Our Little Roses News

Still feeling the effects of the Earthquake

2011-12-15T17:51:00.001-08:00

On November the 16, 2011, over a year and a half since the 7.2 earthquake struck Honduras students and teachers noticed a visible change in the gradient of the floor of one of the classrooms on the second floor of Holy Family School (the Our Little Roses Ministries bilingual school on the campus of Our Little Roses). It is a wonderful school where 20 of our girls have the opportunity to learn English alongside other girls and boys from the community.

You can imagine the surprise on the student's faces when they arrived to class only to notice that the floor was beginning to sink. The teacher reported what was happening to the floor. Immediately the director of the school removed the students from the classroom in order to make an analysis of this unexpected development.

After taking down the false ceiling, the mystery of the slanting floor was revealed. The steel beams holding up the second floor had been doubled in a wave-like form, obviously from a tremendous force which we can only attribute to the earthquake. We thought we had only suffered minor damage during the earthquake but now the real truth has been unveiled. We are still fortunate that more damage was not done.

The estimated cost of the repairs is $8,051.80. If you like to donate or assist, please contact us at olr@ourlittleroses.org.

October 2011 News

2011-10-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

OUR LITTLE ROSES MINISTRIES - A MINISTRY OF LOVE, HOPE AND JUSTICE San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Written by Mrs. Mayra

Honduras has an estimated population of almost eight million people. (67.3% (4.992.792) of the population are under 30 years old and 63% of the population lives in poverty.) 1. Honduras became independent from Spain in 1821 and all Hondurans celebrate its independence on September 15.

Sihan, Katherine, Astrid, Tania, Ana Ruth & Ricci Mejía.

The girls from Our Little Roses Ministries are always on the first row to participate in the different activities that the schools have to celebrate. Independence Day. This year was not the exception and all of the girls got involved to commemorate this important date. Some of them played in the band, and others were cheerleaders.

CHILDREN DAY- SEPTEMBER 10

Ismelda

High school students from Holy Family Bilingual School celebrated Children Day with the girls from Our Little Roses. The girls received gifts, and had fun with games and a talent show where both groups showed off their talents. They also enjoyed a delicious lunch that the students offered them.

LIVING AT OUR LITTLE ROSES MINISTRIES

Vanesa, Jackeline, Ingrid, Iris, Damaris, Kathy & Suyapa

Living in an orphanage could not be an outstanding experience, but living at Our Little Roses makes a difference. OLRM is NOT an orphanage, it is a HOME. It is a peaceful and loving place where the girls are loved and cared for. Being part of the transformation of the girls is also a long life transformational experience for the staff involved in OLRM.

It is heartbreaking to see the new girls the very first day they are moved from IHNFA (Honduran Governmental shelter) to OLRM. It is so sad to see their little faces, so sad, without a vision for the future and without hope. They are full of loneliness and hopeless, but at OLR they find love, companionship, friendship and the sisterhood. They come to realize that they too can have a vision and hope for the future. They develop relationships and friendships with the other girls that will last a life time. It is something amazing to witness.

2011 is almost ending and this year OLRM has received 6 new girls: Suyapa (December 4, 2004) and her sister Ingrid (January 3, 2007), Bianca, (November 15, 1996), Genesis (September 26, 1997) and the newest girls Martha (3 years old) and her youngest sister Suyapa (1 year old).

DENTAL CARE:
Our Little Roses has their very own dentist - Jensy. From living in the slums to becoming a dentist – what a success story! Jensy is completing an internship and will graduate in December 2011.

Jensy shares, “Thanks to the support of people like you, we have the opportunity to improve our lives and build a future in which we can become professionals and Christian women serving God, so we can give back, and also help people who need us.” Jensy arrived to Our Little Roses at the age of 9 years old and her dreams to become a dentist were stronger after she was taken to the dentist to fix her teeth and she got braces. Jensy's dreams became a reality thanks to the support of many people of God. "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver " 2 Corinthian 9:7

The Dentistry career is one of the most expensive careers in Honduras. School supplies, tools and medical equipment are very expensive, but the fruits of all the efforts is praiseworthy and now Our Little Roses not only have a dentist, but also a dental clinic equipped to provide dental care, not only to the girls and staff from Our Little Roses, but also to serve the community.

