Why I Believe in Project Gerson

My name is Luis and I am 13 years old. I have been a blessed kid since I was born. I always had food, a place to sleep, and people who love me. But since I was little, I have also seen kids on the streets, working, begging for money, or even stealing from people. Some people told me that those kids only use the money for drugs or bad things. Maybe that is true for some, but I learned it’s not the whole truth.

The truth is, many of them grew up learning those things because that’s the world they were born into. Nobody taught them anything different. Some of them actually want to change, but when society already sees you as “a thief” or “a drug addict,” it’s like they are locked inside that reputation. People don’t give them a second chance. So they keep doing the same things because they feel there’s no other way.

That cycle doesn’t give them hope. Until one day in 2024, a foreign man named Michael came to Honduras.

When Michael met a boy named Gerson, Gerson thought he would be like all the others — someone who says, “I’m going to help you,” but then disappears. Gerson had learned not to trust promises. But Michael didn’t disappear. He showed up every day, waiting in the same spot so Gerson would know he was serious. He helped Gerson get into a rehabilitation program in Honduras. And he didn’t just send him there and walk away — he still supports him to this day.

After that, other kids started coming to Michael. Some came to ask for help, others even begged him. He couldn’t help everyone in the same way because rehabilitation and medical care cost a lot of money. But he still found ways to help them - with food, clothes, school, or even just someone to talk to.

I quickly became friends with Michael when he came to Honduras. I admired what he was doing. Sometimes he worked with my dad to help kids, and that made our friendship stronger. Then one day, during a normal afternoon, he told me about something called Project Gerson.

He explained that it was a way to help kids escape the same situation that Gerson had been in. I had already learned about this kind of life from the book Lágrimas de Ángeles (“Tears of Angels”), which tells the story of children growing up on the streets and the struggles they face every day like hunger, danger, and feeling invisible to the world. It wasn’t just reading anymore, I could actually be part of the change.

Michael told me he needed help. I said yes immediately. My dad and I have always dreamed of doing something like this to help kids not only survive, but have a real chance at a better life.

Now, every time I see a kid selling candy in the park or sleeping on the sidewalk, I think about Gerson, about Michael, and about what is possible when someone actually keeps their promise. Project Gerson is not just about helping one boy. It’s about showing everyone that even if you can’t fix all the problems, you can change the life of the person right in front of you.

And sometimes, that is enough to start a bigger change.

Luis

luis@projectgerson.org