Dominican Republic: ARK Jarabacoa Children's Home

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC HOME

LOCATION

“The Land of Eternal Springtime” is the nickname given to Jarabacoa. Situated in the highest mountain range in all of the Caribbean, Jarabacoa enjoys a mild climate compared to the very hot coastal regions. The Dominican Republic and Haiti share the island known as Hispaniola, which is located between Cuba and Puerto Rico.

The beautiful mountains and Caribbean sunsets combine with the friendly Latin people to make Jarabacoa a beautiful setting for a children’s home.

HISTORY
The Ark was founded in 1987 by Patricia Waber, a Christian woman who wanted to do something about the plight of children in the world. One year later, Jan Burkey joined her and the Home quickly expanded to twenty children. In 1993, the Ark affiliated with Kids Alive International with Jan Burkey serving as the director. The Home moved several times from one rented house to another.

In 1994, land was purchased to begin construction on a larger facility that could eventually accommodate up to 80 children. Philip and Jill Aspegren and Jeff and Ann Van Der Molen joined Jan in 1997 to help move this dream to a reality. In February of 1998, the Ark moved to its beautiful new facility five miles outside of Jarabacoa in a rural mountain village.

The current Ark directors, Virgilio and Chanina Rosado, bring a wealth of experience to this position having served for 5 years as house parents at the Ark.

FACILITIES

Currently seven Children’s Homes have been completed, each of which generally house ten children and their houseparents.

Additional facilities include a staff house for short-term volunteers and national staff, chapel, office, storage, and indoor recreation space. The buildings have been primarily completed through the labor of Volunteer Service Teams.

A large basketball court is the center of the children’s playground area. The play tower is a favorite for climbing. A baseball field, swing set, sandbox, and outdoor play structures combine to give the children a lot of fun free time.

PROGRAM

The goal of the Ark is to take in children who have been orphaned, abandoned, or abused and train them to become productive members of their society and active disciples of Jesus Christ. The program is centered on the relationship between the individual child and his or her housemother/houseparents. The children range between 2 and 17 years old.

All of the school-age children attend school and spend time working on educational activities in the after school hours and summers. The Christian staff, both Dominicans and missionaries, works to meet the emotional, physical, educational, and spiritual needs of each child. A high priority is placed on helping each child develop a personal faith in Jesus Christ.

Our Aguilas (Eagles) program is designed for our high school boys who have grown up at the Ark. These boys are placed within Christian families in our local community and are integrated into these families. They continue to attend school, learn work skills through job opportunities, and attend additional training to help develop their abilities and prepare them for independent living. The goal of the Eagles program is to take the boys of the Ark to the next level of maturity and manhood by preparing them to become productive members of their society and active disciples of Jesus Christ.

FUTURE
The Ark Jarabacoa is nearing completion of its facilities. The final two homes will be completed in 2006 and will allow the Ark to increase to 80 children. Numerical growth, however, will need to be balanced by the maturing of the staff and programs. Pray for the Ark as it continues to seek God’s direction and wisdom in the coming years.