Preparing the Soil

Development work is never ending. It's not the same as disaster relief - where the end goal is to get back to a functioning state after a horrific event. Development takes time and commitment. It requires forming relationships and empowering the people to take responsibility for their communities.

There are different types of development, too. I've struggled a lot with how to justify what we do at Futuro Lleno de Esperanza, Cienfuegos, because our work doesn't fall into the "hip" categories - like sex-trafficking or refugee services. But I do believe the work we do is important and necessary.

The Dominican Republic has consistently placed at the bottom of all educational testing in the Americas and the world. Only 14% of Dominican children receive preschool education. Under educated parents, under nourishment, under employment... Our children are set up for failure by a system that doesn't provide the services they need to thrive. Add in government corruption, lack of infrastructure, inadequate public services.

This past summer, I spent a lot of time reflecting on Futuro Lleno de Esperanza's importance and what our future looks like. I wasn't convinced that what we are doing is necessary. After 7 years in our community, I see the same problems, the same conflicts, the same "lack of" that has always existed. It is easy to get frustrated.

As I was preparing a little presentation for our partners in New Jersey, I was trying to rectify my doubts about our importance and the idea that I would be standing up to talk about how it is important to support us financially. How could I stand up and ask for support if I was unsure?

Last year, we spent a good part of the year working with the kids in our preschool program on God's creation - what did God create and how do we care for it. When we worked on plants, I did one of those vague Google searches looking for anything that I could tie in. It hit on the parable of the sower (Mark 4), and - thanks to the internet - we added types of soil for plants into our lessons. I hadn't considered the parable any more deeply than something to add to our unit... until I was preparing this presentation.

There are different types of development work - each organization (or program from one organization) plays a different role. I had myself convinced that if we weren't actively planting seeds, we weren't doing the real work. But, after some reflection, I realized that our work is just as important. Just like the farmer whose seeds fell on different types of soil saw, seeds that are sown in poor, rocky, thorn ridden soil don't grow. In order for our kids to get the most out of their formal schooling, they need to be prepared. They need the knowledge and skills that are acquired in preschool so that they can flourish in the future. They need the nutrients from our breakfast program so that their minds and bodies work properly. Their parents also need the low-cost option for childcare so they can work without worrying where their kids are.

Futuro Lleno de Esperanza might not get to see the fruits of its labor directly, but that doesn't mean the work isn't important. It just means we have to have faith that our labor is worthy and good.

-- Melanie

Director, FLE, Cienfuegos