The Alas project that Street Kids Direct supports in Honduras has reported that 4 of the boys in the mentoring programme have passed the entrance exam and were offered places in prestigious residential Christian school, El Sembrador (“The Sower”).
The boys are some of the most academically capable in Alas, but are from some of the most difficult circumstances. In early February, Steve Poulson drove a bus packed with the boys, their mothers and all their supplies (including mattresses!) the three-hour trip from Talanga to drop the boys off at the school. They seemed to adapt extremely well at first, but after only one month Steve got a call that none of their uniforms fitted. This was a good thing as now they were actually eating three proper meals a day and had gained weight! However, after the Easter break the boys struggled to go back to into their studies at school, which affected their behaviour. The one who struggled most was Carlitos. Just 24 hours before arriving at El Sembrador for his first day of class, Carlitos was about to join the local gang in Talanga. In the end, he decided to go to El Sembrador to study instead. At just 13 years old, Carlos is used to his independence and has struggled to submit to authority and rules at El Sembrador. He also continues to be distracted by an offer from his older brother to help him get to the USA illegally.
It is clearly not an easy decision for the boys to move away from their home town and study in a residential unit, but they are adapting and changing and your support makes this possible. The latest news is that they are all doing really well and we are expecting good half-year grades. We will keep you posted of their success.