PARAGUAY, Ani Souberlich •
At the beginning of this year, we have seen great changes in the immediate environment of Casa Madre de Tupãrenda (CMT): the departure of Father Pedro Kühlcke and his departure to Germany, the dismissal of several staff members for economic reasons…. But despite all these obstacles, we have seen rays of hope for the program, which in the six years of its existence has already produced fifty-four graduates, joined today by four others who, with many sacrifices, have reached the goal. —
Each graduation is a day of celebration and a miracle for me as the director of Casa Madre de Tupãrenda and for each educator, because beyond all that we can do humanly for each participant, it is nothing compared to the miracle that God and the Blessed Mother work day after day, giving them the strong will to get away from drugs and the strength of perseverance to arrive on time to the program every day. In this way, they learn patience and tolerance, they work as a team, they learn to speak and leave behind the prison vocabulary, and all this requires courage. It is God who blows on the wounds of abuse and abandonment that each of them has and that have thrown them into the street, without direction. Each of them is a survivor, and today they live in the certainty that they can change their lives and realize their dreams.
The four graduates with Lourdes and Dr. José Marin
Lucas, Ricardo, Alberto, Néstor
Lucas: a boisterous, cheerful, and charismatic young man who has achieved his long-awaited dream: to have a job and take care of himself.
Ricardo: a serious, reserved young man who hopes to be a good father to his one-year-old daughter. At this graduation ceremony, his “little princess” witnesses her father’s happiest day.
Alberto: an introverted and reserved young man. Despite the many difficulties he faced, he managed to move forward with effort and courage.
Nestor: a laughing child, full of innocence. Watching him that day was magical. His eyes sparkled and his smile was full of happiness. It was his time, his moment, because he had achieved what he had hoped for, and although it took a lot of effort and dedication, he proved that you can do it if you want to.
It was a different festive day. The graduates’ classmates hung the colorful banners early, prepared the festive table with the cake from the bakery department, the alfajorcitos de Maicena and dulce de leche as souvenirs. The whole atmosphere was full of joy. The relatives of the graduates, Dr. José Marín, president of Fundaprova, together with his wife Lourdes and other members of the Board arrived little by little. Alfredo Pereira, director of Fundación en Alianza and Francisco Montori were also present. One of our graduates got a job there!
But one thing was the same as always: the joy of our director Ani Souberlich and the instructors Rosi Insfran (bakery instructor), Martin Rodriguez and myself (social skills instructor) who, with an unwavering tolerance for frustration, believe in the good in each of these young people who arrive and present themselves to participate in the program; and we give each of them personalized treatment and accompaniment, according to their needs.
P. Pedro Kühlcke was absent in real terms, but thanks to technology he was able to speak to each boy by video phone and address them by name. They proudly showed him the color of the bracelet they were wearing (the bracelets indicate the level of their progress in the program). Afterwards, he attended the graduation ceremony and it was a great joy for the boys to be able to speak with Father Pedro, who gave them this house so that when they are released from prison, they will have a place to go..
Alfredo Pereira and Francisco Montori of the Fundación en Alianza
We would like to thank all the people who make it possible for Casa Madre de Tupãrenda to keep its doors open and give each of the youth a home so that when they are released from CEI (Juvenile Detention Center) they have a place to start a new life.
Thank you for helping us change lives.
Donations – because they really make a difference
Bank account in Paraguay
BancoFamiliar
SWIFT FAMIPYPAXXX
Account number 50 00408672
In the name of: FUNDAPROVA
RUC 80079669-1
Bank account in Germany (SEPA)
Recipient: Schönstatt-Patres International e. V.
IBAN: DE91 4006 0265 0003 1616 26
BIC/SWIFT: GENODEM1DKM
Intended purpose: Casa Madre de Tupãrenda
Father Pedro Kühlcke speaks from Germany
Casa Madre de Tupãrenda and its first graduation of 2023
Original: Spanish. Translation: Maria Fischer @schoenstatt.org
