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Our Impact
2021 ImpactTogether, We Improve Lives
Together, We Improve Lives
For more than 65 years NPH has responded to Fr. Wasson’s call to feed, clothe, and care for the least of our little brothers and sisters and, in doing so, transform their lives. The tremendous impact of NPH goes beyond what may have once been seen as “running orphanages.” When you support NPH, you break the cycle of generational poverty. Our deep, broad, and unrelenting work has provided the most vulnerable children with Education, Security, Health care, Assistance with Special Needs and Disabilities, Self-Sustainability, Workforce Development and Life Skills, and Crisis Response. THIS IS THE ASTOUNDING IMPACT OF THE NPH FAMILY.
Education
Even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, access to education in Latin America and the Caribbean was limited. Closures and restrictions due to the pandemic exacerbated educational challenges.
DID YOU KNOW that, by the end of 2021, about 71 million children in Latin America and the Caribbean did not have access to education? (1)
NPH helped children and youth achieve their potentials by providing pre-K through university education.
NPH gives vulnerable youth, from both urban and rural areas, access to a high-quality education. Youth who are not provided access to education have limited opportunities and often join gangs or accept jobs with poverty-level wages. In 2021, NPH staff worked enthusiastically and diligently to welcome children back into the classroom.
2021 Impact
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students from the community benefited from NPH scholarships in 2021
697
children and youth, supported by NPH, graduated in 2021 (K-12)
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students graduated from university with degrees in everything from Agriculture and English translation to Engineering and Medicine.
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residency students graduated from St. Damien Pediatric Hospital
Security
Physical insecurity and food insecurity in Latin American and the Caribbean are the result of multiple factors, including political instability, weak economies, organized crime, and lack of opportunities for the young and marginalized. Covid-19 further destabilized the region.
DID YOU KNOW that the number of children in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in need of humanitarian assistance increased by 16.4 million from 2019 at the end of 2020? (2)
NPH gives children a safe, nurturing place to experience childhood.
By providing residential care, food, and other necessities to vulnerable children and families, NPH creates an environment where children thrive. For every child who is fed, housed, educated, and cared for, and for every family in the community who receives support, there is one more child who can grow into an adult with a secure job and a prosperous, independent life.
The NPH Honduras team constructed a new house for a family in the OneFamily program
2021 Impact
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children and adults living inside the NPH homes were fully supported with nutrition, education, and a loving family
0
children and adults
living outside the NPH homes received nutrition, education, and community support
0
community children and youth received other ongoing support services
An estimated
0
meals per day were provided to children, staff, and volunteers in NPH homes.
0
%
of the NPH homes produced some sort of sustenance for consumption, from vegetables and dairy to fish and fruit, thereby increasing access to healthy food and reducing food insecurity.
NPH helped prevent food insecurity by providing nearly
0
food baskets to families.
Health care
NPH’s St. Damien Pediatric Hospital is the only hospital wholly dedicated to pediatric and prenatal care in Haiti, a country of 11.5 million people. NPH is giving the most vulnerable people in LAC the chance to not only survive, but thrive, by providing affordable health care to children, women, and families.
The Covid-19 pandemic quickly overwhelmed the health system in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) while exposing its fragility, all to catastrophic results. Vulnerable people living in the LAC region either do not have access to health care due to a shortage of health care providers, or they are denied access to health care because of poverty.
DID YOU KNOW that, out of the 200 million people living in poverty in Latin America, 70 percent do not have access to health services? (3)
NPH gives children and families access to high-quality health care that is affordable.
Each of the NPH homes has medical clinics, providing onsite access to health care services to residents. Most also offer services to people in the community. And for those who would otherwise not have access, or not be able to afford access, to health care, NPH's St. Damien Pediatric Hospital gives health and hope to the people and children of Haiti.
Volunteer physiotherapist at NPH Mexico
2021 Impact
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vaccinations were administered to keep children and adults safe from a variety of diseases.
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annual health checkups (including well-child checkups) were provided to children who would otherwise not have been able to afford these necessary visits.
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physician or nurse consults were conducted, thereby improving health and lessening stress of the most at-risk people in the LAC
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dental treatments
Thousands
of children and mothers were treated at NPH’s St. Damien Pediatric Hospital in Haiti.
St. Damien Pediatric Hospital
For those who would otherwise not have access, or not be able to afford access, to health care, St. Damien gave health and hope to the people and children of Haiti:
Our impact on the People and Children of Haiti - By the Numbers
A doctor checks a patient after surgery
0
pediatric consults
0
maternity visits
0
surgeries
0
vaccinations
0
emergency room visits
0
HIV program consults
Special Needs & Disabilities
Children and adults with disabilities are greatly disadvantaged in the LAC region. Disabled and special needs children fall behind, for reasons ranging from discrimination and prejudice to limited access to education and health care. The invisibility and abandonment of disabled children leads to negative health and social outcomes.
