Juan Bosch and Junot Diaz step aside then here comes...

J D Sauser

Silver
Nov 20, 2004
2,940
390
83
www.hispanosuizainvest.com
Well, B I G title, I know.
But then, some of you may remember the thread about an 8 year old local girl which had never been sent to school and her hard time only getting accepted by a decent school. http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/74902-can-anyone-help-me-help-kid-sorry-l-o-n-g-post.html

From the girl which was deemed to have little chance, Melani has progressed quite a bit as I posted months ago.
Also her not really half sister, at who's home she lives, has progressed a lot.
All the progress has much the fact that they now BOTH go to school, the same school and the same grade... 1st grade, and also that I signed them both up for after school "home work" classes. We all were quite satisfied.

But what I had the privilege to be invited to, I was not really yet prepared for:

Monday, two days ago, I was to assist to the distribution of prices for the best readers contest at the school.

When "my" class came up, first a boy got #3, then, to my great surprise Nicol, Melani's not really half sister made #2 and got a certificate...
But then, they called... well, by now will have guessed it, yes, the girl which couldn't even draw a single letter less than one year ago... she had made #1 and received her medal!

melanimedalladorso.jpg



2yll4zl.jpg


When the ceremony was over, Melani waved for me to approach her. When I stood in front of her she asked me to bend down to her, like she was going to tell me some secret. As I did, she took her medal off her neck and hung it around my head, like a lei, saying: "Davi, llevalo TU pa' TU casa!"

I certainly was the proudest "parent" leaving the school that day and I just finished framing the medal.


Few times, one has the privilege to come across a winner, but this time, I picked TWO!
11kjn11.jpg



... J-D.
 

BushBaby

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
3,829
329
0
79
www.casabush.org
Now THAT brought tears of happiness to my eyes.

Well DONE J-D, may more power go to your elbow (or any other part that you think needs it!). Would that we ALL could/would make such a contribution to this adopted homeland of ours & produce a couple of 'winners' like you have done.

Our SINCERE congrats to Melanie & Nicol too please. ~ Grahame.
 

whirleybird

Silver
Feb 27, 2006
3,264
322
83
Well, B I G title, I know.
But then, some of you may remember the thread about an 8 year old local girl which had never been sent to school and her hard time only getting accepted by a decent school. http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/74902-can-anyone-help-me-help-kid-sorry-l-o-n-g-post.html

From the girl which was deemed to have little chance, Melani has progressed quite a bit as I posted months ago.
Also her not really half sister, at who's home she lives, has progressed a lot.
All the progress has much the fact that they now BOTH go to school, the same school and the same grade... 1st grade, and also that I signed them both up for after school "home work" classes. We all were quite satisfied.

But what I had the privilege to be invited to, I was not really yet prepared for:

Monday, two days ago, I was to assist to the distribution of prices for the best readers contest at the school.

When "my" class came up, first a boy got #3, then, to my great surprise Nicol, Melani's not really half sister made #2 and got a certificate...
But then, they called... well, by now will have guessed it, yes, the girl which couldn't even draw a single letter less than one year ago... she had made #1 and received her medal!

melanimedalladorso.jpg



2yll4zl.jpg


When the ceremony was over, Melani waved for me to approach her. When I stood in front of her she asked me to bend down to her, like she was going to tell me some secret. As I did, she took her medal off her neck and hung it around my head, like a lei, saying: "Davi, llevalo TU pa' TU casa!"

I certainly was the proudest "parent" leaving the school that day and I just finished framing the medal.


Few times, one has the privilege to come across a winner, but this time, I picked TWO!
11kjn11.jpg



... J-D.

A little piece of magic took place here for everyone I think
 

Thandie

Bronze
Nov 27, 2007
694
80
0
CONGRATS Melani and Nicol!
JD you made my day. Tears of joy here too! Thanks for sharing the good news and keeping us updated on her 'excellent' progress! All within only 1 year, a miracle. I wish the school that would not accept her becasue they thought girls like her couldnt succeed would see this too! Imagine if the government invested in the education of all Dominican children, like you did with these 2 little girls!

Thank goodness for the foriegn men like you, who contribute in a positive way, to the lives of the less fortunate females on this island. Much respect!
 

margaret

Bronze
Aug 9, 2006
1,222
99
48
Felicidades Melani y Nicol! Well done!

<i><font size="4" color="#FF0000">Felicidades </font><font size="4">
<font color="#0000FF">Melani </font><font color="#FF0000">y</font> </font><font size="4" color="#0000FF">Nicol!</font></i>

Way to go JD!
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Heartwarming and inspiring! Look forward to reading about their university graduation one day in the future.
 

Alyonka

Silver
Jun 3, 2006
2,757
155
0
This is great! Good job! Congratulations!

Do they have any hobbies or favorite after school activities? I love watching kids learning things everywhere, not just in school.
 

Mr. Lu

Bronze
Mar 26, 2007
1,091
88
0
It's a great story. Good to hear positive things like this on DR1. Who knows what the future holds. Keep us posted!!



Mr. Lu
 

bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
32,503
5,932
113
dr1.com
It warms the heart to hear this. I hope their future is filled with the joy of learning, part of the journey out of poverty.
 

