“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:38 (NIV).
Fuente De Esperanza School
The name ‘Fountain of Hope’ (Fuente de Esperanza) School in the Dominican Republic is not just a name but a testament to the school’s mission and values. It symbolizes the belief that education, rooted in Christ, can cause rivers of hope to flow, no matter how dry the land. The school’s founders, Aguedita and Fredy, opened the school after noticing a growing, community-wide need for quality education centered on Christ. As local church leaders for 23 years and parents of three, they were intricately involved in the community; however, little did they know God would soon involve them in His solution for the growing need.
Aguedita opens up, “We saw many children on the street-–in a vulnerable neighborhood in our city—and decided to do something. I am a teacher, and I remember thinking, ‘There has got to be something we could do,’ so we decided to sell our home (a crazy idea at the time), yet we founded the school anyway, with three classrooms. As dreamers, we knew we could transform this community and the mentality of the children through Christ-centered education.” So Fredy and Aguedita embarked on their calling, spreading the word about the new school despite skepticism from the community and the daunting task of opening a school from scratch. “The truth is, when we started the school, many were skeptical, with only a small group of optimistic people.”
Undeterred by skepticism, the duo persisted, and on September 8, 2004, they opened the doors of Fountain of Hope School. Their dream was becoming a reality, and they welcomed every learner with open arms, all 112 of them, a testament to their unwavering determination. “We began to teach them from a young age that if any of them wanted to be doctors, they could achieve it, that if any of them wanted to be engineers, they could achieve it. So when we met Edify through a training we attended, we knew it was the perfect fit to serve our students. Since our partnership in 2019… we have always been able to count on [Edify] to train our staff and ourselves,” Aguedita shares.
A Strong Partnership
Through this partnership, Fuente de Esperanza found a steady source of encouragement and resources. Edify provided training for the staff and helped with the preparation of classrooms for the Ministry of Education’s visit. When the school found itself at a crossroads with receiving accreditation, Edify was there to lend a hand.
“When we received the visit from the Ministry of Education… we had some teachers with problems in their planning and how to prepare their classrooms, so we weren’t fully recognized. I found myself at a crossroads. I said, ‘I don’t want us to fail,’ and so I called Edify, and thank God they quickly gave us a hand. They truly went the extra mile, not leaving until the classrooms were prepared for the Ministry of Education’s next visit,” Aguedita shares. Kheren Garcia Reyes, a Christ-centered Education Officer (CCEO), who has closely witnessed this journey, shares, “They are an excellent reflection of our core value, ‘Do all things with High Integrity and Excellence.’ Over the years, they have become both an inspiration and role model for other schools.”
Today, the school lives up to its name, overflowing with fountains of hope rooted in Christ-centered education. What began with the sacrifice of two local leaders has transformed the lives of 358 students and 13 teachers, impacting the entire community, with many more to come.
Learn more about Edify’s work in the Dominican Republic here.