The majority of the people we support grew up in an orphanage called NPH (Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos). The orphanage met their basic needs when they were children, but as soon as they became adults (or teenagers in some cases), they were on their own, living in one of the poorest countries in the world with no social safety net and no one to turn to.
They have shown that they are survivors: getting by and even having children of their own in many cases, despite living in extreme poverty. However, they inevitably face obstacles that they can’t remove without help. For example, one young man needed $75 for a juicer, a cooler, and some oranges so he could start an orange juice stand to earn money to feed himself. Another one (finally!) got a job, but needed $50 to pay for bus fare to get there and back until he got his first paycheck. Many of them have learned skills (like welding, shoe making. carpentry, or sewing) but cannot afford the tools they need to use these skills to make a living. These seem like simple requests but when all your friends are also living in poverty and you don’t have family to lean on, coming up against these kinds of obstacles is like hitting a brick wall. That is where we come in.
