Andi and Yoandi's Education Fund

New Blog

2011-08-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

Click HERE to go to the new blog. I have created a new blog so I can update on all three kids together. Now that they are at a new school, I figured this would be a perfect time to switch.

http://dreducationfund.blogspot.com/

Books!

2011-08-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

I hear from the kids that school is going well. This week class is on a bit of an off schedule, it seems they are only going in sporadically and regular hours begin next week. Yoandi tells me he already has lots of friends! I video chatted with the kids last night and they held up all their books one by one for me to see. They also sent me these pictures. The books are amazing quality and this is HUGE for them, they are so excited about this. Never before have they owned so many books (and such good quality books!)

Isn't Andy growing up? He looks so studious.

Books are good for hiding behind...

...there is Andy!

I love this picture, he looks like such a kid!

The books serve multiple purposes. They are also good for balancing on Yoandi's head!

Reading away

Adorable

This is the Yoandi I know!

First Day

2011-08-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

The boys had their first day of school today! I thought it was just them going to get adjusted, but apparantly for their entire grades it started today, a bit earlier than the other grades (most kids start Monday). The boys said their teachers are very nice and they seemed so excited. Sonia took lots of pictures and is going to send them to me soon.

Yesterday Sonia alerted me that the school director gave her the list of books the kids would need. These books cost over $700!!! This was a cost I hadn't even thought of, so I was very worried. Thankfully, Sonia managed to work with the school to find different places (including the school library) to buy them used which significantly brought down the costs. Because we have paid so much up front and bought books from them, the school offered a discount on the rest of the tuition. I was able to use the rest of what I had saved to pay off Andy's full tuition and all the books. Now I just need the $720 for Yoandi and the kids will be entirely funded for the year. At this point, Andrielis and Andy already are. I am so thrilled about this!

For the month of September, as the kids adjust to their new school and as their tutor has a new baby, their weekly tutoring will be cancelled. The monthly funds I get for this I instead put towards the books, as that was a more urgent need. Tutoring will resume the first week of October.

Their August lessons are going well though. They have been doing lots of math, which Andy in particular really enjoys. They are picking it up very quickly. Yoandi is working on large number addition and subtraction, and Andy is working on 4 digit subtraction. Yoandi kept asking to learn the english lyrics to a song he likes, but Andy wanted to continue on with math! They have also put to use the Spanish Magic Treehouse books I sent. They bring them to tutoring and read them with Caitlin, often reading the same page over and over again until they get all the words down.

I can't believe how quickly things are coming along for them... I am so excited and so relieved that in terms of funding, we are so close. Please see the Chip In on the sidebar to contribute towards Yoandi's tuition if you are able. Stay tuned for the pictures of their first day of grades 4 and 6!!

Registration Time

2011-08-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

Registration time is here! The kids are going to register for their new school, Santa Rosa de Lima, on Monday. I have already sent their registration fee which was 5450 pesos each (about $140 each). I have also used some of the money already raised to purchase their uniforms, which you can see in the post below. I am excited that Andrielis' full tuition costs have been raised and sent. On Monday, when the kids go to register, Sonia will be able to pay for her entire year up front. This is good because it means one less thing for both of us to worry about, and will also mean less money spent on transfer fees as I did it all at once, rather than in multiple transactions that would cost more.

After all these costs, it leaves me with $518 in the bank for the boys. Ideally, I would like to pay for Andy's full year up front as well. This is 27,000 pesos or $702 Canadian. I would LOVE to have $190 more fundraised within the next week so I can send it before Andy starts school. This would really ensure his security at the school, and would cut down on future costs with multiple transactions. $190 is still needed to pay Andy's tuition.

After that, my final priority will be raising $720 for Yoandi's tuition and transfer fees. I doubt I will be able to raise this by the end of August, so it may need to be paid monthly and thus will be more expensive.

As you can see from the boys' faces wearing their uniforms below, they are so excited about this opportunity. They have come such a long way in the past 6 months. Both have skyrocketed in terms of their learning and I know that this opportunity will only further their education. Please consider sharing and donating. 100% donated will go directly to the school for their tuition, and a receipt will be provided. Thank you!

