Check out her story and how her impact is woven into KAI.
I joined Kids Alive January 17th, 2022. At first I did not know anything about the organization but then after my first week of onboarding and orientation I fell in love with the history, purpose, mission and vision and knew that God brought me here to be part of his work towards his children around Latin America and the world!
I’m an introvert and love quiet time, but I can be very friendly and open to conversation whenever I am on site visiting my colleagues! These people inspire me so much that I can never get enough of them!
I love Oreo cookies and Coke Zero; they are an awesome snack combo.
One of the challenges is related to adapting my work, language and tasks to each one of the audiences/countries and cultures we work with. Getting to know other people's challenges, cultures and work has helped me so much to develop a major understanding about them and the wonderful work they are doing. Another challenge has been getting to know the reason why kids are under our protective care or attending our programs. Most of them have suffered so much, and sometimes I feel like I cannot do much for them as I am not a front line employee. I would love to do more for them. I have learned that it does not matter which position are you in; you are able to contribute to their stories and restoration. So, what I do is work with excellence. Whether I need to send emails, do simultaneous interpretation, gather data, listen to the staff, translate documents or whatever task I am assigned to do, I do give my best. I even sometimes go the extra mile because I know in someway this is helping us to support families, children, and communities so they can thrive!
A couple weeks ago I was talking to Ms. Cathy (Spiritual Coordinator of Kids Alive Guatemala). She is in charge of developing custom discipleship for every girl in our residential campus, and I was encouraging her to continue with the amazing work she does! She decided to share with me one of the greatest satisfactions of the work she does - She was working with a girl the other day, and she had her agenda in the desk. Her agenda has “Vida para Niños” written in the cover. The girl looked at her and said, “Miss Cathy, now I understand why you are here and why am I here", pointing at the name in the agenda. "You are bringing life to the children", in Spanish would be “Le estan dando vida a los niños”. And that quote, impacted my heart so much. These girls who have suffered from abuse, neglect, and sometimes abandonment are now able to recognize that KAI is giving them a new purpose in their lives! So impactful, meaningful, and beautiful.
Rest in God’s purpose for your life and stand still until he reveals the reason why you are in the place that he has called you to be. Strip off all your prejudices, attitudes, doubts and trust in that you have been called to bring your skills, experiences, professional background and abilities to a field that will result in lives changed, families restored, and people having a second opportunity to thrive and do better!
Justice that Heals. Bonds that Mend. KAI seeks justice for the marginalized in classrooms and courtrooms, addressing root issues and promoting healing from trauma. We empower children, families, and communities through restorative education, protective care, family strengthening, and justice advocacy. KAI embodies “Justice that Heals. Bonds that Mend.”, walking with vulnerable children towards justice and healing in 7 countries. By being a beacon of hope for these children, they become beacons of hope for their families and communities.
Justice that heals - There is no healing without justice, and there is no justice without healing. Both compliment each other and are part of our calling to advocate for those who are most vulnerable and mostly overlooked. Justice needs to be accompanied by a holistic and pertinent approach so all the areas of their lives can be restored, and their rights can be restituted.
Bonds that mend - Was difficult to understand at the beginning as I tried to contextualize it but couldn’t find the appropriate example. It wasn't until a couple weeks ago when I had the chance to hear from our caregivers in Peru and Guatemala that I understand completely what a bond that mends looks like. In Guatemala, they said: “The girls trust us; they come to us and share what they feel and ask for help and prayer”. In Peru, they said: “Even in the night, when they are not feeling well or are anxious/sad, etc. they come to me, and I can offer them my hand, a hug or just to have open ears to listen to them”. That is a bond that mends - Building trusted relationships with adults that will accompany the children through their journey of restoration, giving them a new perspective of life and healthy relationships.
Our Kids Alive staff are able to make #IMPACTTHATHEALS thanks to donors like you. To support Kids Alive's efforts to empower vulnerable children, family, and communities, you can get involved by donating today!
