My name is Roselvi "Rose" Castillo. I was born in a small town in "El Cibao" in the Dominican Republic called Moca. My family emigrated to New York when I was 6 years old.
In communities like Moca, it is a struggle for many students and their families to find access to the academic & hygienic resources they need in their daily lives. These students are disproportionately affected by educational inequity and are twice as likely to drop out of school as their urban counterparts. They also have less access to technology, electricity, school supplies, and public libraries. Children under 12 are especially vulnerable to this inequity since almost 20% of Dominican youth do not complete elementary school. I believe that where a student lives shouldn’t determine a student's academic future.
Having been born in Moca I fully understand what my life would have been like had my parents not taken a leap of faith and come to New York. While I can't change the laws that hold kids, especially girls, back from prioritizing their education, with your help, I can impact the lives of children by doing what I can for these communities.
For the last 5 years, The 3 Mariposas Project has been committed to annually supporting the children in the 3 institutions and hopes to continue to provide support in the years to come.
The 2026 initiative will be the following:
Casa Hogar Virgen de Lourdes, Teen Orphanage in Salcedo
We plan to support the girls of the teen orphanage by:
- Providing groceries and toiletries. These items are essential for the nutrition and overall well being of the girls. We will be supporting not just the girls who live in the orphanage at the moment but also the girls who have aged out. The girls who aged out do not live there but still receive some support from the orphanage.
- We also hope to provide 2 bunk beds, new bedding for all of the beds, new pillows, and 4 new mattresses. This would enable the girls to not have to share beds when the orphanage reaches capacity.
- In addition to that we would also provide special gifts to the adults (nuns and helpers) who care for them.
- We will be arranging a special activity this year. The details will be posted once they are ironed out.
Divino Niño, Littles Orphanage with children of various ages in Salcedo
We plan to return to what we call the "littles orphanage" and support the children with groceries, especially lots of snacks, toiletries, and toys. In addition to that we would also provide special gifts to the adults (nuns, cooks, cleaners, and driver) who care for them.
Escuela Gil Rafael Osiris Beato Florentin, School in Moca
Our biggest project to date will happen at what we call the "Moca School" (the name is so long we had to give it a nickname).
This year our fundraising efforts will go towards building them an outdoor space which will allow all of the children to eat together in one space. Currently, kids in the school eat in the classroom because there is no eating space. This doesn't allow for kids to interact with children in other classes and puts a constraint on their programming. The outdoor space will be an open area with flooring and a roof for when it rains. It will not only be used for eating but also used as a gathering space for outdoor learning and special events.
Special Project in Partnership with Artbilitation in Navarrete - Details Coming Soon
We would love any support in this endeavor. To look back at our previous projects visit our Instagram page @tresmariposasorg.
Organizer
