‘I would not change a thing’: Alitza’s Story

“I would not change a thing,” Alitza said while coloring a picture. Alitza sat next to her mom inside their small home in El Salvador. Her tone expressed joy and contentment — the kind many spend their whole lives looking for.

Alitza’s circumstances would lead anyone who hasn’t met her to assume the opposite of her outlook on life. She suffers from neonatal asphyxia: a condition caused by lack of oxygen at birth.

“There are some things that I do not know how to do or are difficult for me to understand,” she said.

However, the food that she gets through Convoy of Hope’s Children’s Feeding program helps her concentrate at school and in her Girls’ Empowerment groups. Her hope is to continue learning until she is able to help other children with similar health concerns.

The pandemic was difficult for Alitza and her family. Her father lost his job, leaving her mother to provide for the family by doing laundry, while taking care of Alitza full-time. Income was scarce. But Alitza knew that she had a reliable source of nutritious food, opportunities, and hope through Convoy of Hope’s local programming.

“I want to thank God and Convoy of Hope for the programs because they have been of a lot of help for us,” Alitza said. She then added, “Circumstances don’t matter, and if [anyone has] a child with a disability, do not be discouraged but always support your children.”

Thanks to your support, girls like Alitza are developing valuable life skills, learning important virtues, and receiving nutritious meals all around the world. To contribute to Convoy of Hope, click here.