Involved parents improve their child’s schooling success

An Interview with Kami West Ciprian, Co-Director, Santo Domingo East School‍

Kami and her husband Romulo co-direct Santo Domingo East School. She came as a missionary to the country in 2004, learned Spanish, and started a small care center with her husband in 2009. God blessed their work, and now it is a full-fledged school with 125 students.

What are some of your favorite things about your work?

‍I like to watch the kids grow up and be transformed. I also like to be used by God to change people's lives and restore families.‍

What are some of the biggest challenges this past year?‍

Having to keep the kids away from school. Trying to persuade parents to step up to fulfill their responsibility of helping kids with their schoolwork.‍

Tell us about some of the progress you have seen.‍

One of the sixth-grade boys had behavioral and learning issues. His dad came to know the Lord a few years ago and became our night guard at school, but he was very tough on the boy’s behavioral issues. At the beginning of the pandemic, we struggled to get the boy to do his homework, so we started bringing him to the school to help. Over the school year, his dad sought advice on how to motivate and discipline him to do his schoolwork. As a result, his dad became more involved in the boy's life. While the boy still struggles with his schoolwork, his dad is learning to motivate him, and the boy is making progress. Both father and son are adapting to meet his needs.‍

What are the strengths of your program?‍

Our involvement touches the lives of children and families holistically and includes interventions that support children – physically, emotionally, educationally, and spiritually right through to young adulthood. God has provided and developed an incredible team of coworkers who are passionate, skilled, and dedicated.‍

What do you hope for 2021?‍

That the pandemic ends. But through the pandemic, we are also seeing parents getting more involved in their child's education. I hope this trend continues even when children return to school. I also hope to start parenting classes, so they better understand how to support their kids.

‍What are some of your future goals for the school?‍

I hope to improve and offer better education each year, expand the foster care program, and see God move in the hearts of the churches here, so they will open their homes to children in need.‍

How has serving in ministry helped you grow personally?‍

I have had to learn to trust God and allow him to work where He wants to, not where I want him to, and also learn to trust in His timing.‍

What would you like to say to your Site Partners?

Thank you for your support which allows us the opportunity to do what we are doing. We often pray for you.‍

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