Meet Claudia: Mariposa Librarian and Mother

The Mariposa DR School Staff Training Program
by Jenny Dines
Although our volunteer teachers are primarily focused on providing a summer school and camp experience for young women, we have several other initiatives during the four weeks of camp that provide sustainable education programs for the Puerto Cabarete K-8 School. One of these initiatives is a School Staff Training Program for mothers to enable them to gain job skills that allow them to serve as aides in their children's schools. We have four mothers who are volunteering in our summer program for 35 hours per week. These four special mothers participate in classroom activities, facilities maintenance, food service, school-based health initiatives, and student support. Throughout the summer, this blog will feature a brief biography as well as photos of each of mother who is participating in our School Staff Training Program.


Claudia's Story
by Claudia with help from Jenny Dines

Claudia chaperoned our field trip to Centro Leon, a museum in Santiago, as part of her assistance with the summer program.

All the kids in the neighborhood love Claudia!
From left to right: Claudia's niece, her best friend's daughter, her other niece,  her 7 year old daughter who attends the Mariposita Day Care, Claudia, Jenny Dines, and her 14 year old daughter who attends the Mariposa Summer Program

My name is Claudia, and I am 32 years old. I work as a librarian and school assistant in the Mariposa program. I have lived in Cabarete for 20 years, but I was born in Rio San Juan, and I studied in 3 different schools. When I was a girl, I lived with my aunt and my 4 brothers. My father died when I was four years old, and my mother died when I was six years old. Both of my parents knew how to read, and I love going to school. I remember all of my teachers, and my favorite teacher was a woman named Milagros who taught natural sciences. I graduated from the 8th grade at a school in Santiago, and then, when I was 14 years old, I got married. I had my first child when I was 17 years old. I have four children: a 15-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl, a 10-year-old boy, and a 7-year-old girl. 

I really love the Mariposa program, and I like that it's only for girls because girls in my community have a lot of problems with men. They don't know how to study, and they marry crazy men. In Cabarete, more than 50% of the girls in my neighborhood are involved in sex work, and they don't understand the risks. They start this kind of job when they are maybe 12, 13, or 14. The Mariposas prepare girls for other opportunities like continuing their education or working in hotels.

I like everything about the summer program, but I especially like the lunch. I also like listening to Torii [a literacy teacher from Boston] read the book called El Color de Mis Palabras. The book is really interesting, and Torii reads it in an interesting way. I also like math class because the teachers speak in both English and Spanish with my daughter. During the school year, my dream would be for the Mariposa program to offer piano lessons. I also want to take English and computer classes.

I enjoy working with the Mariposas because otherwise I would just be staying home with nothing much to do. It's interesting to work, and I like that my best friend Orquedia also works in the school with me. She is very animated, and, together, we can motivate the children to read. My dream is to stay working in the camp and to work in the library during the school year. I want to create a beautiful library for the school.

Claudia's Library Wish List

I asked Claudia about the library of her dreams, and the list is below. If you would like to donate to the Puerto Cabarete Library, please contact jenniferdines@gmail.com.


organizing bins
bookshelves
posters or posterboard for making posters that advertise the books
a small bench 
a rocking chair
plants
a rug
more books in Spanish and in English
Sharpie markers
index cards
highlighters

Claudia's Role in the Summer Program

por Jenny Dines
In addition to working as a librarian, Claudia also assists with cleaning and breakfast and lunch service. Another major responsibility that she has is to purchase supplies for the summer school, including toilet paper, cleaning liquids, sponges, soap for handwashing, and washcloths. Claudia also attends ESL, reading, and writing class in the afternoons. During the school year, we hope to employ Claudia as a school librarian.

Claudia reads Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola to a group of girls. 

Claudia assists students with checking out books to borrow for home reading.

Claudia's Daily School Staff Training Schedule
8:00 - 8:30 am
Supervise children on the bus to the school.
8:30 - 8:45 am
Greet children as they enter the schoolyard.
8:45 - 9:30 am
Serve breakfast to each classroom.
Wash breakfast dishes.
9:30 am - 10 am
Check in with the other mothers to see which supplies are needed for the school day.
Purchase the supplies at the market, and bring the receipt to the directors.
Distribute supplies to each person who needed them.
10 am - 12 pm
Work in the library. This includes reading aloud to groups of students who visit with their classroom teacher, organizing and cataloging donated books, assisting children in checking out books, and familiarizing yourself with the library catalogue in order to later help children to find books that suit them.
12 pm - 12:10 pm
Line up with Group #2. Bring them to lunch, and sit with them.
12:10 pm - 12:30 pm
Eat lunch.
12:30 pm - 1 pm
Bring Group #2 to the schoolyard to fill their water bottles and then, supervise them at the restroom.
1 pm - 2:30 pm
Bring Group #3 and Group #4 to Literacy and ESL Class. Participate in the class and/or assist the teachers.
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Supervise children in the schoolyard until the bus arrives. Supervise the children on the school bus.