Helping Orphans in Honduras
For years, Honduran cities have ranked in the top five Most Dangerous Cities in the world with one of the highest rates of murders. This should come as no surprise as also one of the top transit nations for drug trafficking in the region. Pope Francis said in Laudato Si’, “For poor countries, the priorities must be to eliminate extreme poverty and to promote the social development of their people.” Your generosity to our mission in Honduras is a step towards eliminating extreme poverty amidst turmoil and crime in the nation.
Farm of the Child
The Farm of the Child Story
150 children are being blessed in Honduras, Central America thanks to the generosity of two missionaries with an incredible zeal for souls. Vincent and Zulena Pescatore met in Guatemala after he left his job as a highly paid corporate auditor to build homes for the poor. Little did he know that this one change in his life would set off a chain of events leading to a precedence for orphan care in Honduras. After successfully founding a family-style community for orphans in Guatemala, Vincent and his wife felt the call to found a second in the foothills of the jungle covered mountains on the coast of Honduras. They named it, “Farm of the Child.”
“Whoever welcomes a child such as this for my sake welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me, but Him who sent me.” – Mark 9:37
Vincent Pescatore’s (pictured to the right with his family and Zulena) mission to serve the poor ended tragically; he died in a plane crash while delivering medicine and supplies to the nearest hospital, which was an eight-hour car ride away. Vincent was not only survived by his wife and five small children (ages seven months to seven years), he also left behind a legacy of unmatched orphan care in Honduras that still operates to this day – thanks to Zulena’s sacrifice during the hardest time in her life, the help of the community, and three religious sisters from the Franciscan order.
“God is great and loves each one of His children intimately. And that is especially evident here at the Farm of the Child.” – Francesca Pennino
Today Farm of the Child is home to more than 50 orphan children ranging from three to 18 years. Not only that but they also educate more than 100 children from both the Farm and local villages. Some children walk for miles up and down steep mountains, coming from the jungles and surrounding villages just to attend school. Even the medical clinic at Farm of the Child serves over 200 people from the local village!
Their needs are plenty. Your generosity to Farm of the Child today will provide continued support for these children.
The Care at Farm of the Child
Farm of the Child combats poverty with its unique approach and mission modeled on the Holy Family to educate, protect, and promote healing and spiritual formation for orphaned and abandoned children and families in the local community. Farm of the Child meets the following needs of up to 50 orphan children by providing:
- Homes for orphaned children:
Each child is placed in a family-style home with a Tia (aunt) and Tio (uncle). Each home is divided by gender and age, and is named after a saint. The children have responsibilities to serve in their home and around the Farm. Everyone in the community knows a Farm child by how well-behaved and disciplined they are.
- Primary School on-site:
Children grades kindergarten to 6th grade are in an on-site primary school where they learn reading, writing, math, science, religion, and so much more!
- Junior High School on-site:
In grades seven to nine, students are prepared for high school and vocational school by continuing to build on reading, writing, science, and religion, while also learning technical skills.
- Opportunities for further education/vocational training:
After junior high school, students go on to further their education in high school, join vocational schools, or work full time.
- Healthcare for Farm children & the community:
Farm of the Child provides for the community through their Sacred Heart Medical clinic where they can address rampart issues like lice, dress injuries, and perform first aid and CPR – the closest hospital is an eight-hour car ride away!
“Farm of the Child has been a gift to the orphan children, and we are thankful for their openness! We have been able to keep an open line of communication with the Farm, and in turn it has helped the surrounding community and their poverty.” – Bishop Luis Sole Fa of the Diocese of Trujillo
- Religious & Spiritual Development:
The children receive great spiritual care and love from the three religious Franciscan sisters who live on property. Every morning the children pray Morning Prayer together before school; once a week they have a communion service; weekly they have faith meetings – similar to youth group; and the continuous presence of the sisters.
See photos of the children below:
The Children Need Farm of the Child
Farm of the Child is truly a gift from God for these orphan children who have come from broken homes. They are saved from a life of abuse, drugs, violence, and so much more. Farm of the Child is a place of healing and love, safe from their broken upbringing. The children receive counseling and therapy, and are able to recuperate from their traumatic lives outside of Farm of the Child.
Each child has a story to tell, many came from homes of neglect and abuse. It is a miracle they can find and accept the healing and love at Farm of the Child. Yet the children do, and they are so grateful for the hope they have found through Farm of the Child.
Every child brought to Farm of the Child is a miracle, and the children leave an impact on everyone who visits, so much so that their lives are forever transformed.
