Left at 8 a.m. for Cangrejo School where each child in a class
of Grades 4, 5, 6 students gave a short speech on the history and culture of
the DR. They celebrate ‘Independence Day’
tomorrow. They spoke about important political
people, events and dates, industry, food, sports and entertainment. They all did very well and were translated by
one of our team helpers. We then did a
quick tour to see what changes have taken place since last year. The library has new storage cupboards and a
barrier wall was added to improve the use of the space. The playground is looking well cared for and
has new steel posts for mounting a volley ball net.
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| The Grade 4, 5, 6 Class in Cangrejo School |
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| The Library Study and Storage Area
Back on the bus at 11:20, we headed for Ascension village to
help out with the feeding program run by Bill & Donna. Actually that is not quite true anymore. Donna told us that while she and Bill were back
in Canada for a month recently, the program workers in Ascension ran all of the
activities for the Monday, Wednesday and Friday programs. It is the goal and hope of Bill & Donna
that eventually they can ‘step back’ from the feeding program so that they can
concentrate on other aspects of changing Ascension into an economically viable
community.
The Journey Team noticed that fewer children were fed today than in previous years. Donna gave us 2 reasons. Firstly, through sponsorship donations they were able to buy uniforms and school books for about 300 students. About 75% were already attending school but needed new uniforms, but 25% were first time students and were therefore at school rather than the feeding program. They would get some food at school. Secondly, a few more people had found work and were able to feed their family. About 225 children and ‘seniors’ had soup today – chicken and noodles were added to it for variety. 
Donna described to us how their plan had been laid out and
how it was unfolding. The ‘feeding’ ministry occurs on Monday, Wednesday &
Friday. Monday is oatmeal for moms &
tots and kids up to age 7, plus some seniors.
It is also ‘chat day’ where moms can bring questions and concerns they
may have. Donna will set up a visit to
their house, if warranted, to assess a baby or to address health concerns. Wednesday is ‘soup day’, which has always
been the day we visit to help out.
Friday is another ‘soup day’. This
Friday will see another 50 kids due to the ‘Independence Day’ holidays on
Thursday & Friday. Donna also runs a
‘baby program’ with pregnant women and moms & babies. Each baby is checked for health and nutrition
concerns. Moms may get formula,
vitamins, etc. and are given prenatal and postnatal education. The average weight and the growth rate of
babies have increased greatly during their 6 years working in the program. Infant mortality is almost zero.
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The long term goal of Bill & Donna is to create a self-run
sustainable community which is economically viable. They realize that it may take a long time to
achieve but they have hope that it is possible.
They have implemented educational programs to begin the process. First, teach self-worth. Second, teach them to respect others (e.g.
children to respect elders). Third, give
them back some independence. For
example, some families in the village have been receiving weekly food
allotments. Bill worked to educate them
in responsibility and budgeting and now gives them the money to buy their own
food. This adds to their self-worth and
also contributes to the local economy since the people buy the rice, beans and
so forth from other villagers. They can
also vary their diets by buying fresh fruits and vegetables from itinerant
venders who come to the village. Much of
the money now circulates in the local economy.
About 8 months ago, a shop was opened in Ascension to sell
used clothing. It is managed locally and
the profit goes to support the feeding program.
The cook, Clarabelle, manages the shop.
This is another link in the development of a local economy.
Note: All the
programs run by Bill & Donna have volunteers who help out. Many of them are young people who have come
through the programs themselves and are now giving back.
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| Meghan & Clarabelle in the Used Clothing Store |
Note 2:
Meghan, who also does mission work in Ascension, has taken on the task
of helping to get birth certificates, visas, passports or whatever else a young
person might need to get work. This is a
particularly difficult but important task, since Ascension is mostly Haitians. Haitians are second class citizens at best in
the DR.
Other notable changes in Ascension are: new playground climbing equipment constructed
of wood, permanent market stalls for the local venders to display their wares,
and improvements made to the co-op store which sells local crafts and sewing
goods. The ‘row of shops’ which I helped
construct back in 2007 continues to provide workspace for local trades
people.
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| New Playground Equipment in Ascension Village |
The general health of the community appears to be improving,
especially among the children. Like Bill
& Donna, I have hope that Ascension will continue to improve as a community
and will someday no longer need outside help to survive.
The Journey team returned to our lodgings in Sosua for a
late lunch and some rest. Many of us
took a short walk to the Jewish Museum, which tells the story of 600 Jews who
came to the DR during WWII and established a farming community, including a
dairy which continues to operate today.
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