Jocelyn is everyone’s big sister. She knows very well the weight of being looked up to by all the kids at Love and Hope. And she’s been quite a role model.
Jocelyn never loved school and it did not come easy for her, but she worked hard and graduated from Luz de Israel in 2014. This year Jocelyn will become the first college graduate from Love and Hope Children’s Home with a degree in Interpretation and Translation! But college is not all Jocelyn has been up to for the past few years.
In 2016, Jocelyn began a two-year internship program at the Intercontinental Hotel in San Salvador. She would often go straight from her university classes to training at the hotel. Saturdays were usually filled with events at the hotel, leaving her little time for social activities. But she stuck with it and completed the program in 2018. At that point she was able to apply for a job cleaning rooms at the hotel.
It was not her dream job, but she believed that there was a future for her at the hotel. One day she came across a posting for a position in “Instant Service” where she would be booking hotel reservations. When she saw it she said in her mind, “This position is mine!” She applied and sure enough, she was given the job. Jocelyn has now been working for the hotel for over two years. She’s finishing up her last year of university and is living on her own. She was even featured in the Central American periodical El Economista with the owners of the hotel!
We are so proud of the young woman Jocelyn has worked so hard to become. She continues to be an example and a role model for all of her younger “siblings” at Love and Hope.
But Jocelyn’s story could have looked very different. Once, when asked about how she believes Love and Hope has influenced her life, she said “If it weren’t for Love and Hope, I probably wouldn’t have finished high school and by now, I’d probably already be a mom.”
At Love and Hope it is our mission to equip the kids in our care with the necessary tools and opportunities for success. One of the greatest tools we can give them is an education. We have seen time and time again how education can completely transform someone’s life. The public schools in El Salvador are underfunded and dangerous due to gang activity. As a result, all the children at Love and Hope attend private schools that are geared to their individual needs and talents. This is a huge investment, but we firmly believe it is worth every penny we spend. Jocelyn is evidence of that!
We are currently in the middle of a huge education fundraiser with an amazing matching gift. Every dollar we raise for education between now and the end of the year will be matched up to $15,000. This means that with your help, we’ll be able to raise a grand total of $30,000 for education! Please join us in investing in the lives of the youth at Love and Hope in El Salvador.
Today, Love and Hope celebrates 17 years of ministry.
Thank you for being part of this adventure and for watching our young people reach their full potential!