How did I get involved.
My first visit to the Dominican Republic was in 1998.
I was with two friends in Boca Chica in an expensive all-inclusive hotel, just for one week.
After two days I had seen enough of the hotel and took a guagua [bus] to the capital.
And every morning I went out for a perfect espresso, while my friends were still in bed.
After that holiday I was not able to forget the Dominican Republic and started visiting the country by just buying a plane ticket and explore the country by guagua and living in the cheapest hotels. This way I learned a lot about the life of the people.
Then I found around july 2002 the internet site of André Kirch and sent a mail to Tanis in which I offered to help. I came in September 2002. The rest is history.
The present situation of the poor people.
The present situation on work and earnings is not good and getting worse rapidly. Especially the poorest, like the Haitians, are suffering from loosing jobs and being underpaid.
A Dominican police officer only makes 3,000 pesos a month, a waitress 2,400 monthly for a six day a week job, a teacher now 3,000, before only 2,000. And there are still people loosing everything they earned.
Since last year November the government does no longer fix the peso to the dollar, with the result that the exchange rate went down from 17 pesos to a dollar to 33 pesos now.
That means that anything imported and paid in dollars, is doubled in price.
The other day, the government made the decision to force anyone with a big or small business to pay the workers 15 % more wages from 0ct 1 on and another 10 % next Jan 1.
So lots of small businesses go broke and close down. Workers can be fired by the day and poorness is growing fast.
What can we do.
Our work at San Pedro de Marcoris can do a lot for the people. We have daily 8 to 10 people working. This means that their families don't have to suffer.
At the same time we are building on the future of the children. Many of them go to school without the parents paying.
Lots of mothers with 3, 4 or 5 children are divorced and are too poor to pay for the school.
So we help the children and try to find funds to keep the school on going.
At this moment the school is not able to survive without our help, there are not enough paying parents and we must have more children coming.
The new school is further away and that means unfortunately that some children can not come any more. The parents can not afford to transport them by motoconcho and walking is too far.
So in the future we will need a minibus. A good one will cost US$ 5,000 and additional monthly costs. Who can help us on this matter?
The future.
We are building a school, capable for 500 to 600 pupils between 4 and 14 years, to get a basic education. We are planning to start classes for adult education like: computer, English language, car repair and maintenance, photography, restaurant cooking and baking, etc.
Groups welcome, but.
Our American friends have a great tradition in helping and caring.
We are currently building a house for Pastor Tanis and his family, several support buildings and a big guest house to be able to receive these groups up to 48 people.
We have already a dining hall, a big kitchen, and are building on three big dormitories and a small one, 6 showers and 6 toilets and a laundry.
We have real work here, and are able to program your stay in the most efficient way.
After one or two weeks of helping here, you go home with a great feeling of satisfaction. You did something valuable! And you will come back or certainly support us in the future.
Money.
Of course we realize that the money you spend on your trip here, maybe like US$ 800 a person, could be of great value to the local families.
If we let the locals do the same work, we spend only 50 US$ a week a person, so the same 800 US$ could provide us with 16 weeks of labor, and their families 16 week of survival.
So, look deep in your heart and just consider your intentions. What is your real drive to do this work and what do you want to achieve?
What does Hans Roovers do?
I fly on my own expense to San Pedro de Marcoris about five or six times a year, bring my own money, help with advice and try to keep on building with the most possible safe and perfectly used materials.
The workers need someone who is able to control their work, and who has enough knowledge and oversight to inspire and guide them.
If I could do this by just sending the money I am spending, I would do this.
But this work needs someone who is there for the greatest part of time.
A lot is done already, but we will keep on working for a lot of time more.
Can you help?
What do Tanis and Esther do?
They started four years ago, against all advice, in this poorest part of the country, because here is where the needs are.
Tanis and Esther do not live well or rich, the only means of transport is a very old "pasola" a little moped (small motorcycle). You can hardly sit on it with two persons and is breaks down every few days.
They don't have a big four-wheel drive! They don't have a house of their own. They eat the simple Dominican food: some own grown corn and beans, chicken and rice. They never use alcohol, cigarettes or coffee, they never go out.
I invited Tanis and Esther to go to a fancy restaurant and I found out that this was their first day out in almost six years!!!! No holidays for them. No luxury, nothing for themselves.
So, please be convinced that every eurocent or dollarcent you spend here is well-spent. All of the money is spent for the school, the church, and to share with the poor.
How about you??? Can you spend something?
And could you consider next time you want to come over, to do some real work, to support this project? To come to San Pedro de Marcoris for a change?
Hans Roovers, October 9, 2003
