Alfredo and siblings get a fresh start
Convicted of drug trafficking, Alfredo’s parents were sent to a high-security prison, leaving their five children homeless in Tambo, Peru. Alfredo and his younger brother Ozcar separately were moved around the homes of their parents’ friends for two years.
When the director of SOS Children’s Villages in Ayacucho, Jhony Noa, heard about the children’s situation, he tracked them down and arranged for all five family members to be reunited in one SOS family in the Village.
Mr Noa believes the younger children would have been separated indefinitely if they had not come to the Village.
Not only did the five biological siblings gain a new mother figure and new SOS siblings, but a year later their youngest biological sibling arrived in the Village.
Under Peruvian law, children born in prison can stay with their mothers until they turn three. After that, many are shifted into state institutions in the absence of family members who can support them. Instead, little Klinton found a new home waiting for him at SOS.
Alfredo, meanwhile, is in his first year of high school where he attends extra classes on the weekend to catch up with his year group.
His dream is to study accountancy and to work one day with local businesses in Ayacucho. He is saving his pocket money for future studies and planning to apply for a government scholarship to continue his studies in Peru’s capital, Lima.
In between all of his study and work, Alfredo finds the time to be a caring big brother – he made a scaled down “mototaxi” for Klinton, and he helps all of his siblings with their homework.
The children visit their parents in prison twice a month. The SOS Children’s Village arranges the visits and Jhony Noa explains that connecting the children with their family of origin “is an integral part of keeping the family together.”
Though Alfredo’s parents are likely to be released next year, the children will remain in the care of the SOS Children’s Village in Ayacucho.
“We’re so happy to be here in the village,” Alfredo says. “I will always be grateful to everyone here at SOS for the support we have received.”
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