By Wendy Ramirez | Project Director
Dear KIND Friends,
Every day, the young people we serve demonstrate the power of newfound hope and astounding resilience. They remind us how a helping hand can make all the difference to a child who has returned home to Guatemala following deportation from the U.S.
Luis* came to the United States when he was 14 years old. Propelled to migrate by poverty and motivated by his enormous desire to succeed, Luis hoped to join his older brother in Florida to attend school. After Luis was detained by U.S. Border Patrol, he was transferred to an Office of Refugee Resettlement (a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) shelter. After 9 months in detention, he was advised by an immigration attorney that his only choice was to request an Immigration Judge to grant him voluntary departure.
When Luis was referred to our Guatemalan Child Return and Reintegration Project (GCRRP) prior to his return to Guatemala, he expressed that his ultimate goal was to get an education so that he could one day help prevent violence in his country. Since his return, Luis has worked very hard to take advantage of every opportunity the GCRRP has provided. Luis was helped to enroll in school, and he has earned remarkable grades. To eliminate the greatest obstacle Luis faced to remain in school, our GCRRP local NGO partner paid a portion of the cost of his school supplies and uniform. Luis recently completed 9th grade, earned a full-time scholarship to continue his studies, and is now pursuing his high school diploma with a track in Business Administration. In his spare time, Luis plays the trumpet in the school band and is learning auto mechanics from a man who lives in his village. All the hard work in school does not stop Luis from helping his father grow corn to help the family make ends meet.
Yet, for each child who succeeds in rebuilding a life at home, so many others struggle. Faced with debts or the need to support their families, they so often must set their personal goals aside and once again migrate north. We thank you for your ongoing support as we continually strive to find innovative and sustainable solutions to helping more children return and remain home safely, productively, and with real hope for the future.
With warm regards,
Wendy Ramirez
Project Director
*Name changed to protect identity
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