Alber Finds A New Home

As Saturday mass ends and the church lets out, Alber finds his older brother Miguel amongst the disbursing crowd of children. The two brothers smile brightly as they share words and embrace in a sincere hug. Miguel takes his younger brother by the hand and walks him back to Casa Suyapa, the house for the youngest children on the Ranch. Alber gives one last hug saying goodbye to Miguel and then runs into his new home. This type of loving interaction is all but uncommon among Alber and his five siblings.

Alber smiles as he eats his watermelon. [1/9]

Alber is one excited kid. At 7-years-old he's animated, energetic, and curious. He seems to like literally everything. From school, to chores, to food, to playtime there's nothing he's not incredibly enthusiastic to tell you about. Alber is in the first grade and especially enjoys reading and math. He loves playing and sharing with all his new friends. "NPH is a nice place," says Alber. "I like my life here."

Just three months ago, Alber's life was quite different.

Before coming to NPH, Alber and his siblings lived in a small home with a female caretaker. Their mother abandoned them two years ago and their father lived in another town an hour away where he worked construction to provide for the children. Since Alber's father did not always have work and was without a constant salary, the monetary support he could offer his children was inconsistent. Alber's older brothers, Miguel and Luis, would often have to miss school to work as farmers to provide extra income for the children to have enough food. The neighborhood where they lived was impoverished and very violent due to frequent drug trafficking. When Alber's father could no longer support his children in this manner, he turned to NPH for help.

Since joining NPH, Alber and his siblings have settled in well. Here, life is more fun and more focused. The children can grow up without worrying about having enough food or the dangers of the streets outside. Alber's brothers can attend school regularly instead of working in the fields.

The siblings stay in separate homes within the Ranch, each with their own responsibilities with school and work. Although they are split up according to their gender and age, they always make sure to find time to share with one another whenever they can, which helps maintain their special connection as a family.

The children also still have a great relationship with their father. In fact, at the Ranch they are actually closer to their father than they were before. He continues to work construction just a half-hour away from NPH. He comes to spend time with his children on visitor days.

Alber and his sibling's lives have certainly changed in the past three months. Moving to the Ranch must be somewhat of a shock. They went from living in a home with just each other, to living in one with 500 new friends. Things couldn't be more different. However, NPH is a great fit for them, and by the animated way in which they go about their daily business, you can tell they are happy here. With all the efforts Alber and his siblings make to spend time with each other, it's clear that they will continue to grow together as a family within the exciting new world of NPH.

Hunter Johnson   
Communications Officer - NPH Honduras

You may be only one person in the world, but you may be all the world to one child.
—Fr. William Wasson

Sponsor a Child

Tweet

« back