Uniforms

2011-08-05T15:26:00.001-07:00

The money didn't come in for the boys' uniforms so I used some of what had already been donated for their school tuition, as some money had been budgeted in that for school uniform/supplies. They look SO cute in both the school uniform and the sports uniform... I love how they did karate poses :) Just adorable. I am so happy for them. You can see how proud they are! They are going to register at school on Monday, so I will have a post up soon about their tuition and the amount still needed.

They Are Accepted!!

2011-08-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

The boys had a two hour lesson on Saturday with Caitlin and Sonia also let us know that a staff member from the private school went to observe them in their tutoring. He apparantly liked what he saw and thought the boys were coming along quickly, so he has agreed to accept them into the school! Come the end of the month, the boys will be getting a much better quality of education at Santa Rosa. YAY!

So now I really have to make a fundraising push. If I pay for their full year's tuition up front (rather than paying monthly) I will save 10% from the school, as well as a whole lot of money on sending fees, so this would be ideal. First up though, before I even worry about tuition, I need to purchase the uniforms. Below is the breakdown of what needs to be bought (in Dominican pesos).

white dress shirt - 270
red tie - 105
navy blue pants - 225
black dress shoes and white socks - 895
white tennis shoes with red socks for gym class - 525
white athletic pants with a red stripe - 300
white t-shirt with school logo - 270

It will be about $145 for the both of them (including fees to send the money) to buy a uniform. If this is a need you feel you are able to help with, please donate below. Andrielis' uniform has already been purchased, and Juan, their stepdad, is going to be buying their school supplies. The next step after their uniform is bought will be to go register and pay the tuition!

Photos

2011-08-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

The boys are doing great. Unfortunately last week the lesson had to be cancelled- keeping up with their tutoring with Caitlin and with the school is proving to be a lot, so we are using the money from last week to go towards extra hours for 2 weeks in August. The boys are learning a lot, and are now beginning to learn english as well at camp! I called the house today to wish Andrielis a happy birthday. As I tried to talk to Andrielis, I could hear Yoandi screaming my name in the background. Finally I begged Andrielis to let him say what he needed to say to me. He got on the phone, and in one breath let out all the english words he knew; "Hello Nikki, how are you, apple, red, green, blue... (etc)". He was very proud!

Camp is also proving to be good for their behavioural issues. The staff is really on top of them about it. They are also teaching Sonia better ways of parenting, using a time out technique for Yoandi instead of slapping him. This seems to be going well.

All in all, the kids are having a busy summer and are coming really far in so many areas. Soon they will have their second evaluation at Santa Rosa, which I admit I am a bit terrified for. I can see their futures becoming so bright if they can get into this school. Let's hope that the headmaster shows some compassion and accepts them!

Yoandi on a laptop at camp

Swimming/fishing

The boys holding hands on the Malecon!

Juan and Sonia, cutest couple ever

Andy and a camp volunteer

Registration

2011-07-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

The boys have ben enjoying their summer camp. It is an english immersion camp with about 15 kids total; a mix of Haitian and Dominican. They really enjoy learning english, so it is lots of fun for them. Andy isn't in the picture, but Yoandi is front and center in the grey shirt doing the bunny ears. Their sister Andrielis is in the camo capris, and Sonia is at the back in the stripes. Caitlin has hired her to work at the camp this summer, which she is thrilled about. Their tutoring lessons are also going well. They are split into two different groups of about 10 kids each. They said it is mainly for literacy- reading and writing- with no lessons yet on math or other subjects.

In other news, a donor, Kristen, earlier sent the money for the boys to get books. I purchased 2 Magic Treehouse books in Spanish, and a friend delivered them for me a few days ago. I should have pictures later on once she gets home. I just got a text a few minutes ago from Sonia saying Yoandi has all his friends over and they are reading the books! I really hope this will help with their literacy, as it is very rare, if ever, that they read for pleasure.

The end of the summer is approaching and that means there are a lot of costs needed. I have been sending as much as I can, but I really need help with the following costs, and also need to start making a dent in their tuitions. Thankfully, I have raised 100% of what is needed for their sister, Andrielis, which is a huge relief. The first need for the boys is their extra tutoring. This is every afternoon for one month and is the requirement that the new private school gave in order for them to accept the boys. Without these classes, they will not be allowed to attend, as they need to pull their grades up. This is only $50 for the whole month.

