XIMENA
In Puerta Abierta, as in all families, there are children that can be easily molded or can adapt better to family values and habits than others.
Our youngest girl, 11 years old, is cheerful, outgoing and generally very extrovert. But is also always challenging house rules. She knows she is loved by all, but at the same time takes advantage of both conditions, being loved and the youngest.
Having strong female role models in the family, sometimes she feels empowered to decide what is best for her and sometimes even worst, for some other family members, including the staff.
This behavior creates chaos in the house and eventually troubles her deeply, because she does not achieve some privileges she is looking for. She needs to know and accept her limits as well as accept that authority is to be acknowledged and respected.
On the other side of the equation, we adults working with her, must also acknowledge that this is a slow process, and that it requires strategies that work with her character.
Adults must serve as role models, so getting angry or just shouting an order, is out of the question. This is a difficult action to balance, how to retain authority in the face of a continuous behavioral challenge. The main purpose is that Ximena realize that her impulsive behavior leads her to a problematic scenario.
Ximena, when in peace, is ingenious, loving and a delight to be with. We need to reinforce these emotions in order to learn which is the correct way to behave and her goals will achieve.
Some of the strategies we have implemented for her is a program of exercise as football, at school and swimming classes outside school. She has art classes once a week. She used to go emotional therapy as well as learning therapy.
All adults working with her must be coached not to lose objectivity, when their authority is put to the test by a twelve year old girl.
With the help of educational and psychological or neurological counsel, love and firm guidance on behalf of her tutors, slowly she is showing signs of advance in her behavior, and her charm as a young woman, leaving childhood is becoming less painful.
At Puerta Abierta we have learned that in order to win a war, we need to fight one battle at a time, while attending to the needs of each girl. We need to be warm, patient and firm, and enjoy the girls as they grow up, while watching their evolving personalities.
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Dear Donor,
Today I want to tell you about family as December is family, it’s time to be part of a family, to belong, to feel loved. When you don´t have family this is the time of the year you dare most, as it will remember you how lonely you are. Every child deserves a loving family don’t you agree? But this is not true to every child as it was not for our girls. All of our girls were separated from their families as the family was inflicting violence against them and in order to protect them our government through the children head office DIF took them into their custody.
But don’t be sad, our girls have a loving family a different one that has formed 14 years ago, so for them this is their family, they one they love and cherish. They remember their biological family and sometimes they feel sad but they know how privileged and loved they are now.
I will tell you a little more of what happens in this family in December, all of them will be out of school on holidays at least a week and this time is when family builds, traditions are important and we take care that it happens. Every year we have dinner party with them a few days before Christmas as we, the board and staff are the extended family, they now collaborate in the organization and preparation, as any other family everybody helps, I am in charge of the pasta, Ximena the youngest is in charge of the name tags for the table as she is very creative and so on.
We will have presents but most of all we will spend time with them and enjoy each of them.
The 24ththey will have a very nice Christmas dinner, a Mexican Christmas with a posada, this is involves a piñata and ponche a traditional warm drink with fruits . Before having their Christmas dinner they will go and help to prepare warm food for more vulnerable people because now they are safe, loved and privileged.
On the 25thmorning Ximena, very early will wake up all the girls to open the presents, every year we ask them to write with 3 options for a group of donors that every year gets them their presents. Most of them have asked for tennis and warm clothes, Magui the eldest asked for a turtle house as she owns a turtle, it has been in their home for 8 years now! Al of them surely will get a surprise as these donors are sensible to their needs as you are.
We want to thank you because you have built a family for them, there is no way we measure in numbers or money what this means for them, it means the world to them, a loving family that protects them and offers them the opportunity to become independent and self-sufficient and lead a life without violence. Imagine how much it is worth, as you can see there is no way to measure this.
Thanks again for this invaluable opportunity for them!
Puerta Abierta
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Hello!
My name is Margarita, many of you have read about me these past few years. You´ve helped and supported my education and I am beyond grateful, thankful and it´s all thanks to you.
Let me tell you a little bit about myself, a long time ago (15 years ago to be exact), I didn’t really have a hopeful vision of myself, in fact I didn’t even really see a future. Things at home were terrible and painful and the people who were supposed to protect me and guide me trough life were the ones inflicting these terrible feelings and sad experiences. I justified it by telling myself maybe I was in the wrong, maybe if I behaved better and tried to do better, things would change.
Now I know this wasn’t right, it wasn’t right for a child my age to feel like this. Each and every one of us deserves to have a home filled with happy moments, with loving parents and a family that nurtures you and guarantees your safety. Ever since I arrived at Puerta Abierta, my vision of family is different; they loved me from the beginning, respected me and opened my mind to the possibility of a bright future.
Puerta Abierta has not only given me the love and education I deserve. They have given me all the opportunities I never ever dreamt in a million years. . At 22 I am the oldest girl, however it’s been a journey of 15 years, Puerta Abierta and the girls living there are my family. Today I am enrolled in University; I have a steady job and a boyfriend who´s become part of my family. My life has changed and keeps on changing and becoming better.
