An Honest Living

The traffic lights around our city often have little boys begging.  They wait for the light to turn red so that they can place one hand on their stomach and stick out their other hand to the driver of the car that has stopped.  Too often, the drivers of these cars believe the lie of hunger and give the little boys money that will later be spent on candy or a radio or, unfortunately, drugs and alcohol.  A life of begging to have a little money in the pocket.

Older boys walk around the city looking for a car that is parked in a way that would make it easy to steal parts without drawing attention...mirrors, headlights, grills.  If it can be easily pooped off of your car, it's fare game.  Then its off to the black market to sale their stolen goods.  A life of crime to have a little money in the pocket.

At Masana, we work with boys to get them ready to leave behind street life and return to their families.  Once home, the boys often miss the feeling of having money in their pocket...the money that was made easily, though dishonestly, on the streets.  In recent years we've begun to realize that we have to provide these boys with means of making an honest living to prevent them from returning to the streets to make money.

Our first go at this was Armadura Gym which opened in 2013.  The gym serves as income generator for Masana and provides jobs for boys who have made the choice to leave the streets and return home.  There are currently 5 boys participating in an internship that has gotten them off the streets and into a home and full time employment.

This year we were given some funds for vocational training courses.  We have chosen some boys who have already left the streets and returned to their families.  Each one has chosen a course that interested him.  We now have 2 certified electricians, 1 certified videographer and 1 certified seamster who are all completing internships!  We've just begun a second round of vocational courses in which 3 boys are taking an electrician course and one is taking an auto mechanics course.

In a world where it is so easy to beg and steal, we are so proud of these boys who are making steps towards an honest living!

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; Establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands.  Psalm 90:17