George Leger uses these words, by the 13th century Sufi
mystic Rumi, to describe the call that transformed his
life. His summons came unexpectedly in the spring of
1993, when he picked up a newspaper and read the
tragic story of the life and death of Giovanni, a homeless
Guatemalan child. Giovanni had fled from an abusive
home to live on the dangerous streets of Guatemala City.
The police treated him with customary brutality; they
tortured him, murdered him and left his body in a field.

How often do we all hear of atrocities in far-off places,
places that seem to bear little relation to our own
comparatively secure lives? How often do we pause for a
moment with the feeling that something should be done,
then put the troubling events out of our minds and return
to our familiar round of daily activities?
This time, however, George felt compelled to leave his
comfortable life in New England to pursue a far less
certain path amid the crime and poverty of Guatemala
City.

George reflects, "If I didn't go down there, a part of me
would have died when I read that story. If, knowing what I
learned after reading Giovanni`s story I did not try to
respond, I would have lost faith in my own humanity.
For perhaps the first time in my life, I followed my heart,
listened to its call, trusting that it knew best."

In Guatemala City, George found large numbers of youth
who survived by begging and theft and slept on the
streets. Many were addicted to drugs. Many had
escaped violent homes, only to meet with more violence
from the police: beatings, torture, death.

"The level of despair among them was horrible," recalls
George. "It was palpable." George had intended to work
with an established aid organization, but soon realized
that, to accomplish his goals, he would need to work on
his own. Undaunted, he founded Only A Child in 1994.

George started simply by getting to know the children
in a small inner city park named Concordia. He spent
time with them daily, talking with them, listening to
their stories, providing them a true rarity in their lives
- the time and attention of a caring adult.

Eventually he formed a soccer team, to give them
something productive to do with their time.

Only A Child began as a simple outreach program,
going out into the childrens world. As such, it offered
them lifes most basic necessities: food, clothing,
medical care when they were sick, and most importantly,
love and affection.

Since that beginning, Only A Child has opened a
shelter and a carpentry shop. It also provides all of our
youngsters with the opportunity to return to school
to complete their education.