Hi.Thank-you for your participation in the work of Mercy League! We are moving forward at a good pace these days. These next few weeks will be paramount to our organization turning the key and seeing the proverbial motor run. It has been a lot of work, but I think we are close now.
The Dream: A sustainable Children's home for abandoned and exploited children
What does that mean?
It is a home for children that is based on three ideals:
- A small home with a Mom and a Dad (not an institution)
- Indigenous program managed and implemented by locals
- Self sustaining (Leased land, gardens, fruit trees, animal husbandry, etc...)
We have leased a property with a small 3 bedroom house on it. I will travel to the Dominican Republic to finalize the candidate process for house parents. I will bring my tool belt and plan to build an animal shelter (goats, chickens etc...) as well as possibly working with the locals to plant bananas, plantain, papaya, beans(short term crops). (Yes I could use some help if you can meet me in Puerto Plata near after the 7th or April.)We have a budget of about $3000 per year for the children's home but are trying to raise about $6000 in total to get things off the ground(supplies, furnishings, beds, Kitchen supplies, salaries and livestock). To date we have over $1000.
If you have any comments or questions please leave a comment below, or email me at: mattenleys@mercyleague.org
Remember that there are thousands of suffering children and families in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Haitians in the DR whom live in the Bateys eke out their lives for pennies on the dollar in terrible conditions. Our children's home is located in an area that is near several bateys.
Make sure that you keep praying.
Shane
P.S. For more info... read these articles:
"Where there are two Haitians, kill one; where there are three Haitians, kill two,"
3 Jun 2005 Dominican Republic: More than 3,000 Haitians deported in mass expulsion