Jose Manuel is another miracle child…
Arriving unexpectedly in the back of a police pick-up truck, Jose Manuel came to the Farm sick, bruised, and scared. That first night, the Franciscan Sisters did not learn much about Jose Manuel, only that he was nine-soon-to-be-ten. Jose Manuel had been taken out of his home because of abuse and neglect. He had never been to school. He had learned to count by selling vegetables on the streets, and spent most of his young life fending for himself.
More than a month in his new home at the Farm went by before the real Jose Manuel began to bubble forth. He brought with him a strong personality, and a desire to play soccer and spend time with all who pass by. Jose Manuel began to excel in school and the community. Constantly smiling and, at times, singing, one cannot help but rejoice in the once trapped child that has been set free here at the Farm. From a life of instability, danger, and violence, a child was reborn into safety, education, play, and above all, limitless love.
This is one story, but the same method has been applied more than 70 times to break down the walls the children have put up to protect themselves. Without these walls, the children are able to be children – to laugh, play without care, and feel loved.
See more photos of the children and the farm below:
The Property
Nestled on the coast of Honduras, Farm of the Child is home to over 50 orphan children, three Franciscan sisters, missionaries, tias (aunts), and tios (uncles); all live in a lush community surrounded by an eight-foot security fence running to the seashore – where there was once two miles of beach. Today the sea crashes against this wall and it is beginning to erode.
Established to create a home for poor orphans who had nowhere else to go by Vincent and Zulena Pescatore, Farm of the Child offers children spiritual, physical, and educational development opportunities. The property even has a school called St. Peter’s Catholic School that offers classes for children from kindergarten to ninth grade. The primary grades K through six each have a dedicated building for the children to study. Though the buildings have no windows, only rain tarps to protect them during rainy season. Grades seven through nine are in a building with three classrooms in it. The only bathroom shared among more than 150 students is a single stall for a “chica” and “chico” (girl and boy) exposed to the elements with only a rough tin covering.
“Christ has given us the faith, with the light of the Holy Spirit to guide this mission. He gives us the capacity to do great works that are pleasing to Him, and he compels us to continue working to build His kingdom.” – Ysmary, Director of Farm of the Child
A water pump was recently installed, and the children are taught how to use water sparingly as not to over use the new pump. Water is pumped into a well, and the children collect it and bring it back to their community homes. The children are split into groups to live in homes with children that are a similar age as them. The little boys live in the Virgin Mary of Suyapa House, and little girls in the House of St. John the Baptist. Middle school age boys live with their tia and tio in the Our Lady of Guadalupe house, and the middle school age girls live in the House of Saint Anthony. The oldest girls and boys live in the House of Saint Francis, and the House of St. Joseph respectively. The goal for each home is to have a Tia and Tio watching over them, and making sure their needs are being met.
With so many children running around, the staff at Farm of the Child know they need to be on guard to protect the children at all times. This is why there is an eight-foot tall security fence surrounding the property keeping the children safe from drug cartels and gangs. Security personnel is hired to be vigilant and watch the entrance of their community. With all the hard work done at Farm of the Child, it is necessary to ensure everyone’s safety when the trauma the children once faced is only just outside the walls of their communities.
See more photos of the property below:
St. Peter’s Catholic School
Farm of the Child not only cares for up to 50 orphan children, but the children of 100 families in Trujillo at their school, St. Peter’s Catholic School, which is on the orphanage property.
They give a quality education from Kindergarten up to 9th grade. St. Peter’s Catholic School provides relief to so many in the community, because attending a public school means they would receive a deficient education where recess takes up half of their school day. It is not uncommon to find a fifth or sixth grade student in public school who is unable to read or write.
Instead, by attending the St. Peter’s Catholic School, they receive a premier education that costs their family $25 a month. Unfortunately, this is still too high a price to ask their families to pay; so we turn to you, our Catholic World Mission family, and ask you to sponsor a child’s education in Honduras. The education they receive at St. Peter’s Catholic School far surpasses that of any other school in the area. The curriculum and educational system at St. Peter’s Catholic School are designed specifically to address the challenges children from disadvantaged backgrounds face.
Farm of the Child would love to provide dignified life for all that live in the community, and the surrounding village but there simply are not enough funds to expand the school, and provide daily meals for their community.
While the children at St. Peter’s Catholic School receive the best education in the region, the classrooms they learn in are in urgent need of renovations, and expansion would be a dream come true for the children from the surrounding villages who are turned away due to the lack of space.
