Sometimes, reading the dr1 message board, one is left with the impression- especially for the North Coast- that nothing goes on other than activity with bars, girls, police, and controversy. I thought it might be worthwhile to write this informational post to let you know what else takes place aside from all that.
I happen to manage a very small charity called Strength for the Journey. We are not a mission, although several churches and religious people take part, in addition to those who are of other faiths than Christianity and those not religious at all. We are made up of people from all over the world, including many here on the North Coast. Over the years, our group has taken on various local charity projects, including supporting an orphanage, helping children with medical conditions, driving HIV/AIDS patients to the clinic, providing food package to those in extreme poverty, and contributing support for small scale entrepreneurial projects.
Currently- and what I want to tell you about- we are involved with sending children back to school. Community leaders in Los Charimicos, Cangrejo, Sosua Abajo, Montellano, and the bateys behind Montellano have identified children in dire need. My group did a fund raising campaign with individuals or small groups of people together pledging funds to send a child to school, providing him/her with shoes, a uniform, a book bag, pens, pencils, and eraser, notebooks and paper. Three huge shopping trips took place, followed by hours of sorting clothing and shoe sizes and packing book bags.
Tomorrow, Monday, we will go on the final shopping trip and pack the last bunch of bags.
We are proud to report that, in all, our group with have supported 75 children in need with items necessary to attend school.
This project is successful because of many individuals, here and abroad, who generously gave their time and money to make the North Coast of the Dominican Republic better for all. When we provide a child with education, we are planting a seed for a world we will never see.
I happen to manage a very small charity called Strength for the Journey. We are not a mission, although several churches and religious people take part, in addition to those who are of other faiths than Christianity and those not religious at all. We are made up of people from all over the world, including many here on the North Coast. Over the years, our group has taken on various local charity projects, including supporting an orphanage, helping children with medical conditions, driving HIV/AIDS patients to the clinic, providing food package to those in extreme poverty, and contributing support for small scale entrepreneurial projects.
Currently- and what I want to tell you about- we are involved with sending children back to school. Community leaders in Los Charimicos, Cangrejo, Sosua Abajo, Montellano, and the bateys behind Montellano have identified children in dire need. My group did a fund raising campaign with individuals or small groups of people together pledging funds to send a child to school, providing him/her with shoes, a uniform, a book bag, pens, pencils, and eraser, notebooks and paper. Three huge shopping trips took place, followed by hours of sorting clothing and shoe sizes and packing book bags.
Tomorrow, Monday, we will go on the final shopping trip and pack the last bunch of bags.
We are proud to report that, in all, our group with have supported 75 children in need with items necessary to attend school.
This project is successful because of many individuals, here and abroad, who generously gave their time and money to make the North Coast of the Dominican Republic better for all. When we provide a child with education, we are planting a seed for a world we will never see.