BRACES: Ana Ruth, Leily, Wendoly and Eduviges are four of the girls from Our Little Roses Ministries that are fortunate to receive the braces' treatment to fix their teeth and soon they will enjoy of a brighter smile. The cost of each Braces' treatment is $1,800.00 which include installation of braces and dental visitation. The treatment last two years.

There are 6 more girls than need braces. Any support to the Dental Fund will be highly appreciated.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO TRANSFORM A GIRL'S LIFE!!
For more information about OLRM: www.ourlittleroses.org
e.mail: nprdiana@aol.com or ourlittleroses@yahoo.com

BACK TO SCHOOL- September 2011

2011-10-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

OUR LITTLE ROSES MINISTRIES - A MINISTRY OF LOVE, HOPE AND JUSTICE San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Written by Mrs. Mayra

At the age of two years old, Rocío dreams of going to school. She tries on her sister’s uniforms and backpack and she says: "I am ready for school”. She doesn't understand why she can't go to school, she says "I am big, I can run", but the reality is that she is still too young and she has to wait one more year in order to turn 3 years old, which is the required age for Pre Kinder.

Going back to HFBS School is a big event at Our Little Roses Ministries. The girls started classes at the end of August, but since July, the staff has been making sure that the girls will have new uniforms, new school supplies and everything they may need in order to fulfill the important role they will play at school.

(Rocio)

This year there are three new Roses attending Holy Family Bilingual School. Two in Pre Kinder: Brigit, 3 years old, Critzenn, 4 years old and one girl in eight grade: Bianca, 14 years old. This makes a total of 20 girls attending HFBS. This is a year full of expectations and new challenges.

Holy Family Bilingual School was founded to meet the educational needs of the girls from Our Little Roses, especially for the girls that get to the Home at an early age, so they can be prepared beginning at Pre-School. Unfortunately, not all the girls are able to finish a bilingual education because they grew up in abject poverty and they came to us malnourished.

The consequences are devastating for being able to learn because they don't develop the ability to manage two languages at the same time. Those girls that face serious learning problems are moved to Spanish speaking language schools where they learn to read and write in their native language with a Spanish only educational curriculum. When they are ready, they can take English classes so they can communicate with sponsors, friends and visitors.

(Tania, Diana, Astrid, Ismelda)

Our Little Roses girls know exactly what they want to be when they grow-up: Leyli, an eight grader, has dreamed ever since she was 7 years old that she would like to be a Doctor. After 8 years, she continues with the same dream to be a doctor, "I want to save children's lives", she said with a smile. Katherine says: "I would like to be a flight attendant" "I love tourism". Katherine is a very talkative girl, she is not afraid to face life, she loves soccer as well.

Sofia, a kindergarten student says: "I want to be a “Miss", meaning that she wants to be a "teacher". (Sometimes the children call the women teachers at HFBS Miss.)

What goes through the minds of these little girls?

When interviewing Brigit, (she is only 3 years old and just started Pre Kinder) she said: "I want to be Mrs. Mayra". Mayra is a member of the staff and her position is Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director. Brigit can't explain exactly what she wants but she has people in mind that she would like to be like. Maybe in two years she will say that she wants to be a dentist or some other career. The amazing thing is that they all have dreams and they all are working for what they want.

After a day of classes the girls return to the Home singing what they have learned or playing the teacher's role with the other girls. The older girls have lunch and then change from uniforms to shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops in order to start doing homework or studying for classes the next day. They all are excited and very enthusiastic that school has begun again so that they can continue to transform their lives into what they want to be in the future.

(Aylin and Heydi)

(Twins: Ana Ruth and Ana Cecilia)

HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE TO MAKE OUR GIRLS REACH THEIR DREAMS?
The answer is by sponsoring the education of one of our Roses. Any amount for education is welcome. Your support will enable our girls to soar to reach their dreams.

Click to enlarge

THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO TRANSFORM A GIRL'S LIFE!!
For more information about OLRM: www.ourlittleroses.org
e.mail: nprdiana@aol.com or ourlittleroses@yahoo.com

Ministry empowers Honduran girls for life

2011-03-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

By Lynette Wilson, March 01, 2011

[Episcopal News Service – San Pedro Sula, Honduras]

Ministerios Nuestras Pequeñas Roses began 25 years ago in a three-bedroom rental house in this gritty, factory town four hours from the capital, Tegucigalpa, because its founder, Diana Frade, recognized the need to educate and empower at-risk girls.

