Childrens Home Project

TO INCREASE THE LOVE, SAFETY, NOURISHMENT AND HOPE IN THE LIVES OF HONDURAN CHILDREN THROUGH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND HEALING FROM PAST TRAUMA IN A FAMILY ATMOSPHERE.

PRONINO IS OUR CHILDREN'S HOME, WHERE 28 CHILDREN, TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS LIVE, LEARN, LOVE, AND PLAY FULL-TIME.OUR HOME IS RUN FAMILY-STYLE, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 8 CHILDREN LIVING PER HOUSE AND A TEAM OF 4-5 LOVING CARETAKERS TO RAISE OUR KIDS 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK.IN OUR HOME, WE FOCUS ON HEALING THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND POSITIVE PARENTING, PHYSICAL WELL-BEING THROUGH GOOD NUTRITION AND EXERCISE, AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING, ALLOWING OUR KIDS TO PURSUE AND PRACTICE RELIGION AS THEY CHOOSE. OUR KIDS ATTEND PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE CITY OF EL PROGRESO AND LOVE PARTICIPATING IN CLUB SOCCER, ART CLASSES, BAND, AND MANY OTHER ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES. THE AGES OF OUR CHILDREN RANGE FROM 11-24 YEARS OLD. WHENEVER OUR KIDS GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, THEY TRANSITION INTO OUR UNIVERSITY PROGRAM, WHERE THEY CAN LIVE MORE INDEPENDENTLY IN OUR UNIVERSITY HOUSE AND RECEIVE AN EDUCATION AT THE INSTITUTION THAT BEST SUITS THEIR CAREER CHOICE. CHILDREN ARE PLACED IN OUR CARE THROUGH CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES OF HONDURAS, KNOWN AS DINAF. THEY ARE TAKEN OUT OF THEIR HOMES FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, MOST COMMONLY ABUSE, NEGLECT, OR VIOLENCE. WHILE THE HISTORY OF EACH CHILD IS SO DIFFERENT, THE ATTACHMENT DISORDERS AND DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMA THEY'VE EXPERIENCED IS OFTEN SIMILAR. FOR THIS REASON, WE BELIEVE STRONGLY IN RAISING OUR CHILDREN IN A TRAUMA-INFORMED MANNER. WE RUN OUR HOME BASED ON TRUST-BASED RELATIONAL INTERVENTION, OR TBRI, WHICH IS AN ATTACHMENT-BASED, TRAUMA-INFORMED INTERVENTION TO MEET THE COMPLEX NEEDS OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN. WE USE THE TERM "CHILDREN'S HOME" INSTEAD OF THE TERM ORPHANAGE" BECAUSE THE REALITY IS, MOST OF OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT TRUE ORPHANS. THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN HAVE BIOLOGICAL FAMILY OF SOME SORT, WITH WHOM WE ENCOURAGE AND FOSTER RELATIONSHIP WITH WHEN IT IS HEALTHY TO DO SO.

CRECER IS A DAY CENTER IN SAN PEDRO SULA RUN AND OPERATED BY THE CHILDREN'S HOME PROJECT.WE OPENED CRECER IN 2015 AFTER YEARS OF STREET OUTREACH VISITS AND RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR A DAY CENTER TO REACH A POPULATION OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO LOVE AND FIGHT FOR THEM, BUT LIVE IN EXTREME POVERTY.WE CURRENTLY WORK WITH 15 KIDS, AGES 10 TO 19, WHO LIVE AT HOME WITH THEIR FAMILIES IN THE CITY. CRECER STRIVES TO PROVIDE A STABLE, ENCOURAGING, FAMILIAL ATMOSPHERE FOR OUR KIDS BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW CRIPPLING POVERTY MAKES MUCH OF LIFE FEEL UP IN THE AIR. BEFORE CRECER, MANY OF OUR KIDS HAD DROPPED OUT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM BECAUSE ECONOMICAL STRAINS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PURCHASE UNIFORMS, BOOKS, AND BUS FARE. WHEN WE MET THEM, THEY WERE TOO OLD TO ENROLL IN FIRST GRADE AS 13 AND 14 YEAR OLDS, AND THE MAJORITY OF THEM SPENT THEIR DAYS WASHING WINDOWS AND JUGGLING AT STOPLIGHTS FOR TIPS.THROUGH CRECER, ALL OF OUR KIDS ARE ABLE TO STUDY ON A PATH THAT FITS THEIR UNIQUE ABILITIES. SOME STUDY AT OUR ON-SITE SCHOOL, SOME AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL OFF-SITE AND THE REST AT A NEARBY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL. IT'S INCREDIBLE TO SEE HOW A QUALITY EDUCATION IS SHAPING THEIR FUTURE; 14 AND 15 YEAR OLDS ARE LEARNING TO READ AND WRITE FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND AS A RESULT, LEARNING MORE ABOUT THEIR SURROUNDINGS AND DREAMING ABOUT THEIR FUTURE. OUR GOAL THROUGH CRECER IS TO COME ALONGSIDE KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION, COUNSELING, AND MENTORSHIP IN HOPES OF ONE DAY BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY IN WHICH THEY'VE GROWN UP.