The second need is for medication. Yoandi had a sore stomach and Sonia took him to the clinic- he is filled with parasites. Andy also has an inflamed throat. It will cost $40 total to take care of these issues.

In class this week they worked mainly on math, starting my just going over numbers and their values. Sometimes when the boys see 2508 they will say 258, etc. They seem to have that down now. They then worked more on simple addition and subtraction. They also worked on writing out answers to questions. For What do you want to be when you grow up, both now answer doctor. One volunteer at camp mentioned to Sonia that she thinks Andy could be an engineer- he has that way of thinking.

Once the boys finish their month of tutoring, they will go back to the school for a re-evaluation. Hopefully at that point the school will accept them. We are in the process of registring their sister right now. Sonia will need the following forms for the boys:
1. some sort of form of the solicitation of reservation..the school must give this to be filled out.
2. original birth certificate
3. oficial medical certificate
4. two 2x2 fotos
5. report card from last year
6. letter of conduct from their academic institution last year
7. receipt of the paid registration
8. copy of their vaccination cards
9. passed admission exam (which we think is the evaluation...)

They will also need uniforms. This is another area in which I need finanical support. Their stepfather, Juan, has really stepped up and is going to cover the costs of their book bag and school supplies. They are struggling financially, but they want to do their part, which I love. Below is the cost of a uniform, in pesos:
white dress shirt - 270
red tie - 105
navy blue pants - 225
black dress shoes and white socks - 895
white tennis shoes with red socks for gym class - 525
white athletic pants with a red stripe - 300
white t-shirt with school logo - 270
It will be about $145 for the boys of them (including fees to send the money) to buy a uniform. If this is a need you feel you are able to help with, please donate below:

Lastly, it has come to our attention that tuition for the year can be paid in full at the beginning in order to receive a 10% discount. I would love to work on having enough to pay at least one of the boys in full, rather than monthly, so I am going to work on that as well. However, the three needs above are more pressing right now. Please share this with people you know who might be interested in helping, so we can get them off to a good start!

Math

2011-07-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note. The boys' lesson was this afternoon, so I should be getting an update on how it went within the next few days. In other news, Caitlin evaluated their math skills. Prior to this they had only worked on literacy. She said their math skills are very poor. Andy (16) struggles with simple subtraction. Yoandi (11) struggles with simple addition. She did note that they seem to enjoy it.

Yoandi was feeling sick and Sonia took him to the clinic. Doctor said he is filled with parasites, and Andy has an inflamed throat. I offered to send $40 to cover the medical fees and medication needed for both boys, otherwise they will have to wait 2 more weeks until Juan (stepdad) is paid. Sonia is very aware of how much she asks of me. She doesn't like to ask too much. But they are such an incredible family, and I have so much love for them. This is an area in which I want to help them.

It is costing $50 for one month of extra tutoring lessons for the boys, and $40 for their medication. If you would like to help with either of these current needs, please let me know!

In other news, the books that were purchased a few months ago (thank you Kristen!) have been delivered to the kids, and they contacted me today to send a thank you! Hopefully this will help with their literacy, as it is rare (if ever) that anyone in the family reads for pleasure.

Next Month = Intensive Lessons

2011-07-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Just as I suspected, the school gave the boys the evaluation and didn't give them the go ahead to register. Instead, they said they will do another evaluation in one month. They are pretty much giving the boys one month to really step up and catch up to the level they should be at. They suggested a tutor that the boys can go to every afternoon from 1-5 (mon-fri). This tutor is in a classroom setting, so it won't be as catered as what Caitlin is giving them, but it will be intensive class for a month that will hopefully help catch them up. They will switch their lessons with Caitlin to Saturday, and every mon-fri morning from 8-12 they will go to english camp. This is something that Caitlin's organizaion, Project Esperanza, is putting on, and Sonia was actually hired to work there! The boys are being immersed in english and having fun in a structured setting.

So their schedule for the next month will look something like this: 8-12 = english camp, 1-5 = tutoring at the school. That would be mondays - fridays. And then on Saturday they will get 2 hours of lessons with Caitlin. A lot of work, yes, but hopefully it will do the trick and will catch them up, at least somewhat. Their lesson for this week has been switched to Thursday (tomorrow).

