Fields and Microfinance

Today, I had the opportunity to observe an organization that looks to use baseball as an effective outlet for community development. Esperanza International is a Dominican organization that strives to help people fight poverty by implementing initiatives that empower local communities. While much of their work centers around microfinance grants, they have also made baseball a big part of what they do. Indeed, their Director and founder, David Valle, was a 13 year MLB catcher, who observed the realities of Dominican poverty when he played Winter Baseball in the country. After his career ended, he decided to found Esperanza, and actually take action against the poverty he had discovered throughout the country.

Rafael Ortiz, one of Valle's main assistants, was my tour guide for the day. Ortiz was knowledgeable about Esperanza, as well as its interactions with baseball. The main objective of Esperanza, according to Ortiz, is to empower the community to be able to fight poverty using tools at their own disposal. To this extent, they fund an active microfinance operation; women, known as associates, can apply for a loan in groups of 4-5 people. The average first loan is approximately $150, which the women must pay back in 6 months at a 4% interest. The women are given help in efforts to start their own businesses, most of which consist of selling some product, ranging from chicken, to juice, to charcoal. The women can also re-apply for grants at the end of the six month period. The organization has a 96% rate of women paying back the loans.

In addition to micro-finance, Esperanza has begun to construct baseball fields in communities throughout the country. Currently, they have built three, and are working on another one in Mets' star Jose Reyes' hometown. I was able to visit two of them. They were both big fields of major leauge porportions, with substantial room for a crowd. One of them was currently getting refurbished; they needed to make the infield dirt more durable. The other one was in good shape, and a number of kids were getting trained on it while we visited. In order to make sure the fields can stay in good shape, Esperanza starts a community board, comprised of members of the community, like the mayor, that make sure the field is being kept up and used well. Indeed, when I was at one of the fields, kids were raking the infield, and it looked to be in good shape.

In order to fund the fields, Esperanza has utilized funding from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, an initiative from Major League Baseball that helps to construct fields from around the world. Additionally, Esperanza is currently beginning a project to construct a field on the Mets' academy premises, allowing youth to play there. I talked to people around the fields; all were grateful for the nice facilities, which cannot be found most places in the country. I think the fact that Esperanza plays such an active role in making sure the community takes ownership of the field is extremel important in its long term viability.

After visiting the fields, we had the opportunity to attend a meeting for a microfinance group. About twenty local women, from a town called La Paloma, gathered in a small room to pay what their bi-weekly installment of their debt. They also shared best practices and talked to me about their enterprises. They all were appreciative of Esperanza and said that their businesses were doing much better now that they had loans. Additionally, they said that baseball was a positive influence on their community. The youth always play in a field, not nearly as nice as those built by Esperanza, keeping them out of problems and danger. They excitedly talked about a few that could be signed soon by major league clubs, and the prosperity that would bring to the community.

The Mets have been an extremely active proponent of the microgrants operation, holding fundraisers in New York annually. They've gave $25,000 last year, and continue to pour in monetary resources. Omar Minaya, the Mets GM, is good friends with Valle, and sits on the Board of Esperanza. In addition, the Mets recognize that their money is not going to pet-image projects, but rather to communities that use the money to identify and work on projects that they themselves identify. Right after the Mets inauguration last week, the team gave equipment to a nearby town. However, rather than blindly giving the gloves and bats to a town, the team followed the advice of Esperanza, who identified the town and the needs. It seems like a pretty ideal relationship.

In the coming months, Esperanza will be organizing a large-scale tournament for poor Dominican youth; using all of their baseball complexes. They also hope to complete the community field at the Mets academy. Hopefully, they will continue to be able to rely on the Mets for finanical resources, as well as other forms of support. It is an ideal relationship; one that concretely and tangibly demonstrates the positive relationship that Major League teams can have in the Dominican community. The Mets' close relationship with Esperanza can make a difference in the lives of thousands of Dominicans, and can serve as a valuable rubric for other big league teams. It was inspiring today to see youth playing on the fields, and to hear the women who have started their own businesses using, in large part, money donated by the Mets. The Mets continue to set a positive example for the rest of the country, led in no small part by their Dominican General Manager, Omar Minaya.