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...a Forensic Medical Examiner
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1 NPHI 2009 Annual Report
Board Chair Dear NPH Family, My friend and colleague, Donna Egge, sent me a special gift for Christmas. It’s a small candle in a beautiful green glass and it is called “Gratitude.” Did you know that it is scientifically proven that thinking twice a day of something you are grateful for improves the quality of your life? I know that I am grateful for many things in my life, first and foremost my small (Koehler Hernandez) and big (NPH) family. Watching the candle’s beautiful soothing light I also thought of YOU, wherever you are, for what YOU do for our NPH family through volunteering, supporting us financially, giving advice, visiting, working, and most importantly praying for us and for the many children and adults in desperate need of assistance which we are honored to give with all of your help. THANK YOU. As most of you know, we look back at an exciting year at NPH. In February, we constituted the new General Assembly, Reinhart Koehler at NPH El Salvador. giving all stakeholders of the NPH family a voice. A new board was elected, and we embarked on the journey to separate governance from operations. We all new that this meant many profound changes in the way we organize our work at NPH. The challenge seemed daunting, yet our NPH family has been blessed with wonderful committed people with outstanding professional expertise and experience. In less than a year, the NPHI Board reviewed and completed the Vision/Mission/Values/Principle statement (see next page). Based on the VMVP statement, the board developed a strategic plan. The main initiatives focus on:
• Demonstrate and improve the effectiveness of NPH programs • Maximize effectiveness of fundraising efforts • Improve financial stability to support current operations • Refine internal operations and organizational expertise of NPH and Homes • Increase awareness of NPH mission
In addition, the board has successfully begun to work on processes through which we aim to aim to achieve complete transparency such as strong budget oversight and three year budget planning. There are many more projects and tasks we are working on. While the challenges are strong, the board members are inspired by the wonderful work of our NPH family. The recent example of NPH Honduras to welcome close to 65 children in need in less than a month, is one of many examples how together and with God’s grace, we create a better world. As I watch the newcomers to our home begin to crawl, walk, speak, and more importantly, stretch out their arms in newfound trust in adults, I know that Father Wasson is smiling all the way from heaven. I am looking forward to another exciting year (and many more years hopefully) to serving the least of our brothers and sisters, especially in the knowledge that we can continue to count on your support. Sincerely, Reinhart Koehler Board Chair, NPH International NPHI NPHI2014 2009Annual AnnualReport Report31
SINCE 1954
more than 18,000 children have called NPH home and thousands of people yearly receive assistance through our community service programs. NPH operates homes in Bolivia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.
VISION A world without poverty where all children develop their unique potential becoming productive members of society serving their community.
MISSION Nuestros PequeĂąos Hermanos, inspired by Christian values, nurtures orphaned and vulnerable children in a loving, stable, secure family environment. We keep brothers and sisters together and provide a quality education, healthcare, and spiritual formation. We model our values through serving the communities in which we live.
VALUES NPH is guided by the following core values:
LOVE AND SECURITY: manifested in the safety and stability of the family and realized by profound personal engagement in preparation for meaningful life and gainful employment.
RESPONSIBILITY: learning to be responsible and to respond to the needs of others, both individually and collectively.
SHARING: developing kindness, empathy and care for others, through what we say and do.
WORK: learning to contribute to one’s family and community on the path to independence.
FAITH AND SERVICE: putting Christian values into action.
4 NPHI 2014 Annual Report
PRINCIPLES Our deliberations, interactions, and decisions are founded on the Christian principles of: “…as you did to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you did it to Me.” and “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace…” These principles guide our actions in reinforcing the rights and responsibilities of children as expressed through:
aCompassion and empathy toward others aCare focused on the needs of each child aEstablishing and maintaining healthy family bonds aCommitment to serve our family and our community aRespect and humility in our attitudes aTransparency and accountability in our actions and reporting
aEmbracing diversity and inclusivity
NPHI 2014 Annual Report 5
Executive Director
Miguel in El Salvador for the 15th anniversary.
Dear Friends, Thank you for making 2014 an incredible year for Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos. This year marked 60 years of making a difference in the lives of thousands of children. It is clear that the inspiration Father Wasson had 60 years ago to welcome children into his home lives on today. Regardless of our financial situation, we still receive all children in need and we invite them in, just as Father Wasson did when he began NPH.
At the beach – NPH Honduras.
This past year has presented several challenges, including those that are a result of the changing childcare laws in several countries where we have homes. However, we continue to care for our kids as the family that we are and strengthen our educational programs, with equal emphasis on university studies and vocational training. We strongly advocate that each child can maximize his or her potential and achieve the highest education possible. We believe that our children can be part of future change, and help transform the world.
Another challenge is that our financial situation depends greatly on our fundraising offices, several of which have been impacted by the declining economy in Europe. Our response in 2014 was to bring a new focus to local fundraising in our homes and readjust the way we manage and prioritize our project needs and operating budgets within our homes. We continued to add children to our family as we followed Father Wasson’s philosophy of never turning away a child in need. 6 NPHI 2014 Annual Report
We Will Provide, with God’s Help We have initiated construction projects to increase our capacity, which includes not only facilities for the children, but also for caregivers, volunteers and visitors. By revisiting agricultural plans, we have made our children’s food more nutritious and increased our self-sustainability, both for environment and economic reasons. Even as we struggle to adapt to government decisions that affect the way we care for our family of children in our homes, we were gladly surprised that because of our good relationship and high quality childcare, the Honduras government asked us to take in 64 new children within one month. The children were previously part of programs run by the prior childcare department of the Honduras government, which closed down and was replaced by a new department this year. We are overjoyed to have welcomed these children in a time of such great need and to have them as the newest members of our family. A growing population creates a need for more financial support from our fundraising team. We foresee a decline in the European economy for 2015, so we have already taken steps to ask for additional funding from countries like the United States, which demonstrate great growth. We are continuing to increase our focus on local fundraising at our homes while searching for new countries to expand our support network. As a final part of providing for children in need, we are placing a new emphasis on maintaining our homes’ facilities, to ensure a safe place for our children and also proactively prevent greater costs in the future. We have also begun planning to build more facilities that will increase our capacity to care for more children in our newer homes of Bolivia and Peru. Our project funding system, which
was reorganized this year, will support us as we work through the plans to construct these spaces. Promises to Our Children As always, we stress the need to develop our children and welcome those in need, regardless of circumstances outside of our home that stand as obstacles to our mission. Our objective for 2015, is to increase the quality of our medical care, educational and formational programs, while expanding our capacity to welcome more children. Education will be a major focus once again as we implement more programs found to be successful. We expect to increase our attention to instruction in life skills and our exit programs from those graduating from the NPH family. We emphasize the NPH concept that a child after leaving is always a pequeĂąo, so we are working to provide a strong communication and care network for those no longer living with us through Hermanos Mayores (Big Brothers and Sisters) programs.
We will also emphasize our community engagement and outreach programs, which in difficult economic times are even more important than usual. In conclusion, despite the challenges our quality of care is increasing, and we are sending children out into the world with the tools to live happy and productive lives. We could not be more proud of them, of what we do, and of Father Wasson and his wisdom. Thank you wholeheartedly for your continuous support and for being part of this great family.
Graduates from NPH Dominican Republic.
Miguel Venegas Executive Director, NPH International
Classroom at NPH Guatemala.
Sources of Funds: $37,261,510
Total Child Population: 5,492 317
Nicaragua
2,214
28% USA
387
Guatemala
Haiti
323
20% Local income
El Salvador
313 Dominican
Republic
906
814
Honduras
49% Europe
101 Peru 117 Bolivia
Mexico
2% OLBS Virginia 1% Canada 0% New Zealand
Total children living in our homes as of Dec. 31, 2014; 3,417
House Services: $7,342,086 21%
Transportation
11%
11%
Farm & Animals
11%
22%
Expenses: $37,366,997
16%
General & Admin
9%
Medical
St. Luke Foundation*
Housing
Utilities
7%
28%
Maintenance
Public Assistance
10%
Fixed Assets
9%
Food
*Designated funds forwarded to our sister organization, the St. Luke Foundation in Haiti, for its extensive community service programs.
Â
20%
House Services
21%
Education
2% Construction in progress 1% Sharing Fund 1% Clothing
NPHI 2014 Annual Report 7
Family Services Looking back at last year’s 2013 annual report, I am amazed by how fast the time has flown by! I reflect on my own words describing our plans for 2014, to set “realistic goals for 2014” and “dream big so that the incredible mission of Fr. Wasson will continue to live in the hearts of our children, staff and volunteers.” We have done JUST THAT! We have finalized the Strategic Plan with the new NPH International Board, which outlines many of our goals for 2015 and will greatly impact our work going forward.
Donna Egge at NPH Honduras.
Our international, sustainable programs continue to be at the foundation of our work, and we strive to keep these programs thriving! Family Services and the homes’ local teams continue to prioritize and integrate the spiritual formation of our youth into their workshops, activities and daily lives. Providing opportunities for our kids and staff to develop their faith lives remains central to the heart and soul of NPH. Family Services Core Programs At the Family Service Workshop this past September in Nicaragua, we discussed childcare and shared ideas and challenges with eight of our homes. We also worked at identifying our Essential Core Programs to assure that they are implemented in each of our nine homes:
National Director, Marlon Velasquez.
Children & Youth Family of Origin Inclusion Spiritual Formation Youth Development Human Growth Independence Academic Staff/Support Development Annual Trainings
CPI – Crisis Prevention Intervention CPI Workshops have continued in all homes and in the year 2014, 60% of the childcare staff was trained in CPI. Youth Development/Formation Both local and international programs as well as opportunities for more youth continue to grow, thanks to engagement, inspiration 8 NPHI 2014 Annual Report
from our youth, and support from our staff, our donors, and the NPH global community. International Youth Conference November, 2014 Nicaragua – 45 youth from 8 countries Hermano Mayor Leadership Development Workshop July 2014, Guatemala – Hermanos/as Mayores from 8 countries YMCA Leadership Opportunity May–August,Pennsylvania Billy Jean (Haiti), Victor (D.R) Seattle Leadership Institute – Coordinated by Kara King Graduated five students June 2014 Welcomed six more – September 2014 National Director Training/Professional Development February & July 2014 – NPHI Consultant and leadership trainer
Seattle Institute students with Kara King.
Child Welfare Interview Project We continue to find ways to “measure” the impact of our work with the support of professional consultants. These interviews provide us and the homes information about the children’s sense of security, their fears, and their sense of belonging. Overall we find that over 84% of those children and youth interviewed feel a strong sense of security. On-site Visits and Bi-Annual Meetings National Directors continue to be a priority and stronghold of our Family Service work each year. Each home received at least one visit from one of our International Staff in 2014. In these visits and our bi-annual meetings with our National Director teams, we are able to see, feel and be touched by the intensely courageous and difficult work that our local staffs, local Family Service teams, National Directors, and volunteers continue to do 24/7. As they love, care, serve, educate, form, hold, hug, train, support, discipline, cry, laugh and respond to the needs of our over 3,500 children and youth we are ever again inspired and reminded of this great legacy that Fr. Wasson set in motion over 60 years ago. This is a great responsibility indeed, and a great privilege to be a part of! “There is no such thing as a bad child, only one who behaves badly because they feel alone and abandoned.” ~ Father Wasson
International Family Services Workshop in Nicaragua.
A big thank you to Donna for inspiring, guiding the team and dreaming big! ~ Erin, Kara, Nelly and Markus
FS Team – Markus Streit, Donna Egge, Erin Stuckey and Nelly Fernandez
Team Structure – Dream Big, we said in 2013, for 2014! And so we continued to dream, and identify our needs and gaps in our team. We were lucky to add Nelly Fernandez, psychologist, to our Family Service team, shared with the International Medical Team who will help integrate the psychological and medical care of our children. We also welcomed Erin Stuckey in August who is supporting both NPH International teams of Family Services and Communications. Welcome, Erin and Nelly! Note the addition of the new Family Service Blog (www.familyservices. nph.org), which has been a dream of ours for years! Here you can find up-to-date information about our team, goals, work and more about the NPH family. Click “Follow” to stay informed! As we continue to face the challenges of ever rising needs, we look to our Family Service Team’s new organizational chart (see Family Services Blog!) as a visual reminder of the ongoing work, the structure behind the service, the delineation of work behind the inspiration, and the ability to see our gaps more clearly, behind the desire to serve and to respond, which is the legacy Fr. Wasson left in all of our hands!
