|
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.
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
eight 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.
-move to top-
Kinko - Jose Agramonte manages
the Los Toros Water System
Water
Project
Los
Toros has established both a Water Committee and a Water Filter
Cooperative. The function of the Water Filter Cooperative is to get
drinking water to residents at a reasonable cost. There are about 100
filters now in use and we are in the process of purchasing more at this
very moment! This has become an important service to the community and
enables poor families to have direct access to drinking water. Its goal is
to assure that every home in Los Toros has good water available all the
time.
The
Los Torso Water Committee has set a number of goals to improve the water service
and to maintain the current water system. As with any system there are leaks to
fix, pipes and valves to maintain. The valves that control water outside of individual
houses constantly need repair and proper supervision is needed for new
connections to houses. The water committee is setting goals to keep their system
operating effectively and this group has the potential to help the village in a
significant way in the way it utilizes its Water Utility.
During
our May YAME 2010 Mission we will work closely with both the Water Filter
Cooperative and the Water Committee to help them with this vital service to the
community of Los Toros. We will help them to fortify the Cooperative to be even
more effective and continue its education program within the community. We will
help them plan maintenance for the water system and set up structures to operate
the system effectively.
-move to top-
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.
Education Project
The
Los Toros Education Committee works with the community and the staff of the
primary school to assure children the opportunity of a good education. They
identify families that need help with uniforms and shoes for children and
furnish these items to them. They also work with the school staff to assure that
children are participating in classes and parents are notified if their children
fail to attend.
The
education committee supports improvements in education and counsels parents on
their children's education. There is much work to be done, but slowly and surely
this group contributes towards the improvement of education in Los Toros.
Women's
Coop
Project
The
Los Toros Education Women's Cooperative was started in 2006 through Plan
International. They provided the training and a group of women from the
community have kept it going. Their objective is economic support for the women
of Los Toros through sharing of funds and small loans made to members of the
Coop. There are about thirty women in the group and the pay a small membership
fee, a "cuota" of about twenty-five pesos each month. The money is
combined and they make small loans for household needs to members. Our
support comes in terms of small contributions toward building their capital as
well as moral support and encouragement. It is interesting to see the expression
of happiness from a women when she is able to acquire a small gas stove for
cooking or an extra tank of gas for her stove. Little things like this make life
much more bearable in this remote village.
Also,
it is interesting to see that 100% of the loans are paid back. This sets an
outstanding example for the rest of the community and demonstrates how they can
control some of the economics of their lives.
-move to top-
 -
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
|
