For Jordan Vinh and Kyla Fraser a church service trip in July of 2017 to an orphanage in Tecate, Mexico evolved into the creation of their own non-profit organization: The Don Bosco Project (TDBP). The trip was organized by Vinh’s parents who are affiliated with Grace Chapel of Lexington and guided by the central goal of connecting with the children in the Rancho San Juan Bosco Orphanage. Vinh said, “We felt a deep connection with the children and staff of the orphanage and we wanted to make a more lasting impact on their lives, just as they had made on ours.”
This was the starting point for Vinh and Fraser in creating TDBP. Their goal was to provide opportunities to the students at the orphanage by making sure that lack of financial resources would not be an inhibiting factor on their path to a post-secondary education. Vinh and Fraser filed papers to become a non-profit in October of 2018 and received approval last February.
To ensure that all was going as planned Vinh and Fraser recently made a third trip to Tecate last summer to visit with the children; this was their first trip following the official organization of TDBP. The trip was an affirmation of their earlier experiences. Vinh put it this way: “Our time at Rancho San Juan Bosco was extremely refreshing and joyful. We immediately reconnected with old friends among the children and staff and began to establish new relationships with children who had arrived more recently.”
Vinh said that many of the youngsters who come into the care of the orphanage are in unimaginable circumstances; some have parents who simply cannot afford to take care of them. The orphanage offers not only care and comfort but also an education up to twelfth grade. Because of this academic support and the determination and talent he and Fraser observed in the students, they saw unlimited potential in each child they got to know.
The TDBP works in partnership with Rancho San Bosco and together they have raised more than $10k through multiple fundraisers. The money raised goes directly to scholarship funds which are set up for those students at the orphanage who aspire to attend college or pursue other avenues of post-secondary education.
TDBP has a four-person board of directors headed by co-presidents Vinh and Fraser; Seonya Hwang is secretary and Kristen Berry is the adult advisor. Hwang, a fellow Bedford High School student, commented, “I can see that by supporting students to get to the college level, their children [of the next generation] are more likely to obtain a post-secondary education which increases the global education level going forward.” Vinh agrees. “Hwang perfectly captures the future of our non-profit which is dedicated to ensuring that access and opportunities relating to education will not dead-end with just one generation of powerful students.”
Hwang added, “Being part of TDBP has been one of the best decisions of my life so far. It really taught me how to work and communicate with adults as well as my fellow board members outside of Bedford High School. In addition to communication skills, these board members demonstrate sincerity and passion for their roles in the organization which in turn pushes me to work hard and be involved as much as I can.”
The conviction and passion evidenced by Vinh, Fraser, and others underscore the time and effort they have put into TDBP. Such dedication is the cause for the overwhelmingly positive influence TDBP has had and will continue to have on the lives of young learners who have to fight for the opportunity of a post-secondary education. So far, the orphanage has seen four of its students go on to pursue either college or specialized trade careers. As of October 2019, Victor is a newly licensed physical therapist; Rebecca is enrolled at the School of Communications; Misael is working in the field of engineering, and David is working in psychology. Every child at Rancho San Bosco is working to make both academic and personal progress, and Vinh and Fraser are committed to supporting them through this process.
Since 2017 the desires of both Vinh and Fraser to help better the lives of the children they met in Tecate, Mexico have evolved into much more than either expected. Both believe they have the resolve and will to continue the work of the non-profit through their own college years. They are determined to remain an impactful presence in the lives of these children who they see as the dreamers, doers, wishers, and thinkers of a new generation.
For readers who may want to learn more about The Don Bosco Project or consider making a donation, please follow the link to (https://thedonboscoproject.org/). It is the generosity of people both in Mexico and in other locations that helps sustain not only the work of the non-profit but also the flourishing lives of the students at the orphanage.
Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” No sentiment could ring truer for the incredible achievements of Victor, Rebecca, Misael, and David and for every aspiring scholar at Rancho San Juan Bosco. These pupils are challenging the circumstances which could easily limit their dreams and aspirations and they are wonderful examples of those who are going forward to change our world.
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