New Home/Old Home

The Girl's last year at the orphanage was filled with ups and downs, highs and lows. As I said, something changed. She was often moody when we visited, and at least once I received an email from the directors asking that I write to encourage her to be more helpful and cooperative. She continued to do well in her last year of school, but otherwise she was obviously ready to leave. The problem was still where to leave.

About midway through the year, we thought a solution had finally presented itself. The directors of the orphanage announced the creation of a "transition home" in Tegucigalpa. The concept was simple: since the older children had such difficulty re-entering society, a small group would live together in a structured setting for a period of about ten months. A staff couple would supervise and guide them in this transition process. They would basically learn some of the skills needed to become independent: finding a job, attending college classes, managing money, etc. It was a fabulous idea, and one that would fill a critical need--not only for the Girl, but for many of the others with the same problem. Each year a new group would have this opportunity. We were excited to learn that the first "class" would begin in January 2009 and would be comprised of nine of the older girls who had completed all their education at the orphanage. We assumed that the Girl would finally get the break she desperately needed.

We visited her again in late November, this time making a special trip to attend her graduation from "junior college." We arrived with the expectations of a celebration for her accomplishments and a likely "send off" to Tegucigalpa. Instead, we found disappointment. The Girl was accused of some misbehavior of a rather serious nature. She would graduate, but being selected for the transition home was doubtful. I talked with her about the accusations against her, as well as talking with the directors. There was nothing I could do to resolve the situation. After all, I am a parent too, and I know kids make mistakes, serious and otherwise, that require discipline. All I could offer the Girl was to encourage her to be patient--we could find another solution that would allow her to leave--but I knew that she was resolved to leave one way or another. We left with an uneasy feeling that we might not see her again.

In January, we got another surprise. One of the girls originally selected dropped out, and the Girl was picked to take her spot. Once again, we were thrilled that things might really work out for her. I believed she at least had a chance for a better life than the one she had struggled through to this point.

And I was right: she did have a chance. What she did with it was now up to her.

Next post: New Home/Old Home, Part II