Dear Parishioners,
Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) supports over 9,000 vulnerable children and adults annually in nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Not only do we provide support to the children that live with us, but we also support children and families living in the community through our community outreach programs.
In Guatemala, 55% of the population lives in poverty with over 68% of the country’s child population living in poverty. This number jumps even higher for the country’s indigenous population, with 80% of indigenous group members living in poverty.
In 2022 in the city of Chimaltenango, NPH opened the Father William Wasson Family Center to better support the indigenous children and families, many of single parents, living in the community. Last year, the NPH Family Center supported over 150 families through 5 core services: daycare for children 2 to 4, tutoring services for local students, rehabilitation for children with disabilities and career empowerment and training for women and single parents, and technical/vocational training for single parents.
The goal of the family center is to empower families in a very poor area of Guatemala and to support systemic and generational change. The three-floor building boasts color and education in a variety of necessary rooms to support the programs. As one of the only free services in the area, the waitlist for services is extensive.
Wendy and her two sons, Antony (age 5) and Josh (age 3) are all successful beneficiaries of the Family Center. As their mother can only meet their basic needs, Antony and Josh lacked access to education, basic hygiene, leading to infections on their skin and eyes, and nutrition, causing them both to have stunted growth. Wendy approached the Family Center in 2023 to allow both boys to be accepted into the program. Since then, they have both attended the daycare program where they eat healthy meals, are taught proper hygiene and receive an education that allows them to develop age-appropriate skills. Both boys are healthier, have achieved proper weights and are thriving. Wendy is also bettering herself by attending the center’s vocational training programs in hopes of developing skills to help her find a job.
Although separate from the main NPH Guatemala campus, the Family Center is showing how we can best replicate the education and career services we offer in other communities. When I travel to Guatemala, most recently in March, visiting the Family Center is a highlight of my trip. Seeing the liveliness of the children and the destitute market right outside the doors of the building where the families come from, the Family Center brings hope and change.
We could not do this important work without the support of people like you!
If you are ever in Guatemala, I hope you will visit both our home and the Family Center. Please reach out with questions, anahigian@nphusa.org or 617-206-4943!
In mission,
Andrea Nahigian, Donor Relations Director – East Coast