| Jorge Mahomar, A Life Dedicated to Service |
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| Sábado 23 de Agosto de 2008 00:05 |
“Three lives would not be enough to help the children in Honduras”“Let the children come to me; do not stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14) is one of Jorge Mahomar’s favorite biblical scriptures having dedicated his life to protecting and rescuing street children in Honduras.With graying hair, a humble attire and gently wrinkled eyes, Carlos Jorge Mahomar, has dedicated more than 30 years of his life to the mission of protecting impoverished and oppressed children in Honduras. He was born on August 14th 1952 in Olanchito, Yoro, and has both Palestinian and Mexican roots from his father and mother, respectively. He has been married for 31 years and has three children who have supported him throughout his many years of social work. Raised in a wealthy family, he went to the best schools in the country, but he discovered his true purpose in life in the 80s under the tutelage of Mother Rosvindi, “my biggest influence was Father Nelson Bertran and Sister Maria Rosa”, said Mahomar. “When you decide to dedicate your life wholly to a cause as rewarding as this one, everything else seems meaningful”, Mahomar said, his eyes lighting up. “A call and a revelation from God” Mahomar says was the reason that helped him decide to commit fully to the cause, but it was in 1982 while he worked at the Mexico Lindo Department Store, a family-owned business in downtown Tegucigalpa, when he announced the new direction he wanted to take in life to his family and relatives, causing commotion and resentment with some. “At the beginning, my wife had trouble adapting, but she soon realized that helping children was my purpose and passion in life. She has helped me throughout the years and she is also a big part of the cause” said Mahomar. One of the most important programs that Mahomar founded are the four FANIVA (Family, Childhood, and Values) shelters functioning at different locations of the capital city feeding children and their families. Currently, the FANIVA budget has allocated more funds to create two new shelters. The majority of the funds allocated for these projects have been received by international organizations and more recently, his son residing in New York, was instrumental in obtaining a $25,000 donation from Texaco with the objective of building a family support center in the Unidad y Fuerza community in Tegucigalpa. As President of the Board of Directors for the Rehabilitation Center for Addicts (CREA), Mahomar has helped hundreds of children and young adults who have transformed their lives and now many serve as mentors and advisors to newly admitted children. Throughout his different social work projects, Mahomar has worked alongside many religious and political leaders in the country who share in the same passion, like Pastor Mario Fumera, Donato Mendoza and Armando Meza. His main objective is to promote a National Plan of Childhood Protection that will rescue children from social injustice. Mahomar asserts that this program should be aggressively administered, and he has already gained the support of the First Lady Xiomara de Zelaya, who has described Mahomar as a dedicated citizen “who has successfully addressed the meaning of children’s rights”. Although his service to the country has been rewarding, Mahomar has had to face some dangerous experiences, one being an encounter with a young teenager under the influence who tried to stab him. Fortunately, the boy actually recognized Mahomar and instead of attacking him turned to uncontrollable sobbing. When the topic of personal finances came up, Mahomar declared he had no property or money to his name and that he only needed two pairs of shoes (a black pair and a brown pair), six shirts and four pants to carry out his daily work routine from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mahomar says the reason that Honduras is in extreme poverty is due to the lack of solidarity and unity for a common cause "unlike countries such as Cuba, who have learned to fight and embrace unity despite the hardships.” “If I were President of Honduras, I would implement three values: social justice, distribution of wealth, and above all, unconditional love and protection for children’s rights.” Main Picture: MAHOMAR. He discovered his purpose in life while under the tutelage of Mother Rosvindi. Secondary Picture: Two CREA centers have been established in the department of Francisco Morazan in Honduras—one in Valle de Angeles and the other in El Carrizal. In the country, six centers are in operation, and the goal is to expand and create new centers in other main cities in Honduras—San Pedro Sula, Choluteca, and La Ceiba. PROBLEM. The lack of volunteers and solidarity among fellow citizens. |