Some of the girls are true orphans in the sense that both parents are either dead or missing. Others may still have either one or both parents but because of extreme poverty, abuse, imprisonment, drug or alcohol problems, etc. the girls were homeless.
In Spanish, Casa means house and Hogar means home. It can be translated -- a house that is a home. Santa Julia is the name of the neighborhood where Casa Hogar is located within San Miguel. Don Bosco is the name of an Italian Catholic priest who lived in the 1800’s and who was later given Sainthood for his work with and love of disadvantaged children.
There are four Madres (Nuns) who run the orphanage and care for the girls. They receive little to no help from the church and very little help from the Mexican government. They are supported almost entirely from voluntary contributions.
In an effort to afford the girls a better chance in life after they leave the orphanage system, it was felt that the best gift they could be given would be the opportunity to learn to speak English. Bilingual workers in Mexico historically have a better chance at obtaining decent employment, especially those who live and work in San Miguel where there are a large number of American residents and visitors.
Therefore, a sponsorship program was created so that the girls could attend a local private English Language school in San Miguel. The school that was chosen is Centro Mexicano de Lengua y Cultural de San Miguel. It is a located in a very old and charming Spanish colonial building and is owned and run by a wonderful lady named Josefina Hernandez.
Josefina Hernandez has created special classes for the girls from Casa Hogar and she is only charging $35.00 US a month for the tuition and the books. This small monthly contribution will make a huge difference in the life of the girl and it truly will be the “gift that keeps on giving” for the rest of her life. All donations by the sponsors go to pay for the English lessons and the books. There is no administration charge whatsoever.
Below is the link to the school's website. They also have a Spanish language program for Americans who either live in or visit San Miguel de Allende.