Billy Jean, worked as a leader at YMCA camp.
Dr. Michael Maccoby at Youth Conference.
Working as an international team is what inspires me daily to continue this work! A big thank you to the entire Family Services Team: Kara, Nelly, Erin, our consultants, Cheryl, Nicole, Dr. Maccoby… and especially to the best assistant anyone could ever have. Markus Streit, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, for your support, your laughter, your dedication, your superb work, your attention to every detail and for keeping me smiling! DREAM BIG in 2015! Yes, our team will continue to dream big, to offer more opportunities for growth, formation and inspiration to more youth and more Hermanos/Hermanas Mayores, to work towards more community service projects in our homes, to provide more support to our International Volunteers, and to examine and look towards improvement in our Educational and Vocational Programs, so that we can provide even better care, formation and education in the vision of Fr. Wasson! We will continue to look to our amazing local staffs, our local Family Service Teams, our National Directors and their teams for inspiration and motivation. THANK YOU TO ALL for your dedication and service. Donna Egge Director of Family Services, NPH International NPHI 2014 Annual Report 9
Medical Services Many would like to hear numbers and statistics, but behind every number there is a child, a human being, and this is what counts to us at NPH. To share a few numbers, NPH cares for more than 500 children with chronic health conditions, some of which are quite severe. HIV/AIDS Dr. Pilar Silverman at NPH DR. children and youth account for 62, and 10 more who have left the homes but still rely on our support. There is approximately 1.5 to 2% with severe chronic malnutrition. More than 80 suffer severe disability with special needs, which means they require help for their day-to-day life: bathing, walking or going to school by using a wheel chair or support from a caregiver. When children arrive at NPH as newborns, they may have been abandoned at our front door, in a hospital or in another institution. They may be the outcome of a rape, adolescent or undesired pregnancy. Their mother could have died during labor or because of a disease such as cancer or AIDS. Another group of children who come to NPH are those that arrive in their adolescence. These are teenagers who have already been in several institutions and arrive at NPH with terrible stories too difficult to explain in detail, but a few example backgrounds include living on the streets, drug use, juvenile detention or subjection to prostitution, child labor and/or slavery. NPH is a place every child that comes through our doors can call home, and where they can recover their dignity and are treated with the utmost respect. One of the first places they go is the clinic, where they undergo a full physical exam, a comprehensive blood test to screen for diseases, and meet with the doctor who creates an individualized health plan. When necessary, we do extra testing and/or send children to a specialist. If the child is HIV+, we register them in the HIV/AIDS national program, and the same goes for children with type I diabetes mellitus. We are always looking to maximize local resources when available and trusted. Each year, Medical Services focuses in on a specific theme. In 2014 the local teams worked at improving the health education and disease prevention in their homes. In conjunction, we have reached 80% of the countries participating in the Global Handwashing Day promoted by UNICEF and the WHO, which advocates handwashing 10 NPHI 2014 Annual Report
as a way to prevent infectious diseases. In 2014, Nelly Fernandez, a psychologist from Spain, joined our Medical Services team as Coordinator of Mental and Reproductive Health. Both issues require full dedication from an expert as they are essential components in the aim of our work, which is to provide integral and comprehensive approach and care. There are several achievements that were either initiated by a NPH home or NPH International, but were ultimately accomplished collaboratively. Health: • Offered health education for both children and caregivers, which covered the topics of sexual education and preventing infectious diseases, skin transmitted parasites, avoiding drugs and alcohol, accident prevention, obesity and heathy eating habits Nutrition at St. Helene, NPH Haiti. • Offered professional training and continuing education for health local staff • Organized annual child visits to the doctor to screen for early detection of symptoms • Made great improvements in the quality of water that the children drink, offered deworming services twice throughout the year and educated kids on the importance of handwashing; all of which have contributed to a significantly lower number of parasite cases in the homes • Made advances toward closing the gap between the children’s actual immunization status and the one they should have, primarily due to receiving the funds needed for vaccines from private donors • Provided annual dental and vision screenings for the kids and corrective glasses as needed • In certain countries, NPH needs a permit from the court to perform non-life threatening or emergency surgeries. Due to our team’s persistence and follow-up, this past year we had far less children waiting for the permit to move forward with surgery. Nutrition • Multiple NPH homes started an extra nutrition program for children with low weight, anemia and chronic conditions such as cerebral paralysis, HIV and sickle cell anemia • Increase in the local home production of fruits, vegetables, fish and meat so that they can contribute to the home’s self sustainability and be part of the children’s weekly diet
562: Chronic conditions 63: HIV (children living in the homes) 348: New child medical exam 1,960: Well child visits 3,177: Vaccine doses 88: Hospitalized (mostly for surgeries or traumas)
Public health, wash and sanitation: • Educated the children on the importance of handwashing on Global Handwashing Day • Monitored the quality of drinking water in the homes • Implemented public health projects such as testing drinking water, fumigation, mosquito nets in countries or areas with a high prevalence of dengue, malaria or filarial, cleaning and clearing surrounding of water collection where mosquitos breed, managing garbage and strengthening mental and reproductive health programs
Global Handwashing day in NPH Mexico.
Dr. Corinna Lawrenz at NPH Mexico.
We made great strides this past year in the quality of our healthcare, which make a significant impact on each child; however, despite all our progress, there is room for improvement. NPH is in a position to serve as a role model and create a greater impact on health and sanitation in each home’s neighboring community. NPHI Medical Services pursues
55: Child surgeries 13,205: Physician consults 8,463: Nurse consults 1,348: Therapies (PT, OT, Speech, Psychological) 3,343: Dental consults
to improve the health of each child in NPH but also the health of the community, as both are extremely interconnected in order to avoid epidemics of any kind. Looking ahead, our vision is to provide standardized health programs to the external students in NPH schools and for the surrounding communities. Taking advantage of our services and opening them to the community nearby will multiply NPH’s impact. It is important to note that advances and initiatives are frequently left behind because of shortfalls in funding. It would be efficient and practical to have reserves for vaccines, nutrition and/or surgeries. Medical Services works with more than 20 health-related projects, all of which are made possible by our supporters. We extend our thanks to all the different fundraising offices, senior experts and dental & medical brigades from abroad for giving up their time from their jobs and families to serve the children of NPH and the impoverished nearby communities. With all the respect and love for the children; we wish the best to our NPH family and supporters and send encouragement to continue the good work in 2015. Pilar Silverman, MD Director of Medical Services, NPH International
NPHI 2014 Annual Report 11
Mexico
I want to become a professional soccer player.
*
My name is Eduar.
I am 9 years old and in 3rd grade. To become a “futbolsita” I will need to be in good shape, have discipline and be a team player. NPH helps me learn to work in a team and my caregivers help me improve my soccer skils.
*Name changed for privacy.
Dear Friends, Every month, new children arrive at NPH Mexico. I always ask them what the meaning of traditions like Easter and Christmas is. Many of our new children tell me they have never received Easter Eggs, nor experienced a posada – a cherished Mexican Christmas tradition where Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter is reenacted. Tradition is not doing something because it has always been done. Rafael Bermúdez with kids at NPH Mexico. There is special meaning in tradition. In the same way your family may decorate a Christmas tree every year, or light candles on a cake for a birthday, at NPH our traditions are part of what makes us a family. Many of our children do not know their own family traditions or history. Some of our children do not even know their parents’ names. For these children, NPH’s traditions bring comfort. They provide a sense of being part of something bigger. This year we had the pleasure of celebrating 60 years of NPH family and tradition. Our children, staff, hermanos mayores (former students of NPH), godparents, supporters, former staff and volunteers all joined together to celebrate this significant milestone. 12 NPH Mexico 2014
After 60 years, the need for NPH is greater than ever. Mexico as a country is faced with a multitude of ongoing challenges. Unaccompanied child migration, political unrest, drug crime and violence scar this beautiful country. In the face of such challenges, NPH is tasked with providing a safe haven for at-risk and abandoned children, where they can receive a top-quality education, learn life skills, and understand what it means to be part of a family. We are a family. We celebrate the special occasions and laugh together. We share our sadness and cry together during the hard times. Because that is what families do. Over the past 60 years we have seen more than our fair share of sadness, but also of happiness. We have learned, we have evolved, and we have improved. As any parent knows, caring for children and young people is a demanding job, perhaps the most demanding job that exists. But it is also the most rewarding work we can be doing. In the next 60 years, I look forward to more children having their lives changed for the better by NPH. I look forward to NPH strengthening its role in Mexico, and I look forward to our children helping change this country. Sincerely, Rafael Bermúdez National Director, NPH Mexico
Home-grown tomatoes.
Home Life In 2014, NPH Mexico hosted celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the founding of NPH. This included an international anniversary celebration in February, attended by donors, godparents, staff and other NPH supporters from all over the world. A second anniversary celebration for NPH Mexico was held in August, attended by members of the NPH Mexico family. In November and December, we hosted the 8th International Soccer Tournament, with teams from NPH homes across Central and South America traveling by bus to compete in Miacatlán. This was a special time for the wider NPH family to come together, and for our children to meet their NPH brothers and sisters from other countries.
Farm and Nutrition Our farm has been an important focus this year. Despite higher than normal rainfall reducing production by around 15%, we have diversified our crops to include a wider range of vegetables and fruits, including peanuts, jicama, papaya and bananas. In our efforts to become more self-sustainable, around 20% of the food consumed is now produced on our farm. Our corn production has reached the level of self-sufficiency: producing enough to feed our largest home, Casa San Salvador in Miacatlán, making close to two tons of tortillas each month. We are also producing enough pig and sheep meat to sustain Casa San Salvador and Casa Buen Señor in Cuernavaca.
Although financial pressure on our budget has continued into 2014, we have mitigated this pressure by an increase in local fundraising within Mexico. We have also engaged local companies to a greater extent in corporate social responsibility, with companies providing days of service at our homes. This increase in local funding has helped us increase the number of children in our care to almost 800.
At our high school home, Casa Buen Señor, a new chef joined our kitchen whoh has brought creative ideas for the nutrition and wellbeing education of our students, as well as introduced more variety into the diets of our children and incorporated more fruits and vegetables. Educating our students about the importance of eating well has been a focus, with presentations about the benefits of a healthy diet and avoiding processed foods.
Child migration from Central American countries, including Mexico, has seen a dramatic increase in the past two years due to increasing poverty and violence. NPH Mexico has approached the government agencies dealing with this situation to offer our help, and will continue to stay engaged with these agencies and seek opportunities to provide support. Social Work and Psychological Departments As the first point of contact for children coming to NPH, our social workers are an essential part of our staff. In 2014, we hired another social worker to make a team of five. With a larger staff, we have been able to travel more widely to find children in need. In the past, many of our children were orphans. Now, however, many of our children come to NPH because they are at risk or living in extreme poverty. To respond to our children’s complex psychological needs, we have increased our number of psychologists, which helps ensure our children have the holistic support they need.
Construction This year we have continued our efforts towards self-sustainability by installing solar panels in Casa San Salvador to take advantage of the high sunshine hours in Miacatlán, and help provide hot water for the children’s dormitories. Solar panels were installed in the girls’ dormitories, and more are planned for the boys’ dormitories. This year we remodeled the girls’ bathrooms in our university home in Monterrey. We also completed significant well repairs and installed new water pumps in Miacatlán, to ensure we have a continued supply of safe drinking water for our children.
