A) T.J. Broom, a firefighter and mission’s director to Nicaragua B) Stephanie Knight is captivated by the spirt of the Nicaraguan children C) A local landfill where children look for food to eat and trinkets to sell.

Helping Forgotten Children

Posted January 29, 2010

SEVERAL YEARS AGO, Stephanie Knight found a new perspective on the world. She was the only woman on a church mission trip to Nicaragua and the experience with the remarkable children there etched new priorities into her heart.

Knight and members of her church have become involved in helping a transitional home for girls near the city of Managua. There, a city garbage dump has become a community, known as La Chureca. Poverty is so desperate that residents actually survive off the refuse. Children often work 12 hours a day foraging for food and re-sellable trinkets.

The transitional home is called Villa Esperanza, or Village of Hope, and offers girls a chance for a new life.  The youngsters live in a clean, safe place, receive medical care and have the chance to go to school. They also have house parents to give them individual attention and care.

“It shifted my perspective,” said Knight, of Sarasota, Fla. “It makes you pause. It makes you a little more aware of what’s going on around you.“

Knight said she is humbled to play a small role in giving a new start to the 16 girls now living there.

“Everything that’s been done for this transitional home was done with the help of individuals who collectively built it, one small project at a time,” Knight said.

Knight remains captivated by the spirit of the children in Nicaragua.

“Seeing the looks in kids’ eyes as you brush their hair or hold their hands walking down the street – it’s one of the most enchanting experiences I could ever think of,” Knight said.

The man who led Knight’s first Central American adventure was T.J. Broom, a firefighter and mission’s director for Knight’s Gulf Gate Church in Sarasota. Broom helped organize that initial trip and subsequent ones through the non-profit mission group Forward Edge International in Vancouver, Washington.

Broom’s interest in the plight of international children began with his own family. He and his wife, Kellie, have three adopted daughters: Jessie, 15, and Julianna, 16, from Bulgaria; and Cosmina, 23, from Romania. They also have a biological son, Michael, who is 5.

“There’s something inherently wrong with kids living in a landfill and it gets to the core of my being,” said Broom, who has made six trips to Nicaragua. “Those kids have no business being there. They deserve the same chances every child does.”

Broom says he is motivated to continue his work because of his faith and the sense of purpose the work gives him.

“The reward is far more than what you give,” Broom said.

The church’s work has expanded beyond just the landfill’s transitional home.

Another Nicaraguan child who captured Broom and Knight’s heart is Emeley. The little girl has a large hole in her throat from a tracheostomy. Her only protection is a metal plate necklace. Emeley is prone to recurring bouts of infection and pneumonia.

Broom worked through his church to raise money to bring Emeley to the U.S. for surgery. Knight was among the many contributors to her medical travel fund. Broom is now raising money to bring her back to the U.S. for a repeat procedure. She suffered complications because she had to return to Nicaragua before she had time to heal in a clean, safe environment.

 “A lot of these kids have had tough, tough lives and when they know someone cares about them, it’s unbelievable,” Broom said. “It really helps me keep things in perspective, especially at work. We are so blessed to live in the richest nation on earth. We all have that tendency to think about ourselves first. The little things don’t bother me as much.  When I think I’m having a really ‘bad day’ at work, I realize how fortunate I am to have a good job that lets me support my family. It could be a lot worse. I know I could be living in a landfill.”

Knight realizes that individuals may feel overwhelmed about the challenges in Nicaragua, maybe even skeptical that anything could ever really change.  But she knows differently. She’s seen it firsthand.

“No, you can’t do it by yourself, but you certainly can’t do anything sitting on the couch wondering how to spend your next dollar at the mall,” Knight said. “Make yourself available, even for something small. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from T.J. He puts himself out there and he lets God show him the opportunities.”

To learn more on Forward Edge International, visit www.forwardedge.org, and for details on how to help Emeley, visit www.gulfgatechurch.com under “Mission: Emeley.”

STEPHANIE KNIGHT is a Sales Assistant for Morgan Keegan in Sarasota, Florida

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