Pujols Family Foundation Helps Build Vocational School in the Dominican Republic

5.5.07

On Saturday, May 5, 2007, Albert Pujols and the Pujols Family Foundation presented a check for $65,000 to the Orfanato Niños de Cristo (The Children of Christ Orphanage) in the Dominican Republic, to complete a vocational school for impoverished orphans. "We have fasted and we have prayed for someone to help us build this school," says Orphanage Officer Ann Vasquez. "Today, God has answered our prayers!"

PFF Executive Director, Todd Perry, explains: "The project is a Vocational Training School situated directly adjacent to Orfanato Ninos de Cristo in the Dominican Republic. This school will benefit over one hundred boys and girls currently living at this orphanage."

"Some of these children's mothers are prostitutes and they have been rescued from the darkness of life," says Ann Vasquez. "They would be in the streets running and have no future whatsoever if not for the Orfanato Niños de Cristo. "Some of their parents are in jail, some have been abused - they don't have anyone but us. There's no government help for any of them so we are their parents and we need to provide them with skills so they can function in the outside world. That's why we need to build the vocational school for them. We had a donor that gave us $10,000 and we began building the school with that. We built for 4 months and with $65,000 more, we can finish this project. In the vocational school, we plan to teach the children cooking skills, baking, computer skills, have a sewing shop and teach arts and crafts. We are even planning to have our own gift shop at the school where they can make things and sell them, which will give them the skills to equip them better in the outside world."

Ann continues, "Sometimes when the children arrive, they are 12 and 13 and they've never been to school - not even to the first grade. It would be very difficult for us to academically train them to go to college so those will be the ones who will benefit most from the vocational school where they will learn a trade. We don't have that many people helping us serve the children because we cannot afford to have a big staff, so the older children are the ones who handle the operation here and if we provide them with the skills in the vocational school, they will be even more helpful."

"While the PFF has helped support the orphanage for the last couple of years, this is by far our most ambitious investment in these children," continues Perry. "It feels great to build something that will make such a huge difference in the lives of these children for decades to come. I am just glad we could help."

The school is scheduled to be operational in the spring of 2008.