From afar we can notice a colorful house and children’s laughter everywhere. At the gate, a girl looks down the street, sees us and lets us in. This is Fundacion las Tias, or the Aunts Foundation, a home for children who have not had the opportunity to be part of one. This foundation works with abandoned children and children at social risk. From the 41 children they look after, 31 girls have experienced some kind of abuse, mainly from relatives.

Aunt Cristina, the head of the house, tells us what it is like to build a home for these children: they study, do activities around the house, are taught early on to live as a team, each doing a little bit to keep the house, as a family. We can see the happiness of these children, who show a rewarding smile at the slightest demonstration of affection. And what a smile, isn’t it? How good it is to see the happiness of a child.

The girl waiting for us at the gate is an autistic child who is specially taken care of by Aunt Cristina with the help of four other “aunts”, as they call themselves. Unfortunately, the government does not help them, so all people and companies that have the chance somehow contribute to the smooth running of their house. Zomo and Zomo Vivir have been part of this story for 7 years, turning Aunt Cristina’s dream into reality. This home gives children the opportunity to have a family. They have come from an unfortunate reality and some have tried drugs. Today they can enjoy true childhood and live moments that only a child has the right to.

Hogar Revivir is also a home for abandoned children, but with one difference: these children have been diagnosed with the HIV virus. Aids carriers can live normal lives nowadays. What is not normal, unfortunately, is the prejudice it causes.

This is the house of 13 children who are looked after by Elimar (father), Nilda (mother) and Camila (daughter). Camila says if one goes out to eat or on a trip, everyone joins them. There are fights, there’s joy, there are Sunday lunches: they are a family like all the others.

Camila told us their story: the kids have gone through many schools and they always try to remain anonymous, because misinformation leads to bullying. Liz, now 15, was the first child at Revivir, when she was 5. Today she is responsible for the difficult task of explaining the issue of relationships to these kids. Though they haven’t even given their first kiss, they wonder why they have to have this condition while other children don’t.

The work the family does gets even more important when they get university visitors to “teach” the children all about their condition. They show them that it is possible to have a normal life by taking the right medication (which is supplied by the government), in order to keep the viral load low and prevent the transmission of the virus.

The family’s vibe, care and affection is remarkable, inspiring! The care that older children have for their younger siblings reveal the true meaning of a family, and mother Nilda says, “they are all my children.”