Now that KTF is 20 years old, many have asked how it all started and how it got to where it is today. Kathleen Curran tells the story here…
2001
A Trip to Bolivia
I decided to take a “short break” from being a lawyer in Chicago to travel to a Spanish speaking country in hopes that I could improve my Spanish. Where to go? While considering a few places, I just happened to run into a friend Mara Fuller who had, after graduating from the University of Notre Dame, spent a year volunteering at an orphanage in Bolivia. I loved to travel internationally, I had never been to South America, and Bolivia sounded exotic. I asked Mara if Bolivia was a cool place to visit, and she said yes. I asked her if Bolivia had any schools that taught Spanish to foreigners, and she likewise said yes.
Then I asked her a question that ended up changing my life: “Hey, do you think that orphanage down there could ever use my help for say . . . a month?” Mara was still in regular contact with the orphanage and told me that she would ask them immediately. She did, and the response was “Well, of course. We always need help!”
And that was it. I packed my bags, and off I went to what I had very carefully planned to be, at the very most, a 2 month stint in Bolivia.
Ever heard the expression, “Man makes plans; God laughs”?
I am pretty certain that God became near hysterical when He first heard my plans about how long I would stay in Bolivia!
The Sacred Heart Orphanage Captures My Heart
I arrived in Bolivia and enrolled in a Spanish language school in Sucre, Bolivia. I lived with an amazing and gigantic host family called the Cansecos. They were so incredibly patient, kind, and fun. To this day, I consider the Canseco Clan as family.
A month into my Bolivian adventure with my Spanish improving somewhat, I decided it was time to go to that orphanage. The orphanage is called Hogar Sagrado Corazon (“House of the Sacred Heart”). It is a Catholic orphanage run by Bolivian and Polish Franciscan nuns. It is located in a town called Montero. The Hogar houses, on average, 120 girls, ages 3 to 21.
I still remember my first day at the orphanage like it was yesterday. The moment I walked through that Hogar door, I swear that all 120 girls came at me all at once, all wanting to hug me, and all talking in super-fast Spanish. We immediately went in for some lunch which consisted of hot chicken soup. Did I mention that it was about 95 degrees out? My soup, and only my soup, had a huge chicken claw floating in it. I later learned that in Bolivia receiving the chicken claw was considered an honor for a guest. “Oh thank you so much but really no thank you,” I stammered in my best Spanish. . .
For the rest of that afternoon, the girls showed me around the Hogar. They pointed out the pigs, chickens, roosters, and a blind cow, all of which had been donated to the Hogar. They encouraged me to eat a pepper that they swore was not spicy (they absolutely lied!). They watched me nearly set a field on fire when I tried to burn garbage as instructed to do by the nuns. And the girls relentlessly kept changing their names to trick me while I tried like crazy to memorize who was who.
The sisters also explained several responsibilities that I would have, including running the infirmary in the evenings. As in treating kids and giving them medicines that I thought might be appropriate. Did they not get the memo that I was a lawyer – not a doctor???
I went into my room that night convinced of one thing: I would not last a week.
In the days that immediately followed, I was overwhelmed with another emotion: despair. I had seen some poverty upon arriving in Bolivia, but the lack of so many basic necessities at the Hogar shocked me.
I suddenly had an extremely profound awareness of all the blessings that I had growing up and that I had, up to that moment, totally taken for granted: my family, food on my table, clothing on my back, a roof over my head, my own bed to sleep in, my education, and my health.
Had God sent me to Bolivia to make me finally realize my ingratitude? Was there a way that I could use my ample blessings to bless those in the orphanage? And if so, how could I do anything effective when there were crises everywhere I looked in the orphanage?
Education Becomes the Focus
God sent me an answer, again using my friend Mara Fuller who came to Bolivia for a visit within my first two weeks at the Hogar.
I shared my desperation with Mara. Her advice was simple, wise, and signature Mara: “You can’t do everything, so pick your battles.”
And so I did. The two biggest challenges I saw in Bolivia centered on health and education. I knew nothing about medicine, but I had received an exceptional education, thanks to my parents who always made education a number one priority. Education became my battle to take on. I quickly began teaching kindergarten in the Hogar in the mornings, and tutoring the grade school and high school kids in the afternoons and at night.
A month passed in a flash. I was just getting started. I cannot go back to the US just yet, I told myself. I will stay just another month. And then it was just one more month. And then another and another and another…
Teaching in a Rural School 2002 - 2006
After staying in Bolivia for a full year, I guess I had what you would call a spiritual awakening. There were near catastrophes happening everywhere around me, and yet I felt that my soul was finally in my work. While constantly asking God for guidance and strength, I found myself jumping out of bed every day excited to get started at whatever came my way.
During that first year in Bolivia, I had also met some Americans working for the Salesian Missions. These missionaries were all teaching at a school in rural Bolivia in a town called Okinawa. It is named that due to some of the early Japanese settlers who came to Bolivia after WWII.
