Sala de Tareas

Our short term Volunteers, Aina and Guro, visiting a young Sala de Tarea class.

Global Ministries directly supports a very awesome program at Caminante, the Sala de Tareas. These "homework rooms" provide many services and needs for the communities around Boca Chica. First, for some students the Sala de Tareas are their primary education. In the Dominican Republic you need lots of documentation to attend school and many people, especially very poor people and Haitian immigrants do not have the correct paper work. For some, the schools reject their paper work clamming it to be fake or not correct. Unfortunately there are many students being refused education because they are refugees or their parents could not pay for their paper work when they were born.

Working on math problems!

For most of our students in the Sala de Tareas, the class serves as additional schooling. Some of our students are behind on Spanish or other subjects and need the extra tutoring; for others it is to try and ensure that they are not working; and for some students it is to try and monitor their progression in school and make sure they are attending every day. One girl I spent a class with was really struggling with her teacher at school because does not want to speak Spanish or participate in class, the Sala de Tareas teachers are working with her to understand why going to her public school is just as important as the Sala de Tarea and while they respect her Creole culture it is necessary to participate at school in Spanish.

One of the Sala de Tarea classes welcoming our CWS guests with a song.

The Sala de Tareas use age/educational level workbooks that focus on reading, writing, and comprehension... but the topics cover many topics such as community, family, and health. But, the fun part of the Sala de Tareas are the songs and games. Like many of Caminante's programs the teachers make sure each child feels welcome and loved. Each day is started with a welcoming song sung for everyone in the class and ended with a similar "goodbye" song. 

Getting in some extra reading!

DPV

I have had the awesome opportunity to start the DPV curriculum with two awesome groups in the past couple of weeks. Both are in schools but other than that they are polar opposites. One is huge and the other small, the larger class is older, they are led by two different but amazing and unique Caminante staff, and the groups have totally different dynamics and attitudes! The comparison of the two makes me love each more! 

Here is a glimpse into the first few weeks of curriculum. 

Signing Our Contract: Respect, Participation, & Leadership

Julio and Class

Malena Escuela Class signing their Contract

"Teapot"

Malena students and Profesora completing an activity together.  We learned how with only a couple sexual interactions/names on our paper, we are introduced to a whole lot (the whole class worth) of people.

The DPV curriculum is written to teach healthy lifestyles. The lessons are typically based around HIV/AIDS and STI. This activity called "pass the ball" teaches students how it is impossible to see who may or may not be infected in a group of people.

Apoyo (Support/Trust) Circles

While this curriculum is mostly about sexual health, we work as a group on team building, respect, and  transitioning into adulthood. Not only are the lessons important, but Caminante's presence in the schools is priceless. The class really look up to us, the young adults, spending time, playing, and talking to them about life! For instance, today, Donchy spent the first 30 minutes of our class talking with a couple of guys about their attitudes and behavior issues that had happened earlier in the week. The teacher and principle felt the boys would respect and listen to Donchy after they had been unable to connect with the boys. There are a million examples just like this, where our students view Caminante's staff as friends, mentors, and disciplinarians when necessary.

Relationships... everything seems to come back to this ever important word.