Creeping in as a health hazard, COVID-19 quickly wreaked havoc on socio-economic infrastructures and undermined decades of development gains made by both rich and poor countries. But the cruelest blow fell on our children’s education, turning it into a nightmare.

Our first step included surveying children’s families to understand their needs and get a handle on the potential obstacles to remote schooling. We also assessed our teachers’ needs. We sourced laptops and tablets for our teachers to prepare lessons. That was the easy part! Few of our children’s homes have a TV, and even fewer have a computer with WIFI. Some can’t even afford a cell phone.

The solution wasn’t ideal, but it had the maximum reach to the students. Our teachers developed weekly study lessons and assignments, packing them with food rations to be delivered to the children’s homes, or to be collected by their parents from Kids Alive sites. Those with cell phones got their study resources via social media along with instructional videos.

“A recent study showed that in some of our communities, less than 10% of students graduate from high school before age 20,” says Vic Trautwein, Country Director, Kids Alive Dominican Republic. He adds, “In sharp contrast to this, Kids Alive students have a graduation rate of over 80%, despite the fact that our kids come from the most challenging circumstances.”

As COVID-19 continues to loom large going into 2021, our teachers have redoubled their resolve to counter its impact on education.

We are grateful to you, our supporters, for continuing to walk alongside us, even as our teachers walk alongside our children.

Thank you!

An interview with Keyla Elizabeth Cruz Ramirez, Academic Coordinator Ark Constanza  

Keyla has worked with Kids Alive for two years.

What do you like most about your job as a teacher?

I like seeing children learn new things, being happy to receive their grades and get satisfaction from seeing that their work is rewarding.

How has teaching been challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Virtual school is a challenge for me and for the educational team. It is difficult to keep kids focused and animated throughout the virtual class.

What risks do children face during this time?

The greatest risk children face, and the one that most concerns the entire educational team, is the limitation of virtual education, especially the lack of direct contact between the student and their regular teachers.

Despite the challenges, what has been going well?

Our children’s positive attitude despite being forced to study virtually. Most arrive excited and ready for the class, and they have generally been very responsible with their classes.

As a teacher, what have been the challenges of teaching during the pandemic?

The most difficult thing has been communication – being at a distance and having to teach and help children remotely. Communication at times becomes even more complicated and confusing when computers fail, or students get distracted.

Is there something creative you have done to teach children?

One time, a group of 11th graders were sitting at their computers a little tired. It occurred to me to play something with them to encourage them, but also to assess their command of numbers and mental agility. I looked for sheets of paper, dice, and a pen. I gave a sheet to each student and said let’s play, then I explained the instructions as we started. It turned out to be one of the best days of school for the kids. I had to remind them that it was time to eat so we needed to break off with the promise that we will continue with the game the next day! It was incredible!

What has been difficult for the students?

The drastic change of doing all the tasks virtually has been challenging since many students don’t know how to handle virtual classrooms. And communication is difficult when virtual networks blackout, which makes learning a bit stressful for students.

What resources have been provided to the students?

The students have been supplied all the educational materials and resources. Students at Ark Constanza have access to 15 computer terminals which puts them ahead of most other students.

Tell us something encouraging that you have seen during this time.

On one occasion one of the students was very frustrated because time was running out on submitting her assignment. Instead of asking for help, she got angry. I remember calling this student to check – “What’s wrong?” She responded – “Nothing!” Then I said to her, “Sure? Nothing is wrong with you?” She answered, “I missed the deadline on my assignment.” I said, “Don’t worry, we will send it right away and explain the situation to your teacher.” The student quickly calmed down, we sent in her homework, and everything went smoothly. It was nice to be able to solve even a simple problem, but more importantly to teach our youth to help themselves.