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December 27, 2006
Article in Sosúa-News set Sylvia in action
Sylvia Berkley is a very socially committed woman - she helps people (via action or advice) wherever she can. She knows what is to be less than perfect, because she has suffered her entire life from the consequences of polio, a disease that she contracted when she was young, before there was any vaccine against the illness.
Sylvia
She therefore tires quickly and has trouble walking and carrying things, but this doesn't stop her from helping those less fortunate in this world.
During a previous stay in the Dominican Republic she saw for herself the extent of the poverty.
Later she read in Sosúa-News about the children of Sosúa and surrounding villages, who came from poor families and could not go to school because there was no money to buy school uniforms.
Sylvia mentioned this to her friends and family, and soon developed a plan to travel to Sosúa and find out exactly how she could help these children.
Friends and family soon collected 4000 euro between them, so Sylvia bought herself a ticket (paid with her own money) and stayed in a hotel in Sosúa.
School uniform
Garry Kooy picked her up from the airport.
The two weeks that this very special lady spent in Sosúa were used to become acquainted with the situation, and see how the funds donated by her friends could best be put to good use.
Sylvia wanted to be sure that all the money would be used for needy children, so she studied two projects.
The first is supervised by Judy, who runs a school in very poor suburbs of El Batey and La Unión, where many Haitian families live.
Most of these families do not have residency permits, and are thus here illegally.
Partly due to the fact that they have no birth certificate signed by both parents, the children from these families are not entitled to free schooling.
Judy left, and Sylvia besides Garry
The neighbourhood where the kids live
Together with a number of voluntary teaches, Judy ensures that these children receive some kind of education.
However, these volunteers cannot provide educational materials and furniture such as desks, chairs, blackboard, exercise books and pencils.
These children also have no school uniforms or shoes.
Above all, the children often eat no breakfast before they arrive at school, so breakfast is also a necessity.
Teachers also need to be paid a basic salary each month, even it's only 3000 pesos.
But this enthusiastic group has no means of financing this project, and when funds run out then the project will die.
Sosúa Kids
The second project has been running for several years, and is supervised mainly by Canadians:
it is known as Sosúa Kids.
The organisation ensures that children in and around Sosúa receive free school uniforms and items such as books, pens and exercise books.
This organisation is very efficient and they have lots of donors who make it possible for many poor children to go to school.
Sosúa Kids at school
After lots of consideration Sylvia finally decided to donate 3000 euro to the Sosúa Kids project, and 1000 euro to Judy's project, which will be used as partial payment for four months' salaries.
Sylvia wanted to be certain that the money donated by her friends would only be given to those really in need, and the organisation's leaders will manage this money.
Since Judy's project does not have any clear structural form with good financial controls, teachers' salaries will be paid via Sosúa Kids for the first three months of 2007.
Once Judy has finalised the legal aspects of her project, then she will be ready to receive direct donations.
If you'd like further information about Sylvia's good work, visit her website: sosuakids.punt.nl
or send her an e-mail at:
jylky@planet.nl
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