Why We Changed Our Name

Since Orphan Helpers started in 2000, the organization has been on a mission to transform the lives of children and youth in desperate need of hope and opportunities. The work began inside a rundown government-operated orphanage in El Salvador. It grew from El Salvador to Honduras, and now to Guatemala. It grew from orphanages to juvenile correctional centers. It grew from working with youth while they were locked up inside the centers to providing aftercare services as they reintegrate back into their local communities. 

In 2014, Honduras closed the doors on its government-run orphanages while El Salvador drastically reduced the number of children in its orphanages. During that same time, national governments opened the doors for Orphan Helpers to provide more programs and services in additional juvenile correctional centers. The driving focus and heartbeat of our ministry became meeting youth in their most desperate moments, going behind the bars of some of the toughest juvenile prisons, and standing by their side as they fight for their futures. 

Today, we are the only faith-driven organization taking a holistic approach to equipping incarcerated and released youth for life turnarounds across the Northern Triangle of Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras). To reflect the gritty yet empowering nature of this mission, Orphan Helpers has changed its name to Counteract International. 

We work to combat the adversity and negative influences these young people face through support from our team of caring, Christian local nationals. We counteract the challenges posed by violence, gangs, poverty, unemployment, incarceration, family breakdown, limited education, and migration pressures. Through consistent mentorship, life and job skills training, and biblical guidance, we equip youth to build positive identities and hope-filled futures both behind bars and beyond bars. 

While our work has grown and our name has changed, our commitment has remained the same for nearly a quarter of a century: 

• To partner with Central American governments to deliver faith-based programs, mentoring, and a consistent presence inside their government-run centers. 
• To hire local staff personally familiar with the circumstances of incarcerated and released youth 
• To serve youth locked-up in state custody – whether it’s for their protection or the protection of society – giving them the opportunity to redefine the trajectory of their lives. 
• To spread the love of Jesus Christ by visiting those in prison, being a father to the fatherless, comforting the brokenhearted, and loving our neighbors in Central America. 

At Counteract International, we believe that every person has God-given value and purpose that no decision or circumstance can diminish, and that all people deserve the chance to discover and nurture their identity as children of God. We believe every youth has a future worth fighting for! 

We are grateful for all our donors who continue to invest in the tangible, positive change taking place in the lives of youth who’ve been written off as hopeless. We invite others to join us to experience the fulfillment of sharing hope with those most in need of it. 

Together, we will Counteract!