"I visited a boys' home in Tegucigalpa, and could see the girls on the street," said Frade, the founder, president and executive director of Ministerios Nuestras Pequeñas Roses, or Our Little Roses (OLR). "I thought, if the church is doing this for boys, why not for girls?"

Adhering to protocol, Frade introduced a resolution aimed at helping girls at a diocesan convention, but it failed -- but she'd already promised judges (the court system manages child placement in Honduras) in Tegucigalpa a home for girls. So with $80,000 – part memorial gift, part matching grant – she rented a house and took in the first girl. By the end of the first year, there were 23 girls, a cook and two tias, or aunts, who at OLR handle the everyday needs, rearing and discipline of the girls living in the home, she said.

There are an estimated 200,000 orphaned children in Honduras, according to government statistics. Honduras, a Central America about the size of Tennessee, has a total population of about 8 million, close to 50 percent under the age of 18.

The first building, in Villa Florencia, was built in 1992 on property donated by the city's mayor on two conditions, Frade said: OLR would be the legal name and listed on the legal documents, and the buildings would be designed in the style of San Pedro Sula. The home came first, and then came the infrastructure –- water, sewer, electricity -- and the neighborhood, she added.

Today, OLR covers 2.5 acres in Colonial Villa Florencia, five minutes from the central city, and includes Holy Family Bilingual School, serving the surrounding community; a residential home, where currently 56 girls, toddlers to teens, live together with their tias; and an off-site transition home for girls who have left the residential home and who are working and/or studying at a university. OLR Ministries also includes a medical clinic, a dental clinic staffed by Dr. Jensey Maldonado, who came to OLR with her sister when she was 9, and a recently completed mountain retreat and conference center, Our Lady of the Roses, in Santa Barbara, about an hour outside the city. ORL also has a Spanish-language school, offering instruction for students and housing on a weekly basis.

It was United Thank Offering, Episcopal Church Women and Daughters of the King who backed OLR from the beginning and it has been women, who recognize that "when you educate women you can change the future," who have continued to support OLR, said Frade, who is married to the Rt. Rev. Leo Frade, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida. "The women were so excited and got behind it," she said. "This ministry is really quite unique, putting women and girls first; when you put women and girls first, you're changing the generation to come."

OLR operates on a $500,000 annual budget and is registered as a non-governmental organization in Honduras and as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) in the United States for fundraising purposes; it is not a project of the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras. The medical and dental clinic, Holy Spirit Bilingual School, the Spanish-language school and the retreat center are set up for self-sufficiency. OLR also has relied on individuals and parishes throughout the Episcopal Church, and also on ecumenical and Roman Catholic support. Over the years individuals and parishes have invested in the girls and their futures by providing sponsorships at $720 a year.

The medical and dental clinics provide fee-based services to the community and Holy Family students pay tuition. The school grew out of a nursery school that was started by volunteers.

"You can't turn your back on the community; your ministry must project and be a part of the community," said Frade, referring to the neighborhood's request for a school. Of the 220, students enrolled in Holy Family, 200 come from the neighborhood and 20 from the girls' home. The other girls attend nearby public schools.

The long-running economic recession in the United States has affected OLR's operating budget, with donations and sponsorships declining. And changes in the country's leadership -- the military forced the former president to leave in 2009 -- have decreased the number of parish and diocesan groups participating in the hospitality ministry.

Family life

There is a pattern to life at the girls' home, which shares the campus with Holy Family School – including all the things you might expect -- shared meals, homework, Saturday tutoring, fútbol practice and games, playtime, crafts, pizza nights, computers, chores done in exchange for television privileges, laundering of school uniforms, and church on Sunday (there also is a chapel on-site). The home is designed in a square, with a courtyard and fountain in the middle.

The older girls help with the younger girls. Each has her own unique tragic, often horrific, story, and each girl receives the help she needs to get on with life.
From the beginning, Frade has demanded that the people working at OLR take the attitude that it doesn't matter where the girls come from, or what their past has been.

"Each has their story, and each is blessed," Frade said. "They know that God loves them and sent them to a home that is providing them with the best of everything for their future. That's how they are able to keep going. "[Whatever happened] that's in the past, it doesn't make any difference any more. Let's move forward."

