A Visit to Hogar Miguel Magone and Maria Auxiliadora Orphanage (Mixco, Guatemala)

Living (and bartending) in Antigua, a town inhabited by large swaths of both vacationing tourists and young, playful ex-pats makes for an exhausting holiday season. The January Blues have hit town with a vengeance and not only am I no exception, I’m pretty much the poster child. When a friend invited me to join her for a visit Hogar Miguel Magone and Maria Auxiliadora orphanages just outside of Guatemala City, I jumped at the opportunity. What better way to chase away the blues than to spend an afternoon giving and receiving hugs and learning about another nonprofit?

Hogar Miguel Magone and Maria Auxiliadora are supported by Orphan’s Hope Project, a US-based group that has a close relationship with the founders, Karen and Estuardo, and provides material support for their programs. They organized the tour and shared a bit about the homes on the way up. 

Karen and Estuardo began taking in local children whose families were unable to care for them years ago, until they hit capacity in their home with 10 children. They dedicated themselves to the cause of building an orphanage to serve the many other children who needed a home or safe haven, and Hogar Miguel Magone was born. In 2013, with support from Work, Play, Love, they built Maria Auxiliadora, the girl’s orphanage... in the design of a princess castle... yes, really!

Hogar Maria Auxiliadora

Altogether, they house about 100 children. Most children arrive through the PGN (Guatemalan child protection agency), though some are brought directly by relatives. The majority of their children were removed from abusive situations; the home currently caters to victims of physical abuse and neglect, with some cases of sexual abuse. Most of the children will return to relatives at some point in the future, making the orphanage a temporary stop (anywhere from a few months to a few years) for most. In Guatemala as in the US, the courts favor reunification in place of institutionalization. 

We arrived for the tour and were met by Estuardo and his two ‘assistants’ for the day, Leo and Santos. Estuardo provided the group with a brief history and overview of the orphanage, its programs, and its little beneficiaries. He then gestured to Leo and Santos, who were grinning whilst cuddled up to the familiar faces of Janine, who works with Orphan’s Hope, and another woman who comes frequently. 

“Every child here has a heartbreaking story. For example, Leo and Santos are 12 and 10. They ran away from home in Honduras because they were being physically abused by their parents. They had nothing but cheap plastic rain boots, no food or water, and they walked for four days to get to Guatemala. When they arrived last week, their feet were in horrible condition. They were too hurt to walk and needed to be treated. They don’t want to go back to Honduras, but the judge will send them back because they aren’t Guatemalan citizens. We will work with the courts to try and find a good orphanage for them to make sure they are safe when they return.”

We all turned to look at the boys. The boys smiled back at us. Leo held up a camera borrowed from a visitor and peered through the lensfinder back at us. Click.

Leo and Santos, all smiles.

As we walked through the grounds of the boys orphanage, peeking into rooms filled with bunk beds, neatly organized clothes and shoes, and an abundance of stuffed animals, Leo befriended me. He was impressed with my Spanish and couldn’t believe a ‘gringa’ could speak so well (score one for Amy!). We talked about our own countries, asked each other questions, and took pictures all around the grounds and showed them to each other. Santos danced in and out of our conversations, occasionally sidling up next to me and taking my hand.

We visited the girl’s orphanage next- a veritable princess castle painted pink and purple, plastered with Disney princesses. The walls were filled with portraits of little girls dressed in their own special princess costumes, complete with tiaras and magic wands.  While an orphanage is never a great place for a child to be, I can’t imagine a more cheerful setting for a little girl to begin her recovery from whatever trauma brought her into it.

We walked up to the village where most of the children are from with Leo and Santos in tow. Having spent a great deal of time in poorer pueblos and aldeas, the conditions were more or less what I was expecting. Corrugated metal and wood shacks with dirt floors, chickens and dogs abound. 

We passed the students on their way home from school, and were introduced to Nestor, another little tyke with a very sad story. Nestor is 8 years old. When Nestor was 3, his mother began drugging him with paint thinner so that she could beg on the street with him under a blanket posing as her ‘baby.’ Nestor arrived a year ago (I think!), barely able to walk or talk due to neglect, chronic malnutrition, and ingesting poison daily. Walter is now walking (unsteadily), talking (unclearly), and attending school (he tries!).  

After giving high-fives and hugs to Leo and Santos, I boarded the van back to Antigua with a happy heart. The kids' stories may be heartbreaking, but there is inspiration and hope written all over their faces. They're the kind of kids that can grow up to change the world, if given the right support; kids with determination, drive, and indomitable spirit. 

While an orphanage is never an ideal place for a child, I have been in Guatemala long enough to know firsthand how many children need a safe place to live, learn, and grow, even for just a little bit. Leo, Santos and Nestor are testaments to a job well done at the homes, dedicated caregivers, and resources being put to good use. 

The homes accept both short-term and long-term volunteers year round. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the home through the Orphan Hope Project Facebook page.