Departure from Ottawa: A Journey Begins
After a year of fundraising, planning, and meetings, our group of 11 youth and three adult chaperones flew out from the Ottawa International Airport and landed in Punta Cana.
We spent seven days sleeping at the Catholic Orphanage, Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Siblings). We were all extremely excited and impressed by the incredible food, cleanliness, and care towards all the youth from the staff. It is evident that the over ten thousand dollars raised for this orphanage will be put to good use (more than half of that coming from the fund-raising efforts and the generosity of St. Patrick’s Parish).
A Mission That Impacts Lives
After listening to a presentation from the director of the orphanage, a dedicated Irish Catholic man, we learned that the orphanage services nearly 700 youth, some there permanently, others that come in and out depending on their family’s needs, and others from the surrounding community that frequent the excellent school on the campus. In fact, Canadian donations funded the construction of the first twelve classrooms and the school kitchen. The school is now two stories and is working on the construction of two elevators to support the youth with mobility issues thanks to a 10,000 euro donation.
A Community of Joy and Care
I was extremely impressed by the love and joy emanating from all the children and staff. They are fed three hearty meals a day and get plenty of exercise and healthcare. Furthermore, their home for youth with disabilities, mostly cerebral palsy, was extremely impressive. The physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, mental stimulation, and love towards them was of very high quality with professionals coming in from all over the world as well as highly educated locals.
All the children are given equal opportunities to succeed, and their main goal is to get them into the work force to make sure their future children end up in a better socio-economic situation than they are currently.
Mission Work and Meaningful Encounters
Finally, our group got to experience many adventures. We were put to work building sheds, fixing bikes, and painting desks. We took a group of orphans to a public swimming pool. Many of them had never experienced that before. Not only that, but we went to a few cities including San Pedro de Macoris and Santo Domingo where we saw the first Catholic cathedral built in the Americas, ate local food, and learnt about the country and culture. One of my favourite parts was visiting the Canadian Embassy in Santo Domingo, where we learned about the roles of an embassy and the work they do to support Canadians every day.
How You Can Support
If you would like to continue supporting the wonderful cause of this organization, please consider contributing to their fundraising efforts at : https://rd.nph.org/en/
