The children at the Marsh Children's Home want to be like other kids. They want to study and to better themselves. They have the right to a dignified life - a right to receive love, protection, nourishment, medicines, clothing, and an education.

With your generous support - whether by your Financial Donations or by Sponsoring a Child - we can make all this possible! Together, we can help these amazing children have a brighter future — a future full of hope and possibility!

At the Marsh Children's Home, the children follow a simple schedule. They get up at 6 am, make their beds, clean their rooms and patios, then have breakfast at 7 am. At each table in the dining room one of the children is designated captain. He or she is responsible for bringing the food from the kitchen and ensuring they have what they need. This job is rotated on a weekly basis so that all of the children at the Marsh Home learn to accept responsibility gradually, as they grow up.

After breakfast all are off to school, returning between 1 and 2 pm. They have time to shower and change and then lunch is served at 2 pm. From 3 to 6 pm, a paid teacher assists the children with homework and helps them if they are behind in their studies. Another paid teacher gives the children computer lessons in our computer center / theater, which was constructed in 2006.

At 6 pm they put in 30 minutes helping with chores that vary from kitchen work to cleanup of the grounds, laundry, setting the dinner table or various other activities. They are then free to play, and get cleaned up for a 9 pm bedtime. Saturdays include 3 hours of study, playtime, chores and outings. On Sunday, the children attend church in the morning and then have the afternoon free to play, swim, football on the beach or other activities. Often, Volunteers (individuals or groups) come to Visit Us to help by teaching computer lessons, music, and singing, games and Bible study.

The children vary in age from 6 to 20. The current, single 20-year old is now the mini-bus driver who takes the kids to grade school, secondary and prep schools in the village of Plan de Amate, two miles from the Marsh Children's Home.

The Marsh Children's Home is arranged so that every child has individual duties and responsibilities. Thanks to a lot of help from generous friends and special sponsors, we now have just four beds and four children to a single room, instead of the crowded four-to-a-bed, as it was 10 years ago! In each room, we ensure that one child is slightly older than the others, and it is his or her responsibility to help the three younger brothers and sisters. His or her duties include helping with personal hygiene, dressing, waking on time in the mornings, and at night, ensuring that the younger children have finished their own chores before going to bed at a reasonable hour.

These specific duties and responsibilities are periodically rotated to give each child a chance to oversee different areas. These chores vary from washing and folding clothes, ensuring clean sheets are available, delivering clean laundry to the various rooms; to serving meals, and cleaning and sweeping play areas and living quarters.

One of our 4 Principles is the Principle of Achievement. We believe that teaching the children the virtue of hard work and responsibility at an early age best prepares them for the challenges they will face as they mature into adulthood and those they will endure throughout their lifetimes.