Boy’s Dream Awakens Lasting Change

On the outskirts of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, more than 2,000 families live at various levels of poverty in wooden houses built on uneven ground. Carlos Estevez lives in one of the wooden houses with his mother and sister.

Poverty’s hold left Carlos feeling hopeless … until he became involved in the Food for the Hungry Child Sponsorship program.

Slowly, Carlos dared to dream that one day he could work with computers. Food for the Hungry helped him get into a computer class and he now works in his high school as a part-time assistant to the computer teacher. He plans to finish school, complete more computer training, graduate from college, and work to support a future family.

 

But Food for the Hungry’s child sponsorship benefits the entire community. Carlos’ mother participated in the water and sanitation Project and is now a community health promoter, helping other mothers learn to live healthier lives.

“I received a big help from Food for the Hungry,” Carlos says. “They helped me understand that my life has value; that God is able to help me to become an excellent student and a good son. I changed the way I relate with my mother and sister. I even changed the way I dress and got to know Jesus Christ. I’m now respected in my community”

What We Do

Disaster Relief: Food for the Hungry is responding to the devastating earthquake in the neighboring country of Haiti.

Child Development Program: Services to local schools, Bible classes, water supply, sanitation, remodeling of houses, community leadership training youth programs.

Water and Sanitation Program: Small water systems and latrines, training in hygiene practices, and teaching communities how to build latrines and maintain their own latrines and water systems.

Church Development Program: Teaching foundational principles for compassionate Christian service, the importance of the participation of believers in development initiatives, and how to apply a biblical worldview to development efforts.

Food for the Hungry began work in the Dominican Republic in 1979.

Its fine beaches, modern resorts and friendly people make the Dominican Republic one of the world’s favorite tourist destinations. It has a stable democratic government and the fastest growing economy in the Caribbean basin. But not all Dominicans share in the country’s abundance. There is a huge gap between rich and poor, and nearly half of the country’s people live below the poverty line. The wealth and commerce belong to white descendants of Spanish settlers (only about 10 percent of the population), while people of African descent are some of the world’s poorest.

By God’s grace, Dominican communities experience physical and spiritual transformation through integrated and community-wide programs that motivate and encourage people to take initiative to solve their own problems, mobilize their own resources, and apply biblical principles to their everyday life.