I will need $50 towards the tutoring if anyone is able to help! There is a donate paypal button on the sidebar of the blog. Thank you!

Evaluation Soon

2011-06-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

The boys' sister went for her evaluation at the school, which consisted of some IQ testing. She said it was easy. For some reason they asked for just her and not the boys. I have just texted Sonia to inquire about when the boys will go. I have sent money to Caitlin to attend with them to ensure that someone is there pushing for them to accept the boys.

The boys are still working hard on basic literacy. They are continuing to write sentences using words Caitlin gives them. It is repetitive but sinking in. They are still being constantly reminded to start a sentence with an uppercase, finish with a period, not group words together, not separating words by syllable, etc. Caitlin gave them questions that they had to write answers to in complete sentences; exm. Where do you live? I live in Playa Oeste. They went through 6 questions in class and 1 for homework. They did well. Sometimes they would misspell words, even if the word was in the question. They are slowly making progress and the same concepts of literacy are being continually drilled into them.

Summer Time!

2011-06-08T06:48:00.001-07:00

The boys have finished school for the year! They just had their last day of classes and so now are on summer break until August. I wasn’t told whether they have passed grades 3 and 5 (or whether they even know yet) but I have inquired so should know soon. Thanks to an amazing donor, they are going to be getting 2 hours of lessons this summer (all of June and July) instead of one hour, so that started last week.

Yoandi has been working on writing lists; 10 things that are white, 10 things that are green, etc. Caitlin then corrects his spelling and makes him rewrite the list, and then rewrite the each word he misspelled 5 times. Of the ten words on the list, he usually misspells about half, so this exercise has been good for him. They are usually not too far (aside from the occasional one).

Andy is making mistakes common in Dominican children; leaving out s’s, etc. He almost never starts a sentence with a capital or uses a period. Something I found really interesting was that he writes in syllables instead of words. So for example instead of “la policia trabajan todos los dias” he might write “lapoli cia traba jan...” Caitlin makes him rewrite it, separate the words, put a period at the end and a capital at the beginning.

Last week they arrived late (again) and Caitlin talked to them seriously about how in the past, if they arrived last she would go late (ex. If they arrived at 10:20 they would go to 11:20) and that she isn’t going to do that anymore. If they arrive late the lesson is going to be cut short. They arrived right on time this week.

Caitlin is arranging with the school to go in and do the kids’ evaluations (which is free). Since the current school year is over, it is time to register and get the kids ready for their new school. I am super nervous for this as I still have a bad feeling that they will turn Andy down. I have sent funds for Caitlin to go along with them to the evaluation to really vouch for Andy and how far he has come and how much potential he has. They have agreed to let him in, but I still feel nervous so will be glad when this step is over.

Past Few Weeks

2011-05-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

The boys have been doing well these past 2 weeks. For the first lesson, they knew all the letters and did better on sounds. They did a spelling test without preparation and Yoandi got 4 out of 10 correct and Andi got 8.

Andi had been assigned homework and didn't complete it, so I will be on him to make sure these things get done. He ended up doing it during the lesson; write 10 words of things on a farm, 10 from the street, 10 from school. As he was doing that, Caitlin reviewed letters with Yoandi and he did well, and then had him write 10 body parts. Both had some spelling mistaks which Caitlin corrected with them. Andi had to then write a sentence with each of the 10 farm words, which he didn't finish so was assigned to finish it for homework. In his writing, he doesn't use upper case or periods, so that is something he is working on. Also lots of spelling errors.

I am still trying to fundraise for Yoandi's uniform and school supplies, so if you can help with this need, please do!

Last Updates Before Uganda

2011-05-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

In terms of school, next step is the psych exam which will take place in June (and which is free). This will determine if they are at grade level. I am a little nervous for this as the school they are at is pretty awful. Grade level for their current school maybe be different than grade level at this private school. They are already several years behind, so I would hate to see them be bumped back further. After that (crossing my fingers that it goes well) the boys will register, pay registration fees, purchase uniform and school supplies, and start school August 16th!

The boys finish this year of school on June 13th, and thanks to an amazing donor, they will be getting 2 hours of lessons instead of 1 for all 8 weeks of June and July! This will double the amount of learning to prepare them for starting the new school.

