My Nonprofit Reviews

For my son’s thirteenth birthday, I wanted to do something special. Instead of simply taking him to a resort, I wanted him to learn to give and see how others live. We found out about the Esperanza Project and I knew it would be perfect. We stayed with the Esperanza House in Munoz for a week to really get the idea and feeing of how the residents there live. To be honest, the cultural difference almost shocked us at first, contrasting from the privileged life we led in America. The poverty we saw there was life-changing. We also went at a time of a lot of controversy, and I’m so glad we didn’t buy into it. There was no sense whatsoever that we were unsafe, and we stayed in one of the most impoverished places in the country. From the moment we got off the plane, we felt welcomed by the Volunteer Coordinator, Cat’s hugs and welcoming words. Before we even saw the children we were going to volunteer with, we had the privilege to meet Caitlin, her family, and Cat. Caitlyn is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. She donates her entire lifestyle to help those in need. She’s spectacular and everyone in the community knows it and admires her. Additionally, one of the teachers in the area who helped out the group, Jerry, helped us so much throughout the process, such as when my son got an infected bee sting and it took us hours to find any help. The whole team really was living the life. Caitlin didn’t help out all the poor children and go back home to her massive mansion or something, she raised multiple children through the harshness of life there. Finally, when we did volunteer with the kids, we saw how poorly kept the school was, and also how much the children valued their education. The school’s conditions were very lackluster, but the children’s experience was still amazing! They appreciated every attempt to reach out, and my son got along perfectly with them. They teased him about being a Gringo and living in America, but in a friendly way. The children were so fun, tough, and easygoing. They grew very close over the time we were in the Dominican Republic, and we all cried when we were leaving. Lastly, the hospitality from the organization was really exceptional. We had a private cook, Rosa who cooked several meals a day of authentic Haitian delicacies just for us, and it was some of the best food we ever had. In general, the Esperanza Project is wonderful and life-changing. I’d recommend to everyone I know, especially families with teenage children. We are obviously going to do it again!