The pain Javier* had mentioned earlier to his Hope mom had intensified. He cradled his cheek in his hand and groaned loudly enough for her to notice. “It’s worse, Javier?” she asked with concern. He nodded slowly. She reached out to fellow staff member, Anna McCambridge, who helps with Back2Back’s medical program. Together, they made… Read more
Jose Luis watched Andres* slowly withdraw into himself. The usually vibrant, social young man grew quieter over the weeks of mandated quarantine. With each new cancellation of something he loved, Andres grew more despondent. Mazatlán was feeling the effects of the virus sweeping globally, leaving adults unemployed and children and teens idle. For Andres, music… Read more
Anna* stood in her red graduation robe before adults and peers who have supported her for many years. She walked shyly to the wooden structure that held the celebration bell and tugged on the attached rope. Clangs echoed off the buildings in a song of triumph. As those gathered cheered loudly, Anna smiled, confident in… Read more
Suhana* has lived apart from her family for most of her life. In her younger years, she lived in a Back2Back-partner children’s home, and later transitioned with many other girls and boys to the Back2Back-run campus. She has spent the last several years focusing on her studies and growing into a young woman who is… Read more
Elias* held the live chicken in his hands calmly. To most teenage boys, a full grown, live chicken might not be much of a reward or gift, but to Elias, it was so much more than just a gift. It was evidence of his hard work paying off and for being seen by the adults… Read more
Music thumped through the palapa as a group congregated in the middle of a dance floor around a young woman in a beautiful, light pink dress. It was a traditional quinceañera for a girl turning 15-years old, but what was less than traditional was the crowd of girls around her, laughing and dancing in unison…. Read more
Divia* is a young woman who has lived the entirety of her life in the slums of India. A young woman who has dreams of working and making money to support herself and help her family, Divia has struggled against the cultural expectation of women being solely wife and mother, never breadwinners. Divia, the second… Read more
2020 has brought highs and lows as children and teens all over the world have navigated new learning strategies, more discretionary time, and an unstable internet. At the beginning of 2020, the Hope Program consisted of seven girls and three boys; over the course of the year, it welcomed an additional teen girl from the… Read more
Shalom – A Staff Team Retreat Staff retreats are one way Back2Back staff take time to intentionally gather for community, to grow spiritually, and to refresh themselves physically, emotionally, and socially. A retreat was planned for the Haiti staff in the fall of 2019, but due to in-country turmoil, it had to be postponed. Recently, Staff… Read more
What They’re Learning in Their Time Apart Staff have learned a significant amount of information about the children they serve in India the last several months. While some work stateside and patiently waiting to return to India, they meet virtually with all the children who call the Back2Back campus home, as well as with the… Read more