The boys' lesson went well. Like last week, they knew all their letters so there has been a huge improvement there. They thoroughly went over the sound that each letter makes, as they often have confusion, and then they did a spelling quiz of 14 simple words like silla, clase, tiza, libro. Andi was almost perfect, but Yoandi had a few mistakes (like siya instead of silla). They practiced reading, which Andi did really well on. Yoandi can read decently too, but rushes and sometimes sees the first few letters and will just guess on the word instead of reading the rest of it.

I am going to be in Uganda from May 14-28. I will be somewhat on email, and will be in touch with Caitlin about the kids and how their lessons are going, but likely won't have time to update the blog until I get back. You can read about my trip at www.onetinystarfish.blogspot.com It would be amazing if, by the time I got back, the two current greatest needs were filled. They are:

Month 3 and the leftover needed for Month 2 of Yoandi's school tuition.

Yoandi's school supplies, books, and uniform:

Progressing Quickly!

2011-05-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

The boys' lesson this week went super well. They both knew all the letters of the alphabet and knew them quite quickly too! Woohoo! After that review, Caitlin did similar activities with them that she did last week, really drilling it in to make sure that have it down. Working on spelling simple words, saying a letter and then listing words that start with that letter, etc. They are coming along with their sounding out words, but have their letters down pat now, which is amazing! Sonia texted me today and said Yoandi is studying every day and is learning more than Andi and Andrielis! I am glad to hear he is working hard. I am so proud of both of them :)

Thank You Jennifer and Family

2011-05-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

So many people have come together to support these two amazing boys. Recently, I have re-connected with Jennifer Harrison of Burlington Studio Dance. "Miss Jenn" was my dance teacher from the time that I was 3 or 4 until I was maybe 12 or 13 years old. We hadn't seen each other in years, but re-connected recently and she heard about Andi and Yoandi through my facebook, and has supported considerably over the past months. I wanted to thank her, and asked my friend Crystal to film the boys saying "thank you Jennifer and family".

This video is just sooo cute. As you can see, it took several practices before they got it right. Andi thinks he is too cool for videos, and Yoandi's smile melts my heart. Thank you Jenn!!

As a side note, I have $50 fo $75 raised for Yoandi's second and third months of school. Just $25 left needed to have that covered. Thank you to the people who donated. It is SO appreciated. The boys lesson this week is switched to tomorrow, and this will they will also be visiting their new school to talk about registration. Woohoo!

New Photos!

2011-04-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a friend, Crystal, I have new photos of the kids. I am told letters are in the mail and videos coming soon. They are so cute! Please note that there is a chip-in button on the sidebar to cover Yoandi's third month of school, and the rest needed ($10) for his second month. I need to register him soon, and will feel much more comfortable doing soon having the funds already raised up until December, so this will help me get there. Please give what you can, even if that is just $1!

Working on their new chalkboard, April 2011

The kids, April 2011

Andrielis, April 2011

Andi, April 2011

Yoandi, April 2011

The family, April 2011

The kids with their tutor, Caitlin, and her son

Andrielis being silly!

Sonia

Andrielis

Time: Cultural Differences

2011-04-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

The boys (Andi in particular) have had issues with showing up late to class. In one sense, it is cultural, and Dominicans are known for being late to everything. But in the other sense, their lesson is from 10-11. If they show up 15 minutes late, they only get a 45 minute lesson instead of an hour, and they won't learn as much. It is important that they recognize instances when they need to be on time. Both Caitlin and I have been talking to them about it, and today they showed up two hours early for their lesson, hehe.

During their quiz on the alphabet, Andi forgot 2 letters and Yoandi forgot 1. They reviewed upper case, lower case, vowels and consonants. Then Caitlin would say a word and do blanks for the number of letters: ex. muestra _ _ _ _ _ _ _. They would have to fill in the blanks with the proper letters to begin thinking more about what sound each letter makes.

Yoandi has been coming along quite quickly and has begun making a competition out of it, which Caitlin is discouraging. With the two having a 5 year age gap, it is difficult for Andi to see his younger brother being at such a similar level educationally. We want to encourage them to encourage each other, rather than making it a competition.

A friend of mine is in the DR for a week and is visiting the family for me tomorrow, so I will have updated photos soon!