The next thing I knew, I was signing up to join the Salesians and teach in that same rural school! It would just be one year of teaching, I told myself. Then I would go back to the US and practice law again. . .
I ended up teaching at the rural school for 4 years while continuing to help out in several orphanages. It was crazy, but I loved it.
The Heart of the Problem
My experiences at the school made me realize just how challenging it was for young Bolivians in the rural areas and orphanages to actually obtain an education. Whether it was a lack of school supplies, a lack money for fees, a lack of transportation, or a lack of tutors for students needing extra help, students were always falling drastically behind or even dropping out of school altogether. I worked hard to help as many kids as possible graduate from high school, only to then learn what fate awaited them: no chance for further education or even a job that paid a living wage.
I saw all this and wanted to change things, but how? I prayed for guidance.
With God, all things truly are possible. . .
2004
Mission Keep the Faith is Born
Tim Farris grew up a poor farm boy in Oklahoma. He never was much for school, but the Navy did intrigue him. He signed up, studied electrical engineering, graduated, and went on to become an incredibly successful but always humble tech entrepreneur.
Tim had heard about the needs in Bolivia through his church, and decided to take a trip there to see how he could help.
In 2004, Tim’s path crossed with mine. Little did I know how much my life was about to change again. Tim’s mantra was “helping others help themselves.” He shared my desire to help young Bolivians help themselves through education. Tim generously offered to rent a house near the state university if I could find girls who wanted to go to university but could not afford to do so. It took me less than 2 days to fill up that house with girls from rural schools and orphanages!
With the help of Tim and friends and family from the US, we quickly furnished the house and, most importantly, got the girls enrolled in university.
And just like that, Mission Keep the Faith (“KTF”) was born!
Casa Nuevo Horizonte Begins
The students named the house Casa Nuevo Horizonte (“House of New Horizon”) because for them, it did indeed provide a whole new outlook for their lives. Students in the home were provided with tuition, food, room, materials, tutors, transportation, and anything else needed to help them succeed in university.
With a house full of university girls, I quickly had to come up with systems and procedures in the home and had to learn to maneuver the Bolivian education system and everything else in between! Fortunately, the girls were an exceptional help. We all learned together how to run a house, and maintained a sense of humor and lots of faith in God in the process. Most wonderfully of all, we formed bonds that, to this day, feel just like a family.
2005
Proyecto Oportunidad Begins
The mission home filled up, but there were still so many more kids from rural areas and orphanages begging for the chance to study.
Thanks to the generosity of Brian and Mary Ann Ruby and Len and Raegan Ruby of Canada, we began a new program called Proyecto Oportunidad (“Project Opportunity”). The initial objective of this program was to provide students who lived outside of Casa Nuevo Horizonte with essentially the same benefits received in the home. The students in Proyecto Oportunidad began receiving a monthly stipend to cover all of their expenses while they went to university and lived with a nearby relative.
2006
Colum McCarthy and Company in the House!
An Irish whirlwind of love and laughter with a heart as big as Ireland itself arrived in Bolivia when Colum McCarthy of County Cork Ireland came for one of several visits to Bolivia. Colum had been a great friend of my family for many years. Colum not only left an unforgettable impression on Bolivians with his hilarious humor and antics, he also single-handedly changed the history of the home for the better by bringing so many more people into our growing KTF family, including Tom Ferguson and Jack Heidman of American Airlines, Ralph Skinner formerly of United Airlines, and Marilyn Field Marsham, a former lawyer from Canada.
Captain Tom Ferguson of American Airlines in particular became a regular at the Mission home. Bolivia was one of his assigned travel routes for American. When Colum first came to Bolivia, he flew on American Airlines. And in typical Colum form, he not only met the guy flying the plane (Tom Ferguson), but he also became fast friends with him.
Tom soon became the foster dad to all of our girls. Every time Tom flew to Bolivia, he would bring much needed supplies for the house and for local hospitals. Tom also helped us put more money towards education by repeatedly covering my annual flight home to the US to see my family and friends. To this day, Tom and his wife Bridget remain some of my dearest friends.
Colum McCarthy went to heaven in 2020, but his legacy in Bolivia lives on in so many ways. For one, he helped one of our girls Patricia go to Ireland to study English. There Patricia fell in love, got married to a wonderful Irishman, and recently gave birth to the most beautiful Bolivian/Irish baby! Colum also paid the tuitions of many students in Bolivia. He was especially interested in helping the girls at the Hogar, and would repeatedly call me to ask how they were doing, always remembering each one by name.
To honor Colum, we are setting up a scholarship in his name. The first recipient is a young girl who captured Colum’s heart: Maria Deysi from the Hogar. I first met Maria Deysi when she was living on the streets with her mom while Maria was still just a baby. At Maria’s mom’s request, I brought Maria to the Hogar, and the sisters lovingly took her in.
