Quito, Ecuador - 1991

It was a cold winter night on the outskirts of Quito. On the way back from the coast, the bus wouldn’t run any more. The bumpy road had won the battle, and for us passengers this meant getting out and waiting for a city bus to hopefully come. Hungry from the long trip up the Andean Cordilleras, we started exploring the surroundings for something edible and soon encountered a delicious smell of freshly baked “empanadas”.

As we approached the shop, a bundle hidden in the shadows of the sidewalk caught our attention. We wouldn’t have noticed the small heap of clothes, had they not moved. Curiosity pushed us to inspect the scene, and fate introduced us to Antonio, a little boy of about seven years. It was a marking discovery: the right side of Antonio’s face was covered with an ugly, open eczema, and his right swollen eye was completely closed. He was barefoot and barely dressed. His dark brown left eye was shining in desperation when he asked us for a remedy to medicate his face.

Forgotten were our worries about the next bus and our trivial stomach demands. All we could give Antonio at that time was a dirty pullover and an all-purpose cream from the bottom of our backpack. We asked him to wait there until we found a better medication. After a frantic search for a night pharmacy, we ran back to where we met Antonio. He was gone into the night, God knows to which destiny.

He was so small, and the encounter short. But Antonio marked our lives. The street was not his choice, but it would most likely be his future. He would have little hope for any education, he would flirt with death under the laws of the open street, and it would take a miracle to make his dreams come true.

We had failed to help him. We were unable to improve his chances for a better future or even to alleviate his pain. We felt frustrated, and miserable. It was a wake up call.

The dream was born to give children like Antonio the hope for a better future. These children’s lives have become the driving force behind Help-for-Hope. We'd be delighted to share this dream with you, and invite you to further explore the website. Thank you for your interest!