In 2013, Lisa* was selling cocktail fruit at a hotel where her caregiver was abusing her. She was struggling to find any hope.

God pointed her to the hope she needed in the form of the Buckner Pan de Vida Foster Group Home in Mexico City. At first, Lisa struggled to get along with the other children at Pan de Vida. There were new rules, habits and environment she had to adapt to, and it took her some time to adjust. But she completed her primary education through a special program designed to help older children quickly learn concepts they may have missed in their younger years.

Lisa discovered she enjoys studying and learning new things. She is now in her third year of high school and is preparing to enter upper education. Because she loves to cook, she is planning to study gastronomy. As Lisa transitioned into her new life at Pan de Vida and found motivation in her studies, she was able to connect with her peers at the group home.

In April she and her foster group home friends celebrated her birthday with a trip to the movies and a party. For Lisa, her life has changed dramatically because of the support she has received from her peers and staff at the foster home. 

For children who have experienced abuse and neglect by their biological parents, the Pan de Vida and the Amigo Fiel Foster Group Home  in Juarez, Mexico, become their new family. The children attend school and receive tutoring, counseling, life skills training, spiritual development opportunities, medical care and the guidance of a Buckner social worker to ensure the individual needs of each child are met.

*Name changed to protect privacy.