Independence
From left to right: Alex, Miguel, Eduardo, Jhonathan, and Fermín
“One of my dreams would be to create my own non-profit, because I don’t want other people to go through what I went through.”
These powerful words were shared by Eduardo, one of the men in our program for young adults who’ve transitioned out of institutionalized care.
Eduardo, the youngest, is set to graduate from the program in November of this year, and the other four young men (Jhonathan, Fermín, Miguel, and Alex) are set to graduate from the program at the end of June.
Followed, of course, by a few months of follow-up to ensure the transition is going well.
They are talented, kind, motivated, friendly, generous, helpful, and resilient. They aren’t perfect of course - none of us are. But despite the challenges they face, they continue to seek to build lives for themselves, standing on their own two feet and making their own way.
These young men have spent varying numbers of years in the program, but all of them have had to face an incredibly difficult challenge - “aging out” of an institution without a clear place to go, as none of them had family who could care for them at the time they aged out.
There are many difficulties that arise for teens who age out of care, some that start long before aging out, and others that don’t begin until they walk out of the doors of the institution for the last time.
First off, no one ends up in an institution or orphanage without having experienced significant trauma. Whether it’s neglect, abuse, death, chronic illness/addiction in the family, poverty, war, etc, no one arrives into care without having been wounded by the brokenness of the world. It is an inevitability.
Second, if they spend too much time in an institution without significant involvement in a network outside of the institution, they can easily become “third culture kids” within their own country and community, with the culture and customs of the institution becoming their new normal.
From early morning wake-up calls, routine chores, large group meals at set times, this can look a lot more like barracks life than family life.
This separation from the community and from a family environment can also cause confusion and a sense of lostness at a critical developmental stage. Adolescents and teens spend much of their mental energy trying to make sense of the world and their place in it, and seeking to figure out their identity.
While all teens struggle with this, it is far more difficult for those separated from their primary sense of orientation to the world - their parents.
There is also the question of worth and self-esteem. Many adolescents and teens in institutions/orphanages have experienced neglect, abuse, or a sense of being unwanted or unworthy. Others have spent 5-10+ years in care, perhaps seeing babies and young children being adopted or receiving more attention.
With trauma, a third culture upbringing, struggles with identity, belonging, and self-esteem, it often seems that the cards are stacked heavily against teens aging out of care and still separated from family.
Perhaps that’s why, just like teens aging out of foster care, they are at a higher risk for things like homelessness, crime, prostitution, drug use, and even suicide.
But the story doesn’t have to end this way.
Many teens leave care with what they can carry in a backpack and nowhere to go. For this reason Story International started our transition program, “El Puente” (The Bridge), in 2016.
Although El Puente is not a separate program anymore, the services provided have been absorbed into our Family Preservation program, whose professionals have been working to help Eduardo, Jhonathan, Fermín, Miguel, Alex, and other teens and young adults grow into confident, independent young adults.
Currently, 4 of the 5 boys are employed with consistent work, and the last just had an interview and hopefully will get a job offer next week.
Story has been accompanying them every step of the way, making sure they have food, a place to stay, educational support, and access to psychological support services.
After years in the program, they are starting to save money so that they can begin to live fully independently soon.
Despite the hurdles and challenges they’ve faced, these young men don’t give up. More than just friends, they are brothers, and even plan to rent and live together and support each other once they graduate from the program.
Please pray for wisdom for our team as they continue to ready these young men for fully independent living, and pray that each of them would come to know deeply the love of Christ, which has so much power to heal, transform, and redeem difficulties, pain, and loss.
Like many of us, there are pains and losses that they may carry with them for the rest of their lives. But God is faithful, and one day, He will make all things new.
“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Rev 21:1-5)
Your support for our work helps us continue to support vulnerable children, families, and young adults.
Would you consider becoming a staff sponsor for one of our Family Preservation team members?
You can click the button below to read more about them and the rest of our team and click the button under their photos to sign up to sponsor them!