Two foundations have joined forces to support the completion of a multipurpose hall that will benefit the youth of the El Valiente community. This project is part of the apostolic mission of the Poor Sisters of Saint Francis of the Blessed Sacrament, whom Friar José María Guerrero affectionately calls “the little sisters of Valiente.”

It was Friar José himself who explained to collaborators from the Fundación Integral para el Desarrollo (FINDESA) and Evolution Foundation that the Franciscan sisters had made significant progress on the construction of a multipurpose hall similar to the one already operating in the El Caliche community in Villa Duarte — another blessing for the community where this beloved priest resides.

In El Caliche, in partnership with INFOTEP, technical courses are offered to young people who have gone on to become success stories in workforce integration and small entrepreneurship. For two years, the space has housed about ten computers and a small library where students can do homework, browse the internet for educational purposes, and receive training to strengthen their digital skills. Local children also enjoy the space for summer camps, one of which was organized by a couple of volunteer missionaries from the United States.

In 2021, the little sisters of Valiente would have the opportunity to contribute to the technical and religious formation of more young people — in a multipurpose hall that, to be ready for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, needed only RD$760,000.

The photos show that the multipurpose hall was clearly close to the finish line. The solidarity of hundreds of individuals and businesses is visible in every block, beam, and rod — in every drop of sweat. We may not know who they are, because unlike park benches that bear the donor’s name, every contribution to this project is anonymous and equally important, regardless of its size or nature. It represents the invisible hand of human solidarity, one that deserves the extra push to reach the happy ending — “from the first rod to the final coat of paint” — that every project of this kind deserves.

The completion budget was prepared by two engineers collaborating with the foundations, together with the site foreman who has been working alongside the Franciscan sisters since day one.

With this information in hand, FINDESA and Evolution Foundation launched a fundraising campaign with the goal of restarting construction in early January and seeing it through to completion without interruption. Both foundations made a commitment to the “little sisters of Valiente” that they would do everything in their power to make it happen.

Attorney Sara Cruz Cid serves as president of FINDESA, and María Victoria Abreu is the Strategic Alliances Coordinator of Evolution Foundation. Based in the United States — where the organization is registered — she served as the primary contact for international and diaspora donors. You can view the detailed budget and learn more about these organizations at the link below:

📄 View the detailed budget for the Multipurpose Hall Project

Originally published in Acento by José Alfredo Guerrero, November 23, 2020.