Sponsored children in Dominican Republic
20/11/2007
Newsletter extracts from SOS Children Dominican Republic:
Once again in this 2006 year we kindly welcome you dear Sponsors, SOS friends, those who has been following our SOS Program of the Dominican Republic. We are so excited for the work carried out this year in behalf of these wonderful children whose once future seemed so uncertain but thanks to your disinterested help and human touch it has been possible to create them a new Project of Life, full of progress and integral development.
We can define this 2006 as a key year in the expansion of SOS Children in our world, allowing us to continue presenting the SOS proposal as a feasible solution to our children, but also to the society through community projects and that of social development programs.
Our country has been crossing for very remarkable changes strikes that range from the socio political to the simple daily routine of its inhabitants due to the vision of progress in all the way of this meaning brought by the current government, for example one of these aspects that permeates all is the construction of the first Subway of the Dominican Republic, which has generated different opinions and topics and varied controversies. Other area that has suffered changes is our financial and economic aspect due to the treaties and free trade pacts which has given variations as a result in our currency and the rise of the basic prices of many consumer products; the problem of the electricity continues affecting the quality of life of the Dominican Republic but Dominicans has a wonderful gift: we always smile, sing and dance all the time. New children have entered in the three villages of our country, many of them as soon they enter they start school and they are integrated to Village life in an easy way, as it is it the case of Sandra from house 13 who soon after arriving to the Village she occupied her bed and proudly showed to everybody, just like saying that’s her room and her bed!
Our Medical Dispensary prescribes continuously contributing its services of Dentistry, Gynecology, General Medicine and sale of cheap medicines at popular prices as much to the community as to the SOS children, mothers and collaborators and adolescents of our three SOS Children's Villages. This year the SOS Secondary School has been concentrating on extracurricular activities and students exchanges with other educational institutions and inviting other schools or organisations to to interact with our students, as it is it the case of the Catholic Church who has had as main goal this year to instruct our students in a nice integral way with emphasis in Family Strength and Spiritual Faith.
We feel very proud due to the selection of two of our youths to carry out high school in the United World College (UWC) in Costa Rica: Johanna and María both from Los Jardines SOS Village, both were selected due to their high academic degrees and excellent behavior and most of all commitment towards their SOS Villages. The young Yunis continues making success in his recently won scholarship program to study in the city of Mexico the career of Mecatronic his GPA is above 90. In the local scene 30 youths from our 4 SOS Youth Communities are making varied courses of Painting, English, Handiworks, Commercial, Computer science, Protocol, Cooks, among others
On summer, our children and adolescents used it for taking a nice vacation after a hard school months so they use it to render a visit to their biological family/relative, we had an important celebration as it is The International Woman's Day where three of our youths expressed all their talent for singing: Johana and Wendy who wants to be a famous Singer and Johana who wants to be but a Christian Singer.
We Recently launched the new Community Center in the periphery of the Sector of Los Mina, one of poorest area of the Dominican Republic, which purpose is to help and to offer so much to these communities near helps of the type of social development to the children and girls of these places and also instruct families like parents therefore teaching them new ways to be self-sufficient and to give them tools so their creativity is boosted up so it helps them to solve their economic problems and also learn how to live well and reinforce their family lives.
Because of this many of them have expressed their happiness and satisfaction for this program as it is it the case of José Esteban who before this center was settled down, he had problems of alcoholism but now he says that he at last has a Life Purpose for he feels useful to the world at last, this way he contributes helping us with his time when possible. At the moment there are two centers.
We take advantage of this moment to wish you and yours a very Happy 2006 Christmas, we hope next year is one full with positive and beautiful experiences. Christmas means for our children, girls and young people: Family union and mainly understanding and a lot of love to share besides gifts. It is a time where our departees (ex-SOS villagers) returns to share with that wonderful human being who once offered her heart and part of her life: their SOS mamma, in this date these absent siblings meet all once again, most of them with their own progeny already, and the gifts are made out to order of the day, since each and every one of them shows in that way its gratefulness besides sharing with the other children and girls in family union.
Please receive a Merry Christmas in the name of all our children, girls and adolescents of SOS Children Village of the Dominican Republic. We thank you for your help!
Sincerely,
Josefina Delgado Abreu
Directora Nacional
Relevant Countries: Dominican Republic.