Child sponsorship update from Los Mina (Santiago), Dominican Republic

Update for child sponsors from the SOS Children's Village Los Mina (Santiago), Dominican Republic from Winter 2008

Dear Friend,

Once again in this year we send the warmest greeting to you, friend and sponsor. Thanks to your generous aid and human heat has been possible to found a new project of life, plenty of improvement and integral impulse to them.

Some news respect to our country is that this year we obtained visits from the nature, several tropical storms and hurricanes passed near our island, leaving with their step, forts rains, wake of fallen trees as well as families who lost their houses, thanks to God our facilities remained intact and our children and adolescents safe.

The program of SOS Children’s Village, Los Minas consists of 17 houses inhabited by children and adolescents, being the population of 164 children and adolescents. Inside the program 161 children and adolescents attend to school, of who 25 are of baccalaureates, 17 of special school, 6 attend painting and art workshops, 8 to dance workshop, 63 to soccer practice , 4 to English workshop, 1 to factory mechanics and 5 to computer science. Also we have participated in activities as the national fair of the book. In summer, all the SOS homes went to the beach, 60 children were privileged to participate in a camp of summer with other institutions of the local church, where they shared with the community.

In the SOS Youth Facility there are at the moment 25 young people of who 9 of them are in different positions like cabinetmaker work, camera men, graphical designer, accounting assistant and assistants on watch. A group of young people already happened to comprise of which it is his independent life. In the SOS Youth Facility already are 5 young that are in process to enter the University to study careers like administration, accounting and engineering.

Building for a future

In this scholastic year we have formed two groups behind schedule to help to form the habit of study and homework’s, where one is not only going away to work the scholastic area but the formation of values of the people and also the religious values.

Eleven SOS mothers are elaborating their monograph to receive the Certificate of Educator Mother. In addition the school counts on 8 postulants in level 2, 10 in level 1 of the Curricula of Educator Mother. All the Monographs of SOS Mothers will be applied in the community. SOS mother Claudina, received recognition of the Friends Organisation of Lead Free Children the 23rd of February of 2008, in the City of New York, by its work in benefit of the children in condition of social risk. This SOS mother served as connection with this organisation that has become SOS Friends and regularly donates technological equipment for our schools. Six of our SOS mothers with more than 10 years of uninterrupted work received their SOS rings.

Within the maintenance area three ceilings of three SOS houses were repaired from filtrations; we bought furniture’s for 7 SOS homes, and repairs the games area and also the basketball fields where our children pass their time of leisure.

We made the traditional celebration of the anniversary of Herman Gmeiner on June 23rd 2008 where a group of children and young people present their abilities with the painting presentation in oil and charcoals and the presentation of several dances of groups and one of the most popular one of Los Minas, the SOS Rabbits. the SOS mothers Antonia and Maria displays their elaboration of the central sponge cake. Also in September we celebrated the Global Peace Games 2008. All the activities were concentrated in: Sport activities: Soccer, basketball, volleyball, and Athletics. Recreational activities: Traditional infantile games of the Dominican culture, chess and board games. We received the participation of a total of 697 NNA and 56 adults.

Sincerely,

National Director
SOS Children’s Village, Dominican Republic