Blog

From the time Lisbeth* came to Fountain of Living Water School, she seemed uninterested in learning, often staring off in a daze. She was visibly malnourished, with thin hair and protruding bones. When given food, she ate slowly and awkwardly, struggled to breathe normally, and was lethargic. Her teacher would try to get her involved but had to call her name several times to get a response. However, it was obvious that she wanted to be involved, because she came to school early looking for direction each day. Sadly, when she tried to join in activities, other students got frustrated with repeating themselves and began to avoid her. She cried almost daily.

But one day, her life changed! School staff took her to several doctors out of concern, finally seeing an ENT specialist in the capital city. Constant ear infections and structural problems had stolen most of her hearing and caused many of the other health problems she had experienced. After suffering in silence, unable to sleep, eat, or communicate well, Lisbeth needed three surgeries to clear her airways and restore her hearing. Once she recovered, it was as if the whole world opened!

She was soon full of energy, playing, laughing, and catching up with her peers academically. At home, her mother saw a huge difference in her, and marveled at the changes. Without KidsAlive, Lisbeth would likely have lost all hearing and been left with no education or hope for the future. But now she dreams of becoming a doctor and helping others get the kind of help that changed her life.

*name changed to protect privacy

There are so many children in Dominican Republic who come from tragic circumstances and never find hope and help. Camila’s* story could have ended this way, and yet God intervened. Growing up in a troubled household, she was one of ten siblings who have the same mother but several different fathers. Her own father is in prison and her mother seems incapable of caring for the children physically or emotionally. No one in the family can read or write, and education for the children was not a priority.

Despite her past and the obstacles she faced, Camila has shown us what can happen when a child knows that someone cares. She is a determined learner, attentive to her studies, and faithfully attends school every day. Education is a critical part of ending cycles of poverty and violence, and we are thankful that she now has a chance at a brighter future. And now that she is hearing daily about the love of Jesus, we pray that Camila will be used by Him to take the good news back to her family.

*name changed to protect privacy

Like many of the children we serve, Gaby* is originally from Haiti, and lives with her family in poverty. Haitian families in Dominican Republic often experience discrimination and struggle to find jobs or quality education. Living in a small storefront where her father sells his metal work to tourists, her family has no running water or reliable electricity. Since they are among the poorest in the village, they struggle just to have enough to eat, making it impossible to pay for school tuition or other resources.

Now that she is at Kids Alive, Gaby is a thriving student! She has grown in confidence and maturity, quick to help anyone at home or school. A natural leader, she participates enthusiastically in all activities, loves to be part of a group, and is respectful to her teachers. Her goal is to continue studying hard so that she can one day become a doctor. Most importantly, she is learning more about Jesus, and she asks for prayer that she will love Him more every day and trust Him to take care of her family

.*name changed to protect privacy

At the age of three, Martin* got into the family car and rode with his parents to a deserted place outside of town, completely unaware of how his life would drastically change. His father was a jealous, abusive man who often injured his mother. On this trip, while Martin looked on in horror, his father killed his mother. He then called a taxi with their location before killing himself. When the taxi driver found this little boy crying hysterically, he took him to the police station. Authorities located his grandmother, and she came to take him home. But despite her love for him, she knew she could not address all of his needs in the wake of this trauma.

Martin’s grandmother came to Kids Alive for help, and we quickly accepted him into our ANIJA School and began counseling for him and the family. For the first year following the death of his parents, couldn’t sleep at night, waking up screaming and begging not to be killed. As months passed, our staff worked hard to create a warm and safe environment for him, and he slowly began to trust again and learn about the love of God.

Now he always wears a smile, is a joy to be around, and the other kids in his class want to be around him. At the end of his first year, Martin received the class award for “Most Friendly”. This was a highlight for the family and, along with the other benefits and resources from attending ANIJA, gives them great hope for the future.

*name changed to protect privacy

Like so many kids in Dominican Republic, Joseph* lives a harsh life in poverty. He lives with his mother and siblings in a small, one-room house, and they have few possessions. Sadly, his father is not part of his life and doesn’t take responsibility for him or help the family financially.

So his mother does her best to provide for them by cleaning houses. Just making ends meet is a constant struggle, and they realize that without support and encouragement from Kids Alive, surviving would be nearly impossible.Now that Joseph is attending Constanza School, he is thriving.

Even in his first year he made many friends, and is especially enjoying learning to write. He generally spends his free time drawing or playing soccer with his classmates, and we love seeing his personality emerge. More than anything, the education he is now receiving gives him hope for a brighter future! And what a blessing it is to daily share the good news about the love of Jesus with this precious boy.

*name changed to protect privacy