The vision of the International Leadership Program is to develop an ongoing leadership and language study program in the Seattle area for young people who have grown up in Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH, Spanish for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters”) homes and who have the expressed desire and motivation to continue Father Wasson’s vision of his older children caring for the next generations of children in need.
The program will train, support and inspire a future generation of young leaders who will return to their communities with the skills necessary to create sustainable NPH homes and outreach programs. As a group, the participants will explore best practices for implementing the NPH philosophy, learn more about their own leadership styles and develop strategies for leading during challenging times. Participants will gain experience through volunteer opportunities, job shadowing, and internships in their individual fields of interest.
A huge thank you to our kind and generous Host Families:
The Schuler Family
The Bubar Family
The Fitton Family
The Wiegand Family
The Saldaña Family
Emir – Mexico
Emir is 19-years-old and was in his year of service, working with 23 young boys, ages 7 -14. Emir is also Coordinator of the Estudiantina Group, NPH’s traveling dance and music group, which honors Mexico’s rich tradition and culture. Emir’s passion for music made him a natural leader within the group. He is responsible for overseeing rehearsals and preparing performers for their travels. Having had the opportunity to travel to the United States on nine separate occasions, Emir is looking forward to his time in the Pacific Northwest and hopes to gain experience that will help him learn new ways to support and encourage his NPH family. Emir would like to study medicine and aspires to give back to NPH in the future by working at NPH’s St. Damien Hospital in Haiti.
Julissa – Guatemala
Julissa is 23-years-old and is currently the Coordinator of Workshops in Guatemala, where she runs NPH’s programs certifying youth to help ensure future employment. As a Secretariat, Julissa is responsible for overseeing the various human resource and general accounting tasks for the Workshops Department; she also serves on the Youth Leadership team at home, and organizes activities and fun excursions for the children. While serving her NPH family, Julissa has been inspired by the common spirits of struggle, brotherhood, and perseverance held by her fellow brothers and sisters. She plans to continue organizing volunteer projects and giving back to the poor in her community. Julissa is excited for her time in the Pacific Northwest, where she hopes to be prepared for university.
Jean-François – Haiti
Jean-François is 23-years-old and first arrived at NPFS, along with his brother, at age 7. He is currently working as the Project Coordinator for NPFS Haiti, organizing the development projects taking place at the home. Jean-François has also worked as Communication Coordinator for Father Wasson Angels of Light and as a radiology technician for victims of the earthquake at St Damien’s. He plans to attend university while continuing work at NPFS Haiti and hopes to eventually become a National Director of NPFS Haiti or one of the directors of NPH International. A strong believer in the power of education, Jean-François wants to work at NPH in the future in order to give other children the opportunity to go to a good school, attend university, and become independent adults who will dedicate themselves to ensuring the well-being of their country.
Wendy – Honduras
Wendy is 25-years-old and came to NPH with her older brother and younger sister when she was 11. During Wendy’s Year of Service cared for her younger brothers and sisters. Wendy prepared activities, readied them for school, and helped them with their homework in the evenings. Inspired by her time supporting working with young children, Wendy joined the Youth Leadership Group in Honduras, where she served as a leader for NPH by encouraging participation in community outreach programs. Wendy is looking forward to becoming bilingual during her time in the Pacific Northwest. Afterwards she hopes to continue her university education in Speech Communication and then return to share the story of NPH with others as a communications officer.
