Santa Rosa de Lima:
I went to visit the kids' new private school and was able to meet their friends and speak with their teachers and the Director. The school is beautiful! It is huge (three stories) and I'm guessing houses about 1000 students. As you know, Andrielis is in grade 9, Andy is in grade 6, and Yoandi is in grade 4. The school's science lab is equivilant to what I had in my high school. The Director and the teachers are fairly strict, which I think is great. You can tell they are firm with the kids, but love them and have a playful side as well. All the kids seemed well adjusted and happy. They have lots of friends and were excited to bring me around to meet everyone. The kids are mostly of middle and upper class. Being around them, instead of the other kids in their poor barrio, seems to be having a good influence on them.
The classrooms are very nice and there is no shortage of supplies, as you see in many Dominican schools. I was told, when the kids started here, that the school was one of the best in the city, but now having seen it, I am so glad that it worked out for them to go here and I can see that it really is of a much better quality. They are learning so much. You can see the change in the way they present themselves and in their confidence. Monday-Friday, all day, is about education, education, education. School, tutoring, and then home to study. They are being pushed really hard at school, and are thriving in the environment. This school is going to open so many doors for them.
Volunteering:
Every Friday at 3:00 Andy and Andrielis go to the hospital to volunteer with Voluntariado Jesus Con Los Niños. This organization has an office set up in the hospital and most volunteers come on Mondays or Thursdays- Andy and Andrielis are the only ones that go on Fridays. They go Friday at 3:00 and stay for about one hour. First, they check in at the office, where they put on their buttons saying they are with the group and collect face paint. Then, they go from room to room (there are 6 rooms in the Pediatric Ward), drawing hearts and other designs on the kids' faces, telling their parens that they hope they get better soon, holding the babies, etc. I went along with the kids during the Friday I was there, and I was just so, so proud of them. They were polite and confident in a way that is rare in most teenagers. They introduced me to everyone in the office. The first room has incubators for the tiniest babies where you can't touch them because they are so fragile, but in the other 5 rooms there are lots of beds, and maybe 5-8 kids per room, and their parents at their bedside. When we entered each room, Andrielis and Andy would announce that they are volunteers to play with the children. They went to every single bedside, asking how the child was doing, shaking hands with the parents, and when we left, saying that they hoped the child would feel better soon. This seemed to come really naturally to Andrielis, who is a super confident kid and wants very badly to be a nurse, however I was particularly pleasantly surprised with Andy. Most 17 year olds don't spend their Friday afternoons volunteering in a hospital. We never actually talked about him doing it with Andrielis, but he wanted to and began joining her. He plays with the kids and laughs a lot and seems to really enjoy his time. I could not be more pleased with how the volunteering is working out. Andrielis, who wants to be a nurse, is in a good environment to be learning a lot, but both of them are gaining confidence, communication skills, and they really are bringing a lot of smiles to the kids and to their parents. Amazing!!
Andy:
Andy is such a bright, funny kid. I have a special place for him in my heart, likely because things have always been the toughest for him. When their father took the kids from Sonia, he was the one who was forced to work on the streets, shining shoes in the capital. Sonia said he saw many "adult things" and that when he came back, he wasn't the same. I met with his teachers, as well as the psychologist who works at Santa Rosa de Lima. The psychologist says his IQ is quite low. He copies the work given, but doesn't understand it. He rips up his work he gets frustrated. He is averaging about 60% and if he doesn't pass his exams in 5 weeks, he can't return to the next year.
I won't write out the full back story, as you can read it on my personal blog post, Sosua Beach. Since that post, some advancements have been made. I have paid Caitlin, who runs Project Esperanza, to spend 2 hours with Andy next week, going over his school work and evaluating his strengths and weaknesses. Sonia and I went to Renacer and inquired about him getting services there. Renacer provides counselling and psychological help for kids with learning disabilities. They said to return with Andy's papers from the psychologist at school, so that is what Sonia is going to do. I am hopeful that Andy will pass his exams, and at that point we can look into a longer term solution for his academic struggles. In the meantime, Andy has committed to trying to work through the aggression and frustration that he struggles with, in order to study and pass his exams. I will keep the blog updated on his progress... please keep him in your thoughts/prayers as he so badly needs and wants this opportunity.
Home Life:
Most of my time during the trip was spent with the kids and their family. I have known them for many years, and especially after this trip have only the best things to say about them. One ex-pat that I met asked me, "What is special about this family? Why do you choose to support them?" There are so many reasons. I trust them. Sonia and Juan only want the best for their kids. We work in partnership and have a mutual respect. They never try to rip me off or get more money out of me than what is needed for school. In fact, even though they barely have any money, they insist on making me dinner, paying for my transportation, and just generally taking care of me. Even in the state of poverty they are in right now, they always try to support those struggling even more than them. Sonia bought medicine for a sick baby. Two children, whose mother couldn't care for them, lived in their house for 2 months until she got a job and could take them again. The neighbourhood kids flock to their house as it is such a secure and loving place.
Juan and Sonia are both currently unemployed, although there is a potential that they will be hired in the next few weeks to cook in a hotel. They don't always have food in their house. The three kids share a room and the boys share a single bed. Water often gets in through leaks and ruins their possessions. They have rats that have chewed through clothes. Things are not always easy for them, but they have said time and time again that they are confident that the Education Fund is going to provide a brighter future for the kids.
Tutoring:
Andrielis goes to Impact English school Monday-Thursday for 1 hour after school. We visited the classrooms and they are quite nice, and also provide adult classes, French classes, and Spanish classes. She showed me her notebooks which were really thorough and at a level that is more advanced than I had thought. Most of all, I could see her progress in her speaking. Andrielis never wanted to speak in Spanish with me. She wanted all english, all the time. It's not perfect, but her level is leaps and bounds higher than 2 years ago when I saw her last. She kept getting me to film videos of her speaking english "like a movie" and was always asking me how to say words she didn't know. She is really motivated to learn so this tutoring is perfect for her.
Andy and Yoandi go to Pablo's tutoring Monday-Friday. This is proving to be great for Yoandi. Sonia says that Pablo is very strict, which is good, as they are pushed hard and the extra effort is clear in Yoandi's marks. This is certainly helping Andy, but everyone involved thinks he needs an additional help on top of this, as his grades are still really struggling.
Thank You:
The kids filmed the following video with a message of gratitude for everyone who has supported the Education Fund in the past year.
Next Steps:
I am continuing to fundraise for next year's school tuition. I would like to have the full amount for all three kids in July. I am going forward assuming that Andy will be able to continue. If he isn't able to, this money will be saved for the other kids for the following year and/or put into a different program for Andy, such as the costs for the psychologist to work with him.
I need support, both through monthly and one-time donors. Currently I have raised $2130 of the necessary $3400 for all three kids. If you would like to become a monthly sponsor, please contact me at ncochrane3@hotmail.com Otherwise, if you would like to be a one-time donor, you can make the donation at the button below.
I desperately need to raise this money in the next three months, so please help by sharing this post on your blog or facebook. I am in need of monthly sponsors of:
1) Transportation- the kids' school and tutoring are not within walking distance and the family is currently paying out of pocket to ensure they get everywhere they need to go. This is a need of $20/month
2) Andrielis' tutoring- $10/month
3) Andy's tutoring- $25/month
4) Yoandi's tutoring- $25/month
Most importantly, thank you to everyone who has helped. The change in each of these kids brings tears to my eyes. They are thinking differently about their futures. They are surrounded by intelligent professionals who encourage them to be the best they can be. They are working hard and are so happy. Thank you for making this possible!