NPH Mexico 2014 13
Construction has also begun on a relaxation room in Miacatlán, which will provide a space for children and staff to unwind, and help improve mental health. In 2015, we hope to complete the security wall around Casa San Salvador to provide greater security for our home and to protect our farm crops. We also plan to begin extensive roof repairs at our homes in Miacatlán and Cuernavaca. Education In response to a large number of new students arriving with significant gaps in their education, we implemented after school tutorials in our high school. We hired three new staff members to run the tutorials, so students who Teacher and student in Miacatlan. are struggling with a subject can receive additional help to improve their understanding. This has proved successful, with failure rates already dropping in our high school. A new study techniques handbook was rolled out in our primary and secondary schools, providing excellent results. The GPA of students across all school levels has risen, and the failure rate has dropped. Community Service While caring for our children and young people is our first priority, reaching out to our community is an important part of NPH and helps to reinforce sharing, one of Father Wasson’s founding principles. We continue to provide support to a number of students from surrounding communities, by way of scholarships covering tuition at our schools. We also provide practical support to our local church in the way of food parcels, which are then distributed within our community. At our high school home, the student leadership group has grown this year and has taken on responsibility for developing many of our community outreach activities. At Christmas the group organized a clothing drive, collecting second-hand clothing to deliver to those in need, and served approximately 30 families. Hermanos Mayores This year we established the new position of Coordinator of ‘Hermanos Mayores’ (older brothers and sisters) to improve connections with former students of NPH. We have plans to expand this system, so hermanos mayores have better opportunities to remain involved with NPH, and also to provide a clearer picture of how our students are doing after they leave our home.
14 NPH Mexico 2014
Hermanos mayores continue to remain involved with NPH. During the year they attended and helped host events including Easter and Christmas celebrations, as well as our 60th anniversary celebrations this year. Emphasizing the fact that NPH is a family for life, we provide support for hermanos mayores who wish to undertake tertiary education but who lack the financial means. We hope to continue developing this program, so financial limitations are not a barrier for NPH family members who wish to improve their professional opportunities.
PT session.
Future Plans We have room to increase the number of children in our homes, and we hope to grow in 2015. In particular, we have capacity to increase our number of children at Ciudad de los Niños in Matamoros, a place 45 of our children call home. English is an incredibly important skill for our students to have in an increasingly connected world, and will provide them with many advantages as they enter tertiary education and the workforce. In 2015 we plan to extend our English Play time is our favorite part of the day. program, which includes building a space specifically for English lessons at Casa San Salvador, and establishing new partnerships with international volunteers with the aim of improving our English program. In a year full of so many happy and momentous events, it would be impossible to name all the groups and people who have made significant contributions this year. Instead, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank everybody who has been a part of NPH Mexico over the last 60 years. From the staff, volunteers, godparents, donors and hermanos mayores, to everyone else in between, words cannot describe how thankful we are for your support. Here´s to another 60 years full of love, family and tradition!
Honduras
I want to become an artist.
*
My name is Andre.
I am 9 years old and in 4th grade. The skills I will need to become an artist are; to be able to read, have tolerance and intelligence. NPH helps me with my education, to be respectful and to improve my skills.
*Name changed for privacy.
Dear Friends, The New Year is a time for new hope. It is a time for song and a time for gratitude; gratitude for the blessings that we have received in the past, and gratitude for the opportunities that we are granted to impact the future of those who surround us and those we love. It’s a time where we stop to think about how so many people have been gifts to us in our lives, and to consider how each of us can be an invaluable gift in the lives of those we have the responsibility to reach out to. Our greatest blessing here at NPH Honduras is the opportunity that we are given by the grace of God and by the generosity of so many donors, sponsors, coworkers, volunteers and supporters to be significant, real parts of our children’s lives. We get to guide them and counsel them, to educate and form them; we get to share in their celebrations and hold them in moments of sadness and despair. We get to enjoy our children as they continue to grow into responsible, young women and men and productive members of the Honduran society, and to watch them become catalysts for change. Our greatest blessing is that we get to be family.
In 2014, we mourned the tragic deaths of five of our children, but we also celebrated as we welcomed 119 new children into our family. We worked hard to tend to so many of our children who suffered cataclysmic loss in their biological families and in their personal lives, but we also rejoiced as three finished university and nineteen more finished their high school degrees. We stood with our youth, our employees and their family members as the precarious situation of insecurity and violence in Honduras, in different moments, affected their lives, but we also witnessed so many grateful patients leave our clinic and surgery center, gifted with a new chance of productive life without pain. In 2014, we faced the turmoil of change as the government entity that supervises our work was closed and subsequently replaced at the end of the year; we are grateful that through the hard work of our dedicated staff, we were able to develop new, strategic alliances with this new entity that has been created and installed. Throughout the past year of paradox, a year of sadness and happiness, dismay and hope, we continued the work, striving to see each and every child, each and every patient, each person with whom we work as what they truly are – unique and individual people who, regardless how large or small, are each complex worlds of wonder that we have the opportunity, and responsibility, NPH Honduras 2014 15
Sr. Kolbe at the beach with baby house.
to influence for the better. So as 2015 gets underway and you look back at another year that has passed, please remember the songs and the gifts that you have allowed us to give to our children here in NPH Honduras. Please take a moment to think about eight-year-old Kimberly, who came to us a few short months ago and who, when she was asked if she wanted to stay at NPH simply answered “yes…because here they rub my back and sing to me as I fall asleep.” Think of all the love that our staff and volunteers are able to pass on to our children through your help, and of so much more love that we are all given in return. All of this, and every little and big thing that we get to do here is through the support that you so generously provide us. With all my gratitude and the gratitude of all of our children, the staff and volunteers at NPH Honduras, thank you! God bless, and thank you, Stefan Feuerstein National Director, NPH Honduras
Independence day celebration.
NPH2009 Honduras 116NPHI Annual2014 Report
Home Life One of this year’s greatest accomplishments was re-evaluating all of our programs according to the home’s new strategic planning initiative. The process allows NPH Honduras to determine the real needs for the home and the children as well as promote, maintain, and follow the values that Father Wasson originally set forth. By having a process for recognizing challenges and facing them according to Father Wasson’s principles, the home in Honduras has been able to unify its personnel under a common set of standards and qualifications. All of the personnel are therefore able to maintain good relationships with one another and support the children together. The greatest challenge has always been the same: to make sure that our children are happy and loved. 2014 has also seen important growth in the focus on the holistic formation of our children and youth. We were able to restructure our psychology department this year, allowing us to provide better and more consistent support, encouragement, and follow-up care for our kids. We have also seen increase in participation in leadership opportunities, both locally and through international workshops and programs. Our girls’ empowerment group, “Chicas Poderosas” has expanded to include young girls from outside communities who, together with our girls, actively participate in learning and activities to develop their individual potential and self-esteem. Two of our young adults, Magda and Nelson, were accepted this year to the NPHI Leadership Development Program in Seattle. They are learning English and developing new skills and understanding. With all the new arrivals of children this year, the entire NPH community from the youngest to the oldest are rallying around the collective needs of our growing family in a way that we can be sure Father Wasson would be proud of. Social Work This year our social work department has been busier than ever. Back in 2010, they began a promotion plan in order to gain more recognition and support for referring children to NPH from all of
Honduras. Many of the new children who have joined our home in the last four years have come to us as a result of this investment. In 2014 this work reached a new mark, and we now see more tangibly the fruits of promoting our mission and values nationally. We have welcomed many new children this year from the area of Choluteca in the south of the country, a province where NPH was previously scarcely known, along with 51 children from other more distant areas of Honduras.
New kitchen.
Social worker with new child.
Little ones from baby house.
At the end of 2014 during the changes in the local government and their approach to overseeing and ensuring child welfare, the work of developing relationships with government authorities and other institutions resulted in important accolades, recognition and opportunity for our NPH Honduras family. DINAF (Department of Infants and the Family) is the replacement to IHNFA (Honduran Institute for Children and Family), Honduras’ former child protection agency. Thanks to our social workers and other NPH staff, we have established a strong, positive and strategic relationship with DINAF. As a direct result of this new and developing relationship, in the closing months of 2014 we were fortunate to welcome over 60 new children in need of a secure and loving home to our NPH family. This required searching for and contacting living relatives, which is a time consuming process with so many new children coming to our home at once. Contacting relatives will ensure that NPH is the right response to the individual needs and circumstances of each child’s life.
Beginning in 2014, we increased the number of official Visitor Days from three times a year to four. These days allow for children’s families to come and share time with the children. Due to distance
and finances, it has been difficult for many families to come and spend this valuable time with our children. The additional date has helped more relatives find time to be with the children. To help with a now more developed social work department, an increase in cases, and various projects such as continued promotion, NPH Honduras welcomed a new social worker, Gerson, to the team in the latter half of the year. Our social work department together with our psychologists and other staff were also able to attend the International Family Services workshop this year in Nicaragua, an opportunity that greatly facilitated the sharing of strategies and tips for improving their services in their respective homes. Construction and Projects In terms of construction and projects at Rancho Santa Fe, we have accomplishments both large and small. There were the large scale, tangible accomplishments, such as the completion of construction projects, departmental restructuring, as well as specific program improvements and additions. The remodeling and upgrade to our main kitchen was finally completed. The new building allows for much better processes in the preparation of food and ensuring we are getting the most out of what we purchase and produce. Along with the new kitchen, we were able to hire a local chef to take over the running of the kitchen and the menu to make sure we get the most out of the new layout. We have also developed and implemented additional and preventative security measures to ensure the safety of our children, staff, volunteers and visitors. Employing advice from Orphan Secure, a NPH collaborative organization, we have hired a Security Coordinator along with additional uniformed security personal to patrol our extensive property both day and night. This year we were able to replace the roof of Casa de Los Angeles, our Special Needs house in Tegucigalpa, which had been severely damaged by time and weather. We have happily finalized the extensive remodel of four of the girls’ homes and one of our boys’ in most desperate need of repair. We were also excited to see that the construction of the Holy Family Surgery Center’s new overnight unit and modifications of the operation room were completed just in time for our September surgery brigade, allowing for greater services and care for the local community. We also hired a new Project Coordinator, giving the Project Department the undivided attention needed to better serve the needs of the home in close collaboration with the fundraising offices.
NPH Honduras 2014 17
First grader at NPH Honduras School.
Education Success starts early in the lives of our children. This year 19 of our youngest graduated from our Pre-School Montessori program focusing on early childhood development. They are delighted to be moving on now to kindergarten. In our Vocational Center, we are very proud of our students’ accomplishments this year. More than 80% of the students who qualified for certification in their specific trades passed their exams and received their certifications. The biggest accomplishment was the addition of the beauty workshop as another available trade. Although it was only added this year, 100% of the students who qualified for certification passed their exams. The general vocation classes have also slightly changed, as they now include more philosophy and leadership components to prepare our students for life outside of the home. For our high school and university students, we have providing more support both in the youth houses and in their academics, with extracurricular opportunities and tutoring for those who need extra help. Giving these young adults ways to be busy with positive activities along with their studies is increasingly important to keep them safe while living in the complicated environment of Tegucigalpa. This year we congratulated 18 high school students and three university students on graduating and receiving their diplomas. In addition, Martha Baca, a pequeña who just graduated as a Medical Doctor, will be working with us next year in our Health Department. Spiritual Formation This year 22 teenagers were confirmed along with four adults. There were 19 baptisms, 40 first communions, and in December we celebrated 38 Quinceañero/as.The greatest achievement was extending catechismal formation in Buen Pastor, our boys’ home, from the 3rd grade until the 6th grade. There have also been many retreats, regular church choir practice, invitations to sing at local churches and excursions with the youth group for local charity work. Community Service Continuing in the spirit of Fr. Wasson and embracing the community in which we live here in Honduras, we were able to continue to develop and grow many of our community service programs 18 NPH Honduras 2014
throughout 2014. Involving our own youth in the build out and furniture construction of the new location in Talanga of the Comedor Infantil (Soup Kitchen for Children) together with a visiting Canadian organization, ‘Students Offering Support’, our children and youth are able to give back directly while putting to use the skills they’ve learned with us. Servicing 28-30 children daily, providing nutrition and activities, the Comedor continues to thrive as an NPH sponsored program. Through the Comedor, we have also been able to extend our infant nutrition program, advocating and supporting nutrition for more than 60 infants from the local communities. “Pasos Pequeñitos”, our daycare center for single mothers is keeping families together and children safe while allowing single mothers to find dignified work to support their children.
