Centro Educativo Evangelico Vida Y Poder, San Miguel
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School classrooms are located under the church and in a separate building on the other side of the church
Once this was just a church on a hilltop. Now a school, medical clinic and a water system help the church meet the needs of the community.
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Children playing with Kristin Hamner at recess on the playground shortly after its construction in 2005
FFP mission teams and members of the Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I. church built the school from 2002-2007. Until this school was built, none of the children had an opportunity to attend school in their community. The public school is too distant and lies across a major thoroughfare. Classes are now offered from preschool to 7th grade in morning and afternoon sessions. Thanks to mission teams the school has been improved with a recess and physical education area in 2005 and additional classrooms in 2007.
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Students singing the National Anthem before school
The parents provide the tuition here, which does not adequately cover the teachers' salaries. Often the small amount requested is more than parents can pay. The teachers teach all subjects, using primarily a chalkboard and chalk copying lessons out of textbooks. Not every student has books, and those books they do have are shared among many.
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Playing basketball at recess
A local girl, who took college classes in the afternoon, assisted the teachers for a few years. She worked to earn the fare needed to take the long bus ride each day originally for a few hours of high school equivalent instruction. After her graduation she continued on to the university in Santo Domingo. She was a rarity, considered extremely fortunate in her community to have the opportunity to continue higher education.
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Staff preparing for prayer before morning classes
Many students have notebooks, pencils, and simple school supplies. They lack textbooks, library books, and other tools for learning such as math tools, reference books and computers. The children are not well fed, and they would benefit from a free breakfast or lunch program.
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Dr. Culver, Nurse Leanidas Manzueta, Nurse Alloway and Dr. Polanco in the medical clinic
The Foundation is addressing some of these needs through Dominikids: Child Sponsorship Program. Sponsors pay the child's tuition easing the parents' burden and ensuring the children stay in school, even when their parents cannot afford to pay. If you are interested in sponsoring a child in San Miguel, please return to home and click on Help Educate a Child. The school has the capacity for 25 more children, when more sponsors are available.
The school is just one of the improvements the FFP has been able to effect in this community. One room of the school is currently used as a medical clinic. Dr. Polanco and Nurse Leanidas Manzueta are paid by the FFP to provide medical care 5 days a week to all residents in the surrounding communities.
The school's current needs include:
- At least 3 internet-ready computers
- Fluorescent light bulbs for classrooms
- Bookshelves
- Books (in Spanish)
- Teacher's desks and chairs
- Tables with chairs for students
- Educational games (in Spanish)
- Screens for windows
- Sports equipment
- Lunch program
If you are interested in providing these items, please email Wendy Patchin at wendy@foundationforpeace.org. Monetary donations to help obtain these items for the school can be made at the Donate Now section of this website.