- Thread starter Fireguy1
- Start date
Charity work in Sosua
Come see us at Strength for the Journey. We are located across from the heliport, above the Latino Market. We love our volunteers!
Lindsey
Lindsey
Casa Goethe in Sosua (near Playa Alicia) has wonderful classes. You can also work with private tutors. They are great. (Caveat: I used to teach English there so I am a little prejudiced.) When I first came to the DR equipped only with NYC subway Spanish, the tutors were great and got me launched. I need to go back to correct a lot of bad habits I've fallen into, and I recommend them highly.
I just brought down some kids stuff. They liked the carpenters' pencils a lot and the Spanish version of James and the Giant Peach. It's quite a thrill to give a kid their >first< book. I had a special sharpener for the pencil and had to explain to them what it was. Sidewalk chalk was also good and colored pencils. Many rural schools have blackboards but no chalk at all. Composition books are good, but HEAVY. Better to buy them once you get here.
Me? I'm starting a non-profit to form local associations of rural orphanages and schools so I can bundle fund raising in the US. I'm sitting on over a hundred pairs of kids clogs now trying to get them down to the DR. I brought down a bunch of socks this last trip, but I need to work out the logistics to get the shoes down without paying $40/case of 25 shoes. Each case is 18x18x16 and weighs about 20 pounds. I still have 100 pairs of socks to bring down too. I'll be working out of Hig?ey, which is an all day bus ride from Sosua..
Thanks, ctrob, for posting the link. Much has happened at Strength for the Journey since that link was posted.
We now offer 14 - 16 classes, including ballet, karate, art, English, board games, outdoor recreation, guitar, piano, iPad education, story hour, countries of the world, and we have a children's library (books in Spanish.)
Classes change, based on student interest, volunteer availability, and funds available for hired teachers. Classes take place in the after school hours (4:15 - 6:40) during the school year and in the mornings during the summer months. We typically enroll 80 ish children each session of classes, holding 4 sessions a year. All classes are free, as are the karate uniforms and ballet clothes.
The mission of Strength for the Journey is to break barriers and unlock potential of impoverished children by providing a safe environment to learn, grow, belong, and change their life's course. Our focus area is Sosua.
Next week, we are enrolling for the Fall session. We welcome volunteers and we love when people come to watch classes and see what we do. Feel free to stop by our center. The fun is infectious!
Lindsey
We now offer 14 - 16 classes, including ballet, karate, art, English, board games, outdoor recreation, guitar, piano, iPad education, story hour, countries of the world, and we have a children's library (books in Spanish.)
Classes change, based on student interest, volunteer availability, and funds available for hired teachers. Classes take place in the after school hours (4:15 - 6:40) during the school year and in the mornings during the summer months. We typically enroll 80 ish children each session of classes, holding 4 sessions a year. All classes are free, as are the karate uniforms and ballet clothes.
The mission of Strength for the Journey is to break barriers and unlock potential of impoverished children by providing a safe environment to learn, grow, belong, and change their life's course. Our focus area is Sosua.
Next week, we are enrolling for the Fall session. We welcome volunteers and we love when people come to watch classes and see what we do. Feel free to stop by our center. The fun is infectious!
Lindsey
For any other snowbirds arriving, Strength for the Journey will start a new session of classes in January. We love our volunteer teachers. In the past, volunteers taught art, board games, iPad education, Countries of the Words, outdoor recreation, English, and story hour. Each volunteer brings his/her own skill set and interests to the class he chooses to offer. The commitment is 45 minutes a week - not much- for about 10 - 12 weeks. And the rewards outweigh the personal investment.
Strength for the Journey is also considering holding a "Pot Luck" class if I can find enough volunteer teachers, each with a different interest/topic to each only one 45 minute class. Then, each week would be a different volunteer with a different topic. For example, one week could be yoga, another knot tying, another tumbling, another nutrition, another acting, etc., etc.
If you are interested, PM me with details. The learning center is currently closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, but will reopen on December 7. Classes are held Monday through Thursday 4:15 - 6:45.
Stop by and see the fun!
Lindsey
Strength for the Journey is also considering holding a "Pot Luck" class if I can find enough volunteer teachers, each with a different interest/topic to each only one 45 minute class. Then, each week would be a different volunteer with a different topic. For example, one week could be yoga, another knot tying, another tumbling, another nutrition, another acting, etc., etc.
If you are interested, PM me with details. The learning center is currently closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, but will reopen on December 7. Classes are held Monday through Thursday 4:15 - 6:45.
Stop by and see the fun!
Lindsey
Please let me know the name and location of any orphanages you come across in the Higuey area.
Thanks