return
to his given name and from that day
forward, no one has so much as
mentioned the name Cayetano. In all
of the trials normally associated with
the paperwork, this was a first for us!
The move to Portachuelo has been a
mixed blessing for the department.
It is certainly a healthier environment
for the children, which is our top
Bolivia 11
priority. The extra space has also
meant more privacy in the office
as, for the first time, there is a
Social Work office that is not shared
with several other people. This is
important due to the often sensitive
nature of the work.
A difficulty that came with the
move from Santa Cruz has been
our inconsistent communication
from our rural location. With much
of the department’s work involving
the local government in Santa Cruz,
contact with the city is imperative.
As a result of poor cell phone signal
and difficulties with our phones
relying on internet, a certain amount
of time must be spent in the city.
This split time between the city and
home has highlighted the need for a
second worker in the department. A
volunteer proficient in Spanish and
with a background in social work
would fulfill this need.
The department of Social Work is
excited to be a part of our growing
family in Bolivia. With each child
we are able to accept, we are living
NPH’s mission to take in children
from varying histories and giving
them the loving environment they
need to reach their potential by giving
them opportunities they otherwise
would not have had.
12 Bolivia
Healthcare
As our home underwent major
transformation this past year, so
did the clinic and medical staff. The
transition to the new surroundings
and new staff proved difficult with a
lack of continuity and medical record
keeping. Dr. Claudia is quick to give
much credit and thanks to volunteer
nurse Herman Zoeller of Germany for
his work, particularly putting together
files for each child. Herman was
with us from January to June but
his contributions far exceed his six
month stint. Dr. Claudia Allyon arrived
in June of this year on the heels of
Herman, and Linda Hungerkamp,
also of Germany, arrived in July.
Both strove to build relationships of
comfort and trust with the children,
which were achieved quickly and
enjoyed by both. NPH Bolivia is
blessed with having children in good
health with no major problems or preexisting conditions. As such, Claudia
and Linda have set out to establish
improved hygiene and nutritional
habits, both of which have profound
effects on the general health of our
children.
The most frequent problems we see
in our clinic are parasites, mycosis,
abscesses, and gastritis. All of these
are treatable once recognized, but
seeking those who need treatment
can often be the biggest hurdle in
treating them. We had two operations
this year: one for the removal of a
kidney stone, for which the child was
taken to a hospital in the city of Santa
Cruz, and the other for appendicitis.
Overall, we have been blessed with
good health.
One hurdle for our medical staff
has been the temporary clinic
out of which they operate. As our
permanent clinic is slated as part
of future construction, a room in
the dining hall is serving as our
clinic. We would like to provide the
clinic with a water connection for
at least a sink for washing hands
and utensils. Additionally, to keep
up with our growing family, there is
the need to expand the pharmacy
inventory as well as equipment such
as splints, slings, and crutches. We
are confident the clinic can keep pace
with our family and we look forward
to outsourcing less and less of our
children’s care as facilities become
available here at the home.
Volunteers
Volunteers add a much valued energy
and perspective upon arriving at
our home and it is for this reason
NPH has been relying on volunteers
in any capacity for so many years.
NPH Bolivia has been blessed with
a couple of very valuable volunteers
this past year. With us from the
beginning of the year, Gwendolé
Leverge of France has worked with
alternating groups of preschool
and kindergarten children during
the mornings in his room adjoining
the kindergarten classroom. While
the first half of the year Gwen
devoted his afternoons to one-onone homework help with children
who needed extra attention, in
recent months we have enjoyed the
realization of his project, “Sala de
bien estar” (Room of well being). It is
a place where children can still come
for homework help, but additionally
can come to relax, listen to music,
play board games, or work on art
projects. Though still in its infancy,
it is proving a wonderful outlet for
our children here. We are looking for
someone to replace his position and
drive this project forward.
Also arriving in January was Herman
Zoeller of Germany as our nurse
and for the last couple of months he
was with us, our entire clinic staff.
Herman spent a year volunteering
in NPH Honduras before joining us
for six months. In the half year he
was with us he orchestrated a period
of transition between two full-time
doctors. Though Herman left us in
June, his legacy lasts in the form of
up-to-date exams and records for all
of the children.
