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Current Projects The Los Toros Education Project Maquinas para Mujeres - Sewing Machine Project The Los Toros High School - Liceo Project Special Projects Extended Projects All projects have been accepted and approved by the Los Toros Foundation Board of Directors. Each project is administered by a Project Leader and a Project Committee in Los Toros . Once a project is funded it will be audited at least twice a year and a report will be issued to the Board of Directors. The projects and the participation of the Foundation are described below.
The Los Toros Educational Project encompasses three areas; promoting attendance at school, developing good teachers and parent participation in education. It also includes support of a pre-school program to help parents prepare children for primary education. Some children can not attend school because of lack of proper clothing and shoes, extreme financial burden on parents or simple neglect by parents; a team of project workers visit homes to help parents meet the educational needs of their children. Likewise a team visits schools to collaborate with them in promoting good attendance and achievement in class.
The goals of the Water Filter Project include improvement to the municipal water system, educating families about water purification and helping families to acquire water filters for their homes. A survey has already been completed and indicates that approximately 550 homes need a water filter. An educational program has been started and water testing equipment is planned for the local medical clinic.
The Sewing Machines for Women program offers women with sewing skills an opportunity to purchase a sewing machine for about one half of its cost. They use it in their homes to sew items to sell to gain income for their families. One women has started a business making and selling Tablecloths, another woman ha started a Mattress Repair business, The women make monthly payments to pay back the cost and that money is then used to buy another machine for another person. We recently passed a milestone in that a new sewing machine was purchased with the money paid back over the past year and one more women has a sewing machine. The women in Los Toros are industrious and hard working, this is a perfect project for them and they are enthusiastic about it. There is a waiting list of women who wish to get a sewing machine for their home. More information about Tablecloths - Go
The
Los
Toros High School Project –
provides support in the community's effort to construct a building to
house their High School. Currently the students meet in the primary
school and are using badly needed space needed for primary education.
Some students are turned away because of lack of space and resources.
The community has purchased land, with our help and is seeking funding
to have a building erected. Liceo documents - Go
The Cement Floors Project works with the Los Toros community to replace "dirt" floors in homes. "Dirt" floors create health problems promoting disease and poor sanitation. This is a primary need in the community with almost 300 homes containing "dirt floors".
Special Projects The Christian Mendez Project has helped his family build a new home and now seeks to help with some basic living needs and medical needs. Christian Mendez is 17 years old and is "blind", "mute" and mostly "deaf". His family lives on the very edge of town, earlier this year they were living in a house that had a straw roof with holes in it, a terrible dirt floor and walls with huge gaps in them. We helped to construct a house with a cement floor and a galvanized metal roof. When we sent a representative to check on the house he found Christian lying naked on a bare mattress that had holes in it. His mother was washing the only clothes he had and she has no sheets to put on the mattress of his bed. Our most urgent goal is to get him some clothes and some mattresses for his family's home. One of the women who participated in our Sewing Machine Project purchased an industrial sewing machine and set up a Mattress Repair business. She not only makes the outer cover for a mattress she has also learned how to repair springs and replace foam padding. She charges about $150.00 - $200.00 per mattress. With a contribution of $400.00 we could repair the mattresses in Christian Mendez's home. An additional $50.00 would get some sheets. Beyond help with clothing and mattresses our goal is to find some medical help for Christian. This would entail a trip of over 100 miles to the capital city of Santo Domingo, getting to the government medical center, finding accommodations and meals as well as paying for some of his treatment. This initial diagnostic treatment would cost about $250.00.
For More Information about the Los Toros Foundation..........
209 W Cedar Street Grafton, WI 53024 email to:lostorosfoundation@lostorosfoundation.com
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