Greatest Needs

2011-04-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

This week is Semana Santa. Andrielis' lesson was cancelled as she is in Santiago visiting her cousins, and the boys' lesson has been postponed until tomorrow morning.

I wanted to post quickly about greatest needs. I have been doing quite well fundraising for Andrielis, and I have an amazing young girl in Saskatchewan who is selling necklaces to help me fundraise the rest. As for the boys, I have two greatest needs.

A huge thank you to Jenn who donated the $125 needed to register Yoandi at school. I am so relieved that this is in, and they told the kids to come in after Semana Santa to register. I still need $65 to cover his first month of school. This is the current greatest need as it will need to be paid quite early. Tuition is $65/month, so every penny from this will go directly to his school. Please give what you can:

Secondly, the boys are off school on summer holidays for 8 weeks. They currently go for 1 hour a week of extra tutoring. During this 8 week holiday, I would like to increase this to 2 weeks as they will have more time on their hands as they won't be in school. It will cost $120 total to cover an extra hour for both boys for 8 weeks. They have being doing really well in their lessons and I don't want them to slip into old habits during the break, so these lessons are crucial at getting them up to speed.

Thank you! And again thank you to Jenn for covering Yoandi's school registration and to Kristen for covering the costs of books for the boys.

Note: These needs are filled. Thank you so much!!

Books

2011-04-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up I remember hours sitting and reading a book, and frequent trips to the library. English/writing/spelling tests always came very easy to me and I think this is directly linked with my love of reading.

The boys' school doesn't have a library, there is no public library for them to visit, and they have very few books. I did give them some books 2 years ago, but they were picture books- not something to challenge them.

A friend of mine is headed to the DR in the summer and I would love to have her deliver a book to each of the kids. I already have a spanish chapter book for Andrielis, but would love to purchase the below two books for the boys. Sonia wants to have family reading hours where they will read together, and I think bringing in interesting chapter books, rather than just kids' picture books, will help encourage that, and will help the boys work on their reading and grammar skills. I will actually have her give the books to Sonia, and will talk with Sonia and using these as a reward somehow for the boys, rather than just giving it to them. If they do X amount of studying one week, they will be rewarded with a book (or something like that). If I raise the money, I will talk to Sonia and see how she thinks these can best be used to motivate the kids.

These books come to about $12 each, so if anyone would like to make a donation of $12, please let me know and I will purchase a book for the boys in your name. I loved this Magic Treehouse series when I was young, and I think the boys would like it too.

Piratas Despues del Mediodia (Pirates Past Noon)
Leones a la Hora del Almuerzo (Lions at Lunchtime)
El Caballero del Alba (Knight at Dawn)

This has been sponsored. Thank you so much, Kristen! I will order the books today and send them to the kids with a friend this summer.

We Have A School!

2011-04-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

Great news- we have a school that will accept Andi! The first one, San Jose, that accepted Andrielis turned Andi down. The second also turned him down (after I paid for his tutor to go and meet with both of these schools). The third said yes! Andi will be attending Santa Rosa de Lima this September. Sonia thought on it a lot and decided she wants all three to go together, so all three kids will be going to Santa Rosa De Lima, the oldest private school in the city and a very respected one, I am told.

This school is $65/month plus $125 registration. At ten months of school, this costs $775, plus books and uniforms, so I will aim to raise $900 for Andi and $900 for Yoandi. They said to bring them in after Semana Santa and they will talk more about what documents they need, etc.

The boys' lesson went well. Andi showed up late again. He had been hauling water and Yoandi left on the motoconcho without him, but he ran to the lesson on foot and made it being 10 minutes late.

Caitlin wrote different words on the board that they sounded out and did well with. They also went through the alphabet; Caitlin would say words and they would say what letter it started with. They still forget what the letters are called. For example, for "bombillo" they would say "bo" instead of "b". Caitlin would say What do you mean? There is not a letter called bo? And then they would remember and say b.

They ended by copying the following statement in their notebooks:

Es asi que van a aprender. Tienen que practicar mucho.

Good News & Bad News

2011-04-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Let's share the good news first...

