The Story Behind the Mission: Gerson

In Honduras, it's not hard to find children who are struggling. Poverty, addiction, and lack of opportunity are everywhere. But even in a place where suffering is common, some stories still shake you. Gerson’s was one of those stories for me.

He was just 11 years old when I met him. But he looked much younger. He was rail-thin, like a boy half his age, with eyes that had already seen too much. Gerson had been addicted to crack cocaine for nearly three years. By the time he went to rehab, his body was worn down, and so was his spirit. He told me he thought he had a mal corazon (a bad heart).

This wasn’t a one-off tragedy. Gerson is one of many children here who are caught in the brutal cycle of poverty, neglect, and survival. His story is heartbreaking but it’s also what lit the fire under me to act.

I didn’t start this organization because I had all the answers. I started it because I met a child whose life was slipping through the cracks, and I realized there were so many more like him. No one was coming to save them. If I didn’t do something they wouldn't make it.

Gerson’s story isn’t over. His recovery is just beginning. But through him, I saw with absolute clarity what needed to be done: we had to intervene earlier. We had to give kids like Gerson another path before addiction, abuse, and hopelessness became the only reality they knew.

This organization was born out of that conviction. We exist to fight for kids who are too often forgotten. We provide scholarships, education, structure, and care. But above all, we provide a way out.

This is just the beginning of telling Gerson’s story. But I wanted to start here, with the moment that changed everything for me. Because if his story can wake up even one more person to what's happening here, then it's already doing something powerful.

Michael

michael@projectgerson.org