By Wendy Ramirez | Project Director
Dear KIND Friends,
Every day there are media reports of the thousands of children entering the US alone; almost 60,000 unaccompanied children have crossed our border with Mexico since October 2013. We are hearing a lot about what is happening at the border, in detention, and questions about what happens next.
What the American public hasn’t heard about is that, with support of friends like you, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is leading the only bi-national program helping children who return home due to deportation or voluntary departure. Through the Guatemalan Child Return and Reintegration Project (GCRRP), KIND and our local partners ensure that children who return home are not forgotten and receive the support they need for a safe family reunification. With your help, KIND has helped 120 Guatemalan children who return home start anew.
More and more, KIND and our partners are assisting girls returning home. Currently, 21 percent of our total GCRRP participants are girls, and our program is helping them overcome many barriers, which include challenging gender roles in order to be able to enroll in school and continue their education.
Mariela* made the long journey to the US alone, believing it was her only hope to get an education. Taken into custody at the border, she spent 4 months in detention before returning home. Our colleagues at Colectivo Una Vida Digna (one of KIND’s local partners) visited her and her family often, and her father finally agreed to let her attend school. Vida Digna helped her enroll and connected her to a scholarship. Since starting school, Carla’s self- esteem has grown as she has excelled in her studies. At the same time, to pay off the debt to the coyote, she is working at the tailor shop alongside her father, cutting and preparing dresses while dreaming of university studies.
When she was 12, Lucia* was forced to quit school and become a full time seamstress alongside her sisters to help feed her family. She too traveled to the US for the opportunity to go to school. When she returned home after months in detention, Colectivo Una Vida Digna helped obtain a scholarship, registered her for classes, and included her in workshops on self-esteem and life choices. Irma will hopes to complete 6th grade next year.
The Guatemalan Child Return and Reintegration project continues to demonstrate that practical and realistic interventions, along with cultural sensitivity, can change a child’s life. Two young Guatemalan girls are home, have new confidence and real options – thanks to you.
Sincerely,
Wendy Ramirez
Project Director
*names changed to protect the children’s confidentiality
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