Where We Work

Central America

Central America is the narrow, southernmost region of North America that acts as an isthmus connecting North America to South America. It also separates the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. Central America consists of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The middle portion of Central America is an active zone for earthquakes and volcanoes. While agriculture is still the largest employer of people, industry jobs are rising as many foreign companies are outsourcing their labor factories to this region of the world.

The children comprise a large percentage of the populations in Central American countries. Unfortunately many of the children in this region are orphaned, abandoned, or incarcerated.  There are so many children without families to love and care for them, so often the children will turn to gangs to find inclusion in a social group. The children forgotten by society end up in government-run orphanages and juvenile detention centers, where they stay until they become adults (i.e. turn 18). Orphan Helpers currently serves in 12 government-run centers in Central America, specifically in the countries of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.