Background
Translated as “St. Francis Home”, this orphanage is located on the outskirts of Cochabamba, 2.5 kms. from the town of Sacaba and is home to approximately 70 girls ages 2-18.
The city of Cochabamba is located in central Bolivia, in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the third largest city in Bolivia and is known as the “City of Eternal Spring” and “The Garden City” due to its spring-like temperatures year round.
Salesian Lay Missioners (SLMs) have served at the Hogar since 2010 making it one of the newest placements in the program. Similar to the other orphanages, Hogar San Francisco offers the girls a safe place to study, live, pray, and be kids! The SLMs perform many tasks at the hogar, but perhaps the most important aspect of the ministry is their being present to the girls.
SLM Ministry
- supervising girls at mealtimes
- getting them ready for school or for bed
- walking the smaller ones to school
- heading up study time
- tutoring
- teaching girls special skills
- supervising and helping girls with laundry
- inspecting girls’ lockers
- playing with girls
- helping remove lice from girls
- accompanying girls to Mass and the Rosary
- being a good role model
- listening
- loving
- supporting the girls (a “ministry of presence”)