The boys' tutoring lessons are going so well!! Good enough that their teachers have taken notice. They both had failing grades before, but now are slowly improving. They went through the letters this week and both only missed 2! Yoandi has come huge strides since last week, and Andi is maintaining all that he learned. They went through sounds like:

ca co ci ce cu
do di de du da
fi fu fa fo fe
cho cha chu che chi

which they did well with. Lastly, they wrote sentences about themselves (ex. My name is Yoandi, I like sports, I have 1 brother and 1 sister) to work on spelling and handwriting. Andi's handwriting is quite neat, but Yoandi's is messier and he often blends words together. Andi is often nervous answering questions, not wanting to answer incorrectly and have his younger brother know the answer and not him, but so far he has been doing better than Yoandi (to his happiness).

This week they were more motivated than usual, and were encouraging and cheering each other on, which makes me proud. Yoandi told Caitlin (their tutor) a secret; that they buy candles and study at night secretly when they are supposed to be in bed!

Now, the bad news...

Colegio San Jose, the private school I intended on enrolling all three kids, will not accept Andi. He is 16 years old, and in grade 5, and they don't want a child this old in their grade 5 class. They are not sure about Yoandi yet (11, grade 3) and are going to let us know soon after they decide. They will accept Andrielis.

On Monday the kids went to the school to inquire about enrollment for September. When they told Andi they wouldn't accept him, he got teary, and Andrielis told me he later cried, and so did his Mom. It breaks my heart. I think this unleashed a lot of insecurities in both Andi and Sonia that they had previously been hiding, but are now forced to talk about.

After the meeting at the school, Sonia began blaming Andi; it is his fault he is so old and in such a young grade- he never studies, he is disruptive, he doesn't listen, etc. Andi, in turn, blamed his mom. When he was age 8 and living with his father in the capital, Andrielis was sent to school while he was sent to shoe shine. He blames Sonia for not interfering. Sonia, in turn, responded that Andi doesn't have respect for her and doesn't know what it is like to be a single mom. Her relatinship with the kids' father was an abusive one, and life at that time (when Andi wasn't in school) was difficult for them all. Additionally, Sonia's mom couldn't read or write, and discouraged Sonia from going to school. They have a Mom who encourages them, but she feels like Andi isn't grateful. She threatened to send him to his father's family's city (his father is now dead) to work in the rice fields if he doesn't work harder.

It was quite emotional for the both of them, as they are at a point where Andi is getting older, but opportunities are more difficult for him because he is "slow". They both wanted to blame the other. Caitlin talked to them about respect, and about learning from the past, and learning from his father's mistakes, and not becoming his father. She told Andi he has to learn that his parents aren't perfect, that they make mistakes, but to focus on the future and to move forward from here. Andi was really receptive to this, and in the lesson with Caitlin afterwards, he was extra-motivated and worked really hard.

We are looking into other colegios (private schools) that may accept him. If worse comes to worse, we will keep him where he is, and increase the number of lessons he has weekly with Caitlin (if the funding comes in), but I still have hope that we can get him into a colegio.

Continuing With Alphabet

2011-03-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

The boys have gotten better at studying, and are coming along really well. Andi has all of his letters down pat now, although Yoandi is still struggling. Caitlin tested them on all the letters in both capital and lowercase. Andi scored 59 out of 60 but Yoandi only scored 31. He needs a lot more work there. They both often mix up C and S. Unfortunately, Andi sauntered in 15 minutes late, saying he had been sick. This could have been true, but I am going to have a talk with him about being on time and respecting other people through being on time. This is something that is common for Andi, so something I want to nip in the bud while we are still early in classes, and make sure he is taking these lessons seriously. Aside from that, they are doing well and are studying often, which is nice to hear. Later this week they will be going on a tour of San Jose, the private school I am hoping to enroll them in next school year.

Happy Birthday Andi!

2011-03-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Andi celebrated his 16th birthday yesterday and it was a day of great excitement and happiness for him. Check out THIS POST on my personal blog to read about our phone call and the huge number of people who celebrated Andi and donated towards his tuition.