Paso Pequeñitos child eating lunch.
“Amigos de la Educacion”, our external scholarship program, celebrated its first university graduate, along with five middle school graduates. And in the changing and complicated social environment here in Honduras, our Social Work department Volunteer with special needs youth. was able to identify and target support for children who were brought to our attention, but needed an alternate kind of support; scholarships to study in our schools, medical assistance, food allocations or housing assistance. Our Hermanos Mayores (older brothers and sisters) department was also able to reach out, support, encourage and assist many of the pequeños of years past. Support for pequeños, even once they are grown and gone, whether it be in the form of baby formula or meds for a sick child, help with school books, finding a new job, or simple prayer, it is all part of the promise we make to each new child who comes to us when we tell them they’re home.
Haiti
I want to become an engineer.
*
My name is Emi.
I am 12 years old and in 7th grade. To become an engineer I will need to study, learn more mathematics and stay focused on my education. NPH helps me with learning life skills and provides an education so I will be able to help my family.
*Name changed for privacy.
Dear friends, In 2010, a 7.0 earthquake shook the grounds below our feet in Haiti, demolished our buildings and took the lives of over 100,000 people. On this tragic day a nation was destroyed. As we enter 2015, we look back on the back five years on how we have rebuilt not only our Nos Petit Freres et Soeurs (NPFS) programs but how the country of Haiti has developed since that day. At our St. Damien Pediatric Hospital, we have developed an advanced maternity and neonatology unit, one of the only of its kind in the country. In the past five years we have continued to develop other programs to keep serving the healthcare needs of those all over the country no matter the circumstances. In 2014, despite the financial cutbacks, we continued to provide over 60,000 healthcare services. One of our prouder accomplishments we established after the earthquake was the creation of the Father Wasson’s Angels of Light (FWAL) programs. What started as day camps in tent cities developed quickly into a home for over 200 children. We were very creative in our first years, utilizing as many resources as we could after the earthquake, including using shipping containers as homes, and we are thrilled to announce that in 2014 we inaugurated eight permanent homes for the FWAL program and we are in the process of building a kitchen, office and clinic.
Our flagship home, Kay St. Helene in the mountains of Kenscoff, still serves as a home, a family and a safe place for over 350 children. We continue welcoming new children into our family, including 27 new boys and girls in 2014 alone. Our onsite school remains as an example Fr. Rick Frechette with graduates. in the community and our students excel in their classes and national exams. This year over 20 students graduated from 8th grade and have recently moved down the mountain into our Don Bosco program to begin high school. With each year of new graduates and new beginnings, we could not be more proud of each student. We are also supporting 100 university students and we are determined to see their dreams become realities despite the financial troubles we may be facing. This year in particular we have added a special program that we refer to as “the Last Chance Program.” Perhaps children who have once lived with us have decided to reach out to us in a time of need, whether that need be financial, safety, or emotional. This program NPH Haiti 2014 19
Mass at St. Helene home.
offers them the tools and support they need, just like a family offers a child who has maybe strayed off the road a bit. Undoubtedly we are bound to face our fair share of problems, but we are optimistic that 2015 will bring us peace and equilibrium we have been seeking in our programs. The financial crisis that the world has been facing for the past several years has affected our programs and we have had to made serious cuts. We have made a lot of commitments that we have carried for three and a half years but are now harder to carry five years into it. Our main goal for 2015 will be to maintain and preserve existing programs. We have excellent leaders and staff who are invested and eager to keep learning and improving their skills to make this goal possible. Although 2014 had its challenges, it was full of laughs, accomplishments, new friends and many blessings. Thank you to everyone who has continued to offer their support and love to our NPFS family because without you, none of this would be possible. God Bless You All, Fr. Rick Frechette, CP National Director, NPFS Haiti Written by Avriel Burlot
High school graduation at St. Helene.
20 NPH Haiti 2014
St. Helene Dear friends and donors, Jesus said in the Gospel: “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.� Working for the good of the poor is something exceptional. With that, the St. Helene family thanks you very much for everything you did for us during the year of 2014. Your help enables us to give a well-rounded education for our children to rebuild our country. Many thanks for everything.
Sr. Bonite with children.
God bless you and give you joy and peace of heart. New kitchen at St. Helene.
Sr. Bonite Noelfils Director, St. Helene Home Life At our St. Helene home in the mountains of Kenscoff, the biggest accomplishment this year is the construction of our new kitchen building. As our family continues to grow, this new kitchen will continue to allow our staff to prepare meals in a cleaner, safer environment. This past year we are worked diligently on improving and enhancing security on the grounds for safety of our children, staff and volunteers. We also completed many repairs including the outer wall of the entire property at St. Helene. On August 10th, 16 children from Don Bosco Higher Education program celebrated their graduation from high school at Kay St. Helene. Although the graduates had attended several different high schools, it was important for them to return to the place they call home to celebrate with their NPH family from all over the country. Fr. Rick Frechette, National Director of NPH Haiti, gave a beautiful mass congratulating the accomplishments of our graduates. We also celebrated the graduation of several students from the eighth grade who have now moved to Don Bosco to start attending high school. Lastly, we celebrated 10 university graduates this year. Many have found work in Haiti and are perfecting their skills obtained in university.
Special Needs Programs Since 1993 our Special Needs program has provided residential care, education and therapy to children and adults with physiological and neurological conditions in Haiti. Here in Haiti children with special needs are very often abandoned by their parents – they simply don’t know how to take Gena Heraty with a Kay Christine child. care of them and they also can’t afford it – medication for epilepsy alone can cost a month’s wages – if you are lucky enough to be working! Typically these children are also frequently humiliated by society. Often they are kept locked in a room all day while the mother tries to make ends meet and if she does take her child out, she is continually bombarded by people telling her to “dump that useless thing that will never be any good”. This stark realisation has seen our program evolve from one that solely provides a home to abandoned children to tackling some of the related issues head on. The pillars of our program are education, rehabilitation, social care, residential care and training. By focusing on these we really believe that we make lasting changes to the lives of people with special needs in Haiti. Throughout the past 22 years, it has been a privilege for me and for those who work in the program to see smiling faces every day, and truly, without the help and support of you our wonderful program would not be possible. Each year we provide a valuable service to over a thousand children and adults, however without donations like yours, we will not have enough funds to keep operating at our current level; critically impacting the people we serve. We ask that join us. Help us to keep doing what we are doing. Help us to do more! For those of you who have already supported us, thank you. And for those of you who are new to our work, we hope that you are inspired to join us on this journey. Gena Heraty Special Needs Director NPH Haiti Kay Christine was established in Kenscoff in May 1993. The residential facility provides 24 hour care to 35 individuals with disabilities ranging from the mild to severe. International visiting specialists have noted the excellent quality of life the children and adults in our care receive. Inspired by the success and knowledge gained from this, we expanded the program to reach into the communities of Port-au-Prince and offer support to families that had children with disabilities/special needs.
Kay Germaine is the only special education school of its kind in Haiti. We provide specialised education services and ongoing rehabilitation to children and adults. Kay Germaine is also unique in that our skilled ex-pat volunteers train local therapists giving our program a greater degree of sustainability and self-sufficiency. In Kay Germaine there are nine class rooms, a sensory room, five rehabilitation rooms and a swimming pool for aquatic therapy. Kay Gabriel is our newest facility. Located on the same site as Kay Germaine, here we provide rehabilitative therapy for children and adults with neurological disorders. Students and graduates of Kay Germaine also avail of the facility. Kay Eliane is our smallest facility. Located in Petionville, we provide early intervention therapy to children with special needs (i.e. Physiotherapy and Sensory Stimulation). Once these children are then old enough, many will attend Kay Germaine.
Kay Gabriel rehab.
Kay Christine resident.
Over the last year we have partnered with Aksyon Gasmy to train their community agents in the north of Haiti to provide therapeutic healthcare and education for children with special needs. Five rehabilitation staff and two education staff now provide services at small clinics throughout the diocese St. Germaine Special Needs School. of Port de Paix. They also provide training to 24 volunteers that work with geographically isolated families to provide a basic range of services. This initiative now serves an estimated 700 children with disabilities. Going forward we plan to both continue and expand the training, impacting an even greater number of people. Kay Germaine: 92 children receiving special education, 72 children receiving therapy one to two times a week. Kay Gabriel: 554 outpatients treated annually, 250 sessions of therapy every week. Kay Eliane: 64 outpatients treated 2 times a week. Kay Christine: 35 children and adults receive 24 hour home care. Estimated 700 children in Port-de-Paix currently receive treatment and/or education from NPH trained therapists and teachers With a country wide unemployment rate of between 70-80%, our program employs 124 people in the Port-au-Prince region. NPH Haiti 2014 21
Fr. Wasson Angels of Light Dear Friends, The year 2014 was a very good year for us at Father Wasson’s Angels of Light. We’ve seen many changes in our program since we started five years ago. We’ve watched the children grow from babies to children to young adults; we’ve been able to expand our school program for community children; and we now have a more stable facility for our Kenson Kaas with St. Anne child. children to live and learn and our staff to work. When the program started in January 2010, our children were living in tents. In July the same year, we move from tents to shipping containers and in the end of 2013, we started the construction of the houses that we have now. We have in our program 140 children who live with us and another 721 coming to our school every day. In total, 861 children benefit from the program.
Everything that we are able to accomplish here is possible because the world has good people with good hearts. There are people who know that many in the world do not have the same opportunities as them. These people believed that they could do something to change the lives of children. Through their donations, friendship and support they have helped us create FWAL and we are grateful to them. Thank you to everyone who has supported us through the years. We are very proud of what we have created and it is due to the support of our friends across the world. Thank you from on behalf of our children and staff, Kenson Kaas Director, FWAL Inauguration day of St. Louis homes.
Originally, our program only planned to have 800 students, including both internal students living with us and external students from the community. At 851 students, we are currently over extended. While we know that is an additional financial burden, it is hard to turn away children in need of an education. Each year, we also find the program growing through the addition of another grade. This year we now provide schooling from kindergarten through 9th grade. I was a member of the team that helped start the program after the earthquake in 2010. Most of us, myself included, started without any background in leadership and management. Through time and with the help of many other NPH leaders, I started to develop my leadership confidence. Every year that passed by; I learned more, I became better and more focused on the mission of helping these kids to have the best life that they can. I am so grateful to devote myself to helping these children receive the life that they deserve: healthcare, education, spiritual formation, and the most important, a community and family. I am also honored to invest my time and all that I am in this wonderful program, to make sure that these kids are successful like I was when I was young.
22 NPH Haiti 2014
Home Life 2014 has been an eventful year at FWAL, filled with milestones and accomplishments. In January, we celebrated Fr. Wasson’s Angels of Light 4th anniversary with a big celebration. In April we proudly inaugurated of the St. Louis home for 101 boys and girls, ages 8-15. After a few years of transitional housing in tents and shipping containers, the children were very excited to move into their new homes. There are four new buildings with two homes in each building. The homes allow us to provide the children with a more comfortable and safer place to live as well as give them with an important sense of permanency. We held a big celebration with dancing and drums, and the homes were blessed by Fr. Rick Frechette and Fr. Enzo Del Brocco.
FWAL School playground
St. Anne Baby House at FWAL.