The first thing to happen when a girl comes to OLR is she is given a bath, her hair is cleaned up, and she gets new clothes.

"We start from the outside and work in," Frade said, adding that the girls also work with psychologists and counselors.

Forty girls from OLR have graduated from high school with many of them going to university. Some have studied law or engineering; many have become social workers, teach in the school or work in the home, and many remain involved in the ministry. Dr. Jensey Maldonado, 25, the dentist, runs the new nearby dental clinic and is in charge of the group home.

When she moved into the home, Maldonado said, it took some time to settle into the rhythm of the home and having to share the tia's attention with other girls, but she adjusted. She spent 15 years there, and she now lives in a transitional home while she completes her 12-month dental internship and gets the clinic off the ground.

"When I came, there were 37 girls and I wanted that personal attention from someone, but things just go on and you adjust," she said. "And the girls have a lot of privileges and opportunities, an education, good medical care, good food, things that a lot of people don't have."

When Maldonado made the decision to study dentistry, she had to prove to Frade that she really wanted it. While she went to school, she worked nights at OLR, helping the little ones with homework, getting them ready for the next day, bathing them and putting them to bed around 9 p.m., and then it was time for her to study, she said.

"Now I can appreciate what I've done; it took a lot," she said during an interview at the dental clinic. "It took me a while to understand what Ms. Diana wanted me to do. Now I understand."

Extended family

Hospitality plays an important part in OLR's ministry, where the extended family model is applied, with groups visiting and staying on the OLR campus.

"The more people involved in the girls' lives, the better," Frade said. "It is healing to have people who help to lift them up. It gives them someone to write a Christmas card to … these are children who've lost the nuclear family.

Larry and Jo Hodgin, members of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Annandale, Virginia, first visited OLR in 2003 at the urging of the church's then-priest associate, the Rev. Lauren Stanley.

"She said, 'You need to go to Honduras,'" Jo Hodgin said, adding that since that first visit, she and her husband visit OLR, on average, twice a year, most recently the week of Feb. 21. They also lead group visits from their parish.
"We made a commitment that we would be like aunts and uncles … extended family," she added. "They are like little magnets -- they keep drawing us back."
Larry Hodgin described his commitment to the girls this way: "I asked myself, as a dad, would I want that happening to my daughters? We keep coming back to let them know that we do care for them," he said.

In addition to regular visits, the Hodgins are on their second sponsorship. And OLR has become part of their family. The Hodgins have two grown daughters, one of whom has visited OLR, and two grandchildren.

"Being involved with OLR has enriched us as a family," Jo Hodgin said, adding that instead of adults in the family exchanging Christmas gifts, they make a donation to OLR.

The OLR campus is surrounded by concrete walls and electric fencing, a common sight in San Pedro Sula, and for the girls, visitors are a welcome distraction.

"The girls enjoy when groups come," Maldonado said. "We are all inside walls … when groups come our routine changes; we get to know and make connections with people.

"Some of them love us like their own kids," she said.

-- Lynette Wilson is an editor/reporter of Episcopal News Service. She recently spent a week at Our Little Roses Spanish-language school.

To download a PDF of this article click here.

Christmas Door Decorating Contest Winners!

2011-01-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

With the introduction of American-style Christmas, Our Little Roses Girls love to decorate with thoughtful imagination. We had a door decorating contest this year and here are the winning doors. There are many spaces that get decorated as well as their Christmas tree!

2011-01-14T08:43:00.000-08:00

The Our Little Roses girls celebrate the visitation of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to baby Jesus 12 days after his birth. In Honduras this occasion is always separate from the celebration of Christmas.

Katherine is excited to receive a card from her sponsor

2011-01-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

This is a picture showing Katherine receiving a card from her sponsor. Like all of us, she loves getting mail, especially from her sponsor!

Congratulations Dr. Jensy Melonado!

2011-01-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

This is Dr. Jensy Melonado an Our Little Roses graduate and our newly qualified dentist who begins her practice at OLR's Holy Family Dental Clinic. We are very pleased with her accomplishment. The opening of the clinic will no doubt help preserve the teeth of many who never before visited a dentist. She will also teach good dental care to make sure children she examines will develop good teeth cleaning habits and maintain a bright glowing smile.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-29T10:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of Our Little Roses,

We pray that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. We thank God we had the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, which is not a typical holiday in Honduras. We thank God for the many blessings we receive every day. We also give thanks for everybody around the world that prays for us, and that are part of Our Little Roses Ministries. And also a special thank you to our friend and supporter Tom Sherrow for donating two big turkeys for the dinner.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP!!!

