District 105 CW

  On the 12th January 2010 Haiti trembled with an earthquake measuring 7.0 Mw on the Reuter scale. Approximately 160,000 people lost their lives and a further 300,000 were injured. At the time Lions Clubs International Foundation sent immediate funds to help.

Many fled to the Dominican Republic for a better life ! 

In 2019 Lions David Hurst and Morena Malbog visited the Dominican  Republic for a holiday, in the hotel talking with two staff members, Raul & James they found many were still homeless - 9 years after
Here is their story:

After the devastation in Haiti, Many were led to think that the Dominican Republic is the promised land that makes their life different, for a better life. They came here as refugees to start their new life, knowing that this place may change their life completely.  But life is tough, people are begging for food. Mr. Raul Rosario Feliz and a childhood friend James formed a group Ministerio Cristiano mas allá de lo que ves ( Christian ministry beyond what you see) in 2013. Their aim is to help the poor families and abandoned children to give them help and guidance to achieve a better future.

As a Lion member, we saw their real life. Like them we believe children is our future.  We gave the 35 children  in Higuey and 58 children in Boca Chica City  a fun activities like sticking activity with the initials of LION’S CLUB, drawing contest which they will draw what they want to become someday and feed them with sandwiches, hard boiled egg, banana and fruit juice prepared with the help of the family of Mr. Raul. We knew that these things can never replace with any amount of money . Seeing and hearing children’s happiness gives you the reason that we should continue doing Lions work and show them that we care and love them.

Julio and Juliona:

Lions David and Morena from Gower Llwchwr Estuary Lions Club visited a community in Dominican Republic. A  fun day with 58 children in Boca Chica City. We ran a drawing contest and among all the children who draw what they dream of, Morena chooses this particular picture with a young boy with a big smile in it. We had to ask him what the picture means. He said that he wants to be a garbage collector, which collects plastic bottles, cans and other items where they can sell and uses that money for daily survival. They can only earn $2 a month.

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We later found out that he draw this because he wanted to be like his father. Julio is an orphan who was been traumatised after the death of his parents. He and his twin sister Juliana is taken care of by their uncle who is in bad health..

It was amazing after the program, a young sad and reserved little boy Julio begins to show the feelings that he keeps in his heart for a long time. We visited them at their place, they have got a small room, with only a bed raised on a hollow blocks for protection from floods. They gave us a warm hug and say gracias. 

 

After the program, we packed our things and found 3 papers left by the children, and found out that one of the paper with the initial I is the work of Julio and Juliona.  We believe that this is a message from the strength of their faith that brought us together. According to their uncle, he believes that someday, someone will come and help these twins Julio and Juliana.

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Before David and Morena left for home they took Julio and Juliona out for the day, they learnt that they were unable to attend state school because they had no school uniform.......   It was there first time in a supermarket, David and Morena bought them clothes so they can now go to school, 

From a distance David and Morena look after the twins needs.

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On 2nd May 2021 as part of 3 feeding programs carried out in one weekend Gower Lions & the new Ceredigion Invictus Lions  payed for 65 Haitian families  in Fruisa, Bavaro Dominican Republic to received food parcels .

In many cases due to the Covid 19 Pandemic many have not worked for the last year - No work No pay No food  

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