Bolivia 13
Linda Hungerkamp, also of Germany,
began a year of service with us in
July as our nurse following Herman.
Working with our Doctor Claudia,
Linda has worked with the children in
emphasizing the importance of dental
hygiene and nutrition. As our clinic is
only equipped to handle basic day-today needs, Linda also accompanies
our children for visits to the hospitals
and dentists in nearby Portachuelo or
the city of Santa Cruz.
Larkin VanDerhoef arrived from
the United States in April for
a commitment of a little more
than a year. Larkin is running the
Sponsorship Department as well as
serving as the Home Correspondent.
Our home here in Bolivia has been
small enough in the past that the
two positions have been filled by one
volunteer, but as we have moved to
our final home site and are continually
growing, we will be looking for two
new volunteers to take on each
respective department in May in
order to further develop them both.
Volunteering at NPH in Bolivia
provides a unique intimacy as a
volunteer can come to know each
child and is able to forge lasting and
meaningful relationships with many.
14 Bolivia
Operating Expenses 2008
Farm and Gardens .5%
Depreciation 5%
Salaries 27%
Exchange rate profit 10%
Benefits & Insurance 5%
Administration 7%
Sharing fund 1%
Utilities 4%
Food 12%
Maintenance 9%
Clothing 2%
Housing 6%
Transportation 7%
Medicine 2%
Education 3%
Needs:
Projector
Educational games/ Board games
Laptop computer
Underwear
Photo printer (as well as photo
paper and ink cartridges)
Hats, Scarves, gloves
Books for all ages
School supplies
Art supplies
Socks
Hair accessories
Band Aids
NPH Worldwide Community
NPH Homes
US and Canada Offices
European Offices
Fundraising Offices
Our Little Brothers and Sisters
Europe e.V. – ECC
Tullastr. 66,
76131 Karlsruhe
Germany
+49.721.354.4021
[email protected]
www.nph.org
Friends of the Orphans - USA
85 West Algonquin Road
Suite 395
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
USA
+1.847.690.1700
[email protected]
www.friendsoftheorphans.org
Friends of the Orphans - Canada
470 Industrial Avenue
Woodstock, Ontario
N4S 7L1
Canada
+1.519.421.1992
[email protected]
www.fotocan.org
Mexico / Opened: 1954
Number of children: 795
Features: Primary, secondary and technical
schools, clinic, chapel, farm and gardens.
[email protected]
Honduras / Opened: 1986
Number of children: 547
Features: Preschool through secondary,
vocational workshops, chapel, farm and
gardens, clinics, special homes for disabled
children and elderly adults.
[email protected]
Haiti / Opened: 1987
Number of children: 597
Features: Primary and secondary school,
chapel, home for disabled children,
physiotherapy/rehabilitation center and
Haiti’s only free pediatric hospital.
[email protected]
Nicaragua / Opened: 1994
Number of children: 320
Features: Island home has primary
school, clinic, chapel, farm and vocational
workshops. Mainland babies home has
preschool and kindergarten.
[email protected]
Guatemala / Opened: 1996
Number of children: 319
Features: Preschool through secondary
school, vocational workshops, clinic, farm
and gardens, home for disabled children.
[email protected]
El Salvador / Opened: 1999
Number of children: 459
Features: Kindergarten through secondary
school, vocational workshops, clinic, chapel
and farm.
[email protected]
Dominican Republic / Opened: 2003
Number of children: 172
Features: 15 family style children’s homes,
preschool through primary school,
gardens and clinic. Secondary school under
construction.
[email protected]
Peru / Opened: 2004
Number of children: 48
Features: Currently in rented
accommodations in Lunahuana, 1.5 hours
from Lima. The permanent site will be in
Cañete.
[email protected]
Bolivia / Opened: 2005
Number of children: 61
Features: Six family style children’s
homes and dining hall. Expansion plans for
additonal family style homes, offices, school
and chapel.
[email protected]
www.nph.org
[email protected]
Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos™ International
Apdo. Postal 333
62000 Cuernavaca, Morelos
México
Calle Nacional #44
Col. Sta. Maria Ahuacatitlán
62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos
México
Tel: +52.777.311.4600
[email protected]
www.nph.org