Today I am here to tell you a story of happiness and hope, and it´s thanks to your help that my reality is this today. You’ve impacted and continue to impact our foundation with your donations and hopeful comments.
Today you can keep supporting our dreams, In honor to #GivingTuesday, @GlogalGiving is matching a portion of all donations. Donate today!
Thank you for supporting Puerta Abierta as this has made my dreams and all the girls dreams come to true.
Magui
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Education must be wholesome. We must understand that a person cannot be dissected to be educated, we must assume a wholesome approach to it.
When going through school, education must be inclusive, taking care of cognitive matters, but always including social, emotional skills.
Puerta Abierta has strived to educate the girls with empathy to their “sisters“ when they are in need of being heard and most important, to take the steps in trying to help when needed. We understand that the girls have these virtues, but they need to be encouraged and nurtured, so that they take the necessary steps to help.
One of the strategies followed is that of the “good listener”. Being there when needed, and having the time to follow up on the individual needs of each girl. This takes time and patience. Being kind and loving when someone has made a mistake or had a grievance with another, make them talk to each other and be forgiving. Understanding the position of each other, and looking for their wellbeing, eventually brings peace and happiness.
We know the importance of proper timing, for listening as well as for intervening when needed, and for understanding the time for the maturing process of each girl.
We as adults and carers have had the patience, perseverance and hope that the love bestowed upon each girl be part of their acts of goodness towards the rest of the family and friends. Today we can see this kindness and goodnes in our girls. We can see how they are bond and how much they protect each other when one of them is vulnerable and this makes us feel good.
You the donor have made this possible for our girls. You can feel proud of yoursefl and of our girls.
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Hello Dear Donor
We will tell you a story, please read all of it as you will understand our girls. We will invite you to donate today, as it is Bonus Day and whatever you give GlobalGiving will match at 50% so read their stories and help Puerta Abierta if you can.
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/family-and-school-for-9-abandoned-girls-in-mexico/
The date was June 12, early morning arrived and with it rain and thunder that woke up three frightened little girls who then proceeded to wake up the entire house at their new Children´s Home.
Puerta Abierta is the name of this particular home for Girls, and it literally means Open Door. A name that had never made more sense, for since these three little girls arrived their new home and the people inside received them with arms and hearts wide open. They in turn arrived to change the life of everyone living here.
It is indeed true that rainy season brings with it new life and opportunties.
Their cheeks wet from crying and their soul damaged, the 3 little girls spent days crying none stop. For they were carrying around a huge burden, whilst they were not babies anymore, at such short age they had suffered and lived through such terrible situations. Situatuons that not even red riding hood standing in front of the wolf could imagine feeling. For at least Red Riding hood had a grand mother to look after her.
Nobody knows how or who left them on a doorstep with nothing. The important thing here is that they had now found a home and a fmaily. Lupita, Maria and Angeles came to be part of a family whose core was not based on family by blood, but family by LOVE.
Lupita has the biggest imagination; she builds worlds of her own surrounded by fairies and tales, from castles to jungle adventures. Lupita lives through her very imaginative mind, which is just as big as her heart, her love and her respect for animals and nature. You could say that she over came the deficiencies she suffered in early age and rose above that and she learned that with the use of her wonderful mind she would never be alone. She is the princess and the heroin of her own story.
Maria was the first triplet to walk, which quickly turned into running. Nobody could stop her, and you could always find her running or skipping around through the halls and fields nearby. At school she was part of the track and field team.
Maria learned to trust the strength her legs provided her, and that this could impulse her towards anything she set her mind to. This gift would keep her safe, in case she ever had to run away from the big angry wolf.
Finally, the third sister is Angeles. She is the shortest in height but biggest in spirit. Her mind always looking for new information, finishing book after book, and if ever anyone wanted to find her all they had to do was look neat the Girls home bookshelf. She knew the answer to most questions and always had an input into any situation. She had an answer to everything, except perhaps the question that lingered in the back of her mind; why had she been abandoned here.
The story you just read is as real as it can get. These 3 lively, lovely and active little girls feel, read, imagine, run and love everyday. This story I just told you about could be the story of all the other 7 girls living in this Girl´s Home for abandoned children. It could also be the story of girls who did not find a place like Puerta Abierta and are still out there trying to find love and a home!
Lupita, María, Ángeles, with the love and unconditional support they received in their now family at Puerta Abierta have overcome all expectations and grown to be exemplary women. They are going to University to study; Psychology, Sport Science and Medicine.
Lupita, María, Ángeles are the stories of success, the stories that push us to keep on, to keep on caring for abandoned girls, donating. Watching them grow up, and turning into wonderful women full of dreams and plans is a triumph for us at PA.
Help us to keep on writing these stories of success. Your donation, no matter how big or small is the key to pave the road that will impose us to grow and to build more Girls Homes just like Puerta Abierta.
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