Basic Literacy

2011-02-16T14:28:00.000-08:00

The boys started last week by having a family meeting with both of them, their mother, their sister, and Caitlin, who will be tutoring them (their stepfather is away for a month fishing for work). Caitlin talked to the boys about the tutoring sessions and the importance of education. I also paid for her to bring them a chalkboard and chalk to set up in the house, and Yoandi in particular really liked that. Andi spoke about how he wanted to be an engineer, and Caitlin told him what it takes to make that happen. He thinks he can do it, and says he will work hard. Prior, his mother Sonia had been trying to work with him on his reading, but he would run away from her when she wanted to work with him. He says he won't do that anymore. He read aloud, and his reading had improved from December when Caitlin had met with him previously. Yoandi could not read hardly at all. Yoandi said he wanted to be an engineer too, although in the past he has always said pilot. Perhaps he just wanted to be like his big brother!

The boys will meet with Caitlin every Monday. On their first lesson, they started with basic literacy; the alphabet. They want through the Spanish alphabet and really struggled. There were about 4 or 5 letters that Andi didn't know, and 10 or 11 that Yoandi didn't know. Keep in mind these boys are 11 and 15 and in grades 3 and 5, and still do not know the basic alphabet. Caitlin asked them if they knew any songs off heart, and they sang one word for word that they knew off memory. It is clear that (unlike Andi's teacher claims who thinks he has psychological issues) they are both at least capable of memorization, and this exercise made them realize that. Andi promised to go home and memorize the alphabet. They went through letters a-e and then f-j, where Caitlin would say a word and they would have to say what letter it starts with. It sounds very simple, but was difficult for them. When Caitlin said "bonita", they said "bo" as the letter, so it is quite clear that they are very far behind on the most basic of literacy skills. It continues to shock me how desperately far behind they are, and how Dominican public schools lag. We have high hopes for the boys, and they also hope to learn english, but this basic literacy needs to be learned first before moving on to anything else. I am comforted knowing they are very happy kids. Their mother is amazing. Yoandi was running in and out of the house while Caitlin was there, because he had dug a hole outside and filled it with cement to put fish in. They are boys in every sense of the word and their days are filled with swimming, fishing, playing baseball, and running around their neighbourhood with their pack of friends. Unfortunately, they also deal with the struggles of poverty, which will only become more intense as they get older.

Classes Beginning

2011-02-07T14:26:00.000-08:00

A huge thank you to Leigh who has agreed to fully sponsor both boys to have private tutor sessions with Caitlin, an American friend who lives in their city and runs a non-profit. The boys will go together every week for an hour and Caitlin will help them improve their literacy and english skills. They are very excited to get started! Caitlin is doing a home visit with the family this week to discuss in further details their educational goals and what they want to focus on in class, as well as to talk further about the specific difficulties they are experiencing in school.

What Is Andi and Yoandi's Education Fund?

2011-02-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

I have discovered that my passion and my goal in life is to get as many kids as possible a solid education. But recently I have had a desire to take this further. I don't want kids to just get a primary education. I want them to go on to secondary school, and then college. So many programs I have worked with have disappointed me in their lack of commitment to getting kids a strong education. Rather, simply because they are poor, they are destined to vocational training and a lifetime of difficult work and meager earnings. I know that every child has the capacity to do better than that, if we give them support.

That is where the Education Fund comes in. I am focusing, at first, on 1 very special family; Andrielis and her brothers Andi and Yoandi. My goal with the Education Fund is for us to come together to support the kids as they take a higher schooling path.

Andi and Yoandi have started getting privately tutored to catch them up with their peers. A huge thank you to Leigh for fully sponsoring this! It is the first crucial step. In August 2011 with the new school year, I am hoping to get them both enrolled in Colegio San Jose, the most respected private school in the city. This school will allow them to receive a much higher quality education than what they are currently receiving, where they are learning very little. Many schools in the DR are mediocre, if that, and without transfering to a better school asap, the boys will surely continue on the same path, struggling from grade to grade or failing year after year. Tuition at San Jose is approximately (to be confirmed in the summer) 2500 pesos per month ($67 USD) plus uniform, books, and registration fees. I am hoping to raise $600 USD per boy to cover this cost for next school year (August 2011 - May 2012). Please contact me at ncochrane3@hotmail.com if you would like to help, or donate to the paypal button on the side.

Please join me in making a difference in the lives of Andi and Yoandi. With a better education, it will not only transform their lives, but it will change their family, their community, and maybe even their country. This is taking sponsorship a step further, and as you support Andi and Yoandi, you can watch the long term difference it will make in their lives as we commmit to something sustainable and powerful.