In His Service,
Mayra Arguelles

Wall Repair Update

2010-11-29T10:04:00.000-08:00

This is the latest picture of the rebuilt wall (to replace the section that collapsed after a tropical storm last spring). The rolled barbed wiring and extended screen on top still needs to be added, and once completed the wall will be painted.

Celebrating Honduras Day Photo

2010-10-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

Our Little Roses Girls who attend Holy Family bilgual school, a part of Our Little Roses Ministries, are dressed in Honduran native dresses to celebrate Honduras Day. As part of the celebration the girls perform Honduran dances before parents and guests of the school.

Photo Update of Wall Being Repaired

2010-10-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the latest stage of rebuilding the football long section of wall that will wrap around the three acre Our Little Roses Campus. We like to keep in touch with our supporters who have so generously helped finance the new wall. Please notice the reinforcement perpendicular and vertical concrete posts that add strength to the construction. Contractors still have to tear down and rebuild other sections, a section at a time, to temporarily tie into the provisional fence erected to protect the girls and staff. A large barbed wire coil will be added on top of the 16 foot wall for security.

Congrats & Thanks!

2010-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Several months into the seventh grade at Holy Family School are Leily on the left and Katherine on the right with Jim Ellis taken June 18, 2010 at their graduation from the 6th grade. Congratulations girls!

Jim is a member of the Our Little Roses Foreign Mission Society that supports the ministries of Our Little Roses. He visits the Home on a regular basis and is our courier who takes packages bound for our girls that are mailed to the office of the Diocese of Southeast Florida in Miami. Thank you Jim for all your hard work!

Important Notice! No more printed Newsletters

2010-10-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

We will be discontinuing the printed Our Little Roses Newsletters to save expenses. Please refer to our website to keep current on news & updates from us. An email newsletter is a possibility in the future and we are currently gathering names & email addresses to assess the demand. If you are interested in signing up and expressing your interest in receiving newsletters from Our Little Roses, you can click the link on the right of the front page of the website, or simply click here:

SIGN UP

for the OLR Email Newsletters!

Get Email Updates & Newsletters

2010-10-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

Update on Our Little Roses Wall Collapse

Thanks to the generous response of friends of Our Little Roses, we were able to collect the money needed to meet the deadline date set by our insurance company to proceed with construction of the wall. This allowed the ministry to pay 50% of the total cost of reconstruction of the wall that fell during torrential rains that struck the San Pedro Sula , Honduras this past June. The claim to reduce our cost was originally turned down but through an appeal process the insurance company reconsidered the settlement. Construction is now underway.

We have received donations and promises of donations in the total amount of $17,500.00 that was needed for our part of the total cost of constructing the wall. Other funds donated beyond the cost of the basic construction will be used to paint the wall and adding necessary security wire for greater protection.

We are grateful for the generosity of those who have helped us to meet that goal to guarantee protection and security for Our Little Roses Ministries and all who live and serve within these walls.

Faithfully in His Service,
Diana Frade,
Founder and President
Our Little Roses Ministries

Repair in progress (click to enlarge):

Fierce Tropical Storm Strikes Our Little Roses

2010-05-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

A fierce tropical storm struck the Our Little Roses Home and the School (that serves not just Our Little Roses girls, but boys and girls from the local community as well) on May 19 and leveled one side of the wall surrounding the campus leaving the property exposed, with several feet of standing water throughout the campus.

It is imperative that the wall be rebuilt to protect children and staff living and working there. Hired police have been guarding the exposed buildings, playground and vehicles. In Honduras, security must be maintained on property where people live, especially children, from intruders and vandals. This is a potentially dangerous situation and must be repaired as quickly as possible!

The 14 foot security wall was originally built by volunteers from the United Stated in 1992, on the property that was given to Our Little Roses by the mayor and town council of San Pedro Sula. We, again, are turning to you to help with this dire need. For the safety of these 60 children, and our staff who care for them, please donate to help us rebuild this security wall as quickly as possible. Every day the campus is exposed from the fallen wall, there is great risk to the children and the staff.

