Article by Garrett Kenyon. Reporting assistance and photos by Jesús Almendárez.
Life was never going to be easy for Aldubín.
Born into an extremely poor family in a marginalized village outside Copán, Honduras, the young man’s chances of escaping poverty were already slim. Add in health issues that had plagued him since birth – including a heart murmur and a spinal defect – and his prospects grew even dimmer. But when an accident at age 2 left him unable to walk, it truly seemed as if the universe was conspiring against him.
If that was the case, though, the universe should have picked an easier mark. Because this young man was more than tough; he was determined to the point of stubbornness. And he wasn’t about to let a “little thing” like poverty – or paralysis – hold him back.
From the beginning, Aldubín refused to let his disability isolate him. He couldn’t run like the other kids, but that didn’t mean he simply sat at home. “I remember playing in the streets with my friends, except I had to drag myself along the ground using my hands,” he recalls. “But I still had a lot of fun!”
On the unpaved rural terrain of a poor village in Honduras, Aldubín navigates his way with the help of a friend.
Despite many challenges, Aldubín is determined to earn a degree in business administration.
When his friends entered school, Aldubín again was determined not to be left out. Though the government didn’t require him to attend school due to his disabilities, Aldubín convinced his mother to enroll him anyway. He woke her each morning to carry him to class. Before long, Aldubín’s friends took over the job. “We had fun!” one of those friends, Adán, recalls. “Aldubín always had friends who helped him. He was never on his own.”
Poverty could have been another major obstacle, but sponsorship provided the support Aldubín needed. “Children International gave me school supplies and uniforms and shoes, which helped immensely,” he says. CI also supplied a wheelchair.
Aldubín’s next challenge was secondary school. The closest one was miles away, down unpaved rural roads he’d never be able to navigate alone. Most kids in his village didn’t bother with secondary school, but Aldubín knew that education represented his best chance of creating a better life.
Once again, his ability to inspire loyal friendships served him well. One of his classmates, who was also going to secondary school, volunteered to make the daily journey with him. Even when the rainy season made the journey impossible, Aldubín persevered. He took his dilemma to CI staff, and they worked out transportation assistance. “Had it not been for that, it would’ve been impossible for me to go,” Aldubín recalls.
“CI’s educational assistance had the greatest impact in my life.”Today the 19-year-old young man is looking forward to his third year of college. He’s earned two HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty through Education) scholarships and is halfway to his degree in business administration. He counts friends by the hundreds and is beloved by his community. At our community center in Copán, where he teaches younger children to read, Aldubín is universally admired.
“I’m not one of those people who allow themselves to fail easily,” he says. “I have moments of doubt, but I never give up. And it hasn’t always been easy. Sometimes it’s been very hard, and I have to ask God for help. I say: ‘God, you’ve brought me this far … you know why I’m here … now please let me move forward.’”
Aldubín provides tutoring services for children in his community.
