Street Kids Direct works in partnership with local organisations in Guatemala and Honduras. The projects we partner with are headed-up by or run by nationals who are committed to the same things we are and so the partnership is built on strong relationships, trust, transparency and common goals.
If you would like to read more about the way we partner with our friends in Honduras and Guatemala then please do download the PROJECT PARTNERSHIP PRINCIPLES and the PROJECT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT.
We are currently supporting the following projects and Duncan works directly and regularly with them all, helping as needed.
- MI ARCA - Guatemala. Reaching out to street children and children at risk in Guatemala City.
- La Municipalidad - Guatemala. Helping to provide schooling and support to children at risk in Guatemala City.
- AFE - Honduras. Running a school for children from the city rubbish dump.
- Manuelito - Honduras. A children's home for children rescued from the streets of Tegucigalpa - the capital of Honduras.
The Mi Arca charity in Guatemala City is the sister charity of Street Kids Direct. Duncan spends a good deal of his time with this charity and, together with Herbert Paiz, leads a team of volunteers who reach out to street and "high-risk" children in the capital.
The charity is focussed on the rescue of children from the streets and helps prevent more children taking to the streets by working with "high-risk" children. One of the tools Mi Arca uses to reach the children is the outreach bus.
The bus was donated in 2012 by Global Care, The Sarah Houston Funeral Fund, Street Kids Direct, Exagris SA and the Bristish Embassy in Guatemala. It has been converted into a mobile clinic, classroom and mentoring centre and is used most days with the most vulnerable children. www.miarca.org
Street Kids Direct has supported the work of Guatemala City Council (La Municipalidad) for the last few years after being inspired by the commitment of the wife of the Mayor, Mrs. Patricia de Arzu, and her desire to help children at risk.
Mrs Arzu saw the many children spending their days on the streets while their parents worked and so began a small school for 10 children. As she and her team reached out to more children at risk the school filled up and now Mrs Arzu oversees 8 different schools with over 400 children being cared for, fed and educated each day.
A video made by the Guatemala City Council about the work done by La Municipalidad can be viewed here.
The AFE Project was founded in 2004 by Jeony Ordoñez who had been working with street children in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa. Jeony visited the city rubbish dump one day with his five-year-old daughter, Chris, to drop of some rubbish and saw the hundreds of children living and working in and around the dump. His daughter suggested to him that God was calling him to help the children, but Jeony gave it no further thought until his daughter continued to challenge him about the plight of the children on the dump. One day, Jeony felt a personal challenge to help the children after realising that God had been speaking to him through his young daughter. He began to visit the dump and make friendships with the children and their families.
Shortly after his initial visits Jeony and his wife, Nimia Jesabel, invited the children to meet with them in a field opposite the dump and began to teach them, since most of them had no opportunity of going to school. From those early beginnings AFE now has grown into an amazingly effective project, helping nearly 200 children every week through its school, which is still in the process of construction, and its outreach to the children and their families on the dump.
Proyecto Manuelito was founded by Jorge Pinto who was raised an orphan and knows from first hand experience what life is like growing up in very hard and challenging circumstances. His passion for children living in very difficult conditions motivated him and his family to reach out to the children living on the streets of the capital, Tegucigalpa.
From those initial contacts Jorge discovered the appalling plight of the children who were eking out some form of existence, many of whom were runaways from abuse families or who had been abandoned by parents or family members too poor or unable to care for them. He and his church opened their doors to the children, transforming part of the church building into a refuge centre for street children. Soon nearly 20 children were living above the church and money was raised to purchase a plot of land one hour drive from the capital for the construction of a small village for ex-street children.
Proyecto Manuelito is now called 'home' by 23 children and young people who live in the two children’s homes located on their 33 acre site, situated on the outskirts of a small town called Talanga. All the children have been integrated into the local school and receive a full education as well as special support from the charity’s staff back at the home. It has been amazing to see how the local community, once reticent about having ex-street kids living near by, have embraced the children and supported the development of the site.
Street Kids Direct has helped provide funding for this project and continues to raise funds for the development of the site. Please give towards this wonderful work in the knowledge that 100% of all you give will go directly to this project.
A recent video about the Manuelito home can be viewed here.
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