We have come so far with these girls, help us keep them safe now, when they need it most. Donate now, we can securely accept online donations through Paypal right here on our website. Bless you, and thank you so much for your support.

Our Little Roses Assists Youngest Haitian Earthquake Victims. Let Us Not Forget Them.

2010-02-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

Help is still needed and will be for a long time to come.

Our Little Roses Foreign Mission Society has arranged with The Right Reverend Jean-Zache Duracin., Episcopal Bishop of Haiti to receive IRS Tax Deductible Funds through donations sent to OLRFMS to help Haiti ’s destitute children... Bishop Duracin continues to provide assistance to homeless and injured children in the aftermath of the January 12th 7.0 earthquake that wiped out all local Haitian services. Aid has been pouring into Haiti from many sources but Bishop Duracin’s concern is for the children with serious injuries and the homeless ones that the Episcopal Church is treating and providing makeshift shelter on the grounds of the destroyed Trinity Cathedral in Port au Prince and also in other church centers in the countryside.

Thousands of children left homeless and those suffering serious injuries from the devastation are still in need of medical attention and shelter. Funds are needed to help build shelters and purchase medical and other items that are not free. The earthquake and continued aftershocks leveled most homes, shopping centers, government, and hospital buildings and destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure. It is reported that more that 200,000 are dead and that three-quarters of the Capital is destroyed.

The Rt. Rev Leo Frade, Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Southeast Florida and Chairman of OLRFMS made arrangements with Bishop Duracin that all funds intended to aid homeless and hurting Haitian children through the Episcopal Church of Haiti Special Children’s Fund will be properly administered for that purpose.

Please send your IRS Tax deductible Constitutions to OLRFMS, P.O. Box 464 . Somerset , VA 22942 . And please make a note on your check, Haiti Children’s Fund. We accept contributions by Visa and Master Card through PayPal. Please see instructions for contributions on our Website. Contact OLRFMS office for more information: US (800) 849-9252 or (540) 832 5141.

Fundraiser for Our Little Roses to be held in the Design District of Miami, April 17

2010-02-08T20:40:00.000-08:00

“OASIS OF ART & MELODIES”- Saturday April 17, 2010

6 pm Design District 3635 NE 1st Ave.

“Oasis of Art & Melodies” is a fundraising event to benefit Our Little Roses Ministries (OLRM). OLRM was founded in 1988 in Honduras and its mission is of hope with life-changing dimensions for once forgotten girls. Its goal is to transform the lives of abused and abandoned girls by preparing them to meet the challenge of the adult world. OLRM rescues and provides for destitute girls a Christ-centered home in San Pedro Sula.

This fundraising event “Oasis of Art & Melodies” will be filled with a fascinating fusion of music, art and fine food. Enjoy a musical concert performance by singer and humanitarian artist Leanddro and TFE guest artists on stage. Added to this eventful evening we will have a remarkable art exhibition presented by outstanding artists and to savor an excellent gastronomic tasting of Design District’s renowned restaurants. All these exceptional artists have gathered to raise funds and support this Home for homeless girls in Honduras.

12 Our Little Roses Girls attend University

2009-09-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

Education Proven Key to Breaking Cycle of Poverty

A good education in Honduras is costly. Our Little Roses Ministries is committed to preparing the girls God gives us to care for and love and provide the best education to prepare them to thrive in a middle class society as adults. To accomplish this we seek scholarships so that each girl can attend good schools that challenge their academic ability and ambition. Our girls attend seven different schools from Holy Family Bilingual pre-school through ninth grade and other local schools including special needs education. Holy Family School located on Our Little Roses campus includes boys and girls from surrounding neighborhoods and 22 OLR girls capable of handling the challenging a bilingual education.

More than forty of our girls whose transformed lives began at Our Little Roses Home have gone on to lead productive lives, They were nurtured and educated in our child care system and have gone on to live in a middle class society which is only possible by experiencing the opportunities we provided that made it possible for them be successful in the competitive adult world. All have been baptized and raised in the church and through the saving grace of Our Lord Jesus live in hope.

Having come to Our Little Roses with no educational background at different ages of rescue, they were able to achieve a good education and graduate from high school or have chosen to obtain a technical high school degree which allows them to enter the job market straight out of school. OLRM has a good tutoring staff to help them achieve good grades.

