March 28, 2012

The season for service teams (formally called work teams) at El Hogar has begun and we have already hosted five teams since the beginning of the school year in February. We have hosted both a medical team and a dental team who have seen students at all three centers, so our children are being well looked after as the school year starts. Our first-ever medical team created  new records for all 250 students and report that they are generally in excellent health.

Our service team calendar is full for the summer weeks, but still has room in the fall. The returning teams report having the same kind of transformative experience many of you have experienced while at El Hogar.  

 Some teams have been helping with the project to expand the dining hall and kitchen at the elementary campus. This will allow all our children and staff, as well as volunteers to eat in the dining hall, and avoid carrying heavy pots of hot beans across the campus as we do now.

Some of the teams this year will be working at the property for the new girls' high school program, in Santa Lucia, where a perimeter wall needs to be built, while others will also work on completing a perimeter wall at the Technical Institute. There is plenty of work at all sites, but the real joy of being at El Hogar is always interacting with the children and students, who love the time, attention and affection of our volunteers.

At the Institute we now have the complete computer lab - with the long-awaited internet access.

News from the Farm

The Director's house is almost finished. Director Yony and his family will move in next month.

At the Farm, we are beginning a project to farm tilapia, with an eye to produce revenue that can contribute toward the running of the Agricultural School. This lake is being drained in order to create sections then will be stocked with young fish.

News from Toronto

Agricultural school student, Eduard Ariel, and I stood before the map of Canada on the wall of the dining hall at the Farm talking about our two countries and Eduard asked many questions. I told him how the interest in Canada for El Hogar has been growing through the years and he graciously expressed gratitude.

His interest made me think others may like to know about Canada's involvement with El Hogar also. The Toronto area has many El Hogar supporters. This past year we formed a charitable exempt organization. Through the generous pro bono work of knowledgeable individuals who love the children and staff of El Hogar, "El Hogar Projects (Canada)" was born. This provides us greater latitude in fund raising, the ability to track donors and an opportunity to seek funds from foundations. To highlight and celebrate this milestone a September event is planned replete with dinner and fund raising activities.  Folks from the four churches in the Toronto area currently involved with El Hogar, along with other supporters, will gather on September 18th for a dinner and auction.

Another event, which excites all the Toronto supporters, is the upcoming May visit of El Hogar Project's Executive Director, Rev. Matt Engleby. He will speak in two churches, Kingsway-Lambton and St. Luke's, and join with scores of walkers in our annual Walkathon on May 27th. Sandwiched between all that is a Pub Night replete with music, a comedian, food and favours. An anticipated blast!

I wish that Eduard could experience some of these events, and see the love generated from so far away. Somehow I think he'd say "Wow!'

-          David Winsor, former Executive Director, El Hogar Projects