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LOS
TOROS MISSION PROJECTS

Our
primary goal is to build Solidarity with people living in the Third World. Our projects give us the opportunity to work closely together
with the people in Los Toros in a "collaborative" and
"co-operative" manner. With a spirit of "Justice" and
"Equality" we seek to implement the Gospel that we both proclaim and
to live the Faith that we all profess.
Dental
Project
a
Report by Katie & Kelly Tunder - Go
11/13/07
- Update - Report - Go
11/13/07
- Update - Photos - Go
TABLECLOTH
Project
- gO
Water
Project
a
Report by Peter Bennett - Go
Becas
Library Sewing
St.
Vincent de Paul
Updates
Beca -
Scholarship Program
Scholarships
cover the cost of all fees at the university, transportation, books and food and
lodging. Because the university does not have dormitories for students the
students must live off campus. We rent a large apartment in the city of Santo Domingo; students living there share in the household work and
accountability enables the students to access their own progress and assume
responsibility for their education; it also demonstrates their responsibility to
the people of the community and their obligation to contribute to the growth and
development of their village.
Students are selected by two committees; one in Los Toros and one in Grafton, Wisconsin,
USA. They are required to make an application with a report of their previous
education, their economic conditions, their goals for the future and must
provide a letter of recommendation from one of the leaders of the community.
This involves the community in the process and gives an opportunity for public
assessment and goal setting. After the students receive a scholarship they are
visited at least once each semester and must give a verbal review of their
progress; again, we believe that because of the immense poverty in this country,
those who receive aid must be held responsible not only for their own personal development, but also, to make a contribution to the growth and development of
the community.
They
are given a monthly budget and must report their disbursements each month.
Because there are so many applicants for scholarships those who receive a
scholarship have a responsibility to conserve their funds in order to permit
others to receive financial help. Also, students must report their progress at
the end of each semester and give their class schedules for the next semester.
Beca Students - Go
Los
Toros Library
About
six years ago the people of Los Toros asked us to collaborate with them in
building a community library. They procured the land, we helped with a design
and after numerous consultations they helped to finalize our design. The funds
for the library came as a memorial to Jody Jankowski of Grafton,
Wisconsin
who died of cancer. Much of the labor came from the people
in the village and in about one year a durable building of concrete was
completed. Today a Library Committee of Los Toros administrates the facility
that serves young and old in the community.
Through
a generous "Endowment" St. Joe's continues to support the
function of the library with books and resources and annual maintenance. The
effect has been a dynamic facility that provides reading materials, a computer
lab, visual and audio resources as well as meeting areas for the community. The
Los Toros "Biblioteca" is serving the community and helping it
to grow.
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Los
Toros – Sewing Project
Objective:
Enable young women from Los Toros to develop their
sewing skills for personal and home sewing projects.
Support current sewing program and class now operating
in village.
Procure equipment and supplies needed for the program.
Description:
Currently Mercedes de Leon is leading a sewing class of
about twenty five young women at the community center in Los Toros. The young
women are enthusiastic about learning and also are dedicated to helping their
village develop and grow. Mercedes has been teaching sewing and helping her
village for over 10 years; she has taught in other villages and is an expert on
sewing.
They have run out of Fabric for their sewing projects
and need more material.
The current equipment – sewing machines - is very
antiquated and the students would like to learn new techniques on newer
equipment.
Goal:
We would like to take about four large suitcases of
sewing material with us on our next trip. Also, about ten sewing machines would be helpful for the
class; perhaps we could set a goal of five machines per year for the next two or
three years. Because of the problem with electricity in the village a
supplementary power source would insure that the class could operate as
scheduled. An “Invisor” or a generator would help to supply power when the
service to the village is off.
Proposal:
We seek contributions for the equipment which could be
purchased in Santo Domingo; sewing machines cost about US$175.00 – US$200.00; the “Invisor” would
cost about US$1,500.00.
This project would be on-going for two or three years or
as needed.
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St.
Vincent de Paul
A
St. Vincent de Paul Conference for the community of Los Toros was inaugurated in
January of 2005.
The
new officers of the Los Toros Conference were installed in a ceremony attended
by the National SVDP Conference leaders as well as a representative from St.
Joseph's SVDP Conference, Mr. Robert Van Dyck. The leader of the group in
Los Toros is Olga Vicente; she is assisted by a committee of six people. They
now work in collaboration with the
Vincent de Paul Conference of St. Joe's to aid some of the "poorest
of the poor".
They have already created a
"glowing" presence in the community making people aware of the
community's commitment to help the poor. Currently they are visiting and helping
the sick, helping poor families with clothing and other needs.
Monthly
support for the conference in Los Toros has been pledged by the conference in
Grafton; their continuous support will enable the people of Los Toros to have
resources to make their work truly effect in their community. This type of
"global" outreach truly fulfills our common mission of living the
gospel in our world.
Cement
Floors Project
We
are collaborating with the SVDP of Los Toros to help homeowners to get cement floors
for their houses. There are about three hundred homes in Los Toros that have
dirt floors. Dirt floors make homes difficult to clean, they promote disease,
especially among children and are not very sanitary. Though home owners try to
keep their homes neat and orderly, a dirt floor does make life a little
difficult at times.
Families
need to provide some of the labor and must provide the gravel for mixing the
concrete; the cement is bought in large lots and the work is done by local
masons. It costs about US $250.00 per house depending on its size. Families with
children are given priority and those with illness given first priority.
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Partners
in Building Communities - 
For
More Information about the Los Toros Mission Committee......
Please
contact:
Mike Haischer - 262-375-2625
or
Don Kabara - 262- 377-7527
mailto:lostorosmission@lostorosmission.com
email
Los Toros Mission
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