San Pedro de Macorís – Dominican Republic – MSC Cruises and Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos have joined forces to create exciting work opportunities for 12 young adults from NPH Dominican Republic and 1 from NPH El Salvador. The collaboration will enable the youths to utilize the skills and talents provided by NPH, in a professional environment with one of the world’s top cruise-liners.
The 13 NPH youth will be able to focus their skills in various important functions on the liners, such as customer service, hospitality and catering. One of those skills they will need is English, an area that all the participants have been working hard to develop in order for them to enter the job market. Through demonstrating their talents in rounds of interviews and tests, they will set sail on staggered dates from December 2022 onwards, traveling to various destinations around world for up to 8 months at time, with the possibility of renewing their contracts in the future.
Youth empowerment and independence are vital cornerstones to the philosophy of NPH to ensure that youth who originally arrived at NPH from at-risk and vulnerable situations are prepared for life. One of the key areas of this includes providing access to appropriate vocational and employable skills training to help youths and young adults have greater success in today’s competitive job market.
From left to right: Some of the participants from NPH Dominican Republic: Kieran Rigney, Marilyn Charles Yant, Elvis Yant, Lucel Luis, Esmerlin Familia, Joel Polo, Jorge Zimbello, Edwar Nuñes, Ricardo Echavarria, Wislina Ramírez, Ditania Pio, Eduardo Echavarria, Amauri Mena.
Eduardo Echavarria, 25-years old, who grew up with NPH Dominican Republic and was previously the University Students Coordinator, played a key role in coordinating the collaboration with MSC Cruises, supporting with the administration of visas, contracts and ensuring participants were fully prepared for their journey ahead. He recently began his own contract with MSC and is currently on a cruise heading for South America.
“I have been working closely with MSC for some time. I am proud to see my fellow NPH brothers and sisters about to embark on this amazing opportunity. This will hopefully launch many of their careers, and provide them with vital employment experience for the future,” says Eduardo Echavarria.
This is not the first time that NPH Dominican Republic and MSC Cruises have collaborated. The connection began in 2018, when 4 Hermanos and Hermanas Mayores (older brothers and sisters who formerly lived in NPH residential services) worked for a season on the ships, 2 have since found permanent employment in the leisure and tourism industry in Rio de Janeiro and Dubai respectively. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic meant the program had to be postponed, but thanks to persistence and dedication from both NPH Dominican Republic and MSC, we again have lifted off.
Kieran Rigney, National Director of NPH Dominican Republic, says, “I am happy for these young adults who came out of NPH and are now adults, they were formed in our home with great values and with the philosophy of Father Wasson. Right now, they have the opportunity of a lifetime to work on MSC cruise ships.
“It fills me with great satisfaction to see how each one of them are realizing their dreams individually. I hope that everything goes well in the whole process on the cruise ships and that they can represent our home.”
Jorge Zimbello, Managing Director of MSC Santo Domingo office, is also excited for the NPH youth. “I feel proud for this group of young people who are going to undertake a great journey in the cruises, it will not be an easy job and they will be away from their families for a while, but the reward in the end will be worth it. I still know they have many goals and dreams to accomplish and I hope they do as well as the previous group.”
The participants are:
From NPH Dominican Republic: Wislina Ramírez, Amauri Mena, Ricardo Echavarria, Eduardo Echavarria, Lucel Luis Jaques, Yonelvin Manuel Bonet Camacho, Ditania Pio, Elvis Yant, Esmerlin Familia, Joel Jose Polo, Marilyn Charles Yant and Wilson Fleurisme.
From NPH El Salvador: Olga Yesenia Carrillo Calderón
Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (Spanish for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters”) cares for vulnerable children, youth and adolescents across Latin America and the Caribbean, including: Mexico, Honduras, Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Bolivia. We provide a loving, secure environment for thousands of children, plus education and family support services for thousands more.
Through prevention, protection, and preparation, we provide unique services for children and their communities, helping to break the cycle of generational poverty. “An education,” states founder Fr. William B. Wasson, “will take my children out of the poverty into which they were born.”
MSC Cruises is an Italian global cruise line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva, with operations offices in Naples, Genoa and Venice. It was founded in 1989 in Naples, Italy, as part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). In addition to being the world’s largest privately held cruise company, employing about 23,500 people worldwide and with offices in 45 countries as of 2017.