I received the following note recently from Emma Siria, one of our Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) Directors.
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In 2008 I met a woman named Rosa. At that time she had 7 children and no husband. Suany 10, a boy 9, Angelica 7, Cecilia 5, Lisseth 4, Cipriano 2, a baby a few months old and she was pregnant again. After visiting Rosa's home and realizing the extreme poverty that they lived in we invited her to enroll her children in the Early Childhood Development Center but she did not want to. Her excuse was that her children had to take care of her house because she and her 11 year old son worked. We kept insisting and we visited her numerous times until we were finally able to convince her. She enrolled the three young girls since the older children had to take care of the 2 year old and the baby. Sometimes Suany would show up at the school to ask for food. Rosa, the mom, did not attend a single parent meeting during the entire year.
This family lives in a one room house, if you can consider it a house, that they do not own. There is one twin bed and one hammock for the entire family. That means that most of the kids are sleeping on the dirt floor.
In 2009 the same situation occurred again. But in 2009 Rosa no longer had 7 children, there were now 9. We were able to get her to enroll the three youngest, Cecilia, Lisseth, and Cipriano. Suany, now 12, and the little boy, now 11, both had to work to help support the family. This left Angelica, now 9, to take care of the house as well as tend to a 2 year old sibling, a 1 year old sibling, and a new baby only a few months old. Just as in 2008 mom, Rosa, did not come to any of our parent meetings.
In 2009 Cipriano began the year very malnourished and skinny but by the end of the year his condition had improved greatly. When school was let out for summer break, November 15 to February 15, we still offered lunch to all of the kids knowing that so many of them depended on this meal to survive. Unfortunately Cecilia, Lisseth, and Cipriano no longer continued to come. Their mom, Rosa, sent them daily to sell melons.
Now in 2010 the situation is worse. We now have four of Rosa's children at the Early Childhood Development Center, Cecilia, Lisseth, Cipriano and Ivan. Cipriano and Ivan are now suffering from Grade 2 malnutrition and the signs of neglect of all of the children are alarming. Suany, the oldest is still working to provide for the family and Angelica, now 10, is still not enrolled in school since she is still in charge of taking care of the home and her two youngest siblings.
In January of this year some of Rosa's neighbors took Cipriano to the hospital. According to the neighbor's report Cipriano was almost dead. He was in the hospital for 3 days and the doctors ordered exams. However since the day the doctor gave the exam orders Rosa has not bothered to concern herself for the wellbeing of her children, even though the exams are free in the local public hospital.
When Cipriano arrived a school in February he had a bad infestation of lice, his skin showed signs of severe neglect, he was very very skinny with a swollen belly full of parasites. Every day at school he was so week he could barely keep his head up. If you put your hand on Cipriano's swollen belly you could feel the infestation of intestinal parasites squirming around in his gut under the skin. Many folks told us to not enroll Cipriano, that he'd probably die while in our care. However, there was no way that we'd allow this child to miss the blessings that God has for him. Many told us to not de-parasite him, that the infestation was so great the medicine could kill him. However, there was no way we could not treat Cipriano. The intestinal parasite infestation was more severe than we ever imagined, once we gave him the oral treatment, parasites were evacuated from little Cipriano's sick body in his feces but also through his mouth.
Now, it's March. Ivan is doing a bit better but Cipriano is still struggling to recover his strength. Thank you Mission Lazarus for the vision of the ECDC's to provide unconditional love to the poorest in this region.
Because of you all these children have hope. However, Rosa the mom, is pregnant again. Mission Lazarus, what can we do to help these children? If we don't do something really soon Cipriano could die.
Sincerely,
Emma Siria, ECDC Director
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Cases like this are so often overlooked in Honduras because there is so much need. Most locals do not think about trying to help. I praise God that he has called up young women like Emma Siria, the director of one of our ECDC's, who has accepted the calling to be God's hands and to represent him before his suffering children. This same letter was sent to our social worker with child protective services in Choluteca. She'll be paying a surprise visit to the Rosa's home tomorrow morning at 7AM where she plans to take all nine children into state's custody. When the legal paperwork is finished we hope that these 9 children will be assigned to the Mission Lazarus Refuge children's home. I ask you all to please pray for these children and this entire process.
Thanks to all of you who give monthly so that these children can have a fighting chance at a Christian home and a Christian future. If you believe in this cause and recognize how this ministry is making a difference, we need your help. Two of our ECDC's are not funded. More than 200 children are at risk of not receiving a Christian education, 2 nutritious meals a day, and a safe place to be. For only $3000 per month we can run a school that employs 1 director, 5 teachers, 2 cooks, 2 guards, and provides 100% of every child's school supplies and food. Or you can sponsor a child for a monthly commitment of only $30. If you are not able to help financially, will you please commit to pray for this ministry that is changing lives daily.
Thank you,
Jarrod Brown
President, Mission Lazarus Inc.
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$30 can send one child to school for one month. Education is the way out of poverty in the third world, however it's the poverty that keeps many children from going to school. Mission Lazarus operates 4 primary schools that provide a Christian education, a safe place to learn and two nutritious meals a day. Send a child to school for a year and help change their life!
