Project Spotlight – Las Palmas Children’s Village Dominican Republic
The Impact of Your Support
Editor’s Note: Celebration is in the air at Las Palmas Children’s Village. While special events are not a necessity of life, they do have an important impact. They give kids a reason to dream, encourage confidence, and demonstrate how much the children are valued. Considering that many of these children have experienced poverty before arriving at Las Palmas, this is very impactful! Special events and celebrations go beyond baseline care, which is what makes the support you provide so special. Thank you! And life at Las Palmas consists of more than special celebrations, as you’ll see in the following update from Samilin Williams, Las Palmas director.
Creative workshops, a Pathfinder event, and even a quinceañera stand out as campus highlights.
“God has chosen you to bring hope to kids who, thanks to your generous help, can now write a different story in their lives,” says Samilin. “A story full of beautiful experiences, with the greatest gift of all: knowing Jesus. Thank you so much.”
Creative Workshops
From March 21 to April 1, Las Palmas enjoyed a reading and writing workshop with Professor Rita. The children worked on a special project: writing a short book. This activity inspired several children to realize that they could become writers in the future!
In addition, the reading program experienced a boost. Thanks to the generosity of people like you, many books were purchased for the Las Palmas classrooms and library.
Music is another favorite activity at Las Palmas. The campus received a renowned musician for a workshop, all the way from Michigan. Students of all levels received specialized classes that improved their music education, thanks to a sponsorship from Harmonic World Music.
Pathfinder Camporee and Graduation
At the end of April, seventeen Las Palmas young people participated in the national Pathfinder Camporee.
“It was a wonderful experience for each one of them,” said Samilin. “We are very grateful for all the support that made it possible for the kids to attend this great activity.”
The school year ended in June. At that time, four young people graduated from high school. With such an eventful school year, the students did not know that the best was yet to come.
Quinceañera
In July, Las Palmas celebrated the 15th birthdays of Orianny Eusebio and Charlyn Mateo. A quinceñera is more than just a birthday party. It is a special right of passage, and a chance to dedicate the girls to God as they transition into adulthood.
Many girls look forward to this celebration for years in advance. Yet, Orianny and Charlyn did not know if they would be able to celebrate.
“In April, when Orianny turned 15, she was very happy,” said Samilin. “But, she still did not have a date for her dedication and celebration. Months passed, and she began to think that her dream would not come true.”
Charlyn also turned 15 in April. The girls continued to work hard, displaying maturity and thankfulness, despite the fact that their dream of a quinceñera seemed more and more unlikely. But, praise God, your donations made it possible for the girls to celebrate! The dedication took place on July 27.
Charlyn shares that she is very grateful to all her sponsors for everything they have done for her and will continue to do as she moves forward in life. She intends to be a young woman of great value, and to study medicine and music at university. Orianny loves working with young children. She teaches Bible stories at Sabbath School and helps with the Adventurer club. She is also interested in music and dressmaking.
“I am grateful to God for allowing me to arrive at the Hogar and for the education I receive every day,” says Orianny. “Thank you to my sponsors for all the effort they made to make my dream come true!”
Thank you for providing such wonderful opportunities for the children. Your support is the spark that ignites hope for a bright future. Thank you!
