The children filed into the community center area. Their chatter was cheerful as they waited for their breakfast and a time of worship. This scene is becoming a regular occurrence at a Back2Back community center every Saturday. Desayunador, or Saturday breakfast ministry, is a newer initiative Back2Back staff have started in Mexico. The first was… Read more
Restoration is the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition. When Back2Back started its work in Cancun, Mexico, the goal was to care for vulnerable populations by coming alongside families to keep them together. Focusing on orphan prevention since 2010, Back2Back staff have faithfully worked alongside mothers, fathers, and children, restoring… Read more
School can be anxiety-inducing and a source of fear for many children. Bullying within school walls and on playgrounds is a real obstacle many face. For nine children now receiving education in trauma-informed classrooms and under the Reggio Emilia model, these aversions no longer hold space. Trauma-informed schools are being developed at many of the… Read more
Lily* has spent her life facing challenges most of her peers will never encounter. At almost 18-years old, she experiences daily battles with health conditions most would buckle beneath, but Lily rises. She has, over the years, learned to recognize the warning signs in her body and how to manage self-administering medications when they’re needed…. Read more
In 2010, staff at a Back2Back community center met a young woman named Ana*. As she prepared to graduate high school and transition to university, staff helped her as she explored her passions and aptitudes. She quickly developed an affection for drawing, design, and architecture, and it ultimately led to her career choice. She is… Read more
Alan* is just one of many students attending a Back2Back-run, trauma-informed school on-site in Mexico. He was timid and withdrawn when he started attending due to a speech impediment. His interactions had been strictly with his family, as they were the only ones who understood him when he tried to talk. He kept to himself… Read more
Many students who attend one of Back2Back’s trauma-informed schools begin their educational careers speaking little to no English. Many of the rural villages from where the children and families live only speak one language and government-run schools do not use conversational English in their curriculum. Zoya* is a young girl in the first grade. She… Read more
Cricket made its way to India in the 18th century by European merchant sailors, and has since become a beloved sport country-wide. Recently, a group of boys in the Strong Families program expressed interest in playing in a more organized manner. The community center where families attend lacks acreage and space; there are areas nearby… Read more
In Hyderabad’s core, there is a community of families living in makeshift homes. Most of the parents are rag pickers, who separate thrown-out food and materials into groups and sell them for profit. Despite these living conditions, there is joy within the tarped walls and metal roofs. There in the middle of the slum community,… Read more
Back2Back’s holistic approach to care is centered around presence and purpose. We teach children and parents alike the importance of playing with purpose, guiding safe adults toward trauma competent caregiving; we intentionally invest in the spiritual, physical, educational, emotional, and social spheres of every child, teen, and adult served. On January 5th of this year,… Read more