The year 2007 brought a lot of change to Jesse’s Children. In January we traveled down to provide both dental and optical services for the poor in the outlaying areas of Bani. In March both Bill and I traveled back with a group of students from Hilbert College. They provided small business support for local entrepreneurs, taught a 4th grade class, worked on importing goods for artisans located in the mountains, replanted the garden at the Nutrition Center and installed an irrigation system. Later that month Drs. Kevin and Beth D’Angelo brought a group of dental students down to provide yet another four days of dental operativos.
With grant money that has been gifted to Jesse’s Children, we supplied the needed funds to build a second floor to the Nutrition Center. Sr. Catherine runs this center for malnourished children in the barrio of La Saona, just outside of Bani. The construction took place over the summer. We are all anxious to see the results of Sr. Catherine’s “dream project”.
After these last trips we became interested in micro lending. These are very small loans given to very poor women to start modest businesses. These businesses enable the women to feed, educate, and provide needed medical care for their children. During the summer months we received enough donations specifically for the micro lending to fund the first “Mother’s Club”. Sr. Roberta visited us during the summer and agreed to work with the women for at least 6 months in order to prepare them for the loans. We were to have distributed the money in November during an Optical trip. Unfortunately a tropical storm passed over the island and left over 2 feet of rain. The flooding that resulted made our Optical trip impossible. We have rescheduled that trip for February 2008, and were able to send the money so the women could start their businesses prior to Christmas.
The flooding caused such destruction that we decided the best thing we could do from Buffalo was to start an airlift of needed supplies. With the help of our church and many other local churches and schools, we were able to collect enough needed supplies to fill a C-130 cargo plane. At this time we are finalizing the inventory with the Niagara Falls Air force Base and hope to have it sent very soon.
One of our long time Dominican interpreters was in a motorcycle accident early this year. Many of our volunteers that have known Rafael throughout the past several years donated money to help cover the medical expense for the extensive surgery needed to save his leg. Another one of our interpreters, Antonio, expressed a desire to go to college. This brought additional donations that were designated for that purpose. Antonio is very bright young man, he taught himself English and is in school for tourism at this time.
We are at this time packing to travel back to the Dominican. We will be there from January 6-20. We appreciate all the support we get from our church, and ask that you keep us in your prayers.
Respectfully submitted,
Dawn Maher
