Project Launch:

The CONANI boys' shelter is situated in the northern part of the city of Santiago, which lies in the mountainous Cibao region, near the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. Nearly all the boys who enter the shelter are illiterate, most come from abusive family situations, and many have no families at all. The boys say they want to read but they soon lose focus and energy in a typical classroom setting to which they are unaccustomed. With a $291 grant from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program supported a project that taught young people to utilize found objects in the community to make one-of-a kind reading materials. Selling these materials helps to fund additional teaching materials: flashcards, bingo boards, letter and syllable bottle tops, sandboxes, word searches, and dominoes. For boys who have had a hard time learning, this innovative method of teaching is not only helping them learn but helping them to enjoy learning.