When Sara’s mom began to fear for her family’s safety in their overcrowded neighborhood in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, she knew that she needed to make a change. Luckily, Sara found a second place to call home at Convoy of Hope’s childhood development center.
Before attending the center, Sara’s meals were often not nutritionally varied nor adequate enough to sustain proper development. Now, Sara and the other children receive Rise Against Hunger meals distributed by partner Convoy of Hope.
Sandra, the community leader at the child development center, has been coordinating the food preparation and distribution for several years now. She explains her drive, “I became a leader of the community at a young age, following the footsteps of my mother who did the same thing I do now.”
Through her leadership at the center, Sandra became a mentor and developed a close relationship with both Sara and her mother. At only five years old, Sara has shown much improvement and is more attentive in class. She’s also gained weight and continues to build friendships at the center. Sandra is happy to not only see the changes in Sara but also the commitment of her mother.
“Sara is punctual to her classes and usually accompanied by her mother who volunteers at the center and is happy to see an improvement in her daughter’s social, cognitive and emotional skills,” she said.
Though the community is still slowly progressing, Sara’s mother finds comfort in the center and grateful that her daughter has a safe place to meet new friends, receive nutritious meals and gain an education and skills for the future.
Ultimately, the leaders of the center have observed changes in the behavior and academic performance of the children, and an overall interest in parents who show up at the center more frequently. While continuing to strive to have a positive impact on more children like Sara, they are hopeful for the future of the program.
“I hope in the future that every child who is currently part of the program will grow up with a positive outlook on life and help others break out of the cycle of poverty like the donors and leaders who have helped them,” Sandra said.
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