What happens to the Micah boys when they reach the age of independence?  Where will they go?  What will they do?  These are questions that I am often asked by people who are interested in the Micah Project.

     The Micah Project launched a capital funds campaign in October of 2002 to raise funds for the “Leadership House.”  This important next stage of our project will seek to answer the questions about the boys’ immediate future.  The leadership house will be a place for young men who are exiting orphanage’s and homes like the Micah Project to live the first couple of years of their adult life in order to continue their studies and make a successful transition into independent adulthood. 

     The need for such a program is great.  Tegucigalpa, which had a population of 600,000 in 1993, now has a population of close to 1.2 million.  The housing shortage is so severe that many people must live in shacks on hillsides that lack basic services and are unsuitable for human habitation.  A large majority of the Micah boys’ fled just such violent and poverty stricken hovels to find solace on the streets.

     Apartments are almost unheard of in this city and are very difficult to find.  Thus, a young person often finds himself in sub-standard living conditions—conditions that can be almost impossible for a serious student.  To make matters more complicated, the National University does not offer student housing.  Imagine boys like Marvin once they are ready to leave the Micah Project.  Where will he go to finish his studies?

     This concern is shared by many residential programs working with poor children.  Many boys and girls leave orphanages in their teen years only to drift back into the misery that they fled from in the first place, lacking a support network to help them make a healthy adjustment into adult life.

     The Leadership House provides an answer to this question for teens who so desperately need support as they make the final leap into adulthood.