Sponsor Jessica Amelice

Algodón is where Children of the Nations began ministry in the Dominican Republic. It is a batey (pronounced BAH-tay)—one of more than 400 shantytown work camps built in the 1960s to house migrant sugarcane cutters from Haiti. Today Algodón consists of the remnants of this shantytown and is made up of mainly Haitian-Dominican families. When COTN first came to Algodón, the children were attending school in a mud hut that had cracks in the walls and roof, and lacked teaching materials. Sixty-seven students, representing less than half of the school-aged children in Algodón, were being taught by two teachers. Our partners have provided for the mental, physical, social, and spiritual needs of children in Algodón through sponsorship and in-country projects like building a school and implementing a clean water system. Each sponsored child has access to a good education, nutritious food, medical care, and clean water. Several students from Algodón have graduated from high school and university, including the first COTN students to earn medical degrees. By partnering with sponsors like you, we seek to provide the children of Algodón with the resources and care they need to become well-rounded individuals. By equipping these children and their caregivers with tools for success, they will grow up to create positive change in their community and ultimately their nation.