From trash dump to classrooms, transform 200 lives

This 2022 came with lots of challenges, personal and Non-Profit related, but in each one of the struggles, no matter if it was little or huge, my God was there holding my anxious heart whispering "I got this, chill". This is because of people like you who donate, who believe that there shouldn't be children working in the trash dump; thanks to all of our donors who make dreams come true for our students...

1.) Our ninth graders finished with high scores in all their classes and the national hymn test. Tenth grade is just right across the block and the university is one step closer!!!!

2.) Our preschoolers also celebrated graduating and going to first grade this Feb. 2023. 25 boys and girls passed with great grades this year.

3.) All of our 200 students received a gift, toys, clothes, and shoes for Christmas. It was a great and fun day for everyone. They all had a blast!

4.) We are welcoming new students: We have a big waiting list of new children who want to study here, they have come to school on several occasions to eat and just talk. We are thrilled to serve these children. Our goal for this 2023 school year is to receive 250 students from kindergarten through tenth grade and be able to provide whatever they need for a proper school year.

5.) Our girl Jennifer did it again! She scored the necessary points on her admission test to study for a Bachelor's in Pedagogy at the best university in Honduras. If you want to support Jennifer in her 4-year journey consider donating through GlobalGiving.

• 2022 Grace Honduras Newsletter (PDF)
  

Thanks to amazing friends, for the past months we have been able to provide our families with food, education, healthcare, psychological support, shoes and clothes, and more...

• Thanks to our friends in Germany we are almost finished building a new classroom. 
• Even though we only have 4 teachers, classes have been nonstop, we are beginning to prepare for two different graduations this year, as kindergarten and ninth-grade students have different celebrations. 
• Thanks to friends like Ruth we are able to build two different houses, for our families. 
• We keep on providing fashionable and comfortable shoes for everyone. 
• Thanks to friends like Jimena, we are still providing food and education for our 200 students, as well as personalized psychological and psychiatric help to women and children that need it. 
• Thanks to community friends we receive a donation of 10 bicycles, to children who live far away from school. 
• In July we celebrated a national holiday called "Indian Lempira Day", in which several of our girls' students were dressed in typical Honduran clothing, and we all ate delicious Honduran food. 

Time flies when education is winning, love spreads through all the world when we are truly transforming lives, and we feel so honored to be able to witness how communities, families, and people are changing for good, but this is ONLY POSSIBLE with your support!

So, thank you, thank you, thank you, it's because of sponsors, who donate, trust and believe in our mission. You guys made this possible, THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Links:

• Check our website for more info

• Time flies when education is winning!!!!!! (PDF)
  

GOOD NEWS!!!!!

• The first phase of nursery construction is DONE!
• Covid vaccines for students, medical and dental brigade on May 7th!
• School supplies and food for everyone are given by friends and community leaders.
• Learning about Montessori Methodology for children from 0 to 3 years old.
• We have had several media coverage from national news.
• We will celebrate Mother´s Day with a big party!

We still need YOUR support in:

Our FEEDING OUTREACH PROGRAM. We feed kids every day and we are getting really short in providing this crucial service for them. Children come to school without having had dinner the day before. We pray that with your support we can continue this program.

• April Newsletter (PDF)
  

We all play different roles in God´s plan, but finishing 2021 seeing the miracle of 200 lives being taken care of, being transformed and loved, was only possible with your support! We can humbly say THANK YOU!

On behalf of every student, every parent, and all our team, we feel so honored to have your compassion and love towards the children who work in the trash dump. YOU have been the answered prayers of all our 200 students and us. May God keep on using you to show His love.

Our prayer is that we can keep on playing on God´s team, to say together: "No more children in the trash dump".

You have supported in:

• Providing 121,200 meals
• 303 days of school
• 312 people served in healthcare
• 5 new house
• 4 new micro-businessses

After the pandemic and hurricanes Eta and Iota, the population of those in extreme poverty that works collecting recyclable material in the San Pedro Sula dump have multiplied; now 2,000 people work in the dump, and due to high unemployment rates, total loss of homes and fewer opportunities to receive a free quality education, extreme poverty in the city has increased.

Grace school cares greatly for the babies and children between 0 to 4 years old, who are the most vulnerable, some of who were even born in the dump. It is extremely important to intervene immediately since these little ones suffer from severe malnutrition, physical and psychological abuse, affecting their growth and cognitive development, this will eventually cause personality and learning disorders; suffer from daily cuts to their hands, arms, and feet, knowing that many are crushed by machines and others die due to trying to earn some money.

Proposal to address the problem

The construction of a nursery school with a pedagogical focus on the Montessori teaching method.

To provide early stimulation, a safe environment, and proper nutrition. At this stage of growth, this will significantly reduce the chances of developing personality and/or learning disorders and chronic malnutrition, and ensuring normal cognitive development, avoiding serious accidents or death that occur due to work in the garbage dump.

With this project we ensure that children do not visit the garbage dump anymore; we can have quality education and their families will have a safe place to leave their children while they work in the landfill.

 It is important to mention that many children never attend school and sadly, they eventually join the gang. There are alarming statistics of teenage pregnancy in this community and it is here that the cycle of poverty in the city and country is perpetuated.

Take a look at the full description of our new project, the FIRST Montessori Nursery for children of the trash dump. 

Links:

• Dream with us to make the Montessori Nursery come true.