In a former life as a management consultant, we inevitably presented to business clients how to best use limited resources …
read more »
Rescue and transformation of children and youth that come from hard situations is complicated work that requires patience, love, and …
read more »
Strengthened families, thriving children While Kids Alive ministry focuses on children, we are as firmly committed to strengthening families. We …
read more »
The phrase “Back to School” predictably rings across North America every fall as kids return to start their new academic …
read more »
Dominican Republic is the most visited tourist destination in the Caribbean
Spanish is the national language, with Haitian Creole being the largest minority language
Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, taking in many Haitian immigrants following the 2010 earthquake
God is Working in
Palo Blanco!
Please pray for...
Continued protection from COVID-19 for KA students and staff during this time of reopening and increased interactions.
Continued positive influence in the barrio that has high levels of violence and abuse in the community.
A successful start and provision for our new dentist, Leonela, who is cleaning, sealing and restoring children’s teeth as well as teaching dental hygiene.
Funding to build two additional classrooms required to add a 12th grade for the next school year.
Prayer requests updated 06/2021
Palo Blanco School is making a difference in the lives of nearly 300 children and is truly a fountain of life in the community. The school, along with our associated programs, has grown steadily over the past 18 years; because of the grace of God and generous partners, we’ve added a sports ministry, counseling, high school discipleship programs, and university scholarships.
This past year, more of our high school graduates entered university, and we now have eight working toward university degrees. They will be some of the first from their barrio to achieve that level of education, and all of them attend church. And now that we have added classroom space, we are the first Kids Alive school in DR to offer 11th grade. We also refurbished the computer lab and added a full-time health specialist.
Goals for the coming year include adding staff and curriculum for our newly added 11th grade, further developing our sports ministry, especially for girls, and adding regular dental care to our health care services. We will also continue the development of our initiatives in trauma care and counseling and implement more computer-based education.
“Our school in Palo Blanco is an oasis in the desert which provides living water for thirsty children and youth,” shares Country Director Vic Trautwein. “It’s a great privilege to help a program that so positively impacts so many individual lives and that is helping to change an entire community.”
There are now nearly 300 children who participate in our academic, spiritual, and vocational programs. All children in our school receive Christian education all the way through 11th grade. Older students studying in public schools attend a club on Mondays where they are given a snack, play a game, and join in the small groups Bible study.
Once again, we greet you from the ministries of Kids Alive in Dominican Republic, where your partnership and your gifts are helping to plant hope in the lives of at-risk children and young people. We rejoice that this is not simply a hope for escaping poverty or for a better career – you are planting the living hope (1 Pet. 1:3) in their lives which means an eternity with the One who loves them!
Within Kids Alive DR, we have the privilege of working with over 2,000 kids between the ages of 3 and 22. While this seems like a large window of opportunity to cultivate these seeds, the culture here often works against us, making the labor difficult. And nearly all the children we serve come from, and still live inside, backgrounds of abuse, exploitation, or extreme poverty. These “hard places” make the sowing of hope a real challenge.
However, one of our great joys is seeing the visible, healthy growth in these young lives and watching them blossom into beautiful new creations before our eyes. They are developing strong roots, watered by your compassion and love, and are going on to have a positive impact on their families and communities.
All our ministries are benefiting from unprecedented favor with government officials. Our schools are receiving awards for excellence; our homes are receiving commendations for our quality care, and we’re increasingly being asked to take additional children that Dominican officials have identified as abused or neglected. We see this as a tremendous privilege – and a great responsibility. read more »
Vic Trautwein
Co-Country Director
Dominican Republic
Ramon Prenza
Co-Country Director
Dominican Republic