It is not the goal of everyone to seek a university degree. Some girls choose to be independent and enter the job market after high school and are successful in their endeavor. Many employers seek young women who are as well prepared academically and socially as our girls are who have graduated out of our child care system. Many have gotten married and have children and are working in the community. Their children unlike their mothers start off having the protection of appropriate parenting that includes good nutrition, medical attention and early childhood education on upwards and responsible socialization. We have seen the power of the OLRM alumni that continue mature relationships with each other and offer a sound loving base with the younger girls still at the Home.

OLR girls attending Holy Family Bilingual School

Pre School
Left to right, top row: Karla Lainez, Vanessa Paz, Heidy Benitez
Bottom row: Naomi Arita

Elementary
Left to right, top row: Rosa Maria Santos, Sihan Villalobos, Katherine Murillo, Ismelda Cruz, Aylin Barbieri, Diana Rivera, Leily Rodriguez

Bottom Row: Ricci Mejia, Mauda Hernandez, Nicolle Rojas, Ana Cecilia Franco & Ana Ruth Franco

8th Graders
Left to right: Maribel Alvarado, Tania Santos, Astrid Villalobos

Report from Dr. Diana D Frade

2009-09-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

The global economy has affected everyone, even in Honduras , one of the poorest nations in the Americas . There is a saying that sums up our reality: When the United States sneezes, in Honduras , we get pneumonia. This actually is not an exaggeration of the economic climate that we are experiencing at the present time.

Honduras has suffered job losses that were already teetering around 38% before the economic crisis. Today, businesses have folded, assembly plants have lain off workers and the overall picture for this year and the following months is grim.

Even in light of the financial projections we continue to work constantly to provide the very best for our girls so that they will grow in love and security that heals their traumas both physical and mental.

Our Little Roses is dependant on the generosity of those that are willing to make a sacrifice to reach out and give these precious girls an opportunity at life. Without you, what are the options? These little girls that have been rescued from abuse, abject poverty and abandonment would be left to fend for themselves. Many of those girls would be subject to a precarious life on the street, subjected to further abuse, humiliation and degradation. I would even go as far as saying that some of these girls would not survive. Disease and violence would rob them of their lives.

Our Little Roses is solely funded by individuals, churches and organizations that understand the importance of caring and raising up these children that God has given us to care for. I pray that as you prayerfully consider your financial priorities that you will continue to support this ministry that is touching the lives of hundreds of girls and families who are the neediest in this poor struggling country.

Your gifts are surely blessings that help break the cycle of poverty that we are committed to the struggle of eliminating...

Faithfully in His Service,

Diana Frade

Dr. Diana D. Frade,
Founder and President of Our Little Roses Ministries
nprdiana@aol.com

August Birthday Girls!

2009-09-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Maricrus, Maryuri, Josselyn and Abby!

End Coup Stalemate

2009-08-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

A very good article from the Miami Herald:

End coup stalemate
By MARIFELI PEREZ-STABLE
MarifeliPerez-Stable.com
Posted on Thursday, Jul. 30, 2009

I don't know what else to call it. If a president is awakened by soldiers pointing their weapons in his face, what is it if not a coup? Still, Manuel Zelaya's removal on June 28 can't be treated as if it were a return to the 1970s when brutal coups established military governments, banned political parties and perpetrated massive human-rights violations.

Before his ouster, Zelaya was in a tug-of-war with Congress and the courts over the now frustrated referendum. No fourth ballot box will be installed in November's general election asking voters whether or not to convene a constitutional assembly. Under the Honduran constitution, only the Supreme Electoral Tribunal can call a referendum.

In late May, the Administrative Law Tribunal ruled that the president lacked the authority to proceed. All the same, Zelaya barreled ahead. On June 25, he upbraided the Supreme Court, the political establishment and the oligarchy. The next afternoon the Supreme Court issued a unanimous order of arrest against Zelaya for his serial flaunting of the constitution.

Read More...

Helping the Hemisphere's Poorest

2009-08-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

An excellent Miami Herald article - mentions Our Little Roses - 07/05/09
By JOAN CHRISSOS
jchrissos@MiamiHerald.com

Charitable organizations and committed activists, many from the United States, have been far more effective than the deposed president and his government at helping Honduras' impoverished people.

