The Children Epiphany Sponsors at El Hogar

by Betsy Walsh

Epiphany has a long history of sponsoring children at El Hogar, a home and school in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Read more about these three beautiful children and keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Meet Ivis Leonel

Ivis Leonel Rosales Calix was born on January 9, 2000. Before coming to El Hogar, Ivis lived nearby with his parents, older brothers and younger sister in one room without windows or electricity. He and his 2 older brothers entered El Hogar in 2006 and Epiphany began to sponsor Ivis in 2007. Three years later, he and his brothers left El Hogar. In 2012, while Epiphany’s women’s team was visiting, their father brought Ivis and his younger sister, Maribel, to the gates of El Hogar and asked if El Hogar could take them in again. Their mother had died and he was unable to care for them. Epiphany picked up his sponsorship again at this time. (A team member sponsored Maribel too!).   Now 15, Ivis is a handsome, quiet young man who is embarrassed by much fuss from his padrinos (God parents, which is what we, his sponsors, are called). He graduated from El Hogar’s elementary school in November 2012 and will be entering his third year at El Hogar’s Technical School this month.

Meet Ana Raquel

Ana Raquel Valera Funez was born on February 23, 2000 in Tegucigalpa to a single mother who suffers from paralysis on her left side which makes it hard for her to find work. Before coming to El Hogar in January 2007, she lived with her mother and great grandmother in a wooden structure without beds or food. She entered El Hogar in first grade as part of the first class of girls. (El Hogar only took in little boys for its first 26 years.) Epiphany wanted to sponsor one of the new little girls so we added a second sponsorship. Now 15, Ana lives at El Hogar’s high school girls home in Santa Lucia. She has just started 9th grade at a private highschool. She is a tall, lovely young woman who is confident, smart and talented. 

Meet Jorge Francisco

Jorge Francisco Velasquez Sagastume was born on April 10, 2000. Before coming to live at El Hogar, Jorge lived with his mother, older brother and younger sister, Andrea. Unable to provide for her children and afraid of the violence committed by her oldest son, their mother enrolled Jorge and Andrea at El Hogar. Epiphany began sponsoring Jorge when he arrived at El Hogar in 2009. Though he was 9, he had not been to school so he began in the first grade. El Hogar offers older students, who are academically able, the opportunity to progress by 2 grades in a year. Jorge did this and graduated from elementary school in 2013. Now 14, he is beginning his second year at El Hogar’s Agricultural School. He is adorable, smart, musically gifted and a talented painter.

If you would like to learn more about these children, write to these children, sponsor a child or visit El Hogar, please contact Epiphany’s El Hogar contact, Susan Haskell at susanhaskell33@gmail.com.

www.elhogar.org