DID YOU KNOW that more than 8 million children and adolescents under the age 14 have a disability, and nearly one-third do not attend school? (4)
NPH is helping overcome cultural stigmas and enhance quality of life for the most marginalized children and adults.
NPH gives children and adults with special needs access to education, specialized treatment, and the opportunity to lead dignified lives.
Photo by Lisette Palthe
2021 Impact
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youth, and adults with disabilities or special needs living in the community were supported by NPH with education, therapy, healthcare, and food
0
pequeños with disabilities or special needs are fully supported and living inside NPH homes
0
specialized therapeutic treatments (occupation, physical, speech, and art) were offered to children and adults with disabilities and special needs
Sustainability
Poverty and extreme weather events further threaten access to clean water and nutritious food in the LAC.
DID YOU KNOW that about 55 million children in the region are at risk of water scarcity (5)
Hunger in the LAC rose by 13.8 million people between 2019 and 2020, and the situation has only worsened since the Covid-19 pandemic (6)
NPH is helping provide eco-friendly, cost-effective solutions to help promote self-sufficiency and offset skyrocketing costs.
Environmental sustainability and self-sufficiency go hand in hand, and NPH is creating environmentally sustainable and self-sufficient homes. Many of the solutions employed by NPH not only reduce the burden on extremely tight budgets, but also mollify the effects of climate change. For instance, harnessing solar power both reduces the dependence on nonrenewable resources and saves money. NPH homes employ creative strategies to improve both environmental sustainability and self-sufficiency, such as composting, selling recyclables, and rain catchment and irrigation systems.
Drinking water system at NPH Honduras
2021 Impact
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countries utilize solar power (water heaters, greenhouses, cooling) on the grounds. NPH Nicaragua’s 500 solar panels save an estimated $2,000 every month on energy costs.
0
%
of NPH homes have a production garden or farm on the grounds.
NPH Mexico produces
0
%
of all food consumed at the main home, including 13 tons of corn and 1,500 tilapia each month.
NPH Honduras produces
0
%
of all their food consumed, including 100% of all dairy and milk products.
Workforce Development & Life Skills
DID YOU KNOW that, at the start of 2022, there were an estimated 28 million unemployed people in Latin America and the Caribbean? (7)
NPH provides children and youth with training, education, life skills, and character development to acquire employment and be productive, caring role models in their communities.
Employment and job opportunities are not dependent solely on vocational training, but also on acquisition of life skills. NPH strives to raise well-rounded adults who are equipped with both the hard skills of training and education, and the soft skills of character development, which include family values, spirituality, responsibility, self-esteem, emotional healing, and emotional development.
Youths working hard in their "year of service" in El Salvador.
After secondary school, each NPH youth has the opportunity to finish a technical course or pursue a university degree. In return, those that attend college provide a year of service at NPH (called Año Familiar) before or after the completion of their studies.
2021 Impact
0
young women and men graduated from technical schools or vocational workshops.
St. Damien Pediatric Hospital employed
0
local people, including 332 health care providers, such as doctors and nurses.
0
women at NPH Guatemala participated in vocational workshops that focused on tailoring and baking, and resulted in many of the women opening their own businesses.
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girls across four NPH homes/communities participated in the Chicas Poderosas (Powerful Girls) program that helps girls build self-esteem, make healthy decisions, and pursue their dreams.
0
young men in Honduras and Mexico participated in the Hombres de Honor (Men of Honor) program that combats violence against women and helps them be their best selves.
Beyond traditional education and job training, NPH equipped
0
children and youth with life-skills and character development through workshops and youth groups.
Crisis Response
COVID
In 2021, all NPH homes experienced the sufferings of the Covid-19 crisis, which put extraordinary mental and emotional strains on children, staff, volunteers and the community. To combat the emotional trauma and prevent infection, NPH worked hard to keep the children and staff safe and resilient.
7
doses of the Covid-19 vaccine were administered
0
%
of the staff of St. Damien Pediatric Hospital received Covid-19 vaccination
0
staff and youth received 847 hours of training in areas such as family strengthening, psychology and resiliency.
Haiti EarthQuake
After the earthquake in Haiti impacted an estimated 650,000 people, NPH organized an assistance project to distribute food and build shelters.
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families in nine different locales received food baskets and support in a span of eight days
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temporary shelters were constructed for those in the NPH family who were devastated by the earthquake.