FWAL’s primary outreach with the community is through our school. In addition to the 140 children who live with us, we provide a free education and meal to 714 children from the neighboring areas. This fall we continued expanding our secondary school by adding a 9th grade class. We hope to add a grade each year until we can provide a complete secondary education for our students. We are incredibly proud of our students and what they have accomplished. Especially this past year, when every student in our 6th grade passed the National exams to continue on to secondary school. This is a huge accomplishment for our students, our staff and our school. Education is extremely important for our children to build a better life for themselves and these children face many obstacles on their path. We are filled with pride that we were able to pass along such an important aspect of Fr. Wasson’s philosophy and that they children have taken it to heart.
St. Damien Pediatric Hospital In 2014, year of the 60th anniversary of NPH, St. Damien continued its work at supporting vulnerable families seeking healthcare for children and women with obstetrical conditions. We were able to see 13,789 children in our outpatient clinic, admitted 3,648 inpatients, delivered 1,878 Dr. Jacqueline Gautier newborns (including those by cesarean sections), treated 298 children with tuberculosis, offered dental care to 5,161 adults and children and treated 64 new cases of pediatric cancer. We have a cohort of 793 women and children infected and exposed to HIV including 550 receiving antiretroviral long-term treatment. Year 2014 brought its load of challenges and accomplishments at the hospital. We succeeded in raising the basic salary of one third of our staff, the less paid employees, to an acceptable level.
This year, we’ve increased the spiritual formation to include more regular Sunday Mass with Father Enzo. We are also holding spiritual formation classes with small groups of FWAL residents. The children learn lessons from catechism classes as well as have discussions on how to make God and religion a part of their daily lives. After finishing the construction for the St. Louis home, we began to focus our attention on building a beautiful new kitchen. We are nearing completion on the kitchen, and hope to start using it shortly after the new year. Our kitchen staff has the important task of providing nutritious meals and snacks to our full time children and caregivers as well as lunch for our hundreds of external students each day!! This year, FWAL took on it’s first year of service student, Mytherson. He will work in the kitchen during the day and assist with childcare on evenings and weekends. We are excited to commence this program that has so successfully worked at other homes.
We organized training sessions for the staff about keeping a welcoming atmosphere for families and also about using good communication among other strategies to always keep an approach of patient centered care. Multiple other training sessions took place in neonatology with Bambinu Gesu hospital from Milan, Italy, with Italian neonatologists coming to support our program as well. Additionally we received volunteer midwives and pharmacists from Italy, and a neonatologist nurse from the US. We opened a new Kangaroo unit as to help our fragile but stable premature babies to growth naturally before their discharge home. We continued to work with a US network of pediatric programs offering global health experiences to US pediatric residents while our institution benefited from their expertise in subspecialties to improve our work.
NPH Haiti 2014 23
St. Damien Departments Dental Emergency HIV Malnutrition Maternity Neonatal Oncology Pediatrics Public Health Rehydration Surgery Tuberculosis
St. Damien has worked on strengthened the cardiologic program: six children went to Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio where they received cardiac surgery. We also received regular visits from two pediatric cardiologists from that same hospital. Also, St. Damien will receive a cardiac surgical mission from Gift of Training at Akron. Life in March 2015: they will perform cardiac surgery on 10 to 12 children. A team of six staff members from Saint Damien spent six weeks training in Akron to prepare for this activity that will be a great accomplishment for our hospital and for Haiti. All these activities are supported and organized by Gift of Life International, a branch of Rotary Club. We welcomed the second group of six residents in our program of pediatric residency: a way for St. Damien to contribute to the investment in medical education in Haiti where the lack of well-trained medical personnel is one of the main obstacles to healthcare access. Unfortunately since October 2014, we have been experiencing a new surge of cholera cases. Our unit receives up to 100 cases a month. Programs promoting hands hygiene and increased access to potable water are implemented throughout the country to eradicate cholera, but their impact is not yet significant enough to prevent the outbreaks. Our center is one of the rare cholera centers still in function since many closed when the number of cases dropped.
24 NPH Haiti 2014
Nurse and patient.
Moreover, St. Damien is restructuring its administrative and financial office while encouraging more participation from all department heads in administrative duties. We are also benefitting from a cost study conducted by USAID with the goal of strengthening our administration. We need to move forward as we are experiencing a continuous increase of the cost of our operations while resources are not following the same trend. As a result, we are forced to ask the vulnerable families we serve for more financial contributions to their care, in order to limit the reduction of services next year. We feel blessed that St. Damien is holding strong no matter the challenges, internal and external in the country. On behalf of the staff and of the families we serve, I am thanking you all: volunteers, donors and partners who make this work possible. Our organization is grateful for your invaluable support throughout the years. With your help, we will continue to invest in children, our future.
Neonatology ward.
God bless you! Jacqueline Gautier, MD CEO, St. Damien Hospital Nurse administering an IV.
Nicaragua a
I want to b eco me a bus iness r. dmin istrato
My name is Kervenson.
*
I am 16 years old and in 10th grade. The skills I will need to become a business administrator are responsibility, respect and the ability to always smile and inspire happiness. NPH helps me with learning English skills and keeps me dedicated to my education.
*Name changed for privacy.
Dear Friends and Family, “NPH is not an orphanage, it is a family.” That is what one of our recent high school graduates has to say about NPH. And she is right. Our children, volunteers, and staff all know this, and I hope you do as well, because whether you are a donor, godparent or work in one of our offices, or once were a volunteer, pequeño, or staff, you are and always will be part of this wonderful family. We are a family that provides a home to children who need love and hope in their lives, but who are also capable of giving hope and love to those that serve them. After all, isn’t that what a family is? Everyone loving and serving each other. This is why we not only need money and support from people, we also need love and companionship from them. I want everyone to know just how amazing our pequeños are. It is not easy being a pequeño. They all have difficult backgrounds, but have luckily ended up together. Their lives still are not easy; imagine living with 200 brothers and sisters! It is amazing how even after experiencing so much pain, they are happy and know how to give love. Some may say they are broken, but I don’t believe that is true. Their ability to pick themselves up, succeed, and find happiness and joy in their lives proves they are not broken. And it is with thanks to everyone around the world who is a part of this family that makes this possible.
I am shown time and time again that even though I am a leader, I still have a lot to learn. I was listening to our high school students present their final graduation projects and I was moved by what they had to say. One young man, humbled me. What he said during his presentation reminded me that even though I am a leader, I have a responsibility to explain why I make the decisions I make and why we do things Marlon Velasquez at Samaritan project. in NPH the way we do them. The students reminded me of the efficiency of positive leadership. All of them understand the philosophy of Fr. Wasson and they are going to be incredibly successful in university and in life. NPH has prepared them well. I look back on this year and am so proud of the accomplishments we have made thanks to your support. I am excited to see what the future has in store for our home and our pequeños in 2015. Many blessings and thanks to our family around the world, Marlon Velazquez National Director, NPH Nicaragua NPH Nicaragua 2014 25
Graduation celebration.
Education The vocational workshops launched in March of this year, and we are now able to certify students in four different trades: shoe making, residential electricity, welding and sewing. NPH Nicaragua has offered workshops in the past when the home was located on Ometepe Island; however, students did not receive nationally recognized certification in their trades. By attending the vocational workshops the students now receive this certification, which improves their opportunity at finding jobs in their trade. In addition this helps build self-confidence in their skills, and the opportunity to be self-sufficient and support their families in the future. One of our 9th grade students participated in a literature contest in the community. He placed first at the Municipal level in July for the oral division, as well as placing first in the written division in September. What is even more exceptional about this achievement is that before coming to NPH, he did not know how to speak Spanish. He is from the Mesquite region, on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, where they speak their own language. When children come to NPH from the Mesquite region, most of them do not speak or understand any Spanish. This was the case with Tadeo, but in his time here he has excelled in both learning Spanish and in his other school classes. The Samaritan Project Some may see this as an outreach program, but at NPH Nicaragua we know it as “our new home.� Since 2010, The Samaritan Project has provided physical and occupational therapy to children with disabilities. At the end of 2014 the program was serving 33 patients and their families. These children receive therapy and milk, while their families receive support and training.
26 NPH Nicaragua 2014
In August of 2014, the construction of our own building on Ometepe Island was completed. After renting a room in a local hospital for five years, we now have our own building with more space, access to water and electricity, and more therapy options for the people that we serve. The families are happy to have a place they can call their own and we are happy to welcome them as a part of the family. Community Service In October there was a flood near our home in Jinotepe. While we were not affected, many people in the community were. Thirty of our youth went to help support a local community that was devastated by this flood by bringing rice, clothes, and company to the victims. Our kids were given the choice to decide if they wanted to donate some of the rice that they would be eating for a week to the people that were affected and had no food. Many children decided to do so. Through outreach like this, our children learn about sharing and helping others in need. Even though our children do not have a lot, they have what they need, and they want to help others who are less fortunate. At NPH they are learning ways of love and service to others. They are generous children who love to help others in any way they can. Medical In May the implementation of our medical database was completed. We are now able to archive the medical records of every child in our database for easy access and reference. This makes the jobs of our medical team much easier and makes it possible to keep accurate records of the health of our children. This year we also have stable staff working with us 24 hours a day, allowing us to provide better service to the children.
Growing our own vegetables!
Spiritual Formation This year we celebrated 5 Baptisms, 6 First Communions, 23 Confirmations, 9 Quincea単eros, and 6 Quicea単eras. We think this is an achievement every year because it means that our children have reached a point of transformation in their lives, and for each child that is an achievement and a moment to be proud of. Confirmations are a decision that they must make for themselves. It requires them to reflect and spend time preparing for this sacrament through classes and retreats. These celebrations are really a time for all of us to celebrate together. We get to celebrate our children as well as our faith. Fr. Alberto - baptism ceremony.
Vocational workshop.
Construction The construction of Casa Samaritano, the new building that has improved our ability to provide physical and occupational therapy for children with disabilities, was started and completed in 2014. It will be ready for use in just a few short months. We finished building two new greenhouses that in the coming years will help us to continue striving towards sustainability. It gives us more opportunity to grow our own food, thereby reducing the amount we spend on buying food. Having greenhouses allows us to grow what we want and need, such as fruits and vegetables. Being able to grow more fruits and vegetables allows us to better provide a more nutritious diet to the kids, helping them to live healthier lives. The crops grown in the home include a variety of around 15 vegetables, including corn, yucca, tomatoes, cucumbers and beans, as well as 13 different types of fruits, which include watermelon, mango and oranges. We teach the kids how to cultivate these crops, providing them with a new skill that in the future can help them provide for themselves. If our children have this skill, they can both grow food to feed themselves and their families, and potentially sell the products to financially support themselves.
Eager students drawing numbers.
Hermanos Mayores We have recently started a new mechanism for our weekly meetings with the hermanos mayores. This allows us to have better interaction with them, visit, and share time together as a family. There are currently 57 Hermanos Mayores, and of this group 11 receive support for university or technical education. Other hermanos mayores are working in many different fields, such as nursing, accounting, and mechanics. It is important to keep a relationship with our Mayores because they will always be a part of our family and they can be examples for the peque単os we currently have in our home. NPH Nicaragua 2014 27
Guatemala
I want to become a chef.
*
My name is Hermin.
I am 15 years old and in 8th grade. To become a chef I will need to have a good palate, be very organized and love what I do. NPH helps me achieve my dreams by offering cooking and baking classes and supporting my overall education.
*Name changed for privacy.
Dear friends, For our NPH Guatemala Family, 2014 represented a year of tremendous accomplishment. Our dedicated staff of caregivers, teachers, professionals and volunteers worked tirelessly to kindle the spirit of Fr. Wasson in our hearts. Their accomplishments are manifested in the happiness and achievements of our pequeños, from university students to pre-schoolers, each on their path to a brighter future.
Chris Hoyt with children.
