Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” -Matthew 19:14 (NIV)
Winslow Baptist Church is currently participating in a fundraising initiative with our friend Ismael Dora, a missionary in the Dominican Republic. Pastor Dora runs a number of ministries for Haitian refugees in the Dominican Republic, including a school for refugee children. Such children are, sadly, often unwelcome in Dominican schools, facing unkindness and ridicule from both fellow students and faculty. In addition, few of the children from French-speaking Hati are able to speak or understand the Spanish spoken in Dominican schools. As a result, many of the parents have elected not to send their children to school. Pastor Dora, along with other faithful churches in the area, have sought to address this need by forming a school specifically for these refugee children.
The school currently educates forty-one children, but resources are extremely limited. The staff consists of three teachers, an administrator, a cook, and a janitor. The tuition for each student is just $5 a month, or $50 for the full ten-month school year, but even this amount can be challenging for many of the refugee families. We are therefore asking the faithful of Winslow Baptist to donate $50 each to sponsor a student in the school. Below you’ll find a link to WBC’s giving hub. Simply fill out the form and select “Hati – School Initiative” in the drop-down box for the “Purpose” field. If you prefer, donations may also be made via CashApp to $WinslowBaptistChurch; simply put “Haitian School Project” in the notes field. Additional donations are also welcomed if you are so moved. Your generosity will allow these children to receive a quality education as well as demonstrate God’s love and kindness in an area where it is desperately needed.