True cost of school uniform?

mike l

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Sep 4, 2007
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On Sunday's I like to go to Cabarete and all of the shoe shine boys Know me and I always do something for them, but one guy said he could not attend school tomorrow unless he had a pair of pants.

He said the price was $RD 500 "and if I hear one negative comment I will never donate so much as a portion of a peso to anyone here ever again "

I gave it to him....funny story with this guy!

Bottom line is... what's the real story, I have heard it costs $60 bux for a year of school...so how much are the uniforms and how do I sponsor individuals to make sure they actually go to school?

Mike
 
On Sunday's I like to go to Cabarete and all of the shoe shine boys Know me and I always do something for them, but one guy said he could not attend school tomorrow unless he had a pair of pants.

He said the price was $RD 500 "and if I hear one negative comment I will never donate so much as a portion of a peso to anyone here ever again "

I gave it to him....funny story with this guy!

Bottom line is... what's the real story, I have heard it costs $60 bux for a year of school...so how much are the uniforms and how do I sponsor individuals to make sure they actually go to school?

Mike

Mike stop feeling sorry for the tigure he isn't going anyway. I hope I disuaded you
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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He probably got a bonus but a pair of uniform pants around 300 pesos and a shirt 150/200 pesos. You are talking about $15. Me, I would have went to the store with him, and bought the pants.
 
Stop feeling pity for these parasites!!! They arent going to school and will only rob you when they are old enough to take you on physically, Stop feeling pity for people that are working the streets in any form of work in a tourist area!! they are thugs for the most part,not all but most!!!!
 

jaguarbob

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Mar 2, 2004
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On Sunday's I like to go to Cabarete and all of the shoe shine boys Know me and I always do something for them, but one guy said he could not attend school tomorrow unless he had a pair of pants.

He said the price was $RD 500 "and if I hear one negative comment I will never donate so much as a portion of a peso to anyone here ever again "

I gave it to him....funny story with this guy!

Bottom line is... what's the real story, I have heard it costs $60 bux for a year of school...so how much are the uniforms and how do I sponsor individuals to make sure they actually go to school?

Mike

please stop giving to anyone on the street...especially shoe shine boys they are the worst....give to no one on the street,ever.....
bob
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Mike

Pants should be no more than RD300, I have paid RD250 and at some outlets in Santiago You can get them for RD200 for sure.

I agree with the other posters, quit giving them this amount of money, you are only teaching them to beg and they will grow up looking for ways to get easy money, and if not begging something worse.

I'm not saying don't give them anything, especially if they are poorly dressed and thin, but RD10 or so is enough. Remeber, Dominican culture requires people to give food to others who ask for it, especially kids whose parents don't always have enough food.
 

tish

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Mar 10, 2007
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On Sunday's I like to go to Cabarete and all of the shoe shine boys Know me and I always do something for them, but one guy said he could not attend school tomorrow unless he had a pair of pants.

He said the price was $RD 500 "and if I hear one negative comment I will never donate so much as a portion of a peso to anyone here ever again "

I gave it to him....funny story with this guy!

Bottom line is... what's the real story, I have heard it costs $60 bux for a year of school...so how much are the uniforms and how do I sponsor individuals to make sure they actually go to school?

Mike

$250 for trousers in La Sirena. They have loads of special this time of the year.
 

jrhartley

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Sep 10, 2008
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heres an idea - donate uniforms to the schools which they keep and give out to children that they know need them.
 

Black Dog

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May 29, 2009
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It's a tricky one this, I understand where the OP is coming from. We have 3 Haitian kids that we have known for about 5 years. They are now 16 years old. They were shoe shine boys when we met them and they come by the office most days and just sit and chat, sometimes have a coffee. I have helped them with their school work and sometimes with the cost of uniform etc. They bring me their school reports to see and now that they are earing money working with a tour operator by selling excursions, they actually refuse money if we offer it to them for their bus ride home etc. Not all these kids are crooks! There should be a better way to help provide school uniforms etc and if anyone has any good ideas I'd be interested!
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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It's a tricky one this, I understand where the OP is coming from. We have 3 Haitian kids that we have known for about 5 years. They are now 16 years old. They were shoe shine boys when we met them and they come by the office most days and just sit and chat, sometimes have a coffee. I have helped them with their school work and sometimes with the cost of uniform etc. They bring me their school reports to see and now that they are earing money working with a tour operator by selling excursions, they actually refuse money if we offer it to them for their bus ride home etc. Not all these kids are crooks! There should be a better way to help provide school uniforms etc and if anyone has any good ideas I'd be interested!

