The Philanthropy

School building with white walls and green accents, surrounded by a metal fence, near a large leafy tree, under a bright blue sky with sunlight.

Just beyond the plantains, at the bottom of the hills, lies the tiny village of Puerto Alejandria. Here, life is slow and quaint. Many of the men earn a living by shoveling sand from the river, which is turned into concrete. This small community has a school with 11 children (Kindergarten through 8th grade) and one school teacher / director.

As the three owners of Casa de los Sueños, we believe in building this dream not just for ourselves but helping others to reach their dreams as well. A percentage of our profits will support the students. Initially, donations will go towards school supplies, but we will continue to reassess needs and opportunities for the future.

Philanthropy Updates

A building with a white exterior, green accents, and a tiled roof, surrounded by a large paved area and trees in the background.
Classroom with children in uniform, some sitting at desks, others standing and posing for the photo, colorful educational decorations, alphabet display on the wall, and a teacher or student in the center.
A variety of school supplies organized on a wooden table, including color pencils, markers, paints, notebooks, scissors, glue, rulers, crayons, and pens.
Colorful single-story building with green accents, black doors, and small windows, under a blue sky with white clouds.

October 2025: October saw a family visit to the Casa and donation of school of school and art supplies. During the delivery trip, Liliana was able to meet with the school Director to understand other current challenges.

The Director shared that there is significant water damage to the exterior of the school, causing internal leaks and damage to the facade.

During the month of October, funds were raised to fix the stucco on the exterior of the school, paint the facade, and patch the roof leaks. Any left over funds will go towards repairing water damaged wood in the external hallway (much larger expense).

If you’re interested in donating to support creating a dry and safe environment for the children, please see the QR codes at the bottom of this page.

February 2025: As a result of our January fundraiser, we were able to raise $2,308.70, which was more than double our original $1000.00 goal. With that money, we were able to replace the old desks and chairs, remove the old, rusted playground and replace it with a new safe playground. We also fixed two sinks and one toilet in the bathroom, which are shared by the boys and girls at the school.

Our future goals include doing additional repairs to the actual structure of the school. We would like to buy “paint” to create a moisture barrier on the building and repainting the outside. That moisture can create mold and an unhealthy space for the children to be in. We want to create a bright, beautiful learning environment to inspire these kids.

If you’re interested in supporting those endeavors, please use the QR codes below to donate.

Group of children in school uniforms playing on a wooden outdoor playground with swings and climbing structures, surrounded by green trees and grass.
Three children in school uniforms playing a game at a table in a colorful classroom with bright posters depicting a mushroom house and animals.
Two boys in white shirts and green pants standing near a stack of colorful chairs, with some chairs wrapped in plastic and a window in the background.
Classroom with colorful alphabet letters, animal illustrations, and educational posters on the walls. Desks with school supplies and backpacks are scattered around.

January 2025: We are so close to finishing construction on the big house and are doing final touches on doorways, landscaping, etc. As we end the chapter of construction and look ahead to the business side of the house, we are also eager grow our support for the school and the students.

In January we are fundraising to buy eight tables, 16 chairs and two refurbished / basic laptops. Our goal is to raise $1000.00 for these items and any funds additional funds raised will be utilized to work on some of the outside spaces, e.g., the playground and green spaces.

We will be doing a final inspection of the house in mid-February and hope to deliver the new desks, chairs, and computers then and whatever else we are able to fundraise for.

As of January 28th, we have raised $2,288.70, more than doubling our original $1,000.00 goal. We will be ordering the new desks and playground the week of February 3rd for delivery the week of February 16th! Stay tuned for photos and updates! If you’re still interested in donating, you may do so using the QR links below. Money will go towards updating the exterior of the school.

Old, rusted playground equipment including swings, see-saws, and climbing structures in a grassy backyard with a chain-link fence and trees in the background.
A single-story building with a covered porch, white walls, green accents, and a gray tiled roof, situated in a rural or suburban area with trees and hills in the background. There is a parking lot in front with a few vehicles and a woman walking near the entrance.
A worn, yellow and green wooden table with three pink chairs around it, situated in a room with a terrazzo floor and a large window.

November 2024: Although still in construction, we were eager to begin making an impact. We connected with the school Director, Martha, and shared the idea of raising funds for a mini library and books to fill it, which she welcomed. A local artist painted the library with the slogan “dream until you reach the sky” and adorned it with plants and animals native to the region.

We received donations from family and friends and installed the mini library in early November. The children were thrilled and immediately wanted to read all the books.

We plan to use funds from the house and donations to regularly update the book collection.

If you’re interested in a making a one time or recurring donation, please use the form to the right, or the QR codes below - just be sure to mention it’s a donation for the school. Unfortunately, we do not have our 501c3 set up just yet, but are aiming to do that in 2026. In the mean time, we are happy to share receipts and photos of the impact your donation makes!

3% Cover the Fee