And all I'm saying is DONATE or DON'T DONATE. Ken has stated that the lady was born and raised in Sosua, prominent family, knows the officials, whether or not the kids have a RIGHT to go to the public school,does not matter. They have decided to start another school and are asking for assistance from those who want to help. His thread was not started to dispute the fact of whether they are able to go to school wherever, it was started to solicit assistance.
Thank you for your information Minerva and Matilda, now we can make up our own minds.....
Back to topic.........
SHALENA
It does matter, seeing as how the justification for opening the school and soliciting funds was for that very reason. Now there is a river that has to be forded? In any case, I suppose the moderator is who decides the relevancy of my comments.
“Charitable” causes are not untouchable in terms of asking for transparency. It’s perfectly acceptable, and people with quality solicitations should be able to respond with pertinent information without getting defensive. People have the right to understand what they are supporting…the goals of the project, who is running it, the justification…all stated objectively and factually.
Everyone has motivations for supporting charitable causes; ministers here are frequently politicians in disguise and run their church like a business, making quite a profit. Even when they are good, their course of action is not always in the best interest of the people they are seeking to “help”. The former is my opinion of this initiative. Native or not, well-known, well connected or not.
I believe that both you and Minerva are incorrect in saying the children can attend public school without a birth Certificate. Without being registered they simply do not exist in the governments eyes. In fact, not allowing them to attend school is one of the governments ways to force the parents to register their children.
I know many, many children attending schools who are not registered. Busloads of undocumented children travel from bateys to schools in nearby communities every day. After all, the law 136-03 does state:
CAP?TULO V
DEL DERECHO A LA EDUCACI?N
P?rrafo II.- En ning?n caso podr? negarse la educaci?n a los ni?os, ni?as y adolescentes alegando razones como: la ausencia de los padres, representantes oresponsables, la carencia de documentos de identidad o recursos econ?micos o cualquier otra causa que vulnere sus derechos.”
Art. 47.- RESPONSABILIDADES DEL DIRECTOR DE UN CENTRO
EDUCATIVO. El director de una escuela, colegio, centro educativo o cualquier entidad educativa, despu?s de dos ausencias o deserci?n del centro educativo de un ni?o, ni?a o adolescentes tiene la obligaci?n de dirigirse a los padres, madres o responsables para establecer las causas de las ausencias o deserci?n, y en caso de que las mismas no sean satisfactorias, dicho director exigir? al padre, madre o responsable que proceda a enviar al ni?o, ni?a o adolescente al centro educativo. De todo lo anterior se dejar? constancia escrita. Si el padre, madre o responsable no cumple con dicha exigencia, el director apoderar? al Consejo Nacional para la Ni?ez y Adolescencia (CONANI) a fin de que se adopten las medidas pertinentes.
P?rrafo II.- Todas las personas tienen el deber de comunicar al Consejo Nacional para la Ni?ez y la Adolescencia (CONANI), por cualquier medio, la presencia de ni?os, ni?as o adolescentes desvinculados de la escuela, suministrando datos que permitan ubicarlos para su inserci?n en una escuela p?blica o privada.
[Eureka! Has anyone even bothered contacting CONANI?]
P?rrafo III.- Si el director de una escuela, colegio o centro educativo no cumple con las obligaciones establecidas en el art?culo anterior ser? sancionado con multa de uno a tres salarios m?nimos, por la sala penal del Tribunal de Ni?os, Ni?as y Adolescentes, sin detrimento de las sanciones disciplinarias que le impondr? la Secretar?a de Estado de Educaci?n, que puede ir desde la amonestaci?n verbal, por escrito, suspensi?n sin disfrute de sueldo y la destituci?n de su cargo.
For the love if God, some people have nothing better to do than try to damage ANY good that someone other than THEM is trying to do. Ken, I applaud what your acquaintance is doing and hope she will be able to keep up the good work.
I guess as a future Midwife, I should not help poor women in labor who everyday birth their babies without dignity in bateys, campos, or even bathrooms as they all have the right to go to the clinica.
Good grief...........
SHALENA
All I have done is offer constructive, factual information and suggestions based on my own knowledge and experience with this situation in the DR. My DR1 join date is not equivalent to the amount of time I have been living in the DR and I do not consider myself a “newbie” to this forum or to education problems in the DR. I have seen similar situations resolved using the same tactics that I have suggested in various communities in the Southwest.
That’s amazing that you have those skills to help women when you come across those situations. But would you propose setting up a sub-par “clinic” in a shack, which you would not always be present to supervise or have the $ and materials to guarantee that it stays open, in the same town with adequate medical facilities down the street, creating a dependency on you by locals, to solve the problem?
In any case, would love to see some pics of the "school", kids in class, crossing the river, the nearby public facilities, etc.