Each day we experience what we call pequeño moments. Anyone who has visited an NPH home understands the unique beauty of our shared experience. From singing Silent Night in our new Holy Family chapel on Christmas Eve, to enjoying family picnics and bonfires in the recently completed Family Park, our pequeños invite us to partake in memories that will live eternally. Our increased focus on community service has allowed our children to put their faith in practice more consistently, and the results have been poignant and humbling. New projects to include our children with different capacities in productive projects have grown. To observe a pequeño managing the sales of a small store is impressive; to do so as he operates a mechanized wheelchair and speaks through a pre-programmed tablet inspires us to do more.
Our pequeños continue to exceed our expectations. As one of our university students recently told me, “We are the only ones who put limits on what we can do.” With the strong guidance of our new House Director, Byron Carcuz, and steady leadership of our Administrator, Camilo Peña, we will offer our pequeños the best opportunities possible in 2015. We thank our godparents and donors for their trust and our Executive Director for his unwavering support. We invite you to visit our children and participate in our daily pequeño moments, of which we are so blessed to be a part. With gratitude, Christopher Hoyt National Director, NPH Guatemala 28 NPH Guatemala 2014
High school graduates.
Education In 2014, our high school students had a 100% graduation rate. This success is owed to the dedicated high school team, which maintained strong communication with teaching staff at each of the several public schools our students attend. They dedicated individualized attention to each student as well as provided tutoring for any students with special learning needs. In 2015, they will mentor the largest class of high school students, all of whom will soon graduate as qualified professionals. Our junior high will implement an accelerated educational program in 2015 for children who have not studied or were delayed in studying prior to arriving to NPH. The program will reduce junior high from three years to two. These students, over the age of 18, will progress more quickly through the formal educational path while complementing their preparation with marketable skills. Teaching excellence must be at the core of our programming, and our teaching professionals constantly participate in career development opportunities toward that end. In addition to our locally managed trainings, our teachers participated in three trainings offered by international experts. They have begun implementing more diverse teaching strategies to meet the various learning approaches of our students. Together with increased transition planning among our educational programs and evaluation of our teaching professionals, our school has demonstrated measurable success. This success translates into greater academic opportunity for our pequeños, as well as over 80 at risk children receiving scholarships to study at NPH Guatemala, from preschool to junior high. Our university students demonstrate incredible dedication to our family. The majority choose to work as professionals in our home during the week and study a full schedule on weekends. Other students live in Guatemala City to attend the nation’s public university and study during the week. They involve themselves twice a month in our children’s home activities and inspire our younger pequeños by sharing their experiences. Our first college
graduated began working as a medical doctor full time in the capital and frequently visits the home to visit our family. Home Life Through the generosity of the Rossi family and donations by Fender guitars, we were able to re-launch music program with a tradition touch. The children practice traditional marimba music and dance four times a week and will travel to Chicago, Phoenix, and Danville, California in 2015 to assist in fundraising efforts. Our musicians also play in mass and have participated in local promotional events, most Holy Family Chapel. notably before the First Lady of Guatemala and U.S. Congresswoman Hahn. On Christmas Eve, we blessed our Family Park, centrally located in our property to further strengthen our sense of community. Designed by a university student studying architecture, the concept promotes wheelchair accessibility, picnic table, a fire pit and area for theater and movie projection. Our visitors have enjoyed utilizing the space to interact with their godchildren, enjoy the views of the newly constructed chapel and surrounding volcanoes. A new program called the Day of Work and Sharing was initiated to visibly implement two core values of our founder. Twice a year, all of our pequenos, employees and volunteers spent a whole day together, working in different areas in the morning and playing in the afternoon, complete with a barbeque at the end of a full day. All staff also participated in six workshops designed to impart the philosophy of Fr. Wasson’s childcare approach, as he writes in his book, Quien vera por los niños? Our founders thoughts resonate as much today as they did sixty years ago, and reflecting and sharing in his philosophy inspired many new projects and opportunities for our children. NPH Guatemala 2014 29
Yum, the food here is great!
Administration One of our responsibilities at NPH is to use the money from our donors the best possible way. One initiative we ushered in last year was investment in green energy. From installing solar Caregiver and child. thermal systems to heat shower water in 90% of the home, to replacing fluorescents with LED lights, these initially costly upfront investments will yield return on investment in a few short years. The savings will be redirected to educational programming for our pequeños, including providing scholarships to attend private high schools. Now in the third year of its strategic plan, NPH Guatemala selected four key areas for advancement: Childcare & Protection, Corporate Governance, Administration & Operations, and Finances. From the development of operation manuals to increase efficiencies to engaging major stakeholders in local fundraising and policy development that affect government trends, the plan aligns with NPHI’s key initiatives to best position our home in the years to come. Our projects department collaborated with our fundraising offices to finance much needed capital projects, including paving a road from the homes to the offices for wheelchair accessibility. Undoubtedly the master achievement is the completion of the Holy Family chapel, a beautiful and prayerful space in the central area of our home. Our eternal gratitude will be with our chaplain, Fr. Jim Hurlbert and all the parishes and donors who gifted this chapel to us. Social Work In order to enhance the emotional stability of our children, the Social Work department began accepting new children in a distinct way. In collaboration with the government, we have implemented some administrative changes to ensure that the children who come to us, stay with us. We continue to keep siblings together and accept children who have been orphaned or at risk, simply by working directly with families. This change allows us to remain true to our core philosophy that a child arrives at NPH as a permanent member of our family. We remain in close collaboration with the Guatemalan government to accept emergency cases and maintain 30 NPH Guatemala 2014
the highest accreditation issued by the government’s regulatory agency. We continue to welcome children of all ages to our home, from a baby of five weeks to indigenous families learning Spanish for the first time. This year marked a joyous return for a member of our family who spent several years in Italy recovering from a successful organ transplant. He now is serving the family in his year of service, earning a salary and receiving benefits through the Guatemalan nationalized health system. Farm Caritas, a local Catholic development partner, donated NPH Guatemala a second greenhouse and macrotunnels to enhance vegetable production and improve nutrition. Marked increases in the production of tomato, onion, potatoes, green peppers and cucumbers have allowed for healthier and fresher products in our menus. Our pequeños also eat meat two times more per week compared to the previous year, receiving both chicken and pork on twice a week on average. Community Service Fr. Wasson believed that it was most important that his pequeños practice charity. In 2014, our children began serving the community on frequent outings in order to value what we have as a family, understand the current realities the children will someday be a part of, and put into practice the Christian faith. Younger children distributed clothing and toys to nearby impoverished communities and cleaned trash to promote healthy living. Older pequeños spending time at permanent homes for the elderly or disabled. Our “Older Brothers and Sisters” program supports older children transitioning into independent life. Counselors offer support through rent assistance and educational programs to ensure they take the best step forward. Opportunities also exist to begin new businesses through microloans or in-kind donations. During the course of the year, older pequeños return to attend major festive events and maintain contact with their NPH family, of which they will always be a part.
El Salvador
I want to b eco me a speech t h erapist.
My name is Caetano.
*
I am 16 years old and in 9th grade. To become a speech therapist the skills I will need are to study a lot, know the techniques of speech and I will need help from God. NPH helps me by supporting me in reaching my dreams. *Name changed for privacy.
Dear NPH family, The NPH El Salvador family sends you warm greetings. I want to share with you our joys and successes of these past 15 years of love and care for the children of El Salvador. When I think about the achievements in our NPH home in El Salvador, I also think about the moments that we have lived in our family. It fills me with pride that we have completed 15 years of service to the children of NPH El Salvador. The changes are significant because we started with 12 children and now there are 300. The doctor used to provide consultations in a small room, and now we have a clinic. There were arts and craft classes held in the halls of the houses, and now we have special workshops. Before we rented a house, and now we have our own home and school to better serve the needs of our children.
the importance of teamwork in order to build solid foundations.
Olegario Campos with a graduate.
In this way, we have guided young adults over 15 years of blessing for everyone, and especially for our children. Every time we see one of our children grow up and take small steps in their lives, we know that all the efforts we are making for their wellbeing are worth it. Every one of us working in NPH, from our small work area, is striving to provide the best care to all of our children so they can achieve their goals.
Our children who have grown up have also contributed to change that will benefit their own future. Every year, they are graduating from different academic, and many of the big brothers are giving a year of service to their younger siblings too.
All the departments in our home are very important because each one of them serves children with the same purpose in mind, which is helping the children make their dreams come true.
The changes are noticeable, but it was not easy! During this time we have grown and matured a lot. The experiences we’ve had, some good ones and others not so good, have helped us recognize
Showing the children that we care about them with small details, so that they can accomplish big goals in their lives, was one of the dreams of our beloved and remembered Father Wasson. NPH El Salvador 2014 31
Year of service youth cooking tortillas.
These details are often giving good advice or even a smile. Providing them a place where they find support, and encouraging them to believe that they can achieve whatever they want. This will help them continue fighting every day to reach that goal and break the circle of poverty from which they came. I want, with all my heart, to help our children believe in themselves, in what they want to become, and give them the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. It is a pleasure to serve NPH because this is the family that one day gave me the opportunity to accomplish my dreams. I am very proud to have people committed to this legacy of love in NPH El Salvador, this love is offered to all children who want to be part of our family. Thank you very much for your kind help and God Bless you all! Olegario Campos National Director, NPH El Salvador Education During the 2014 school year, our school invited all students from 1st to 9th grade to participate in an open competition of reading, public speaking, writing and mathematics. The competition turned out to be a wonderful experience for the kids, and resulted in improving student investment within the classrooms, which has had a positive impact on the participants’ grades and has contributed to a rise in the majority of their GPA’s. In addition, the students gained practice in working as a team, a new sense of self confidence, and a renewed interest in studying as they prepared for the competition.
32 NPH El Salvador 2014
Wendy, a young lady with health problems who stays at the clinic, took computer classes, social studies and arts and crafts classes this year. She creates different crafts and sells them to the personnel, which is a fun activity for her and helps her build confidence in her creativity. Due to her health condition, Wendy can’t do the same activities as other people her age. These classes motivate her, and the craft classes especially have helped her develop her manual skills. This past year our staff has found new ways to support our students with neurological difficulties. Our home’s multidisciplinary team of psychology, school, clinic and caregiver representatives began inviting the psychiatrist and neurologist from outside of the home to meet with them regularly. During meetings, they discuss the behavior and academic progress of each child as well as formulate ideas to better differentiate our care. As a result of these multidisciplinary meetings, we have seen improvements in the children’s performance in school and their perspective toward their achievements. This year, many children with neurological problems moved on to the next level of schooling with good grades, are well rounded, to the extent that some of them are students have the best GPA in their class. Every year we have new high school students, and this year we are pleased to report that all of our 28 high school students succeeded (18 high school students in Intex and 10 students in the Saturday Program), and they are expecting to move on with good grades to the next academic level. Next year they can start their studies at the university.
Classroom reading time.
