FriendsOfTheOrphans

St. Luke Ex-Pequeño Support and Outreach Programs
Fr. Rick Frechette initiated St. Luke in 1999 as a response to the needs he witnessed in the slums and on the streets. As he cared for the sick and dying, he realized the true reality of the deplorable conditions that the youth of NPFS faced once on their own.

“If we don’t help our children integrate into society, then it’s our failure. We need to look for solutions to help the poorest children and create employment for the ex-pequeños that incorporate dignity and compassion,” explained Fr. Rick. 

All of the NPFS and St. Luke programs have a required ratio of ex-pequeños versus staff. This helps create a healthy competition and interaction plus develop relationships with colleagues from other settings. Some pequeños have a sense of arrogance and entitlement that everything is owed to them, so mixing their interactions with the outside public creates a richer environment and helps them understand the reality of life.

• Burials for the Indigent 
There are two components to this program. One is preparing the bodies of the 200 children who die at the St. Damien Hospital each year.  The second is burying the destitute from the general hospital morgue. Children have the first priority resulting in 15 to 20 children per papier-mâché coffin. The coffin also includes a hand-made rosary. The bodies are transported to a cemetery which is located on rented land owned by the government. 

• Water Truck
The children and families in the Cité Soliel slums have little to no access to water. Each day, 21,000 gallons of water, enough for 2,500 families, are delivered in a truck donated from an Italian foundation. Two employees, one of whom is an ex-pequeño, work distributing the water and they also perform crowd control when fights break out during every delivery because people are so desperate for water.
 
• Food Distribution
Distributing food to the poor is becoming more difficult with the rising food costs. Rice is now up to $60 for a 1 kilo bag. One bag is divided between 10 people. 150 bags of rice previously cost $3,000. Now it is $9,000. Areas for food distribution are identified by workers and rotated throughout the year. There are 12 distributions and 100,000 beneficiaries per year.

• Street Schools
The 18 primary schools that St. Luke operates are in various stages of development. One is a tin building with pews and a dirt floor while another is a cinder block building with secure roofing and numerous classrooms. These schools are in the worst slums in Cité Soliel, where children do not have the luxury of going to school. There is a governing committee that decides everything related to the schools.

In 2009, there were 5,300 children enrolled in the schools. All of the children receive a hot meal at lunchtime. For the majority of the students, this is their only meal of the day.