Strengthening Our Efforts at Nuestro Sol Home

Bridges to the Future Program Nuestro Sol Children's Home – Lanús

For several years, the Order has maintained a close relationship with Nuestro Sol Children's

Home in Lanús, supporting initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of the girls and

young women who live there.

In order to strengthen this work and respond to needs identified together with the home's

professional staff, the Order is currently developing the Bridges to the Future Program, an

initiative designed to support young women as they transition into independent adult life.

The program seeks to create meaningful educational, personal and professional opportunities by bringing together different institutions and building a support network that accompanies the young women before, during and after they leave the home.

The program is currently structured around four main areas:

• Personal support, through regular visits, recreational activities, and spaces for

listening and emotional support.

• Career guidance, helping the young women identify their interests, strengths and

future goals.

• Access to education, through scholarships and training opportunities.

• Institutional partnerships, creating collaborations between organizations that

expand the opportunities available to them.

Nuestro Sol Children's Home, located in Lanús, provides care and accommodation for girls

and teenage girls who, by court order, are temporarily or permanently unable to live with

their families.

The residents receive comprehensive support from a multidisciplinary team that includes

social workers, psychologists, caregivers and other professionals committed to ensuring their

well-being and healthy development.

Once they reach adulthood, they must begin living independently outside the home. It is

during this crucial transition that the Bridges to the Future Program aims to make its

greatest contribution by providing educational opportunities, vocational guidance and

ongoing support to facilitate their successful integration into adult life.

On Saturday, July 4, we carried out another visit to Nuestro Sol Children's Home in Lanús,

continuing the relationship the Order has maintained with the institution over the years.

The visit was attended by Carolina Laplace CTJ(Hospitaller Dame), Carlos Coto GOTJ, and

Graciela Caprarulo DTJ.

Although the relationship between the Order and the home has existed for many years, this

visit had a specific purpose: to begin the implementation phase of the Bridges to the Future

Program, strengthen our relationship with the girls, and gather information that would allow

us to refine the program's activities for the coming months.

The day was designed as an opportunity to listen, get to know one another, better understand the girls' reality and interests, strengthen personal relationships, and meet with the home's professional staff to discuss the institution's current needs.

This first step was essential to ensure that the program responds to real needs and to organize the various initiatives the Order is promoting, particularly those related to educational scholarships, vocational guidance, and support throughout the educational process.

For this reason, we deliberately chose not to organize a formal workshop. Instead, we simply

spent the afternoon with the girls.

We shared afternoon tea, talked, listened to their stories, learned about their interests, and

spent time playing together. It was a very natural and spontaneous afternoon. We played word games, they taught us some TikTok dances, proudly showed us their skating skills, and we shared many conversations and laughs.

These moments allowed us to build trust and create the relationships necessary to develop a

program that truly reflects their needs and interests.

At the same time, we met with the home's social workers to discuss each girl's situation, the

institution's daily operations, and the main challenges they currently face.

This conversation proved extremely valuable, allowing us to better understand the difficulties

the girls encounter when leaving the home, the resources already available to them, and the

areas where the Order can make a meaningful contribution.

During the visit we also delivered donations collected in response to the home's requests,

including clothing, feminine hygiene products, and first-aid and medical supplies, all of

which were received with sincere gratitude by the staff.

Perhaps the greatest lesson we learned that day was that, alongside the educational and

professional opportunities we are working to create, the girls also need something much

simpler—and equally valuable: shared time, attentive listening, affection, encouragement, and opportunities to simply play, have fun, express themselves, and enjoy experiences appropriate for their age.

Scholarships, training opportunities and education will continue to be fundamental pillars of

this program.

However, this visit reminded us that human connection is just as important.

Sharing a meal, playing together, celebrating their achievements, or simply dedicating time

to them are gestures that help strengthen their confidence and support them during this

important stage of their lives.

As a result of this visit, we have already adjusted several aspects of the program's

implementation. The information gathered will enable us to adapt future activities and prioritize those that best respond to the girls' interests and needs, while maintaining our three principal objectives:

personal support, vocational guidance and access to educational opportunities.

Accordingly, once the winter school holidays have ended, the Order will organize a

Vocational Guidance Workshop for the young women who are approaching the time when

they will leave the home.

The workshop will be conducted by the Social Work team from San Ambrosio Institute and

will help participants discover their interests, recognize their strengths, and explore different

educational and career opportunities.

This initiative will be carried out in cooperation with the Rotary Club Argentina

Vocational Training School and the scholarship program for tertiary education that the

Order is developing together with San Ambrosio Institute.

At the same time, interviews and mentoring will continue for those young women interested

in applying for scholarships to pursue careers in the Merchant Navy.

One of the most valuable aspects of the Bridges to the Future Program is the coordinating

role that the Order is developing among the participating institutions.

Beyond providing scholarships or organizing individual activities, our objective is to build a

lasting support network that accompanies these young women before, during and after they

leave the home, creating real opportunities for them to build independent and fulfilling lives.

At the same time, we will continue strengthening our relationship with all the girls living at

the home through regular visits, recreational activities and ongoing support that contributes

to their well-being and personal development.

Before leaving, we asked them what they would like to do during our next visit. Their answer came immediately and unanimously: they would love to spend an afternoon learning makeup and hairstyling. They asked for "real" makeup palettes—not toy sets for little children, as they jokingly pointed out—but the kind teenagers and young women use, along with makeup brushes, nail polish and artificial nails so they could learn, experiment and simply enjoy the experience together.

This simple and genuine request confirmed something we had already begun to understand

during the afternoon. In addition to helping them build their future, we also want to be present in their present.

Because we believe that educational opportunities can change a life—but feeling heard,

valued and genuinely cared for is also an essential part of building that future.