Youth and their families who are receiving counseling services from Orphan Helpers are seeing positive life changes. As part of a project funded through USAID, Orphan Helpers is working with 60 previously incarcerated teens and their families in Honduras to restore broken relationships and address issues that led to the youth getting arrested.
In one case, Victoria (not her real name) was arrested for drug trafficking as a teen. She was locked up for more than a year at a detention center for teen girls.
A life of crime was all Victoria knew. She grew up in a family of gang members. Her grandfather was a member, and her parents were members. Her father was murdered as a result.
With family counseling, Victoria and her mother are discovering their true skills and talents. They are committed to breaking the cycle of crime and violence.
“My mother now has a job to support our family. I have returned to high school,” Victoria says. “And we both are attending church in the community where we live.”
In another case, José (not his real name) was sentenced to youth detention for assault and drug trafficking. Now, back in the community, he is participating in family counseling.
José’s relationship with his father who abandoned the family is healing, and his relationship with his mother is improving greatly. José is back in school, and his faith is growing.
“The simple act of praying as a family has strengthened us,” Jose says. “Pursing and seeking God has helped us develop much stronger relationships.”
Although they live in communities surrounded by violence and controlled by gangs, teens like Victoria and José are leaning on counseling services and God’s grace to live a different life.