The roof of the sports court has created a much better environment for the physical education class. The roof provides shade for the students which has made sports and activities much more enjoyable for the kids, and has contributed to an increase in their participation. The roof also helps make the space a more convenient and comfortable area to host other events such as graduations, quinceañeras, posadas, lectures and the family visits that we have three times a year. The children of the ABC special needs program participated in activities in the fields and the farm where they developed skills Sweet smiles. that will serve them in the future. The group consists of 15 male and female youth between the ages of 14 and 18. They reported regularly to work in the field and learned how to cultivate corn. We found that these activities were educational for them, and they were enthusiastic about successfully reaping the crop that they had planted with their own two hands. They also learned how to milk the cows that provide milk to feed the children daily. Family Year In our home Casa Sagrada Familia over the past three years, we have had the joy of building up the “year of service” program. This year gives them the opportunity to learn responsibility and develop a strong spirit of service by helping NPH daily in a variety of roles and house activities. This year 15 youth from our home graduated from this stage in their lives, and continued working and gaining experience in the different positions they assisted during the year. They are now ready and looking forward to beginning their high school or university studies. Agriculture This year brought a seasonal drought from mid-May to late July, and we lost part of our corn crop as a result. After the drought, the
rains began and we decided to plant more corn to see if we could rescue part of what we had lost. Thanks to the rains in August and September, the cornfields have grown by a sufficient amount to rescue the corn for 2015. In addition, our livestock population grew considerably. We have eight cows and six newborn bull calves. The objective of growing our livestock count is to have a higher production of milk for the children of NPH and thus improve our home’s self-sustainability. Community Connections This year we helped El Sompopo Public School by teaching computer classes to 43 students from the 3rd grade. El Sompopo School is a public school with very few resources, and they do not have equipment to teach computer classes, therefore our NPH School in El Salvador gives these classes with the teacher we have here. The children’s progress has been extraordinary, and they are highly motivated and grateful. The teachers are also very happy with the assistance that we are providing. Sixteen adolescents from our home participated in two soccer tournaments over eight months with the neighboring towns to the El Salvador home. Seven caregivers and educators participated in a training course on human rights taught by ISNA, the Salvadoran Institute for Integral Development of Children and Adolescents, which was beneficial for everyone. This helped improve the knowledge of the staff on working with children and adolescents in order to provide better services to both children and employees. Healthcare Public health issues in our home have been reduced thanks to the talks on prevention and care that we had with the children regarding their personal hygiene habits. The health center in Texistepeque supported us with vaccines and fumigation to eradicate the mosquitos that cause the Chikungunya virus. Thanks to all of this, the medical expenses of this year were reduced considerably. Helping with the corn production.
NPH El Salvador 2014 33
Dominican Republic
I wa nt t o be co m tran ea slat or.
My name is Darline.
*
I am 15 years old and in 10th grade. I love languages and want to become a translator. The skills I will need are respect, tolerance and to be kind and a good listener. NPH helps me with Kieran Rigney with a graduate.
my studies, healthcare and a proper diet. They also taught me to be grateful and to fight for my dreams. *Name changed for privacy.
Dear Friends, Family, Sponsors & Donors, As “Casa Santa Ana” enters her 12th year here in the Dominican Republic I cannot help but reflect on the good fortunes that have been brought to our home. We owe our existence in the Dominican Republic to our Bishop, Francisco Ozoria Acosta, who invited us with open arms to start the home here in San Pedro de Macoris. We thank all the donors, both local and international, who believed in the NPH mission, and our staff and volunteers who give of themselves each and every day. Without all of these helping hands our home would not be what it is today. In fact, we might not even be here. We have also had the great fortune to create a family for all our children ranging from six months to twenty-two years who we support and cherish Kieran Rigney practices his dance moves. each day. When they arrived they knew they were home. They look to us for our guidance and leadership and in turn, our hope for them is a safe and secure future, one where they will be caring and productive citizens of their country. I believe it to be true to say that we have created a happy home, a family, where dreams can become realities. I am reminded often of a quote by National Baseball Hall of Famer 34 NPH Dominican Republic 2014
Tommy Lasorda who said, “The difference between the possible and the impossible lies in a person’s determination.” This year our home has had the wonderful opportunity of watching eight more of our oldest pequeños join the first two university students on the path to make their career goals a reality. It has been a privilege to assist them in reaching this point and a success of our home to be able to provide these students with the means for this next step in life. About half of the group has also chosen to live outside of our home in San Pedro, which is allowing them to gain even more life experiences. As you continue reading our report you will get a chance to read about more of our successes over the last year as well as some plans we have made for the future. I would like to take this moment to give a big THANK YOU to each and every one of you from everyone here in the Dominican Republic. Without the love and support of all of you, none of our successes or dreams would be possible. Now the only thing left is for you to come and visit our children in their home, your home. We will be glad to welcome you any time. Regards, Kieran Rigney National Director, NPH Dominican Republic
Students enjoying an activitiy in the classroom.
Home Life This year a major focus has been on the growing age of our home. While some of our children are at an age of moving on to new adventures, others have had the good fortune of being reunited with their families. For these reasons we have begun to grow our social work department and are building on two programs, family reintegration and Hermanos Mayores. These two programs will help us stay in contact with those who have moved out to make sure they are continuing to lead happy and healthy lives and that they always remember that their NPH family is there to help. This has also allowed us to open our doors to new family members. During the 2014 year we are happy to have welcomed nine new children. Education Education has not only been a major accomplishment of this year, but is also our main focus for the coming year. As our first two university students began their second year, a group of eight more joined the higher education program. This group of ten students are in fields University students. such as teaching, psychology, hotel management and medicine. Half of them have also made the decision to live outside of NPH and are gaining more experience of living on their own or with a host family. Each year more students will move on to higher education and so we have created a new University Coordinator position to assist the next class in preparing for what is to come and keep track of those already on their career path. Another major educational accomplishment for our home was that our two on-site schools changed from a private to semi-private status, meaning we will now receive government help. They will help pay for teachers’ salaries, snacks and lunches, books, materials and more. Our teachers will need to meet the Ministry of Education’s certification standards, which means they will be involved in workshop classes to always be at the required level.
A separate connection was also made within the education ministry to work on improving our current special needs classroom. The idea is to gain materials to help some of these students reintegrate into a standard classroom and improve the level of education for those who struggle most. Our home has been fundraising toward the construction of our vocational workshop buildings for a while and this year we thankfully received a large donation that completed our goal. The final plans are being checked and ground is scheduled to break in early 2015. The goal is to have this specialty class up and running by the end of 2015. Our new university coordinator is working on a program that will start with the high school level classes and then continue to help the students as they work their way through their future studies. The idea is to help the students think about what they want to do in the future and possibly start that path by participating in a workshop class or by attending the local vocational school. We would also like to start placing year of service youths in an area that fits well with their career goals. Once the students begin university, the coordinator acts as an advisor and counselor for any help or guidance the student need from the NPH side. Youth Development & Spirituality A new look has been created for our youth development group that also has a major focus on spirituality. The group has given themselves the name “Siguiendo Huellas de Jesús” or “Following the footstep of Jesus.” Anyone 16 years or older is invited to be a member and participate in fun activities and help set an example for the younger ones. The mission statement is: ‘Serve the development of the young community both personally and collectively. Promote the participation and growth of youth in the church through activities that are attractive to their age such as group dynamics, reflections and social events. With a final result of showing a life with a living, loving and merciful Christ. NPH Dominican Republic 2014
35
Over the past couple of years we have formed a relationship with an organization named Fundaci贸n Siempre Mas, who takes groups of underprivileged children on hikes up Pico Duarte, the tallest peak in the Caribbean. The organization promotes environmental awareness as part of the trip and each interested participant must write an essay about the significance of nature to the country and to the world. This has helped to create another form of leadership in our home because each new pack of hikers includes a couple of veterans who are chosen to take part as trainers before and as guides during the climb. Those most influenced by the experience have also become part of an ecofriendly club who are working to clean up the surrounding area outside of our home. Special Needs It has been a year since the opening of our wonderful new special needs house and it is amazing to see the impact it has made on our home and children. With plenty of room to play and roam free, our nine special needs kids are visibly more relaxed and have improved in their ability to participate as functional members in the home. With the new equipment Therapy in Special Needs home. and design of the home, the caregivers feel more comfortable and are able to provide better care for our children. The construction of this home has also given us the great fortune to begin the growth of our special needs program. Currently there is a little girl from the local community visiting our home two days a week to receive therapy from our physical and water therapists. Contact has been made with other local families and we look forward to expanding the special needs program even more in 2015.
36 NPH Dominican Republic 2014
Agriculture This has been a year of transition for our farm. There have been changes in personnel, which includes the retirement of our oldest worker, Caito, and the addition of an agronomist to help increase productivity and organization. A new roof was raised on top of our greenhouse after the old one sustained damage during a summer storm. Our entire home contributes Yucca harvest. to the compost system which has continued to be sustainable and is not only used in our home, but also produces enough for us to be able to sell it to locals. Recently a wood chipper was purchased to assist in the creation of mulch, which is combined with the compost to aid in the cultivation of our plants. We are happy to report that our monthly production Thankthat you! our home has has increased and continues to increase and received a grant to introduce a new irrigation system that will help in maintaining the fields of our largest crop, yucca.
Celebrating Quincea帽eras.
Peru
I want t o b eco me an at torn ey.
My name is Rufino. I am 23 years old and in my 4th year of university. The skills I will need to become an attorney are empathy, the ability to solve problems, have confidence in public speaking and to have political opinions. NPH has helped me with all the tools I need to be successful, especially my education. I learned to be punctual, honest, to serve others and to have values.
Dear Friends, As this busy year of 2014 comes to a close, we are pleased to announce that the early child stimulation room in the babies’ home and our new special education program have been implemented and are exceeding expectations. Our NPH Peru team has seen major progress with these two projects, which just one year ago were on our wish list. Both programs have had an incredible impact on the children’s growth, especially for those who have difficulty concentrating in the classroom. We hope that with your support, we can continue strengthening these two programs which are an integral part of NPH’s work. We want to send a special thanks to those who made this program possible, as well as the construction of our dining hall room and home for the our little ones. This year also included construction work on the public bathrooms as well as some of the sidewalks around our premises. We are happy to share that we finally have a basketball/soccer court. All of these projects make our daily work possible and bring joy to the children. We also started planting two hectares of sweet jam and a small garden where we are growing some vegetables that help feed the kids every day. We hope for success on both projects. We believe that by growing our own vegetables, we are empowering our
Alfredo Hernández with NPH Peru family.
children to learn responsibility and fully understand the value of the plants they will eventually harvest. Thank you to all of our benefactors, godparents, and fundraising staff who make our job possible, and whose help creates a home and family for all our children. God bless you always, Alfredo Hernández National Director, NPH Peru NPH Peru 2014
37
Our youngest in front of their new home.
Home Life NPH Peru has been serving the children of Peru for 10 years since we received the first child back on December 10, 2004 in the city of Cajamarca. With much pride we say that these ten years have been gratifying with all the moments of laughter and sadness and the challenges we have encountered in our daily work. Now for the 10th anniversary, we are finally settled in our own premises where Father Wasson envisioned the first NPH home in South America. It became a tradition in the last few years that we start our year with the visit of our friends from Canada. They usually bring a lot of joy and laughter to our home but also do hard work. Apart from supporting our local construction workers with the construction of our dining hall and babies’ house, they also helped us with painting houses, building picnic areas and optimizing our therapy space. In April our children were blessed with another volunteer group who came all the way from New Zealand. This creative group organized music, photography and handicraft workshops that the children enjoyed to the fullest. Our new dining hall offers a much larger and more comfortable place where our entire family can be accommodated, including a space for special events and celebrations. The new babies’ house will allow us to accept more infants and toddlers to join the 14 children, ages two to six years old, who now occupy the home. The house is larger than the other homes with an ample grassy area so that the children can enjoy playing outside in a safe environment. It was a very special year for our babies, who after moving into their new home in April, were visited often by our team of psychologists and occupational therapists. The team converted the inside play area into a stimulation room. After much observation of the construction and preparation, the children began using the equipment in September. Currently seven girls and ten 38
NPH Peru 2014
boys between the ages of one and six are benefiting from the stimulation, which includes sensory, cognitive, fine and gross motor skills and recreational games. The children have activities three times a week with their age group. We also have scheduled workshops planned for our caregivers with themes in child development and growth. Ultimately our goal is that each child develops his or her full potential in an integrated way to excel both socially and academically. Early stimulation classroom.
