- Thread starter kemaris
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Cabarete - School Donations
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Thank you for taking this initiative, the school at the entrada El Choco in Cabarete is always in need of supplies, they also receive aid from the DREAM project. See also my PM too you.
MD
MD
Hey, I am helping a small church and we started a small 'school' in the Sosua area. If you want to see the photos visit here...http://www.pbase.com/jamesfriesen
Or pm me if you want to. I will be there July as well.
Or pm me if you want to. I will be there July as well.
The DR hosts more than 3.5 MILLION tourists annually...
If just a tiny percentage of those visitors visit local schools...
Envision this...
- Two tourists per day take it on themselves to visit a particular local school.
- Each visit takes only ten minutes.
When you do the math - this costs the school children 20 minutes per day or 100 minutes per week or approximately 4000 minutes per 40 week school year. Well intentioned tourists have just cost each of 20 - 40 children somewhere between one and two WEEKS of class time - time that they can ill afford to lose.
Please ask yourselves:
Is it more important that I get to directly see the benefits of my donation(s) or is it more important to keep the children at their studies?
This is why Beyond the Beach discourages direct contact between well intentioned, generous tourists and the local recipients of this generosity. In addition this has the side benefit of minimizing any possibility of bad feelings due to wide disparities between locals and tourists. Local parents don't need inquiring children to ask why tourists have so much and we have so little.
Please seek out local charities and local contacts who can distribute your gifts from the heart at the most appropriate times so as to provide the least possible disruption. I and others can help point you in the right direction or you can find groups of your own preference.
In Cabarete I recommend the DREAM Project. From Villa Taina at the west end of Cabarete walk across the street, head toward Banco Progreso, follow the alley back to the last office on the right and that's where you'll find them. Their normal office hours are 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thanks for thinking of the kids.
Gregg
If just a tiny percentage of those visitors visit local schools...
Envision this...
- Two tourists per day take it on themselves to visit a particular local school.
- Each visit takes only ten minutes.
When you do the math - this costs the school children 20 minutes per day or 100 minutes per week or approximately 4000 minutes per 40 week school year. Well intentioned tourists have just cost each of 20 - 40 children somewhere between one and two WEEKS of class time - time that they can ill afford to lose.
Please ask yourselves:
Is it more important that I get to directly see the benefits of my donation(s) or is it more important to keep the children at their studies?
This is why Beyond the Beach discourages direct contact between well intentioned, generous tourists and the local recipients of this generosity. In addition this has the side benefit of minimizing any possibility of bad feelings due to wide disparities between locals and tourists. Local parents don't need inquiring children to ask why tourists have so much and we have so little.
Please seek out local charities and local contacts who can distribute your gifts from the heart at the most appropriate times so as to provide the least possible disruption. I and others can help point you in the right direction or you can find groups of your own preference.
In Cabarete I recommend the DREAM Project. From Villa Taina at the west end of Cabarete walk across the street, head toward Banco Progreso, follow the alley back to the last office on the right and that's where you'll find them. Their normal office hours are 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thanks for thinking of the kids.
Gregg
Gregg, I agree with you completely. This is perhaps not the subject of this thread, but what about an annual 'open day'? Too much work? Too much money? or a good idea?
FireGuy said:When you do the math - this costs the school children 20 minutes per day or 100 minutes per week or approximately 4000 minutes per 40 week school year. Well intentioned tourists have just cost each of 20 - 40 children somewhere between one and two WEEKS of class time - time that they can ill afford to lose.
Not only that, but donations end up favouring schools in resort areas, which are arguably less in need anyway because of the benefits of the tourist industry to the local economy, while less prosperous areas in other parts of the country that don't receive so much tourism are neglected.
I really hope DREAM and Beyond the Beach bear this in mind as well when distributing donations.
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