Classrooms need fans to keep the children cool in the sweltering heat from the jungle…
A worn out tarp hangs over the windows during the rainy season where shutters should be…
The only school bathroom is completely exposed to the elements and provides little privacy for the children…
An additional classroom is needed to welcome more children…
The teachers, who make so little, save pennies to pour their hearts into their classrooms! Three teachers have purchased particleboard white boards for their classes because so many of the students were allergic to the chalk they were using every day. Each white board and a pack of markers costs over $450 (including shipping from the US)! The list of urgent needs – including funds for daily meals for the children – grows longer every day. Your generosity to Farm of the Child today will go to urgent needs at the Farm.
Classrooms even lack school supplies, and teachers are forced to give lectures without many options for classroom aids. They would like to have white boards in their classrooms instead of chalkboards because the chalk gives the children and teachers asthma. Due to the humidity of being so close to the ocean and jungle the only option for getting a high quality white board, that will last for years, is to order one all the way from the United States. Overtime, the white boards made of cheap particleboard expand and crack. Getting high quality school supplies locally is next to impossible in Trujillo!
Classrooms even lack school supplies, and teachers are forced to give lectures without many options for classroom aids. They would like to have white boards in their classrooms instead of chalkboards because the chalk gives the children and teachers asthma. Due to the humidity of being so close to the ocean and jungle the only option for getting a high quality white board, that will last for years, is to order one all the way from the United States. Overtime, the white boards made of cheap particleboard expand and crack. Getting high quality school supplies locally is next to impossible in Trujillo!
Educational materials are needed every year and often only what is donated is what is used. In 2016, the school only had about 43 reams of lined paper to use between nine grades, and over 150 students! Other educational materials are needed for the classrooms like scissors, construction paper, instructional posters for classrooms, three ring binders, pens, notepads, and folders! Farm of the Child teachers rely on donations for these materials, or pay for them out of pocket.
In addition, the teachers would like to offer their students snacks during the day, but like pens and paper, a little extra bit of food is a luxury they cannot afford. Only with the generosity of our Catholic World Mission family will the children be able to break for a snack during the day.
Sacred Heart Medical Clinic
The Sacred Heart Medical Clinic at Farm of the Child provides compassionate care by a full-time missionary registered nurse and a local Honduran doctor who comes to the Farm once a week for about 4 hours. They provide for the health needs of the children and staff at the Farm. The Clinic also serves neighbors from surrounding villages who have little money or access to healthcare. Farm of the Child provides these medical checkups to over 200 members in the community at no cost. Medicine is given at extremely discounted rates, and there is always a line outside the door. The care provided through the Sacred Heart Medical Clinic is the kind of compassion that the community needs.
Child Testimonies
I am most thankful for the gifts of health, education, and the spiritual things I am learning here. I am learning that in everything I do, God is the center.
– Dorfa, 16, arrived at the Farm at age nine
I’m grateful for a place to live, for the education I am given, for the church that is always here to help me, and for the food that’s always on our table.
– Bryan, 14, arrived at the Farm at eight years old
September 2017
Right next door to Farm of the Child in Honduras is a nature preserve called Campo del Mar. This park is full of statues, sculptures, and other artwork, some by fairly well known Honduran artists.
Recently, the orphans who live at the Farm had the opportunity to enter a competition to create the next sculpture to be installed in the park. They chose to build a not-quite-life-size model of the chapel on the Farm of the Child property! The decision about what to create was left entirely to the older children’s discretion, and they chose to not only build something from their home, but the chapel. Their home and faith are so important to them that they entered a contest with something that represented that.
The cool thing is: they won! They competed against 11 other projects to bring home the first-place prize.
A replica of the chapel now stands in Campo del Mar. The children decorated it with their favorite scripture verse (Luke 1:78-79), a mural that shows the site where the first Mass in Central America was celebrated (in Honduras in 1502), and the names and footprints of all the children who live there. Enjoy these photos and consider giving to the Farm of the Child today!
Providing for the Future
The needs of the children at the Farm of the Child are many. We wish to keep them all in school, while expanding to help even more local children, but we also need to ensure the children’s fund for meals is not depleted. With so many crosses to bear, we know Christ has big plans for the Farm of the Child! Some of the children have already graduated and gone out into the community and are able to provide a sustainable income for their families!
“There is much fulfillment in watching the children gradually transform and realizing that their lives have been radically altered by the Farm.” — Tricia Zackrisson (Social Worker)
We are so thankful to collaborate with Farm of the Child to provide care for the children, and ensure they know they are loved children of God. Without your generosity we won’t be able to continue, and the blessing that is Farm of the Child, will dissolve. Today you can join in breaking the cycle of poverty for a child from Farm of the Child. Your support is urgently needed to give these children a safe place to live and learn, and future full of hope.
Your generosity today ensures these children have a future.