J D Sauser

Silver
Nov 20, 2004
2,940
390
83
www.hispanosuizainvest.com
Thanks to all for your encouraging compliments. Yep, I am proud! You better believe it! I'll show Melani your posts Saturday... I bet, that even though her English is less than basic, she will get a kick out of that.
Melani has grown in every aspect. A year ago she was that little lost girl, self convinced that she was nobody. Now, she is starting to develop some self confidence and also pride. She dresses better, takes better care of herself and her things and enjoys my attention quite a great deal.

CONGRATS Melani and Nicol!
... I wish the school that would not accept her because they thought girls like her couldnt succeed would see this too! Imagine if the government invested in the education of all Dominican children, like you did with these 2 little girls!


Thanks Thandie.
Actually, the first school which initially denied Melani her opportunity, gave in after they got a wave of e-mail and parents (especially ONE) who had students there helped convince the director.
The director's concern was not so much Melani, but the "family" where she lives at. Actually, he was right in suspecting that that "family" or lack of a real caring family would bring Melani's effort to a fall. Sure enough, after about 10 days there, I found that Melani was on her own. The "family's" doughter, Nicol went to an afternoon school and since nobody in that family has a formal job... most everybody spends the better part of the morning sleeping. I would find Melani dressing and scrambling for something to call breakfast ALONE... and sometimes, even thou ready, she would not find the key to get out.
That's when I decided I had to put her into the same school. Actually, this turned out to be a great choice of school and once we got Melani up to speed about a year ago, so that they would accept her into 1st grade... we were on the right track.



Great work!! Do they know what they want to be when they grow up?

Nicol decided on becoming a lawyer. Actually, although early, I think she has the right stuff for it. She has a huge vocabulary, can express herself quite convincingly and has some "umpf"... you know, some fire.

Melani well, she only now starts to realize that she may become somebody. At first, she told me she would clean homes, later that she would become a salonera (a beauty shop owner... the Chopo dream). Most recently however, she has surprised me with ushering interest in dentistery.

This is great! Good job! Congratulations!

Do they have any hobbies or favorite after school activities? I love watching kids learning things everywhere, not just in school.

Hobbies is the one thing that is missing in youths nowadays, and not only here. When I was a kid, there were those which did sports, but really did it, others which build stuff (I did model air planes) or others who plaid music. Nowadays... besides stupid computer games... there is not much left. I have completed a few little projects with them. Like building a wall lamp made out of shells they collected on the beaches. They are not very patient and loose concentration very quickly... but we DO things... I am a builder and consider myself a creative mind so, we build things.

I play pedal steel guitar at home. It has not really triggered interest. They listen and when I play with tracks, they are amazed when it sounds good. Not that I want to get them into steel guitar, but I thought it may trigger their interest for music and I could maybe some day have a key board or guitar player.
They are so used to medicricy and projects fizzling out... they can't believe when they see something one made or does which works. Melani, is picking up more of "our" culture. There are so many things I see her do, which I have not asked her to do... just by watching me... like a few days ago I saw that unlike more or less 99.919876% of her fellow countrymen (& women) would never do, she squeezed that big 2.6 liter plasic Kola Real bottle flat and put the cap back on befor tossing it into the trash bin so that the bin would not be full at once just with only that item in it. It's like unlike her peers, she has an ability to see why "we" have it better and has decided to take that route.
Obviously it's tough for both. They spend most week ends at my house and, while they enjoy it, it is an intense submersion into a world of doing things differently. Then it's back to the barrio, tiguere "siblings", hords of hopless cousins and sloppy adults who all think "we" are tontos and try to justify their lazy and sloppyness with upside down "arguments".

Would you believe Melani's mother, which lives in Sousa didn't even call her after she heard about her winning the contest?
As I said above, the Hess school directer was right, the biggest obstacles I have faced again and again this whole year, was the adults.


Thanks! ... J-D.
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
9,478
410
0
80
www.ginniebedggood.com
Would you believe Melani's mother, which lives in Sousa didn't even call her after she heard about her winning the contest?

Unforgiveable. But then mother had already decided she wouldn't/couldn't bring up Melani. Very sad for Melani, but with her new found confidence, maybe enough to encourage her to be rightfully angry about this & then convert that anger into even more achievement. (You might need to fudge the translation of this when you show her, but if you want it, it opens an avenue for her to express that sadness).

Melani, Felicidades :) y Nicol tambien
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
2,195
113
Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
that's the best i read on the bord tis year so far.
hey,
J.D.,
you are completely WRONG!!!
you wrote there've been 2 winners,
but i see 3!!! of 'em.
don't cut yourself out, buddy.
you feel yourself more winner on it than anybody else and what?
you DESERVE IT to feel so.
heck,
that's just the top notice that they made it,
it would be even enough to start with "good rankings",
but no, they made the top spots.
and "they" means the "3 of ya".
ever thought about bringing your Gals to the eastern for beach weekend??
if such crosses your mind you know how to contact the fisherman.
don't worry, fishing will not be the subject of the Gal's weekend,
and i have plenty of space here on the beach.
congrats and go on with what you're doing,
b/c it's the right thing
Mike
 

bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
32,503
5,932
113
dr1.com
Something I've found many little girls are quite good at and enjoy is table tennis(ping-pong). Art if they are creative. JD is is a great thing you are doing, showing them that positive male influence.