After 4 years of working in this community....260 homes later...villa Esperanza is finished. A grand celebration & dedication ceremony took place in the school yard as it was the only place that was large enough to hold the ceremony and most importantly........ the only place in the shade.
Students wearing their school uniforms participated in a drama, presentations of many plaques of recognition of the countless hours that went into building a village and creating a place of hope ...aptly named ~Esperanza.
The streets held a decorating competition with almost everyone taking part. To our big surprise...they named the streets after members of the Samaritan Foundation who had an integral part in building this community.
Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace and for the honour bestowed on us to help the poor in the former community of Los Algodones where families have previously had no access to health, education, clean drinking water, homes and most of all the spiritual community in the church are now finding it a reality in everyday life.
What is left is the barren landscape with an ocean view of where 220 families had previously lived in tin shacks. Just a few homes remain which belong to the sugar cane company and cannot be torn down.
It was an inspiring day to see how the community worked together to not only decorate their streets, but also named the streets after members of the Samaritan Foundation who actively particpated in the building of this community.