“It has been 2 months since the earthquake, and my wife has not yet recovered from the loss of our daughter. Still without the presence of any government authority, we are left to ourselves, without drinking water, without food and no medical assistance. NPH is the first group to have thought of us and on behalf of our community, I want to thank you and welcome you.”
Earthquake survivor
Lives Transformed
Isadora in Mexico
Meet Isadora. A nine-year-old pequeña who recently came to the NPH Home in Miacatlán. Her life is full of contagious smiles, carefree play, and big dreams. But, prior to NPH she faced a world of darkness, with no chance for security or opportunity. Listen to Isadora’s story in her own words.
Dr. Edwin in Honduras
Witness eight miracles in one story. The story of Edwin and his seven siblings begins when they were very young, abandoned with nowhere to go without splitting apart the brothers and sisters. Then, by way of what they would call a miracle, they found a warm, loving home where they could live together and not worry about their next meal. Where they would receive education, medical care, and emotional support encouraging them to achieve their potentials and help others. The NPH family raised these children and invested in medical school for Dr. Edwin Vallecillo who now cares for hundreds of other children that were just like him and his siblings.
As part of Dr. Edwin’s story, Sharon and Jeff Stevens of Arizona shared why they feel a strong calling to support NPH USA. They are caring members of the NPH family and have seen first-hand how their gifts lift children like Paul, Isadora, and Edwin from the wrenching grip of poverty to new lives that give so much to the world. Wondering how YOU can make a positive difference? Listen to the Stevens’ and Edwin’s stories.
Paul in Haiti
At St. Damien Pediatric Hospital, the most vulnerable women and children find life-saving care that can transform lives. The life of Paul was transformed thanks to St. Damien. After years of suffering strange and debilitating symptoms, and receiving misdiagnoses elsewhere, Paul and his family arrived at St. Damien in 2013. Once there, he finally received an accurate diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome, a chronic kidney condition that causes severe swelling, dangerously high blood pressure, and increased risk of infections and kidney damage.
In the United States, if a child is diagnosed with a chronic medical condition, the family immediately feels fear, anxiety, and terror. But imagine what the diagnosis of a chronic medical condition can mean for a family in a country like Haiti, where access to medical care is extremely limited and unaffordable for the majority of people. It can be lethal, not just to the body and soul, but also financially. The average cost of a 3-day hospital stay in the States is around $30,000, but Paul has been treated several times by a multidisciplinary team of doctors and specialists at St. Damien for a modest fee that his family was able to afford.
Because Paul’s condition is chronic - simply managed but never cured - he will continue to benefit from expert care for a price that won’t burden his family. Just think of the intense worry that was lifted from Paul’s family because of St. Damien Pediatric Hospital. Paul is now home with his family where, as any normal 12-year old, he loves playing on his mom’s phone as well as playing outdoors with his friends. This is what every child deserves; a chance at a normal life.
Paul is just one example of the many lives that are transformed at St. Damien. For every child that arrives, the staff at St. Damien asks themselves, “What would we do if this patient were my child?”
* Name has been changed to respect the child’s privacy
“I like nurses and doctors. I like when they take care of me,” says Paul.
(1) “Investing in Education | UNICEF.” Accessed April 22, 2022. https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/investing-education.
(2) “Latin America and the Caribbean: The Number of Children in Need of Humanitarian Assistance Has More than Tripled This Year - UNICEF.” Accessed April 22, 2022. https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/press-releases/the-number-of-children-in-need-of-humanitarian-assistance-in-lac-has-more-than-tripled-this-year.
(3) “More than 140 Million Denied Access to Healthcare in Latin America and the Caribbean.” Press release, November 29, 1999. http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_007961/lang--en/index.htm.
(4) “There Are Nearly 19.1 Million Children with Disabilities in Latin America and the Caribbean, UNICEF’s Most Comprehensive Statistical Analysis Finds.” Accessed April 22, 2022. https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/press-releases/there-are-nearly-19-million-children-disabilities-latin-america-and-caribbean.
(5) “9 out of 10 Children in Latin America and the Caribbean Are Exposed to at Least Two Climate and Environmental Shocks.” Accessed April 22, 2022. https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/press-releases/children-latin-america-and-caribbean-are-exposed-climate-climate-environmental-shocks.
(6) “New UN Report: Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean Rose by 13.8 Million People in Just One Year.” Accessed April 22, 2022. https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/press-releases/new-un-report-hunger-latin-america-and-caribbean-rose-138-million-people-just-one.
(7) “ILO: After Two Years of the Pandemic, Labour Market Recovery Has Been Insufficient in Latin America and the Caribbean.” News, February 1, 2022. http://www.ilo.org/caribbean/newsroom/WCMS_836156/lang--en/index.htm.