Imagine a child, seven years old, living in a garbage dump and watching both her mother and father die slowly of AIDS-related illnesses.
This was reality for Erminia before she joined Forward Edge’s program for at-risk girls in Nicaragua called Village of Hope.
If Erminia had continued to grow up living in the dump, she likely would have had a teenage pregnancy (one in four girls do in Nicaragua). That could have happened through rape, a drug-induced mistake, or even forced prostitution—all things not uncommon among girls living in the dump.
One thing is almost certain: if Erminia had stayed in the dump, she would have dropped out of school, married a much older man to relieve the economic burden for her parents, and borne her first child before the age of 15. Depressed, uneducated, and undervalued, she would have been another link in the endless chain of heartbreaking poverty.
She came to under the care of our Nicaragua Directors at the Village of Hope, Wilbert Alvarado and Gloria Sequeira. One of the first things Wilbert and Gloria did was tend to Erminia’s medical needs and test her blood to see if she had contracted HIV from either of her parents; thank God she hadn’t.
Erminia’s new life at the Village of Hope came with regular nutritious meals, safe drinking water, clean clothes, professional counseling, and the chance to go to a first-rate Christian school.
Today, nine years later, Erminia’s life is completely transformed. She is physically and emotionally healthy; flourishing in her school work; and growing in her relationship with Christ. She now dreams of being a doctor someday so she can, in her words, “help others with more problems than mine.”
There is a specific moment in Erminia’s story that profoundly illustrates why we do what we do together through Forward Edge. It was when Erminia went to the hospital to visit her mother for the last time.
As Erminia held her mother’s hand and said goodbye, her mother told her in a weak, defeated voice, “You’re going to be an orphan now.”
“No I’m not,” Erminia replied. “I have Papa Wilbert and Mama Gloria.”
The amount of suffering among children in this world is great—sometimes overwhelming to think about—but as Mother Teresa once said, “If you can’t feed 100 people, then feed just one.” For that one, our help means the world.
Viola lives in the slums of Kampala, Uganda with her parents and five siblings. Living conditions in this area are cramped and unsanitary. Viola’s family lives in a small, brick, two-bedroom house. The whole family shares one room and the other one is used to house chickens and a goat that
Berenice was used to seeing the same narrative play out around her growing up: a life marked by poverty, wealth inequality, and barriers to education. Most families in her area in Oaxaca, Mexico have traditionally come from smaller villages in search of a better life and are facing severe unemployment
Sell a Home, Save a Child (SAHSAC) Member Troy Daniels, accompanied by his business partner Veronica, joined us on a mission trip to our Mexico children’s program, Trigo y Miel and the Siloé school, to witness the direct impact of his contributions. In our interview, he shared his experience, his
In Cuba, where basic food staples are often scarce, the power of prayer and small acts of kindness have brought hope to families in need. From a miraculous provision of rice to a life-changing gift of fresh produce for Walter and his children, we’ve witnessed God’s love in action. Discover how a simple head of lettuce became a sign of divine provision, and how faith continues to transform lives in our Cuba program.
19 yrs. old
Entered the program: September 2023
Elvin lives with his mother, who works as a nurse, and two brothers. His father, a fireman, is married to another woman, and he doesn't see Elvin or his brothers often. He has half-siblings that he also doesn't interact with. It is a complicated and sad situation for Elvin and his brothers. Both parents support the family but they have had to move often which has been difficult for them.
Plus bonus group fundraising ideas!
