· Raul and his sister were alone, poor, and helpless living in Mexico
· Then, you helped give them a new, happy home
(Above Photo) Raul and his sister Alejandra on the playground at Kids Kingdom Orphanage, a safe and loving home they never thought they would have.
My name is Raul and I am an orphan. My mother died when I was young and I never knew my father. For a long time, the only person I had in this world was my little sister, Alejandra. Even when my mom was alive, she did not take good care of us. I never went to school or learned how to read or write. But now I am very lucky. My sister and I live at Kids Kingdom orphanage and my life is so much better in every way.
Let me tell you my story…
The first 10 years of my life were very hard. I lived with my mom and my stepdad, and we were very poor. After my sister was born, my stepdad abandoned us. We had no place to go and ended up living in the back of a tire shop.
I have a fuzzy memory of this time in my life. It’s hard for me to remember when certain events happened and for how long. I do remember that my mom was very sad after my stepdad left. She had no way to support us, so I had to work at the tire shop for tips. At some point, my mother got sick and I tried my best to take care of her. She didn’t want to eat, even though I tried to make her.
Then, nuns from the local church came and took my mom to the hospital. I stayed with her at the hospital for a long time while my sister was taken to a shelter. I missed my sister so much that I went to live with her at the shelter. When I saw her, I hugged her and told her how much I missed her. We lived there together for a year. Then we found out our mother had died.
That is when we were taken to Kids Kingdom, the place we now call home. When I came here, I knew nothing about life. I had never been to school. Tomas, the director of the orphanage, told me that all the children at my new home went to school to get a good education, and that included me! On my first day of class, I had no idea what the teacher was talking about. So, the Kids Kingdom staff had me work with a private tutor after school who taught me to read and write. Little by little, I started to understand more and more in class. Now, I am in 11th grade and on track to graduate. I am so proud that I earn all A’s and B’s in my classes. My sister, Alejandra, is in the 7th grade and doing really well, too.
While living at Kids Kingdom, I have watched the older boys graduate high school and go to college. I now know this is a possibility for me, too. I love school and hope to study business engineering in college. I understand now that getting an education is so important in my life. With my education, I know I can support my sister and make sure we have a bright future together as a family.
Thank you! You have helped me and my sister along the way. Thank you for giving us a new life. I have no idea what would have become of us without your help. Muchisimas Gracias.
Kids Kingdom is an orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico that provides a loving, warm environment for abused, abandoned, and neglected children. Many of these children arrive at Kids Kingdom from living on the streets and without any previous schooling. Every month, you make sure they have enough food to eat and are able to attend school. IRT and Kid’s Kingdom are dedicated to providing a safe environment where children can grow, thrive and become productive adults.
