As of July 2020, together with the local Mariposa Foundation, we were ready to open a school for about 60 children in the rural village of Los Maranitos in Dominican Republic.

However  then COVID happened and the entire country went into lockdown. Since then until now (May 2021) all schools have been closed countrywide.  However, at the new school Mariposa has hosted some “school camps” for local girls in the ages of 7-12. With no schooling since almost a year every girl in the community has attended, and it has been amazing and uplifting experiences for them, especially in contrast to all the added hardship and monotony of the pandemic.

Mariposa has also completed the first level of training of a few teachers/guides from the community. A plan was created for the left over materials and ideas were shared about how to manage and “open” the educational center a few days a week.