Our Success
* Testimonials about / From graduates
Angelita Villafaña Pérez
An Angel at the Hogar
Ángela Pérez (Angelita) arrived at Hogar del Niño on November 15th, 1995 with 3 months of age. Brought by her mother Maritza (Who now works at Hogar) and under the recommendations of Mirurgia Brea (Angelita´s godmother). Through continuous observation we came to the conclusion that Angelita had serious health problems. The first thing that we noticed was her lack of movement; she made no effort to turn, she did not raise her little hands, not even her little legs as other children of her age did, she couldn´t suck on the baby bottle to take her milk, we had to feed her with a teaspoon or syringe of which barely she took 2 or 3 at a time.
Mrs. Ondina Molina, the director of the Hogar del Niño at the time, was very concern with the case and took her to Santo Domingo, where some specialists diagnose Angelita with no sensibility in her mouth and a lack of development of her physical movements (facial and corporal); recommending to perform regular massages in the mouth, we immediately started the treatment.
The task was not easy for us because Angelita cried a lot receiving the therapy. The procedure was that while one person holds her head, another gave the massages with a finger for 15 minutes, and immediately we proceeded to give her something to eat, and thus little by little she learned how to chew. From there on she improved each day, increasing the quantity of food she took each time.
We then began giving her physical therapy both here and in Santo Domingo, this treatment has helped her greatly in her recovery. Angelita was not able to pronounce a word, she was also submitted to speech therapy also, and she now´s able to pronounce several words and with this she´s able to communicate with others.
Angelita couldn´t stand or sit down on her own and on October 9th, 2000 she was submitted to a very delicate operation in her legs, thanks to the success of that operation, today she can walk, sit down and jump and play and interact like other children of her age.
Thanks to the effort done by Hogar del Niño, today Angelita is 13 years old and although she still receives speech and physical therapy, her life has changed notably, she is a very happy girl full of enthusiast and life and wanting to learn everyday something new.
Rayssa Brito
I arrived to Hogar del Niño when I was only 7 years old; I came with my grandmother (Doña Cecilia) who was the Day Care Supervisor at that time. I arrived to the care everyday at noon after school; I ate or rather say that, with all the patience of the world, Mrs. Maribel (present day Administrator of Hogar del Niño) fed me, after eating I used to take a nap until 2:00pm with the other children.
I remember that I help the nannies and teachers to comb the girls hair; with only 10 years old I helped the teachers in the classrooms and also helped them forming the children in lines and taking them to the cafeteria.
I wrote a letter to Mrs. Libanesa Saviñon, who was the administrator of Hogar del Niño, which from what I remember said something like this:
Dear Aunt Libanesa:
I comb the girls, I take the children to the park and the dining room, I help Candita (Nanny) and Samaira (Teacher) and you do not pay me, I want to receive a salary and put my name (sign in)...”
I don´t know from who´s salary they took the big quantity of money of RD$75.00, I have the fresh image in my memory of my first payment, the social worker, the psychology, the secretary, everybody was waiting to see my face and my reaction at the moment of receiving my first salary, what for me meant an enormous amount of money.
I also remember that when I was 11 years old, they increase the employee´s salary and they left me with the same RD$75.00, there was a Nanny named Marcola that stood in front of the dining room and very happy said - “but, they raise the salary” - and the others started to count their money, and whisper between them “they raise me this much, and this to me”... Well, I went to Mrs. Libanesa´s Office and I demanded my salary increase like this: “Aunt, why Marcola have a salary increase and I didn´t?” Because of my occurrences and things that I did or said, at Hogar del Niño they baptized me with the name of “The Bible”.
I assisted to every Dental workshop done at Hogar del Niño since I was 12 years old, I traveled to the country and bateyes to help the in the poorest areas and the less fortunate people, sometimes we the help of international organizations.
When I was 13 years old, something that we were waiting to happen at Hogar came true, the opening of the Dental Office. Thanks for the confidence of the people at Hogar and for believing in me with only 13 years old. I became part of the first work team of the Dental Care at Hogar del Niño Padre Abreu,
I started in the Dental Office when I was 13 years old and stop assisting with work schedule when I was 19 years old, because the Hogar del Niño and the PBO granted me a scholarship to study Dental Care and now I´m just months away of becoming a Dentist. I am very grateful to everybody at Hogar for this opportunity.
Without a doubt I had the best childhood, I learned at the best school, with the best teachers, they taught me to help selflessly underprivileged people without expecting something material in return, they also taught me that sentimental rewards have a higher value than anything material, that a smile for a kiss from one of those children is the biggest reward that we, the whole team of Hogar del Niño, can receive I´m more than sure that my college degree is a great reward for those who help me all the way.
I thank God, for letting me be part of this big family, a family that not only gives economical support, but that shows us a big love; unselfish true love, in return of us having a better future, and with all we learned in the PBO try to make the world a better place to live.
God bless you and Thank you!
Rayssa Brito
November 12, 2008