Esperanza International - USA

The mission of Esperanza International is to free children and their families from poverty through initiatives that generate income, education and health, restoring self-worth and dignity to those who have lost hope.

What's Happening at Esperanza...

Indotel Ceremony

PHOTO: Esperanza's director, Carlos Pimentel, with representatives from Indotel and a local pastor.

Indotel, which stands for the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications, recognized Esperanza for its management of four digital classrooms and handed over all upkeep responsibility to Esperanza in a ceremony held on August 31.

Two years ago, Indotel installed four digital classrooms for Esperanza in El Seybo, Hato Mayor, Las Flores and Consuelo in San Pedro de Macoris. Indotel has supervised Esperanza in management of the classrooms since they were built. During that time, Esperanza supplemented the classrooms with education in the complete works of Microsoft Office.

Dentists Visit Las Terrenas

This past weekend, July 17-18, Esperanza International teamed up with the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation in Las Terrenas, a small town in the Dominican Republic's northeastern peninsula of Samaná, to provide free dental work to over 100 children and adults.

The group of Dominican dentists participates in three such operations throughout the country each year.

The services offered this past weekend ranged from a general dental cleaning to the extraction of bad teeth.

The event, which lasted all day Friday and Saturday, was very successful and continued Esperanza’s desire to be active in developing its relationships with other organizations in the Dominican, as well as its commitment to providing more than just microfinance to its associates.

Thurman Award Winner

Bidos Jean, a loan associate of Esperanza International, received the 2008 Thurman Award from Hope International yesterday, June 16. The Thurman Award recognizes an outstanding associate who is a leader in their community and reflects Hope’s values of service and stewardship.

Bidos Jean lives in a rural batey community on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic in Puerto Plata. Through a loan from Esperanza International, Bidos opened a small colmado (convenience store). Slowly, through hard work and dedication, he paid off his loan, grew his business and expanded into distribution. Bidos began to sell such staples as flour, rice, and produce to his community. As a successful group coordinator for his bank, his peers observed his example and were encouraged to maintain their solidarity and make their payments on time.