The stimulation room was only one part of helping our children with their learning disabilities. For their older brothers and sisters, who already attend school, we launched a special education project and employed two specialized teachers. In individual sessions or group classes they help our children overcome complex learning problems in areas such as: attention, concentration, perception, memory, reasoning, reading, writing and calculation. After only a short period of time we were able to celebrate the first success stories and see how our children gained self-confidence and motivation. A grand birthday party is traditionally organized for the ‘señoritas’ (young women) turning fifteen, and ‘jóvenes’ (young men) turning eighteen in Peru. The young women have been quite impatient waiting for this event, which is also an extremely important day in their lives. This age marks the beginning of their transition to adulthood. After weeks of preparation, learning the Waltz, planning decorations and food choices, the day finally arrived and the work paid off. Following this beautiful Peruvian tradition, on June 28th
we celebrated the fifteenth birthdays of four young women and eighteenth birthdays of three young men. The big party took place in our home with mass, dancing, dinner and speeches, and was attended by our whole family of approximately 100 children and 25 staff members. Construction In order to assure that our children as well as guests can more safely and easily walk from place to place in the home, we constructed sidewalks for the dining hall and babies’ house buildings. In June we finished the public bathrooms for both men and women, which are a small but important project. Each Sunday we have our official visitor day when we welcome the relatives of our children, and so these bathrooms have made a significant difference on accommodating our visitors. One of the construction highlights for our children was the conversion of the space of our old dining hall into a basketball court, which we accomplished thanks to the funding and hard work of our visitors from New Zealand. Gardens In June the Omega Foundation donated various fruit trees so we could grow our own fruits such as apples, bananas, limes, mandarins, papayas and figs. Our children have already begun Working on the new garden. preparing the land and thanks to another donation of Omega we will shortly start growing vegetables, which we eat on a daily basis such as tomatoes, carrots, salad, potatoes, cucumbers and corn. This sustainable project aims at reducing our expenses for fruits and vegetables and giving our children the opportunity and responsibility to cultivate them.
Our young women Letitia and Rosa benefit from government scholarships, which allow them to study in Lima at one of the best Peruvian universities. We are very proud of their achievements and happy to see that they are making the best possible use of this special gift by working hard and persistent. Seven additional students are pursuing their career in accounting, tourism and hospitality, information technology, law and business administration at the local university of Canete. Rafael, who studies business administration, finished first semester with the best grades in his class of sixty students. This achievement makes us really proud as not having our own school makes it more difficult for some children to master their education. This past year we initiated a major education project where two special education teachers help thirty students with complex learning difficulties. By employing these specialists and thanks to our team of psychologists, occupational and language therapists, we can now more effectively differentiate our care and better meet the individual needs of our children. Medical Our medical team has many success stories to tell. Thanks to a donation received from Germany we could strengthen and intensify the collaboration with our pediatrician to better meet the medical needs of our children. Giovana, our local nurse, and Julia, our volunteer nurse from Austria, organized various prevention campaigns about personal hygiene including the correct way to brush teeth, wash hands, shower and dry in order to prevent mycosis. For several children who were diagnosed with gastritis, we offered a strict diet and medical treatment that improved their health significantly. Thanks to various donations, we continued to send our children for regular checks to the local dentist, as dental illnesses have caused major problems in recent years. One of our biggest challenges still remains the search for donations to build our so urgently needed new clinic.
Education We would like to share the exciting news that ten years after the founding of the NPH Peru home, our first pequeĂąo has graduated as a chef! We are proud of his efforts, dedication and sacrificial work to make his dream come true. We hope for the following years to have more young adults such as Franklin who pursue their goals with such motivation, eagerness and joy with the help of everyone from our family in Peru. QuinceaĂąera celebration in the new dining hall.
NPH Peru 2014
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Bolivia
I want to b eco me a f inan c ial analyst.
My name is Marivel I am 19 years old and in my first year of service. The skills I will need to become a financial analyst are to be sociable, patient and the ability to have good insight. NPH helps me pursue my dreams and gives me good examples to follow like Fr. Wasson and others. I hope to be a good example to my younger brothers and sisters.
Dear Friends and Family of NPH Bolivia, I write this letter to summarize what a special and meaningful year 2014 was here at our home. Our family grew this year; and that is probably the single greatest success of all. With the entry of 18 new children and some returns, our family is as big as it has ever been, thanks to the support of so many generous people from so many places. Within that tremendous success, is a highlight of one of our older boys who was reunited with his three younger half-siblings who now call NPH Bolivia their home.
Jose Luis Guzman, National Director.
From more children, to a new visitor´s house, a new house for caregivers, and the construction of two new houses for our youngsters, NPH developed even further in 2014. Especially amidst a difficult economic climate, I am amazed and humbled by the people who believe in our children and young people, and supported us all throughout 2014. These people include, but are not limited to, our Godparents, benefactors, and donors whose generosity allows us to work to transform the lives of these children who have suffered so much. Again, thank you so much for your support, because everything we do to care for these children in need of a loving family is only possible thanks to you and people like you. We wish you a joyous and prosperous 2015, and a continued lifelong relationship with our family. José Luís Guzmán National Director, NPH Bolivia
40 NPH Bolivia 2014
Helping in the gardens.
Social Work NPH strives to keep biological families together and create that unity which many of our children do not have outside of NPH. One of our teenagers who has been with NPH for years, had his three younger half-siblings join him this year, and they are thrilled to be with their older brother. According to our Social Worker, Claudia Lopez, the greatest accomplishment of 2014 is that we grew as a family despite recent government changes. Though the law in Bolivia has changed to state that all homes for children are to Children during Independence Day celebration. be considered as temporary, authorities continue to respect NPH as a permanent home for children who have no one else to care for them. In addition we have been sending four children to Santa Cruz to visit a psychologist each week, as we do not have a psychologist in house. This allows them to receive the treatment they need for their mental health development. Farm and Gardens Currently a minimal percentage of the food needed in our home comes out of our own production, but the team is working to make improvements and continuously develop our agricultural program to increase self-sustainability. This past year the production of vegetables was greatly hindered by the feeding and trampling of our own livestock. To solve the issue, the team built a fence around the garden, which has successfully helped protect the vegetables. The team also added a passageway to the sheep corral that allows us to organize the sheep when feeding and administering vaccines.
New classrooms.
The vaccination count of our farm animals this past year was approximately 47 sheep and 25 cows. A committee of our teenagers learned how to administer and apply the vaccines as well by completing a course of workshops. Healthcare Our clinic accomplished its first full year of service in 2014. It was busy year, starred with successes including three successful appendix removals and vaccines for all of our children, including but not limited to: 280 Hepatitis B Vaccines, 188 Measles Vaccines, 387 Tetanus Vaccines, 48 Pentavalent Vaccines and 42 Polio Vaccines. Nearly 25% percent of our children have completed their full vaccination sequences. This past year we also had over 100 outside visits to specialists for children with chronic treatment or for emergency needs. Dr. David administering vaccines.
Construction/Projects Following an extremely productive 2013, 2014 was a banner year for construction of new facilities and houses to accommodate our growing family. The visitor´s house, with a spacious kitchen and meeting room, can comfortably accommodate 30 visitors at a time. The house, intended to increase group visits, was funded by Friends of the Orphans Canada (FOTOCAN). FOTOCAN came down with a group of 13 people in October to inaugurate the house. One of our great challenges in hiring personnel to care for our children is that we are located two and half hours (by public transport) from the closest major city. This year we built a three-unit house for our married caregivers and their families on our campus, which will allow us to mitigate this distance challenge. NPH Bolivia 2014
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Volunteer and visitor house.
The NPH Bolivia team has also begun work on a couple more housing projects, which includes a new house for our girls in college and in their year of service, as well as a new house for our boys ages six to eight which will alleviate capacity in the baby house, which is home to children ages six and under. With the great support of our sponsors, we secured financing for a couple projects that will begin in 2015. We will launch the construction of a fish pond for our own consumption and to sell to the public. We also look forward to building a new addition to our primary school, which will account for three new classrooms and an office for teachers. Education There were several great points of pride in the field of education in 2014. Of the most notable were the graduations of our two students from high school (secondary school); one of them was the equivalent of class valedictorian, having the highest grade point average of his graduating class of 83 students.
Of more than 40 secondary students, 20% had the highest grade point averages in their class groups. Every single one of our nearly 100 students met the requirements to move on to the next grade level in 2015.
Tutoring classroom.
Ex-volunteer Larkin and his wife, Andrea.
Two girls completed their year of service in 2014. One will study gastronomy to become a chef, and the other will study medicine and complete her second year of service back to NPH when she is a doctor. Five of our children completed kindergarten and will move on to primary school, and five more children will begin pre-k/kindergarten in 2015. Eleven students graduated from primary school and will begin secondary in 2015. Two students graduated from high school and will begin their family year, one to two years of service back to NPH. Five students studied at university in 2014 and will continue in 2015. Spiritual/Community Service The following sacraments were celebrated in 2014: 12 Baptisms, 15 Confirmations and 22 First Communions. The village of San Ignacio, located two kilometers from the home, is too small to support a weekly mass. But with the help of NPH, mass is said at the village church twice per month, and the mass is attended by people from the community. Our youngsters help with the cleaning and maintenance of the church, and also act as alter services. Without NPH´s role, there would be no mass for the people of San Ignacio. We are not permitted to print photos that show the faces of minors from Bolivia.
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NPH Bolivia 2014
2014 HIGHLIGHTS 3,417: Total children cared for living in our homes* 463: New arrivals in our homes 36: NPH university graduates
159: NPH high school graduates 1,550: Children from low-income households that attend NPH schools
283: NPH youths that earned a vocational certification 141: Full-time volunteers
985: NPH staff and youths that received childcare and leadership training
613: Children and women living with HIV that receive antiretrovirals
700: Honduras Holy Family Surgery Center surgeries 630: Holy Sacraments (First Communion, Baptism, Confirmation, Quincea単era/os)
95,481: Services provided through community service programs
Haiti / Opened: 1987 Children living in home: 853, Total child population: 2,214 Dominican Republic / Opened: 2003 Children living in home: 206, Total child population: 313 Mexico / Opened: 1954 Children living in home: 790 Total child population: 814 Guatemala / Opened: 1996 Children living in home: 290, Total child population: 387 El Salvador / Opened: 1999 Children living in home: 295, Total child population: 323 Honduras / Opened: 1985 Children living in home: 558, Total child population: 906 Nicaragua / Opened: 1994 Children living in home: 208, Total child population: 317
Peru / Opened: 2004
Children living in home: 100
Bolivia / Opened: 2005
Children living in home: 117
*As of December 31, 2014. Total child population reflects external children who receive support by either attending our onsite schools, receive scholarships, medical services and or therapies, or other support services. NPHI NPHI 2014 2009 Annual Annual Report Report 431
This document was designed and produced by NPH International Communications. NPHI thanks the numerous National Directors, department directors and Communication Officers for their valuable contributions to this production. Photo Credits: Front cover and inside cover: Amanda Thomas/NPH Mexico; Erin Stuckey/NPH International; Hunter Johnson/NPH International, Inside pages: Hunter Johnson/NPH International; Karl Groneman/NPH Honduras; Kay Bodmer/NPH Nicaragua; JJ Lizarde, /NPH El Salvador; Linda Heinisch, Ismar Velasquez/NPH Guatemala; Avriel Burlot, Denso Gay, Joanne Schipper/NPH Haiti; Megan Tribble/NPH Dominican Republic; Claudia Walter, Walter Brueggemann/NPH Peru; Griffin Jones/NPH Bolivia; NPHI Medical Services Team iles Ashford; Markus Streit, Monica Gery, Kara King/NPH International. Copy: Reinhart Koehler, Miguel Venegas, Donna Egge, Dr. Pilar Silverman, Amanda Thomas, Rafael BermĂşdez/NPH Mexico; Karl Groneman, Ross Egge, Stefan Feuerstein/NPH Honduras; Fr. Rick Frechette, Sr. Bonite, Kenson Kaas, Gena Heraty, Colin Brennan, Avriel Burlot, Denso Gay/NPH Haiti; Kay Bodmer, Marlon Velasquez/NPH Nicaragua; JJ Lizarde, Olegario Campos/NPH El Salvador; Linda Heinisch, Christopher Hoyt/NPH Guatemala; Megan Tribble, Kieran Rigney/NPH Dominican Republic; Claudia Walter, Alfredo HernĂĄndez/NPH Peru; Griffin Jones, Jose Luis Guzman/NPH Bolivia.