Maria Deysi has lived at the Hogar ever since, and is now ready to begin university. She will have a full scholarship to attend university, courtesy of KTF in Colum’s honor.
As a special bonus while Maria attends university, she will also have a fun loving Irish angel watching over her every step of the way!
2007
Karen and Julio Justiniano Join the KTF Family
Many milestones in this year!
First, we managed to purchase the home we had been renting up to that point. That purchase was the most difficult real estate transaction that I had ever done -- even considering that I had at one time practiced commercial real estate law for one of the largest law firms in the world! See me for details. . .
Second, Karen and Julio Justiniano Ortiz entered our lives. Karen and Julio are sister and brother, and were 7 and 5 years old respectively when they entered Casa Nuevo Horizonte. Their parents had pretty much abandoned them, and they had never been to school.
It was not part of the original plan to have young kids in the home, but the KTF emphasis on using our talents to serve others took precedence. The university girls immediately began tutoring Karen and Julio, and I got them enrolled in school.
Most importantly, we all showered Karen and Julio with lots of love and care. They quickly became an important part of the KTF family. And I became Karen and Julio’s godmother and legal guardian. Their presence in my life will always be one my greatest blessings.
2008
Our First University Graduate
We had our first university graduate when Zulma Condori graduated in Medicine! Zulma grew up in rural Bolivia, she was the first in her family to finish high school, and obviously, the first in her family to go to university.
She is now Dr. Zulma Condori. She practices medicine near the rural village she grew up in, running the local medical clinic.
We could not be prouder of Zulma and all that she overcame to become not just a doctor, but one who serves those most in need.
2009
Carmen Galindo Ledezma Joins the KTF Team
Things were going well for KTF, but with so much going on, I was really praying hard that God would send me someone to help me run Casa and Proyecto Oportunidad. Again, God came through. In 2009, Carmen Galindo Ledezma showed up at the home saying she felt called to come work with us. Carmen is Bolivian and grew up in rural Bolivia. I had first met Carmen when she single-handedly turned around an orphanage that, prior to Carmen’s arrival, was one of the worst orphanages I had ever seen in Bolivia. I immediately hired Carmen as General Coordinator and she holds that title to this day. Carmen has a masters in psychology and has done extensive postgraduate work in psychology and social work; she has a true servant heart; and she is one of the most organized and motivated people I have ever met.
I thank God for Carmen every day and truly consider her to be my sister from another mother!
2009 - 2024
Successes, Challenges, and Keeping the Faith
All of our programs continue to grow and grow!
Students in Casa and Proyecto Oportunidad continue to graduate and get good-paying jobs, including in law, medicine, nursing, business, psychology, teaching, engineering, and agriculture. A welcomed bonus has been that I now have my own pool of professionals in Bolivia to help out KTF whenever a need for professional expertise arises!
As graduates leave Casa Nuevo Horizonte to live on their own, new students come into the home.
As graduates in the Proyecto Oportunidad leave the program to live on their own, new students are admitted.
Some of our graduates are now not just professionals, but also wives and husbands, and moms and dads. And do they ever make education a priority for their children! It is pure joy to see our KTF family continue to grow, and the positive ripple effects of the education and love that our graduates received.
Truly, mission accomplished!
Over time, Proyecto Oportunidad has expanded well beyond the initial exterior scholarship program. It now also includes helping grade school and high school students stay in school by providing needed assistance like paying for books, tuitions, and tutors.
Proyecto Oportunidad also took on extensive outreach for rural families and orphanages. This assistance has included everything from paying for emergency medical care to buying needed vehicles for schools and orphanages.
We fundraise all year long, but especially at Christmas. I send out Christmas cards often hand made by the girls and we all pray that God will move hearts to help us continue our work.
Just like a regular family, the Christmas card always includes a letter relating what has been happening in the KTF Family during the year.
Heaven sent family and friends keep the faith every year by generously donating both at Christmas and at other times throughout the year.
We have also been especially blessed by Michael and Sharon Mulroy who have led efforts, including opening their home, to two phenomenal KTF fundraisers in 2009 and 2014.
Some years we definitely fell on tough times. But just when I thought there was no way we were going to make it, a check would show up that saw us through. Our KTF Family includes persons in Canada, Ireland, Europe, and the US. We are all part of this mission and I thank God for our generous donors every day.
2013 Living in the US and Bolivia
In 2013, I began to live in the US on a more permanent basis.
I earned a masters in Education from Northwestern University in hopes that I could better understand how to improve the quality of education in Bolivia and beyond.
I travel to Bolivia for a month at least every summer, bringing as many resources as I can.
I am in daily contact with the house, current students, and graduates from KTF via Whatsapp or Zoom.
The Road Ahead…
There are so many more Bolivian kids to help break free from generations of poverty. It will be my life’s mission to help as many of them as possible through education and love — and always with abundant faith in God and gratitude for His blessings.
