Covenant House Honduras

Residential Program

The objective of the residential program is to protect those who have spent their childhoods on the street in order to rehabilitate them as responsible members of society. This is accomplished by fortifying their sense of identity and individuality, helping them to develop their potential and sense of stability, and by removing them from the dangers of drug addiction.

Cherub Home

According to a survey conducted by Casa Alianza, some 10,000 children were prostituted in 20 Honduran cities during a six-month period in 2003. To help address the problem of commercial sexual exploitation, Cherub Home opened in December 2003 in a suburb of the capital city. The home is sponsored by the President of the Republic, Don Ricardo Maduro and his wife. Funding from Wellspring Advisors and the German government made it possible to build accommodations for more than 80 girls.

Cherub Home is staffed by a multidisciplinary holistic care team (medicine, psychology, social work, spiritual counseling, recreation, culture, sports, education, drug abuse and AIDS prevention, etc.) that supports the girls as they work to overcome their problems and plan for the future. Cherub Home also works with families and schools throughout the community.

Santa Margarita Therapeutic Community

Santa Margarita is a therapeutic community for 20-25 children located in a semi-rural area a few kilometers from Tegucigalpa. The objective of the community is to make the children who participate in the recuperation process aware of the dangers of psychologically addictive substances. Young people at Santa Margarita have access to a holistic care clinic that prepares them for reintegrated into society through physical and emotional rehabilitation.

The complex contains sports installations, a computer lab, an arts and crafts room, comfortable dormitories and areas dedicated to agricultural therapy and personal development programs including life-skills workshops.

Formal Education and Vocational Training

Access to formal education is an indispensable element in the achievement of autonomy. The majority of the youth at Casa Alianza Honduras come from families whose scarce economic resources make education costs prohibitive. Therefore, young people who participate in formal education or vocational workshops through Casa Alianza are provided with the necessary tools, uniforms, educational materials and transportation to their education centers.

The Casa Alianza computer lab has proven extremely effective in the education of these young people due to the children's profound interest in using computers to learn more about and improve their skills in handicrafts and arts. Ninety percent of children participating in the residential programs of Casa Alianza Honduras have achieved basic computer literacy.

Family Reunification

This program is designed to reunite children with their families and to provide the support they need to be reintegrated into society. The first step is to collect information that will shape an integrated reunification plan for each child. Staff members then work directly with families, coordinate self-help groups, and offer job- and life-skills training to help each child achieve his/her goals.

Children in especially difficult circumstances also are cared for even if they cannot join a residential program. A specific program is available for those struggling with drug addictions. Young people for whom family reunification is not possible are given the tools they need to live independently. When family reunification is possible, the program provides the support the families need to make this transition.

Legal Aid and Advocacy Program

The Legal Aid and Advocacy Program of Casa Alianza promotes and defends the rights of children, young people, and young mothers. This program:

• Investigates and brings attention to violence against children
• Reaches out to sexually and commercially exploited children and those who are trafficked across borders
• Collaborates with government and other non-profits to pursue and prosecute perpetrators
• Advocates for laws protecting children's rights
• Fights illegal adoptions
• Helps youth obtain identification papers
• Provides training to other agencies, police, schools, etc. on children's rights
• Educates children about their rights

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