The teenage girls are in need of an apartment within the Refugio, a space to call their own.
The Refugio is a wonderful home for young children, but the older girls feel confined and trapped as they become teens. Consequently, about age 12 to 15, the girls run away from the Refugio to start life on their own. That frequently means that the girls become pregnant at a young age. It is hoped that an apartment within the walls of the Refugio will result in the girls staying longer, staying in school, and become more able to live on their own as successful adults.
The hope is that the girls develop a sense of "giving back" by offering them increased responsibilities to help care for the younger Refugio children,. The teens stay in school and learn a trade; while living in an apartment within the Refugio.
The chief goal is to gain independence, learn a trade, live a successful life - and break the cycle of young pregnancy, living in orphanage shelters, and continued poverty.
