My experience before NPH was in social work. Previously, I lived in Colorado and worked as a case manager for the rural homeless population. I decided to volunteer with NPH for a year because I needed a change in my life. In 2022, I had the opportunity to live in Peru, where I studied and worked, teaching English. After two years in Colorado, I wanted to return to Latin America. I discovered Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), and it seemed like an excellent next step for me, following the path my life had taken up to that point.
Currently, I’ve been with NPH Guatemala for almost eleven months. The home is in an excellent location, very close to the town of Parramos, which has several restaurants, shops, and even a very nice gym. The well-known town of Antigua is also nearby, about a half-hour drive away. At NPH Guatemala, I work as a social worker for OneFamily, a program that seeks to strengthen families in Guatemala. Therefore, with my cases, I do everything related to those goals: I conduct workshops, provide guidance, and manage school monitoring. Due to the nature of the program, my days typically consist of both office work and fieldwork.
However, outside of OneFamily, I have the privilege of spending time with the boys at the home. For several afternoons each week, and on weekends when I’m on duty, I participate in various activities with them. I spend the vast majority of that time with the older boys, with whom I’ve developed a strong bond. While the activities we participate in together vary—whether it’s playing soccer, watching movies, or just talking—my goal is always the same: to instill in them a sense of morality and what positive masculinity means.
Although my responsibilities between these two programs are quite different, the impact of both is equal. The children, whether from the home or the community, have the opportunity to empower themselves, improve their quality of life, and have a community that wants the best for them.
