The Beginning of a Whole New Story

My name is Sofia. I’m 14 years old and in fifth grade. I'm not yet taking any extracurricular courses, but I am making progress, little by little. I came to Covenant House Honduras through the government’s office on children and families after a hard process that began when I didn’t expect it, but it changed my life.

It all started when my mom was contacted by a lady from the Public Prosecutor's Office. Her name was Sara. Sara asked my mom for some information about me, and my mom took me to talk to them.

At some point, the conversation became very serious, and they took my mom aside and talked to her in private. When she came back, she was crying. She told me I had to go to a center. I didn't understand much, but I went along with it. I went first to one place for about seven months, and then I came to Covenant House Honduras.

The truth is I wasn’t the one who asked for help, directly. It was our neighbor who filed a complaint. Then came the investigation. Everything was confusing, uncomfortable ... and sad.

Before all this, I lived with my mom and my stepfather, the father of my younger sister. He didn't support my mom at all and provided nothing for my little sister. So, I had to go out to work, even though I was just a child. I took care of two other little girls and earned almost nothing. Like they say here at Casa Alianza: I was a child taking care of children.

Since I worked during the day, I could only study at night, but it was hard. I didn't have access to a computer at home or to an environment where I could concentrate.

All that changed when I came here.

Covenant House Honduras has given me tools I never had before. Here, I have access to computers, I can study during the day, and I participate in recreational activities and games like Zumba, which I love. I also learned to dance, and I discovered that I like it a lot!

Today, I feel joyful. I laugh a lot. Before, I felt tired, sad, dull. I didn't understand why I had to go through things that weren’t meant for me. But now I feel I made it through all that.

Although I'm still a little shy, I’m not as shy as I was before. My family has also noticed the change. They say they're proud of me, that I've changed a lot, and that motivates me.

I have dreams, although I'm still exploring my options. I would like to study at university for a career, maybe in medicine. It’s the first thing that comes to mind! But I have many ideas, and I still can't quite decide.

I consider myself a happy girl, and I want to keep advancing, keep changing. I want to build a better life. I love pizza — I can eat three slices in an afternoon with friends! — and I think now I value things I could never imagine having before.

To other children who are going through similar situations, I would tell them that they can get through it, that they’re not alone, and that there are people, institutions, and places that can help them. Sometimes, you don't know how to start, but taking the first step, even if someone else takes it for you, can be the beginning of a whole new story.

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Covenant House has programs in 34 cities across five countries: the United States, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. The children and youth at our Latin America sites are the youngest across our federation, at just 12 to 18 years old, and most of them are referred to us by government agencies in charge of child well-being.

Your donation is the most immediate and impactful way to support Covenant House’s work in Latin America.