2022 DSOSF Visit
Written by Phil Hawley, co-founder and director of the DSOSF
FINALLY, we were able to visit the DSO. After 2 years of travel restrictions due to the pandemic, Phil, Lauren, Lauren’s daughter Alexandra, and Patrick Toohey, who handles the media projects for the DSOSF, visited the DSO in April.
Spending three days in two buildings on one third of an acre with 416 wonderful children was so refreshing and invigorating. It is amazing how visiting these children who have absolutely nothing-- except for the hope for the future provided for them by the school and orphanage—can reenergize your faith in humanity. Everyone should visit this place. Here are our takeaways from the trip:
DSOSF fund advisor Lauren Naurelli greeting a crowd of pre-school students during their recess.
First impression: The DSO remains an oasis of support, nutrition, education, and love for 416 of the poorest children in the La Urena district. We are always impressed with how the older students help care for the preschool children--it is ingrained in them that the older kids have an intergenerational duty to help.
Second impression: The need remains so great. The waiting list for the school keeps getting longer, especially for placement in the orphanage. Children are brought to the school by social workers, priests, the police, and family relatives who know they can no longer care for the children. Dominica accepts as many children as possible, but the school’s resources are limited. Unfortunately, the economy in La Urena is not recovering from the pandemic: unemployment remains very high, businesses are closing, and many families can no longer feed their children.
Third: Expenses are going up. Teacher’s salaries are rising—an experienced teacher with five years of experience now makes $16,000 per year, up from $7,000 when the DSOSF stared supporting the DSO in 2015. Dominica has been able to retain an excellent staff, but it is costing more. The public school system is deteriorating because of the poor economic situation in the DR. On the second day of our trip, we met with the school’s accountant and a member of the board of trustees of the DSO. Their big worry is that operating costs are increasing, fueled by an inflation rate of 9%. The DSOSF now accounts for 75% of the school’s funding. The other 25% comes from tuition paid by the students who can afford to pay and from two other charities who assist with supplying food.
High school students welcome us back on the first day of our visit in April.
New Basketball Court Completed in 2021
With funds provided by the DSOSF, a new basketball court with a metal roof was constructed on the site of the previous basketball court. The basketball court project adds more than 1800 square feet of covered space to the DSO classroom structure. The project includes replacing the existing court with a new smooth concrete court, installing new basketball goals, and placing a hurricane-resistant metal roof over the entire court. The space serves as a multi-purpose room: as a gymnasium, as a dining hall, and as an auditorium for academic presentations and for extracurricular activities such as music and dance recitals.
Dominica says, “The students are so excited with the new space. This is a wonderful improvement! The children are not twisting their ankles anymore on the crumbling concrete. They count the time for the bell to ring to go to this new area. You (the DSOSF) have made this possible for the emotional and physical development of our students.”
Anabelys Beltrain Castillo
Featured Student
Anabelys Beltrain Castillo is a 15 year old senior who lives in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with her mother and her little sister. She loves writing in both Spanish and English, especially about human behavior and relationships.
Anabelys says that this is a story about a child who gets excited by the smallest thing—who reacts vividly to small details. He is an adventurer, not because he has breakfast on the Amazon River, but because he turns everything into an adventure.
The Little Adventurer
By Anabelys Beltrain Castillo
The bus was full! But you can always stand and hold on to one of those hand holders. Kevin holds on with all his strength and pushes his feet against the floor. The bus pulls off, heading for a new adventure.
Our little adventurer rides through the waves of traffic on his giant skateboard, because holding on was like skateboarding on a huge skateboard, and he was behind the wheel!
The little adventurer arrived at his destination: the park! He was lucky, it was empty, he could swing as much as he wanted, of course he could.
He goes up and down. The wind greets him with a high five. He touches the grass with his feet, boosts himself and shoots off reaching the clouds. Then he repeats again.
I’m flying!—He screams.
And the boy flew on like a bird, spreading his wings and tasting the freedom. Because swinging made him free.
The time was over. It was time to go home. The little adventurer descends to Earth and runs to wait for his bus. This time, it was empty. He sits next to the window; he was too tired to catch a wave. And he looks at the sky, looks at the city, looks at every detail of his world. And he wonders…How can you live in this beautiful city without actually living it? Every detail is right where it should be. A colorful landscape that fills his heart with joy.
Suddenly the driver turns on the radio. The melody was as enveloping as a warm blanket, and their voices were like a hug to his soul.
The little adventurer returns home, mom is waiting for him, even her eyes were waiting for him and they welcome Kevin warmly.
And at the end of the day, our adventurer breathes. How many times a day do we just sit and breathe? Maybe we always do it on automatic, and daily problems become louder that our own breath.
The little adventurer sits.
And is aware of the air he breathes.
Teacher Profile
Evis Volquez a math teacher who has been teaching at the DSO for 15 years. The students love her classes. She is always available to give extra help to the students who find the course work difficult. Evis is member of the board of teachers. She is a breast cancer survivor and is married to Mr. Suero, another teacher at the DSO, and they have with three children.
