Early life
In an extremely remote and difficult to access mountain in Honduras, Kilber and Ilson lived with their elderly grandmother and young sister. When the brothers were 2yrs and 4yrs old respectively, their parents died in a drowning accident in the river near their home.
Their grandmother struggled to provide for them, surviving on tortillas and corn meal, with no income to support them family. All three children worked in the coffee plantations, earning 120 lempiras (£3.50) per bag for a whole day of work.
No opportunity for education
In their home there was no electricity or water and the children walked for an hour each way to fetch drinking water. The house was small, made of mud, and there were only two beds for the four family members. In the local area there was a primary school, but no secondary school. And so, the children had no way to attend secondary school and were stuck being forced to work on the plantations to survive.
Life at school
When the Sisters of Mary met Kilber and Ilson, they saw the desperation of their situation. Due to their exceptional need, both boys were offered places in Amarateca Boystown. At school the Sisters were able to address their malnutrition from lifelong limited diets with a nutritious diet and supplements at school.
At school, the brothers have everything they need to grow and thrive. They have three nutritious meals a day, their own beds, clothing, school uniform, school supplies, and quality academic and vocational teaching. When they leave school, they will be able to support themselves and their grandmother. Kilber dreams of becoming an engineer to be able to build houses for people like his grandmother. Having an education will transform their lives and allow them to care for their grandmother in her old age. Their lives will be changed forever.