Graduation and diploma ceremony
It was with great pleasure that we were able to take part in the 2023 graduation ceremony. Five of our children (Mayte, Angie, Alden, Elvin and Brayan) successfully completed secondary school, with our three boys being awarded top of the class in academic performance and behavior.
This qualification is a big step for their future, as only 3 out of 10 pupils in Honduras complete secondary school. At the same time, we asked them to take stock of their lives and draw up a life plan. We asked them to write down where they are today, where they see themselves in one year's time and where they see themselves in five years' time in terms of education, career, health, personality, economy, spirituality and family and social reintegration. This exercise aims to develop their reflective skills and to have a life goal in mind.
We were also delighted that Yeslin received her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Lency her diploma in Hotel and Tourism Management. Both had to complete and pass a one-month internship. Both are starting their professional careers and will continue to attend university in the evenings and at weekends.
The annual expenditure on education amounts to 14% of the annual budget of the children's home, whereby our children and young people have the great privilege of attending private schools.
The Instituto Tecnologico Sampedrano has honored our foundation Yo Quiero Ser for our great commitment to the education of children and young people in Honduras.
Thanksgiving
At the end of November, we celebrated Thanksgiving at the children's home to show the children that they have many things to be thankful for every day of their lives. When asked what they are thankful for, the answers were: life, children's home, health, food, friends, bed and staff, to name but a few.
To mark the occasion, we organised an afternoon of games where all the children had lots of fun and were grateful for the life they have been given.
Birthdays
42% of our children and young people were born in the last quarter of the year. This means we had many birthdays to celebrate. The children are very happy when they are the center of attention at least once a year and can be the birthday king or queen on that day. We celebrate birthdays with cake or ice cream and of course the piñatas, which are never missing.
Dental Brigade
10 dentists examined our children, repaired teeth or sometimes even extracted them and treated them with fluoride. They were extremely positively surprised by the children's good oral hygiene.
They created a short report for each child to record whether they had cavities or needed other treatment.
We were able to arrange with the Centro de Salud that from January onwards they would reserve 2 hours every morning for our children to carry out all the necessary dental treatments.
Visits
Thanks to our many friends and acquaintances, we were able to welcome many Christmas visits; a secondary school, the children's article company K&B, the factory department of TRC, church groups, Room, Food for the Poor (from America), but also from individual families with Children who wanted to give our children a Christmas present. This way our children were able to celebrate pre-Christmas several times. All visitors brought lunch or snacks with them, provided fun and games, gave our children presents and pampered them with unforgettable experiences.
Cepudo also organized a Christmas party for 5 children's homes in the city children's park and everyone was able to watch the performance of Scrooge in the city theater.
Christmas and New Years Eve
Christmas; a celebration of joy, peace, good food, solidarity, and family. That's how this year's Christmas Eve can be summed up.
We enjoyed an aperitif and chips to have the meal started, the main course was chicken with Chinese rice and salad and shortly before midnight there were tamales, apples and grapes served. Cesia and Luz Marina had prepared games and everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, joined in and played. It was heartwarming to see how everyone had a good time, laughed a lot and felt the solidarity.
New Year's Eve was a "copy" of Christmas, and all the children expressed the wish to play games together on the last day of 2023. First there was a delicious dinner and then everyone was divided into small groups and the fun could begin. With so much entertainment, even the little ones at Sala Cuna lasted until midnight. Shortly before, we burned our “Muñeco 2023” with all negative things, behaviors and problems in order to start the new year 2024 free of old burdens and with lots of light...