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...

Thank You, Kayla!

PHOTO: Kayla headed Esperanza's Communications and Resources department for two years. We will miss her!

Esperanza bid a fond and thankful farewell to Kayla Villnow, the organization's Communications and Resources Manager for the last two years, on Friday, July 10. She returns to her home in Seattle, Washington, to begin an MBA program this fall.

During her time here, Kayla lent her heart and dedication directly to the growth of Esperanza. When she arrived two years ago, a Communications and Resources department did not exist. Esperanza was steadily growing, and it needed someone to head a department that would communicate Esperanza's mission and work to the outside world. Kayla stepped into the position and performed. Alongside co-worker Daniel Castillo, she grew a two person department that saw 100 visitors a year to one that now supports three full-time positions, a host of volunteers, and oversees the trips of over 400 visitors per year.

Esperanza thanks Kayla for the enthusiasm and passion she brought to her job, and her many achievements. May God reward her dedication and efforts for the the poor of the Dominican Republic. Esperanza wishes her the best in her studies and beyond.

Baseball Field Inaugurations

PHOTO: A group of aspiring baseball players from Palma Arriba.

In collaboration with a number of domestic and international partners, including New York Mets General Manager Omar Minaya, Baseball Tomorrow Fund, Major League Baseball and others, Esperanza International inaugurated two reconstructed baseball fields in the provinces of Santiago and Mao on June 30, 2009.

The fields were constructed to provide aspiring young baseball players in the local communities of Palma Arriba and Mao with safe, high quality facilities where they can develop their skills.

Northeastern University Students Visit Esperanza

PHOTO: Northeastern University students with Esperanza staff at the closing ceremony.

The central Esperanza International office welcomed a capstone presentation from Northeastern University students on Thursday May 28th. The event marked the wrap-up of almost a month's worth of student studies in partnership with local Dominican undergraduates from INTEC University.

The NEU/INTEC group began their work on May 9th. Northeastern's Social Entrepreneurship Institute sponsored this initiative. The trip launched on the INTEC campus and at Esperanza's central office with classroom lectures covering a range of topics including Dominican history, economics, international development, poverty issues, and some of the dynamics intertwined in Haitian-Dominican relations.