Haiti
After the floods in November 2016, our organization raced into action to help the victims and our partners working there in Haiti. There was a severe shortage of food, especially in the orphanages where we have been helping. We sent medical and food supplies, particularly rice.
We have been partnering with Helping Hands which is a non-profit organization attending to the poorest people in Haiti. Our organization has recently provided ten wheelchairs to Jehova Rappa Orphanage which deals exclusively with orphans with physical disabilities in Port-Au-Prince. We have also provided much needed physical examinations to other orphanages through our sponsored local physicians.
Guatemala
2017 Summer Guatemala Empowerment Training
- June 19 to June 27, 2017
- San Andres and La Antigua (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Summer camp for local village children (English, Math and Computer)
- Music school (teach master classes to local music teachers)
- Youth orchestra
- Mural painting projects at city hall plaza
Ark of Compassion has been supporting doctors going into villages to provide free examinations to those who have never had medical checkups. In September 2016, we sent much needed medical supplies to doctors who were providing these medical examinations. While doctors want to make a difference in the lives of others through their services, they sometimes lack the medical supplies and equipment to properly treat the poor, especially in rural villages. We have made a commitment to be the instrument for doctors and their patients; this is the simple reason why we are committing our resources to put on these events.
We sponsored a June 2016 event in San Andrea, Guatemala called “Empowerment Training in Guatemala.” The event featured US and Mexican musicians performing at local hospitals, especially Chimaltenango Nacional Hospital, where many patients have never heard live Western classical music.
The musicians also taught music classes to local students and due to the excitement of the parents and students, the organization started the San Andres Youth Orchestra.
The organization will continue to provide financial support to local teachers and instruments to students with the expectation that these activities will bring music to their communities. We hope that other students will also be motivated to explore their musical talents and seek better education itself so that they may become well-rounded community leaders.
Bolivia
Ark of Compassion provided funds and musical instruments to the children in Lapaz, Bolivia who have lived in poverty and the community ravaged by drug and alcohol abuse. Through the excitement of music, the children found an alternative to street life and with the assistance of dedicated music teachers sponsored by our organization, the group formed a youth orchestra which has been a tremendous success. The news of their success has led to music tours of other areas in Bolivia. The success of La Orquestra Sinfonican Juvenil de Chulmani has also inspired other local villages to take interest in learning music, giving the communities a sense of purpose and achievement.
We have been working with various leaders to help raise funds and music instruments to continue the growth of local orchestras and transform each village one at a time through music.