Practical Growth
Once a mother has been at Casa Esperanza for three months and is following the rules, she is allowed and encouraged to seek outside employment. Because we are located in a farming community, the women are typically hired to pick or pack vegetables at the local farms. The children are included in chores at the ministry. The older boys and girls are taught to clean the bathrooms, while the younger children pick up trash around the property and sweep the porch and sidewalks. The children are also responsible for putting their bikes and toys away.
In addition to working, the moms are required to participate in the chore rotation. After each meal a mom is assigned to either wash dishes, clean and mop the kitchen, clean and mop the bathrooms and showers, or clean and mop the reception area, TV room and hallways. The families are also required to keep their living quarters neat and clean and to get their laundry done on their assigned day. By participating in chores, each woman is being taught the work ethic and responsibility that she will need to keep her own house when she leaves the program.
Another area we work on is money management. We encourage our mothers to tithe at church and teach them that by saving some of their wages, they can provide diapers, clothing, and shoes for their children. School uniforms and supplies are provided by the Casa even for the families with working moms. Additionally, we encourage our moms to put aside money if they desire to purchase a plot of land on which they can have a house built.
Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise.
Ephesians 5:15
