Kids Having Fun Together!

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way of life, the young ladies at Casa Ester have not allowed it to impede their education, their work, or their entrepreneurship efforts. Over the last few months, the young ladies have shifted to continuing their academic courses online. The internal Estercitas program has also helped them continue with their educational and special needs programs. As jobs in the local community are now scarce due to the  COVID-19 crisis, most of the young women now go to Kids Alive’s Oasis Home to work in the kitchen and nursery.

House moms Marielos and July, both pre-school teachers by profession, now primarily care for Jacobo*, the son of one of our Casa Ester residents, who is attending preschool. Lately, Jacobo has begun to gain a spiritual understanding of the weight of this pandemic in our country and across the world. While our girls are making steady progress, so are our mentors and friends of the ministry who have continued to reach out to disciple them via video calls.

Many mentors have even brought special tokens of encouragement and left them at the front door of their mentees. The therapeutic aftercare program continues almost as normal. We also continue to serve the 17-year-old girls at Oasis who are in our pre-independence program.  

Recently we have invested in the purchase of soap molds and new professional packaging materials to enhance the marketing appeal of the artisanal hand-made soap made by the Estercitas. A local photographer volunteered to take photos of our soap product line with the support of our friend Paola de Alvarado, who also created advertising graphics with price and descriptions of the new line of soaps.  

We have had great support from friends of the ministry like Big Brands, a high-end boutique shoe store in Guatemala City, who have invited us to sell our soap line at their store. The young ladies in our program have been very motivated by all the support they have received. It's boosted their entrepreneurship drive to create even more diversified high-end products to sell, and these include decoupage bottles and hand-painted pieces of art.

We have experienced some difficult challenges over the past few months, but above all, we have witnessed the mercy and presence of God at Casa Ester in big ways.  

Waleska Camposeco, Coordinator of Independence Program, Casa Ester

RESIDENTIAL HOMES

More than anything in recent years, COVID-19 has highlighted the strength and dedication of our residential ministries in the Dominican Republic, as our three projects in close collaboration are adapting well to minister effectively during these difficult times. In mid-March, to keep children and caregivers safe, our campuses were closed, with children and parents safely sequestered, along with adequate food supply in anticipation of possible shortages. To ensure children’s safety, entry to the residential homes was restricted to essential caregivers while older youth took on the responsibilities of cleaning and other chores. Directors and parents at the residential sites created “summer camp type” schedules integrating academics, devotions, recreation, and other special activities such as a movie night, picnics, and a dress-up gala to keep children’s spirits high. We are now planning a special summer vacation for our house parents to give them a two-week break from shouldering the much heavier responsibilities due to the pandemic.

Sheltered together in close proximity with limited support and no interaction with others outside the walls, families have bonded more closely and the youth have embraced additional responsibilities, and many have grown spiritually. All are grateful for the protection and provision they have received during this unique time.

On most days, enthusiasm is manifested in the joy, cheerfulness, and high-octane energy in the classroom and on the field at Ark Jarabacoa. But on rare occasions, a fruitful and an exhausting day results in chilling together! Discussion groups led by caregivers, teachers, or house parents, or a bit of fun like a weekend movie create balance and facilitate a sense of order in the lives of the children. Spending time together and intentionally participating in both educational and fun activities help children bond and learn social skills.