Archive news items 2011
* December 2011
Fano, one of the very first pupils of the Colegio Asher, had a serious traffic accident in October, which was not his fault. Both his legs were very badly injured in the accident, and one leg was even threatened with amputation. Judith and Roberto very hastily arranged a loan to pay for the operation and hospital costs. The surgeons managed to save his leg by using a metal pin. Fano is an orphan and, just like most of the Dominican population, he also has no money for medical insurance. Although the doctors thought that he would never be able to stand properly on the leg, he is healing wonderfully well. He will still have to sit in a wheelchair for several months, but it now looks like he will still be able to walk again quite reasonably in the future. Fano had just left the Colegio after many years and, with help from school, he found a job with which he could earn quite well. Everyone is very relieved because, with a lot of patience now, he will later be able to work again.
Judith and Roberto could not pay for this loan themselves, however. After it proved very difficult to find money for this in the Netherlands, fortunately a Canadian lady was found who was prepared to provide the money. Canadians have proved to be the "ministering angel" more often.
* October 2011.
Trip-report September- October 2011 is ready.
* September2011
The jumble sale on the sunny Saturday in Hardinxveld was a great success.
Our foundation received a lot of attention, help and cooperation. We also benefited from a splendid share of the proceeds. We would particularly like to thank Erik de Jong, as well as all the other people who worked on this event.
* August 2011
-The Help Sosua Kids go to School Foundation’s ‘cloth for Sosua Kids' campaign has been a resounding success. There was a tremendous response to the call for cloth, and next month we can take some of the necessary kilos to Sosúa. Unfortunately there are another 100 kilos waiting for transport. Who has a golden idea for transporting ??all these pieces of cloth to the Dominican Republic at no charge? Preferably all at once, but it can also be done in portions. Who, or which company wants to help?
-The Sosua Kids Association and its partners will provide for 440 underprivileged children to attend school during the 2011 to 2012 school year. Our foundation will pay for 120 of these. See the article by clicking on the following link:
sosuanews August 15
* July 2011
Colegio Asher has bought several sewing machines with money that our foundation donated. The children are now learning to make clothes, which they can wear themselves or that can be sold. Textiles are rather expensive in the Dominican Republic. Are there people who have some unused fabric or remnants that they could take with them on their trip to Sosúa and donate to the Colegio? They can only use really THIN fabrics because it is always very hot and humid in the Dominican Republic.
Please send us an email
* May 2011
632,000 children left out of school in the Dominican Republic.
The coordinator for the United Nations Human Development Program, economist Miguel Ceara Hatton says that research shows that for the school year 2008-2009 some 632,000 children did not attend school, and things have not changed much. He says the Dominican Constitution guarantees children the right to education. Of the total, an estimated 363,000 are children 5 to 17 years old, the remainder are 5 years or younger. "What kind of citizens will those 363,000 be after the state has failed them?" he asked in an interview with Listin Diario. "Who or whom are responsible for the complying with Dominican laws?" he asks.
Source: DR1 Daily News April 2011
* April 2011
The last month has been very dry on the Dominican Republic’s northern coat, which is unusual. The result is that there are problems with supplies of drinking water. There have been major shortages everywhere during recent months, and the Colegio must overcome this with daily transport of water by private car. The regular power cuts of many hours at a time and soaring food prices also mean that running a school with a large number of traumatised children has become even more difficult. Financial support therefore remains absolutely essential and we hope that many people will realise this and want to assist us.
we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy NewYear.
* March 2011
Winchi is an 12 year-old Haitian boy. He sustained serious injuries to his leg during the collapse of the house where he lived with his grandmother, as a result of the earthquake in Haiti. His mother was then already living in the Dominican Republic. After the earthquake, he came to live with his mother in the DR and there had his legs operated on several times, thanks to financial help from a Canadian. He is intelligent and even though he can only walk with difficulty, he is an extremely cheerful and eager to learn. However, it appeared that he could not learn anything at school in Haiti, and that nobody there paid any attention to this. His grandmother was apparently also illiterate. He is receiving an enormous amount of teaching from Judith, of the Colegio Asher, and she is teaching him to read and write herself. She discovered that Winchi did not know many things even in his own language, Creole, and she is teaching him Spanish because that is the language of the country where he now lives and goes to school. Winchi is making great progress and Judith hopes that, with a lot of work, she will bring him to the level that suits his age for the coming school year. Happily, his mother helps him a lot and encourages him to do all his homework.
Although it is not clear how his leg will develop, his future looks very promising as far as the school is concerned.
* February 2011
New shirts and slippers from Holland
* January 2011.
For the second time in five years, the Colegio Asher has to move again. The landlord has suddenly doubled the rent. This is not affordable for the school and the rented building is also is not worth the new rent. Judith has now found another, larger and better building in the neighbourhood for more or less the same rent as they previously paid. Therefore the school will be moving on 18 February.
