Vision:
It is our vision that all children born in the Dominican Republic have the opportunity to receive an education and learn to their full potential. It is our hope that our efforts can be multiplied to allow the opportunity for every child’s gifts and challenges to be met with support nationwide. It is our goal to break the cycle of poverty and change peoples’ destinies. It is our dream that the world will be a better place for the children and families of the next generation.
"One thing I've learned from the life I've lived: The world can only be saved by one man or woman putting a seed in the ground or a story in someone's head or a book in someone's hand. Listen for your own song. As for this DREAM, pass it on."
-Julia Alvarez, Honorary Chairman of the Board
A Letter from Maribel Perez, a Dominican Student
Maribel Perez was sponsored for seven years at private schools with U.S. Curriculum. She finished high school a year early and is working as an Office Manager at Iguana Mama. She plans to attend college in the near future.
My life was really changed by being sponsored to study at the International School of Sosua. Like many would say it took a 360 degree turn. I don’t have many memories of when I was a small child, but there is one thing I have not forgotten and I will never forget. I had no idea where my life was headed until I begun studying there. It was not just the things that I learned but all the experiences that I had that had a tremendous impact in my life. I can now say that I am one of the most fortunate girls in the Dominican Republic. At the ISS I learned English under a USA curriculum and my whole view of life changed. I was able to enhance my creativity by having all the necessary components, the basics, the foreign languages and all the extra curricular activities that I was not able to have in a public school. I felt free. That’s one of the main reasons why now I am able to dedicate my time to my studies without being under pressure. While I was there, I didn’t have to think whether I would have an actual ball to play volleyball or colored pencils to draw. I had the chance to grow, and it was up to me to grow. The progress I made was not based on the availability of the materials or the teachers. I was able to worry about the things that most students would—test scores, sports, friends and family. I had no frustrations because of things that I could not control, because they were not mine to worry about.
I am one hundred percent sure that if I didn’t have the knowledge that I have now I would be just another person in the crowd. I don’t feel that way. I feel like I can do anything I put my mind to. I feel courageous like a fierce hurricane. I have a plan in my head. I know what I want. I want to complete my education and I want to help my country be the best it can be. I want to change things, and now I feel like I almost have everything it takes to do this. It’s like I was given a little box with all the tools that I need to make a difference. That box I have named “education.” I know that the only way that a person can reach their goals is by having the elements they need to prevail. The only way is to have an education, to have the knowledge. Unfortunately, not everyone has the resources to get to their goals. Some are lucky, others are not. I am grateful that I am one of those lucky ones. Some times I am really scared to think how my life would have been if I would not have had the chances I did. There is no point in not thinking about it. I don’t have to think. I see it every day. Every time I walk around town, and every time I speak to my friends, I see what I could have been. I could have been the woman who has to sweep and mop floors all day to support her family. I could have been like people I see everyday trying to sell paintings and souvenirs on the beach and never do. I could have been like the girl who is 17 years old and has 3 children. I could have been so many things that I am not because my education gave me the chance to be who ever I want to be. I have so many choices to choose from and I don’t have to settle. I have opportunities and I can make opportunities for myself.
I am not exactly sure what I want to be. I don’t know what career I should study. IT’S GREAT!! I have options, so many that I will never grow bored in my entire life. I feel like I am a little girl in a candy store and there are hundreds of sweets to choose from and I don’t have to worry which ones I do choose because I can choose as many as I want. I would like to study law and practice it. I am also interested in accounting and design. But there is one thing that I enjoy and get a lot of pleasure out of and that is science. I am thinking of studying these four things and making the most of them. Who knows — one day I could be the president of my country. I don’t have to set limitations to my life. I can have aspirations because my education gave me the confidence I need to keep and keep going.
It would make me and many other Dominicans happy to have sponsorship programs to help education grow in the Dominican Republic. I think it is more than fair to say that there are many children in my country who deserve the chance to grow. There are so many things that need to change. I believe that ultimately, the nucleus of the problem is education. If we can amend the education, the wheel will start to roll. It will start to roll towards the positive side and there will be changes. There need to be changes. It is not that easy, I know. But I am sure that all the children have the potential in them, we just need to give them that push that will help them overcome the adversities. I believe that there is no greater help than education. And you cannot get education when you don’t have the proper components.
There is always the case of the “special child” who overcame all the adversities and who has a great future. The truth is that is not the story of most average children in the Dominican Republic. And there are way too many average children in this country waiting to be that “special child.” It is not fair that they have to keep trying and trying to overcome all these obstacles that are not for children to deal with. The students of my country deserve more than that. They need to be able to count on their teachers. They should be able to have art supplies. How are children ever going to become painters if they are never able to paint? The imagination is there but the materials are not. A Musician? If we don’t even have instruments? A child needs to be able to have scientific materials in order to become a scientist. You know, most students never get to see how a cell looks until they get to college. Most never even get to touch a microscope in their life.
It seems like Dominican athletes are the luckiest of all students. That’s not true. Most have to sacrifice their whole childhoods to get where they are and they have to be the exception. Everything is limited. Some kids just want to play sports just because. And they can’t because there is no room for those who just want to do it. They have to be good because the sport equipment is not enough for those who want to be athletes and those who just want to do sports.
You wouldn’t believe how complicated it is to do a research paper in most schools. There are not many libraries. Why? Because there are no books! The students don’t have the opportunity to develop their minds or read to their full potentials for that matter. The resources are just not there. There are efforts being made but they are not enough. More can be done to help.
From the most inside of my heart, Maribel Perez
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