Maybe not, but the little lying tiguere that the OP gave RD500 pesos to has got a good start in that direction.

If you live here in the DR like I do, get to know the parents or the guardians of the kids if you want to help.
 

nsgirl

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Nov 4, 2008
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While I was in PP in July I took three girls ages 6,8 and 10, whose family I sponsor, shopping for uniforms and supplies. I bought each girl one skirt, two blouses, two socks, two underwear, an undershirt, shoes, bookbag, pencil case, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, sharpeners,erasers and a notebook. I may have left something out but that`s about it.I paid 3910.28 RD at Casa Nelson.
I also sponsor another family with three boys, one of whom is a shoeshine boy. He does go to school and I paid $40 for his uniform through the sponsor program. $40 supplies one bottom (pant ot skirt), two tops, socks, undershirt or bra, underwear, shoes, gym clothes, pencils and notebooks.
I had the chance to meet and work many of the shoeshine boys in the PP area and most of them are really great kids. They are simply trying to support their families just like you and I. One boy who I know quite well is 15 and is supporting his whole family as both of his parents have aids and are unwell.Many of these boys belong to a boys and girls club/ vocational program that tries to get them all in school and has been very successfull. Their parents are also required to help for them to be in the program.
 
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mike l

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Sep 4, 2007
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All good advise and the way to go seems to give things rather than cash. He is not a beggar as his job is to sell chicken empenadas.

He is a thief though as last year he was running from the politur after he stole a tourists cell phone and he came an hid under my table and I made him give the phone back but he did avoid jail even though he's only 8 years old
 
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J D Sauser

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Nov 20, 2004
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  • Pants RD$ 200 to 300
  • Skirts RD$ 180 to 300
  • NO-name Shirts / Polo Shirts RD$ 120 to 200
  • Name (School logo) Shirts / Polo Shirts RD$ 250 to 320 (the school get's a kick back)
  • Shoes RD$ 180 (useless) over around RD$ 500 (OK) to over 1000 &up (sometimes good, sometimes just about OK too).
  • Gym attire (blue gym pants and white shirt) RD$ 380 to 600.
  • Gym shoes RD$ 280 (pulga) to 400.
  • White socks Priceless :)


Keep in mind that poor families live in neighborhoods where they don't get water every day and may not have a Tinaco (plastic water tank - reservoir) and thus can not always wash cloths as needed. Same happens with the electric power (wash machine won't work without it). So they need at least TWO sets of pants/skirts and tops (Shirt or Polo), so that they can rotate clean clothes.

I set up "my" girls with 3 sets, so the "mother" can not argue that the lack of clean cloths was a good reason not to have sent them to school. I just spent about RD$ 2000 each to dress'em up (small stuff, like panties, the socks etc included, shirts school labeled and usable quality shoes).
Books and supplies another RD$ 6000 each. I am one of the few who sends them to school with everything they have on the list, also the community items like soap(s), towel(s) etc... which Dominican parents can't resist not buying in their urge to be smart and have their kids learn to just use what the others bring.
Decent schools will sell some kind of snack and drink for around RD$ 30 a pop/day during recess. Some parents will send their kids with something to snack along, and sometimes the just won't send their kids to school for a day or more, because there was no money to send them something along with and they don't want to be "ashamed" ("... me da cosa de mandarla asi sin na'!" Rather have'm miss school than in anyway appear poor). You can't give the parents the money, they will never have it left for their kids after the weekend or prefer to spend it on very, very important hair makeovers instead of what it was meant for.
School bus can run RD$ a couple of hundreds to 1700 / month depending on quality (reliability) and distance. They bill for 10 months.

Most kids of families with poor or nonexistent educational background WILL NEED to do be set up to do their home work at an after school class ("escuelita"). There are many, in most neighborhoods. They won't do it at home because nobody will ask them to, supervise them or be able to help them... maybe there is no clean table available either.


