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A special delegation of 11 Ambassadors from the United Nations (UN) visited the facilities of the Hogar del Niño School in La Romana, as part of the official trip that said mission has made to the Dominican Republic.

The group of UN diplomats was led by Mr. José Blanco, Dominican ambassador to the organization based in New York, and they were received at the Hogar del Niño’s school by Mrs. Xiomara Menéndez Dájer, President of the Patronato Benéfico Oriental (PBO), an entity that brings together educational, cultural, and health programs they have been developing since its foundation 48 years ago.

On their part, the UN commission consisted of the Ambassadors from Bahrain, Benin, Slovenia, Greece, Guyana, Indonesia, Kuwait, Libya, Malta, and Tajikistan.

Upon arrival, the delegation enjoyed a lunch of typical Dominican food and then toured the school facilities of the Hogar del Niño, an extensive and comprehensive center that provides daily quality education and innovation, nutrition (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), psychological support, medical and dental care to more than 2,000 girls, boys, and young people between 0-18 years old, from vulnerable communities in La Romana and the eastern region of the country; this being the only institution in said province and surrounding areas that offers inclusive education, integrating deaf children and those with special needs.x

“The Hogar del Niño is not only a safe space for the academic and personal development of all our students, but we also strive to reinforce in them the individual capacities that each one possesses, empowering them to be citizens with purposes for the well-being of their communities,” said Xiomara Menéndez Dájer during the meeting.

The premises of the Hogar del Niño include an Infant Room for newborns up to two years old, currently accommodating more than 250 babies, preparing over 900 bottles daily; classrooms for Preschool, Primary, and Secondary levels. Additionally, they have the National School for the Deaf, where they comprehensively educate and train over 70 students in sign language. The Hogar del Niño has also developed the “Makerspace” center classrooms, a space for technological development in robotics, programming, digital design, and 3D printers.

Furthermore, the Patronato Benéfico Oriental implements other social programs such as the PBO Technical Institute, designed to promote and develop the career prospects of young adults from sixteen years old; the Social Diagnostic Center, dedicated to providing services in the area of diagnostic medical imaging equipped with the most modern high-tech equipment, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and also the PBO offers an educational scholarship program, managing to grant this benefit to 20% of the graduates of the Hogar del Niño’s school, who highlight their excellence by obtaining titles with honors.

Text and photos courtesy of the organizers.