Award-winning, teen author, Camille Kleinman, launches a cause to help local Cabarete school kids.
In Cabarete there are no public libraries, no bookshops, and even the local Cabarete school has hardly any books for the kids. In fact, their school library doesn’t even have a floor, shelves and nowhere to sit on apart from one old, plastic chair or the dirty, gravel ground.
At age 13, Camille taught English at the Cabarete school. Now, years later, upon revisiting the school she was shocked to see how poor their library is.
Majority of Dominican kids never had a single children’s book in their lives. There are no public libraries to burrow books from and they do not get books as gifts.
This cause aims to provide the Cabarete school with many interesting children’s books and picture books, to help the Dominican kids learn English and develop their imagination.
English is an extremely important language for children to master at an early age so they can improve their employment possibilities later on.
Ms. Kleinman hopes many socially-aware American moms will send their used books to the Cabarete school and help spread the word about this cause to other caring moms.
When asked why the kids don’t get books as gifts, Camille explains: “The majority of the Dominican population is extremely poor.
Unemployment rate is 15% nationwide but higher in Cabarete, and the minimum wage is $131 per month.
There are many young, single moms who are living in extreme poverty. Some of their shabby homes don’t even have floors. Books are therefore not a priority when the struggle for food and clothes comes first. Asides from this, to buy a book they would need an expensive long trip to a big main city where bookshops exist.”
Since school is not compulsory and only those parents who can afford a school uniform for their children can send them to school. On top of that, many parents need their kids to help them with their family income. Even young kids work shining shoes, peddling wares in the streets or labor in the fields. Therefore, many Dominicans are illiterate and can’t even count.
Without education, there are very few chances for Dominicans. Alas, many local girls as young as 12YO turn into prostitutes, usually because their parents force them into it.
Without education, they have little chance of ever getting out of this terrible destiny.
How can you help?
If you have any used children’s books, or books for teens in the English or Spanish languages, which you no longer need, please donate them to the Cabarete school in the Dominican Republic.
Visit http://CamilleKleinman.com/causes to find out how you can make a difference.
