Samantha looks at the crowded tables and listens to the loud chatter as it fills every crevice of the dining hall. She smiles as she watches the children eating their food and laughing alongside friends that sometimes feel more like family. Samantha and Raymundo have been working at Salvation Army Children’s Home for a little… Read more
Jennifer looked around the room. Friends who had become family sang “Happy Birthday” to her and smiled as she went to make a wish and blow out her candles. The thirteen-year old girl felt emotion well in her throat, unsure how to convey gratitude outside of a small smile. Everyone clapped and waited patiently for… Read more
The light crept slowly into the dark rooms. One by one, the teens at Lighthouse Children’s Home got out of bed and prepared for their day. They were gathered in Les Cayes, a region in Southern Haiti, for a spiritual retreat. Wadson Delvar and Nixon Felix, Back2Back Haiti staff, were waiting for them at the… Read more
The children at Douglas Children’s Home are learning about giving. In 2016, they gathered together to fill shoeboxes with gifts for children around the world through Operation Christmas Child. This year, they brought their giving closer to home, in a Secret Santa gift exchange at Douglas. The children chose names out of a hat a… Read more
The boys run fast under the heat of the sun on an uneven slope of land. Djackenson kicks the soccer ball hard towards Robenson, hopeful his teammate will make the goal. Robenson kicks the ball and it narrowly misses. A collective “UGH!” fills the air. The ball is retrieved, and the game resumes. This was… Read more
Five hundred and forty-two of you visited Mazatlán in 2017. Five hundred and forty-two pairs of hands and feet moving, building, and working on behalf of the orphaned and vulnerable child. Five hundred and forty-two of you took part in improving Rancho de los Niños home. Ground was broken in 2017 on two new family-style… Read more
The room was quiet with the exception of the clicking of keyboard keys. Ricardo, a newly hired teacher at the Community Center in Tres Reyes, walked behind the three students as they worked on their computers. The teens were focused and working hard, and this made Ricardo smile. Recently, Iram, Angel, and Rubi, three teens… Read more
Darlene Ruiz, Back2Back Cancun staff, looked around the circle of families holding hands. Their heads were bowed as another staff member, Matt Cooper, spoke a soft prayer over the group and location. She smiled, anticipating the growth to come in this new space, and they all collectively whispered, “Amen.” A home in Cancun has recently… Read more
Felt-safety can look different depending on where one is in the world. Large, block walls in America could be perceived as private property, behind it, an expansive estate. Large, block walls in Haiti simply mean safety. When you visit children’s homes in Haiti, and most of Back2Back’s other sites, you will be met with a… Read more
Stephen, a tutor at Igmin Kibe Education Center in Jos, Nigeria, watched the young man come around the corner. His hair was neatly cut, his school uniform freshly pressed, new socks and shoes on his feet, and a bright smile lit up his face. “Yusuf, you are looking so good these days! What’s your secret?”… Read more