Education by Daniela

 Education

As a child, I never had the privilege of dreaming for a future outside of poverty. Around me, all I saw were people who were stuck in misery and always on the verge of losing everything, no matter how hard they worked to get it in the first place. Whenever I asked my mother why people lived that way, she always insisted that it was due to lack of resources for education.  In the DR, you have to pay for books and uniforms to go to school.

My mother never got to finish first grade. In my seven-year-old head, I thought that the only way out of poverty would be through education. From the beginning, I put all my attention into learning everything I could to escape the hand that was dealt on my life. Every thought about the injustice of my situation was eradicated when I realized that the circumstances life hands you do not matter as much as what you do to change them.

I saw my mother being murdered in front of my eyes at the age of nine (2013). The person who motivated me to find a better future no longer had one herself. With no one to help me financially with my education, I was unable to study for a full year. In 2014,  I was adopted by a woman who valued education and had a love for Christ.  She taught me that I could overcome any circumstances and find full healing in Jesus.  At first Mom thought that learning a language on top of my traumatic experiences and managing school was too risky. But, I was willing to do whatever it took to take advantage of the opportunity that was given to me.

I learned to write, speak, and read English in just one year. As I learned a new language, more doors opened in my favor. To the point that I was offered a position in what was said to be one of the best bilingual institutions in the country. That opportunity made me realize how powerful communication was for everyone.

My dreams of a better future became more and more concrete. I imagined what I could do with more knowledge ​​at my disposal. The tongue is an essential tool for causing change. Additionally, the range of influence only grows with your knowledge!

I consider it important for others to be offered more opportunities to learn a new skill, as this would help them be better equipped to handle future situations that may arise. This will help the future generation have the right tools at their disposal to be able to think critically and make better informed decisions about the fate of humanity. What are you doing to change your circumstances?

A. Daniela Espinal