Esperanza International Foundation [Samaná office]
Calle Respaldo Victor Lalane, Villa Salma
Samaná, Dominican Republic
Dave Valle, Brian Holman, Omar Minaya
Mission Statement
The mission of Esperanza International is to free children and their families from poverty through initiatives that generate income, education and health, restoring self-worth and dignity to those who have lost hope.
Values
*Following Christ and living the Gospel in all of our relationships
*Honoring the worth, dignity and potential of every person
*Developing the whole person: body, mind, and spirit
*Strengthening the family
*Fostering a sense of community wherever we serve
*Learning from all those with whom we serve as we endeavor to teach truth
*The earth as God’s creation that we steward for the good of all people
*Achieving excellence in all we do
*Pursuing integrity over image
*Enabling every person to have the opportunity to become all that God intends
Principles
Esperanza’s program principles lead toward and facilitate community-based sustainable development programs focused especially on benefiting children and their families.
Esperanza will promote and support development policies, strategies and activities that:
*Address the root causes of poverty, especially those impacting children, and facilitate activities that lead to improved living conditions, reduced infant mortality, greater life expectancy, better nutrition, improved education, increased income, environmental improvement;
*Focus on families and communities as the agents, planners, implementers and evaluators of the development efforts, where the vision comes from the people, and the ownership is theirs;
*Improve the capacity of people to learn from their experiences of development, to be empowered by that process and to lead more fulfilled lives with greater understanding of the world they live in;
*Free people from the bondage and oppression of cultural, social, spiritual and economic forces that inhibit becoming all that is intended;
*Build alliances and partnerships with other institutions with compatible goals, such as churches, non-governmental organizations and local community groups;
*Lead to more technically appropriate and sustainable activities and practices that contribute to self-sufficiency and self-reliance;
*Encourage systems that ensure accountability and integrity;
*Improve the leadership, management and organizational skills within the families and communities of a project area.
It is our policy to provide assistance to those in need, regardless of religious or political persuasion, and that it will not be withheld for lack of certain sectarian, religious or political beliefs.
Founder’s Story
A Dream Coming True…
Esperanza International is the story of what can happen when people believe in an idea and act to make it come true. In 1985, David Valle, then catching for the Seattle Mariners, decided to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic. Like many North American players before him, Dave didn’t know exactly what to expect while living and playing outside of the United States.
The reality of the Dominican Republic was not long in coming. After his first game there, David and his wife Vicky walked out of the ball park and were immediately surrounded by eight or nine young children. At first David thought that this was normal. Back in the States ball players frequently are met by kids gathering autographs for their collection. But David quickly realized these boys and girls didn’t want his signature. Instead, they were hungry and hoping that David and Vicky would give them food.
The young boys and girls were from the poverty stricken communities near the ball park where thousands of families live in makeshift shacks. They are among the poorest families in the Dominican Republic. Soaring unemployment, illiteracy, malnutrition and inadequate healthcare are just some of the barriers keeping the children and their families trapped in an ongoing cycle of poverty.
As parents and as people who take special interest in kids, David and Vicky were deeply troubled by the condition of the boys and girls. That night they spent many hours talking about the children and made a commitment to themselves that as soon as they were able they would return to the Dominican Republic to do whatever they could do to make a difference.
In 1995, Dave and Vicky founded Esperanza International as the response to their commitment.
[Former Seattle Mariners and Montreal Expos pitcher Brian Holman and current New York Mets GM Omar Minaya also serve amongst Esperanza International's Board of Directors.]
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