Ark Jaraboca

 

Ark Jaraboca

Provides residential care for nearly 50 of the region's most vulnerable children, providing all round holistic care as we aim to reintegrate them back into families. The programme also supports 10 graduates as they transition to adult living.

Ark Jarabacoa is Kids Alive’s oldest and largest residential facility. The 45 children who have been rescued from difficult and painful circumstances live in family-style homes, cared for holistically by our dedicated staff. Not only are their immediate physical needs met, but they receive a quality education, emotional support, and spiritual training. The Ark also supports 10 young adult graduates who live in transition homes or with families in the local community.

We received a perfect score on our last evaluation from the Dominican government and we continue to benefit from a good relationship with local child protective services. Our soccer field recently received a much-needed expansion, much to the delight of students. And we welcomed a new psychologist who will help develop individual plans for each child.

As we go forward, we will continue development of our independence initiatives for youth preparing to graduate from our residential programme. In the words of our Country Director, “The Ark is a paradise for kids who have come from hard places. We love the physical beauty of the site but more importantly the spiritual healing and growth that blossoms over time.”

Ark Jaraboca: A story of hope

Anabel’s story (name and photo changed to protect privacy)

Anabel came to the Ark 10 years ago after her mother died. The trauma took its toll on her, both physically and emotionally, but our staff were committed to helping her grow stronger and begin to heal. Even after she began growing physically stronger, she struggled to mature emotionally.

She was easily frustrated, often quitting a school assignment if she encountered a problem. Losing her temper on the soccer field became a liability to her team and hurt her relationships with teammates.

For the past two years, our counsellor and other staff have worked to help Anabel learn techniques to better regulate her emotions, and we are seeing significant improvements. In the classroom, she is showing real perseverance, which is leading to better grades. We were thrilled to see her display real composure in a recent soccer tournament where there were some emotionally charged games. her team made it all the way to the final game of a prestigious national tournament!

Anabel is truly blossoming in so many areas of her life, and we are excited to watch what God continues to do with this precious girl in the future.

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