Child Protection El Salvador Project #59918

House of Life Mama and Baby Shelter - San Salvador

by Airline Ambassadors

Project Report | Oct 2, 2024
Sewing Machines for the House of Life!!

By Nancy L Rivard | Project Coordinator

our team

There are now 8 young mothers at the House of Life who have been through abuse or raped by a familly member. The girls are healthy and happy and excited to give birth and care for their new babies, They feel so much love and support and finally secure in their new environment. They learn that they have rights as children themselves, and what happened to them was not correct. They are given the option of giving up their child for adoption at 3 months...but so far all the girls so far have chosen to keep their babies.

The girls are taking classes in English, learning to cook,and the skill of cosmetology and self defense, These are important skills so they can get a job and support their babies. Elizabeth had the idea of teaching a class in manners and bugeting so they can learn how to manage their new skills. (We are working on a curriculum for that.)

We are grateful for the support from our donors that enabled us to provide Sewing Machines for the House of Life! One is a household machine so the girls can learn to sew, which we delivered on Sept 26,2024 and THREE are professional machines (which arrive next week). One of the caretakers for the girls used to be a trainer at a local "Machiladora" (Sewing Factory) and she will help train the girls so they can learn a skilll and hopefully get a job when they leave the House of Life. Most of these sewing factories pay welll and have great benefits including on site day care!

We are so happy to be part of this project. and a sincere thank you to all who have donated!

Bob and new mother

another new mom

breast feeding the baby

angel in the crib

the small sewing machine

giving baths to the babies

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Jun 13, 2024
We are grateful for support received!

By Nancy L Rivard | Project Coordinator

newesr girl

We are grateful for all the support we recently received for the House of Life Mama and Baby Shelter -- enough to receive three more girls. I am thrilled to report that we welcomed Julie, a young, pregnant, abandoned teen into the House of Life last night! This is the last time she will feel totally hopeless and desperate. From living in a safe, loving, Christ-centered home, she will quickly become full of hope. She will begin to dream of a bright future for her and her unborn baby. The transformations that happen at the House of Life are miraculous. It's amazing! Two more lives forever changed! And the world changed for the better!

There is still room for 7 more girls at the house of life. The cost of caring for a high-risk pregnant teen, the birth of her baby, all of her food, clothing, doctor appointments, meds, transportation, psychological care and treatment, shelter, education, occupational training (cosmetology classes, chef/culinary classes), self-defense classes, and all of her babies needs after birth is $500 per month.

Both the teen and baby need at least 10 months in the House of Life (the balance of the pregnancy and at least the first 3 months after the birth of her baby). In ten months, the teen will have a professional chef certificate and a cosmetology degree along with all of the training to be a good mother, how to care for her baby and make a living in a dignified way to care for her and her baby.

We need $500 per month for 10 months to help a teen and her baby escape from poverty and the cycle of abuse that most likely has passed for many generations in her family history. That is $5000 per teen (baby included) in order to change two lives and the world for ever.

There are seven empty beds and cribs at the House of Life.

Each one, the chance of a life time for a pregnant, abused and abandoned teen and her unborn child. Your support means so much to us! THANK YOU!

art therapy

Cosmetology classes

Self defense training

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Feb 15, 2024
House of Life Update

By Bob McDonnel | Project Coordinator

Hanna - the 1st Girl at the House of Life

We bought a cake for Hannah's birthday who came into Mi Casa's House of Life on December 1st. When all of us began to sing "Happy Birthday" to her, she started to cry and I was a bit worried that maybe we had triggered a sad momory. After we finished singing, I asked Hannah why she was crying and she said that it was because she had never had a birthday celebration before. It is always shocking to me that the things we sometimes take for granted are not the same for all of us. Most who were there and knew Hanna's story cried a bit with her. Then we all had cake and enjoyed the moment.

You may have noticed the furry creature next to Hannah in the photo. He is Caramelo, the newest member of the House of Life. He is a therapy Bernedoodle donated by Nick, a wonderfu therapy dog trainer and breeder here in El Salvador. Caramelo is always by the girls' sides if they are sad and need comfort. He is like a big, loving shag carpet.

Just a few days after Hannah's birthday, she went into labor. We have known for a month that Hanna's baby was breach and were hoping for the baby to turn. Hanna's little baby decided she was not going to flip and was born by Cesarean.

Mama and baby are both doing great recovering from surgery. Hannah is the best mama and is very attentive and loving to her baby. She is learning how to love, breastfeed and care for her baby with the help of our experienced and trained staff. Both mama and baby are in the best place at the House of Life. They are getting the beautiful start in life that they would never have had without your support. Hannah’s baby is already making eye contact with her mama and all who get to hold her and she is barely a week old.

Over the next 90 days Hannah’s baby’s brain will grow 60 to 70% and will form critical and fundamental structures that enable her to interact and develop in a healthy way with all those around her. This is exactly what Hannah’s baby needs in order to learn and grow in the most excellent and productive way for all of her life.

Thank you for your continued support of this project!

Hannahs baby

Links:

Mi Casa kids - orphanage run by Bob

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