Give 100 kids hope for a better future in La Paz.

by Kaya Children International

Project Report | Dec 18, 2013
A Boy Named Grover

By John Eggen | Chair of the Board

It was May 2005. Michelle and I had been working in Bolivia for nine months. Kaya was completing construction of its first permanent home: the Barnabas House. For the past several years, the one and only home of what was then called the Bolivian Street Children Project was bursting at the seems. So this new home would not only transform our ministry, but would transform children's lives. We’d developed trusting relationships with children ready and waiting to enter a new life….

"Grover" was one of those young boys.

Living in a tarp under a bridge, Grover, who was by far the youngest in his group, had left an abusive home for life on the streets. He'd felt the heavy hands of abuse, and had been kept from attending school so that he could earn an income – something common among the children of Bolivia. Michelle and I had spoken with Grover many times about leaving the streets. And finally, the day had come. Grover’s only problem: the older boys wouldn’t let him leave (because he owed them 50 cents!) We took care of Grover’s debt and he came to live in our apartment as we awaited the opening of the new home. In the first weeks, we taught Grover some basic life lessons, from bathroom hygiene to trust. Having spent years wondering where his next meal would come from, Grover never left the table without squirreling away food in his pocket. Eventually, however, Grover adjusted and grew to love his life in the Kaya home.

But then one day, years later, Grover unexpectedly disappeared. He left the Kaya home and, despite our best efforts, we were unable to locate him. We feared the worst. Having buried more street children than we ever thought possible, our greatest fear was that Grover had returned to the streets and lost his precious life. But about a year later, Grover contacted us. He explained how he had tried to go home to help his family, but found that his family had not healed as he had. He realized that his home was not a safe place and -- being then an adolescent – decided to enroll in the military for his obligatoryservice.

This past summer, as I visited La Paz once again, I had the honor of seeing

Grover for the first time in many years. Having completed his military service, he lives on his own, and is planning to go to military college in the hopes of becoming an officer. Grover works an overnight shift at a bakery to save money. Even more, he continues to be in contact with his “Kaya Family” often even giving of his own money to help his “brothers” in their times of need. Grover’s story is one of an amazing transformation. He once lived a desperate life of abuse, neglect and hopelessness in the streets. Yet, today, he is a beacon of hope to everyone around him and his face glows with pride.

Since 1997, Kaya has made deep investments in the lives of the children we serve. As Grover’s story demonstrates, Kaya changes the life of a child forever. But the full cost of Kaya’s programs for a boy like Grover is about $350/month. I don’t know about you, but I think it's worth every penny. While we might struggle with our own financial issues, the cost of saving a life is “priceless.” Please consider making a gift to Kaya Children. Today, Kaya serves over 100 children in our programs, but we cannot do this work without partners like you. Will you join us?

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