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Thursday 31 OcTOber 2019

Happy Community Initiative is about helping
youth together:

“He came to Aruba with one suitcase

and a paper with a phone number on it.”

ORANJESTAD — Rafael Figuereo cares about his neighborhood and its children.
When he noticed the social issues that affected the children living in the same place
he lived he started to reach out. Centro Familiar Sabana Basora is the result of a car-
ing family that runs after school programs for children. The way Rafael reached out
to these kids, we are asking you to reach out to the Happy Community Initiative in
order to assure that Aruba’s children have a safe place to go to when school is out.

Sabana Basora is a neighborhood in the genette says: “We hope to grow in a way
southern part of the island where social is- that we can be a family center for every-
sues have been present from the start. The one on the island. Below the bridge there is
economic situation in Aruba makes it hard already a good chunk of foundations that
for single parents to come by and even for are already working with teens. We want
low income families paying the bills and to give a change to kids above the bridge
fighting social problems is a daily chal- as well.” She explains that Sabana Basora
lenge. We can most probably all agree has a history of criminality, social problems
that this however should never affect our and drop-outs. “Gangs erased and it all
children. Luckily for Sabana Basora the grew worse. Poverty and addictions were
Figuereo family open their arms to the present. My dad offered another way and
youth with a great after school program. he connected to them to turn this around.
We started just from home and organized
We are family pizza nights, lecturing nights about drugs
The song by Sister Sledge fits perfectly to and alcohol, creative workshops and so
the Figuereo’s. They do this together: fa- on. My dad gained their respect and we
ther, mother and the sisters. Daughter An- are proud to say that some of these rough ken good and nothing will come out of it. But he showed
genette Figuereo is the foundations right neighborhood kids are now studying suc- them wrong. He comes from a poor upbringing himself so
hand, her father is the founder. FCCA pro- cessfully in Holland.” Their goal is to show he knows how it is. He came to Aruba with one suitcase
vided a house in the neighborhood which them opportunities and a change of life. It and a paper with a phone number on it. He started from
the family converted into a welcoming is important to have values in life and be a the bottom and worked his way up.”
place for children after school. They are good citizen, she says. “I am proud of my
open to children from all districts and as An- dad, many thought he is working with bro- Free program
A minimum of 20 children between four and fourteen
years old come regularly to the center. They come in
from 3PM and participate in a creative workshop or mu-
sic lessons. There is food and drinks available and after
the workshop it is time to play outside on the football field.
The Figuereos offer their program completely free which
is amazing. “Because of the poverty we understand that
it is not possible for parents to pay. We had children here
wearing the same shirt every day so how would they be
able to pay an after school program?” The center pro-
vides everything and although they are being supported
for a part by some organizations they are in great need of
sponsors. CEDE Aruba estimates the foundation would be
helped with $ 1.463 to start with. “We really want to pro-
ceed but it is a struggle only because of the fact that we
are completely free. Nobody here gets paid for their job.
My dad has a paid job and does this besides it. I do not
work for a salary but for the well-doing. But of course we
can’t either keep on paying for all ourselves.” The family’s
energy is exceptional, they are focused on creating a
happy world for the children in the hope that this rubs off
on the parents. During vacations and holidays the center
organizes activities for the whole neighborhood. “I was
brought up with love and values and that is exactly what
we like to give back.”

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