Blog Entry
Sponsor Blanca Celina V. to attend University
May 13, 2010 by admin, under News.
. . . Blanca Celina V. has been sponsored by her “padrino” for more than 5 years. Blanca is now old enough to attend university . . . and . . . well, here is her story.
Blanca Celina V. has lived most of her young life at a ‘Children’s Village’ (orphanage) just west of La Ceiba, Honduras. About 5 years ago there was a fire in the house where she lived with her two brothers and a sister and a number of other orphans. Little 8 year old Luis Villatoro was trapped in one of the bedrooms. None of the adults or children dared to go into the flames to rescue little Luis, except for Blanca who ran through the fire, and with a burst of strength, broke the door down and pulled little Luis to safety. She was 15 years old.
In honor of her bravery one of the sponsors of the Children’s Village decided to help her attain her dream of becoming a Child Psychologist. He paid for a several years of additional schooling and Blanca is now ready for her university education at the Catholic University in La Ceiba.
Because of economic conditions, Blanca’s sponsor is not able to pay the entire amount of the tuition. We are looking for several additional sponsors to share the joy of giving to this very deserving young lady. We are looking for an additional $100.00 per month to help Blanca achieve her goals. If you would like to help cover the cost of her education, we would be honored to receive your monthly gift.
One of the problems with many orphans in Honduras and elsewhere is the issue of what happens to the children as they ‘age-out’ of the program. There’s money enough for the cute little children, but as they reach their teens the dedication to help them is not as strong and at some point they are left to their own defenses.
In a country like Honduras with its 40% unemployment, jobs are scarce and most good jobs are given to applicants because of family connections. Orphans do very poorly in this system, and after a lifetime of care and nurture, many of them, especially the girls, are condemned to a life of poverty and want.
Blanca addressed this when she wrote her sponsor a letter. In her letter she told him how he would never know how hard it was for the children at the orphanage as they grew older and started becoming fearful of their future. They saw what happened to many of the older girls who left the orphanage, and how so many of them came back a year or so later with a baby in their arms and begged for food. Blanca told him that he had “saved” her and that he had transformed her life. She went on to tell him that she wanted to become a psychologist working with orphans because she had so many issues when she was a young girl and had no one to talk to. As an orphan herself she knows the feelings of loss and abandonment that all of these children live with.
It’s a sad fact that there are so many deserving children and we can’t help them all. However, we can help a few, and it’s our dream that if we get enough sponsors that in addition to Blanca, we can offer one or more additional sponsorships to other deserving candidates. Donated funds designated for Blanca will only be used for her tuition sponsorship.
La Ceiba, HONDURAS