IL Postcard

The Kids at Fatima Parish Have Come a Long Way…and They Can Go So Much Farther

Date: 09/27/2007

September 28, 2007
Panama City, Panama

15-year-old Miguel lives at Fatima Parish, which houses a school and orphanage in Panama City's infamous Chorrillo neighborhood. (It is infamous for its crime.) We visited him there recently, and talked about his life and how it has changed thanks to the Parish and its staff, headed by Father Javier Manas.

We coax Miguel to pose for a photo without covering his dimples and contagious smile with his hand. He feels a little shy, he says, but he likes talking to people…and it shows. We tell him we are there to tell his story in the hopes of raising funds for the parish. We ask if he would mind telling us how he ended up at the Parish. Though still a bit shy, he is surprisingly eager to talk.

"My mom killed herself," he says matter-of-factly. "After that, my dad took us to Las Tablas…then he left us." His father left Miguel and his four older siblings with abusive grandparents who didn't want to be saddled with the extra responsibility. As his brothers and sisters grew old enough to care for themselves, they left, too. Soon, only Miguel remained-just 11 years old and with no adult supervision. When his grandparents abandoned him, Fatima Parish took him in.

In spite of how strictly the Parish is run, Miguel is happy here…he laughs and chatters away (once he gets over his shyness) like most children do. Kids need discipline in order to be happy and well adjusted, and there is a strict schedule at the Parish. The children are required to study after school for at least two hours, and the television stays off except for on weekends-and then viewing is limited to specific shows or educational movies. They are taught to be well groomed and polite-to clean up after themselves and to turn out the lights when they leave a room. They have rules and routines and they follow them…this gives them comfort, familiarity, and consistency. In turn, they are well behaved and polite.

We move on to happier topics. We ask Miguel to tell us what living at the Parish is like. He says he is better off here. He is in eighth grade and attends a public high school called Don Bosco. He is very proud to be getting a high school education and says he likes school. When we ask his favorite subject his eyes sparkle. He likes mechanics, he says (a class where he learns about physics and how it relates to everyday situations), as well as his computer and math classes. In short, he likes all those subjects he needs to become a naval engineer.

Miguel thinks he would make a good naval engineer-he likes the water. He also likes to listen to music and draw animals, using a pencil to shade the figures and add depth.

It's difficult not having any family around, he says, even though the staff at the Parish is great. Does he have friends among the other children at the orphanage? "Yes," he says, "a lot of friends."

"Do you get along with everyone?" we probe.

"No…of course there are some kids I don't get along with, but I learned that it isn't important," he says sincerely. Of the Parish, he says, "this is a great opportunity…they [the staff members] always try to help me."

We ask if he has what it takes to graduate high school and then go to college, so he can become a naval engineer. "Yes, of course," he tells us. "I'll have to work hard." Perhaps the most valuable thing the Parish has given him is this self-confidence…Miguel has no doubt he'll achieve his goal.

Best regards,

Jessica Ramesch
Editor, Panama Insider