|
Major League Baseball, USAID and Pedro Martinez join to help poor in the Dominican Republic |
 16 June 2009 - Carolina Cruz de Martinez and her husband Pedro Martinez, perhaps the most dominating pitcher in baseball during the last 15 years, are demonstrating how baseball can give back to poor communities in the Dominican Republic.
In a unique partnership with Major League Baseball, USAID, and Esperanza International through the umbrella organization called Dominican Development Alliance (MLB-DDA), Carolina and Pedro inaugurated their project “Hay Poder en Aprender” (There is Power in Learning) in their hometown community of Manogyabo in western Santo Domingo on June 17.
This project seeks to empower and train 200 adolescents who are exposed to difficult environments but have great potential. Through a combination of vocational training and educational programs, participants recover their self-esteem and dignity, discover their talents, and become productive citizens for their community and country.
Carolina stated her motivation to become involved was the result of “realizing that many of our youth are making poor decisions, which bring about teenage pregnancy and drug consumption, due to a lack of guidance and opportunities. We strongly believe that knowledge is power and when you give the right tolls to a child at an early age, you can change and shape the destiny of his/her life, and therefore improve his/her self-confidence and positive leadership.”
During the ceremony attended by over 150 guests, speakers, in addition to Carolina Cruz de Martinez, included Roland Bullen of the United States Embassy and John Seibel from the MLB office in the Dominican Republic. Both praised the efforts of Carolina and Pedro in Hay Poder en Aprender and indicated that this was the first of many projects where baseball will be giving back to Dominican communities. |