Most young kids here WILL WANT to go to school. Especially if it is a relatively good school where they don't get beaten up or face stupid "teachers".
The problem usually is the family, ranging from older already numbed siblings to their friendly but just as ignorant and compulsive stupid parents.
Many parents won't do anything toward their kids "free" education if there is not something in it for them too.
You want to do something successful, be prepared to face an almost full time job... mostly fighting the family.

But the basic thing to remember before you start is, that if you GIVE money, you just LOST money. The only thing that you will receive in return is twofold, repeated visits with new ideas on how to extort more money from you (as they lost it too) and you being labeled a Palomo.


... J-D.
 

tflea

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Impressive Post

Thanks JD.
Sounds like your have walked the walk, and not just talked the talk.
 

tflea

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Sosua Kids Chime In?

How about if someone chimes in from the Sosua Kids Foundation.
They are all about buying uniforms and supplies for disadvantaged kids.
Good work.
How about it? What do you guys pay at Casa Nelson for the clothes?
You were just gifted with about RD$90K pesos from a charity event.
How many uniforms and materials for how many kids does that buy?
Do JDSauser's estimates match what you guys pay?
 

J D Sauser

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Thanks JD.
Sounds like your have walked the walk, and not just talked the talk.

Thanks for the kind words, Ted. I'm still walking ;)

To summarize (in my case: Choice of school [New Life] and distances [La Union<->La Mulata]):


  • Clothing: USD 100.oo
  • Books & Supplies: USD 180.oo
  • Recess Snack: USD 240.oo
  • Transportation: USD 430.oo
  • After/Homework School: USD 230.oo
  • Excursions Money/Cost: USD 50.oo
  • Tuition (School): USD 750.oo

TOTAL / Year / Kid: about USD 2000.oo (or USD 170.oo / month).
PLUS a lot of TIME and gas driving back and forth to fix problems, etc.
Fringe benefits: Hugs, kisses and tears.

... J-D.
 
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Caz

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We took a little boy to a store in Gaspar Hernandez which has some great deals in school uniforms, and bought 2 pairs of long pants, belt, 3 shirts, shoes, 2 pairs socks, 2 underpants, 2 undershirts and a maths set - all for RD$1120. The backpack, books, pencils etc were given to him by someone else.
 

Black Dog

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How about if someone chimes in from the Sosua Kids Foundation.
They are all about buying uniforms and supplies for disadvantaged kids.
Good work.
How about it? What do you guys pay at Casa Nelson for the clothes?
You were just gifted with about RD$90K pesos from a charity event.
How many uniforms and materials for how many kids does that buy?
Do JDSauser's estimates match what you guys pay?

Good shout from tflea! It would be nice to have some detailed feedback from the events that people support!
 

FireGuy

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How about if someone chimes in from the Sosua Kids Foundation.
They are all about buying uniforms and supplies for disadvantaged kids.
Good work.
How about it? What do you guys pay at Casa Nelson for the clothes?
You were just gifted with about RD$90K pesos from a charity event.
How many uniforms and materials for how many kids does that buy?
Do JDSauser's estimates match what you guys pay?

Hi all,

While I am not associated with Sosua Kids (SK) I am part of Beyond The Beach and we are one of many supporters of Sosua Kids. The following information comes from Sosua Kids, today.

This year Sosua Kids will outfit more than 300 kids as well as a special group of 14 from another group which was helped by Sosua Kids. SK have a special arrangement with Casa Nelson (CN) in Puerto Plata whereby they deposit funds with CN from which only items on the SK list may be funded by chits provided to the kid's families by SK. CN provides SK with discounted prices and accounts for all sales by returning the individual and itemized chits to SK.

From a budgetary standpoint SK bases the outfitting of one child at $60US and this includes:
- 2 x pants or skirts
- underwear
- socks
- undershirts
- shirts
- 1 x pair shoes
- full school backpack

Any donations of backpacks and school supplies received from well-meaning tourists allows the outfitting of more children by making it unnecessary for some children to get these items via the chit system thereby freeing up funds for more kids.

I don't profess to have any specific answers but since SK don't generally participate in any online forums I thought I might get some information for the board, at least.

Gregg