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras -- It was the divide that caught my eye.

Two weeks before the coup that ousted Honduras' elected president, we were driving down a boulevard here in San Pedro Sula, the nation's second-largest city.

On the left: newly built single-family homes and town houses, modest gated communities you'd see along Kendall Drive or in Weston, without the fountained entrances.

On the right: a river the color of copper, where bare-chested boys with soiled shorts played in the silt-filled water while girls slightly taller than toddlers laundered the family wash. Behind them: a hillside of wood shanties, where corrugated metal sheets were propped precariously atop wood-slat huts, forming the equivalent of a ''front porch.'' The huts were built atop rocks, dirt, trash and tires, where children played and dogs with rib-cage coats picked for food. It stretched for miles, known to locals as el bordo.

A week after the military forced Honduran President Manuel Zelaya into exile at gunpoint, I'm left wondering: ``Who is looking out for those children?''

Read the Full Story Here

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/issues_ideas/story/1126806.html

Bishop Frade's Holy Land Pilgrimage for Easter 2010

2009-08-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

Bishop Frade and Diana will lead a 15-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land, March 23 - April 6, 2010. These dates include Holy Week and Easter, which coincide next year for both the Western and the Eastern Orthodox traditions.

The cost is $4,895 per person, double occupancy, which includes a $300 tax-deductible donation to Our Little Roses. Space is limited, so although this is nearly a year away, early reservations are advised.

Contact Globe Travel, 305-823-3939, and/or click here for complete information.

A Letter from our Founder Diana Frade regarding the removal of Honduran President Zelaya

2009-08-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

July 1, 1009

Dear Friend of Our Little Roses,

There is much confusion and misinformation that has been on the news since Sunday about the ousting of President Zelaya. Let me give you a perspective from a person that has lived and worked in Honduras for the past 38 years.

When I left Honduras on Thursday the 25 of June, there was a great deal of tension and anxiety over an up-coming referendum that the president initiated to make a change in the constitution that would allow him to seek office again and to dissolve the congress.

The Supreme Court of Honduras had informed the president that it was illegal to have the vote since the articles in the constitution state that a change in term limits cannot be made. When Zelaya could not get the funding for the ballots for the Sunday election, he asked Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to send the ballots.

Towards the end of last week, there were marches for peace led by the Christian leaders both from the Catholic and Evangelical churches to not vote for the referendum and to pray for peace in Honduras. Just in San Pedro Sula alone there were 50,000 people marching last Thursday.

Since Zelaya was ousted, the news has reported that there was a coup d'etat initiated by the military. The fact is that the supreme court and congress asked the military to help arrest the president because he had broken the constitutional law by going ahead with the vote and distributing the ballots all around the country. The military had tried to talk sense into the president to back off from his referendum but he refused.

What most people do not understand is that in Honduran law and constitution there is no process for impeachment of a president like in the US . The law says that when a president breaks the constitution he can be arrested. BUT, the difference here is that because he is the president he is given the opportunity to be exiled to a third country in order to avoid jail.

In my humble opinion, Honduras has followed the law as stated. Zelaya broke the law but now his closest friends from Nicaragua , Venezuela , and Cuba have vowed to help support a "come-back". He has managed to gain support of the UN and OAS as well. The congress along with the interim president have stated that if Zelaya returns to Honduras on Thursday as he has promised to do, he will be arrested.

I ask your prayers for Honduras, its people. The Church, and most of all of a peaceful resolution to this most regrettable situation that affects the lives of millions of the most vulnerable in this hemisphere. I also ask your prayers for my family, Our Little Roses Ministries and friends and missionaries currently in Honduras.

Faithfully,
Diana Frade
SE Florida/ Honduras (previously)
nprdiana@aol.com

7.1 Earthquake in Honduras damages Our Little Roses

2009-08-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

7.1 Earthquake in Honduras leaves six dead
and some damage to the infrastructure.

Unfortunately we have discovered the ministry buildings did indeed sustain more damage then our initial look over led us to believe.

Several of our facilities have cracked and shifted foundations. Our water cistern is not holding necessary water, which in turn is causing other dilemas.

More to come....

If you would like to help us repair the damages that occurred during the earthquake, please send your tax-deductable contribution to Our Little Roses Foreign Mission Society. We gratefully appreciate your help.