The school’s wall is a great achievement because it has an important meaning for students and parents. There are gangs all around the school and this wall means security for the children and teens. This is not just important for the school, but it is also important for the church. As the pastor, I feel we are achieving the goals we have set. Pastor Santos Carpio.
Miraflores Public School has classes from kindergarden to ninth grade and is the only option for formal education in the community. The school has a staff of six teachers and currently serves 353 students between the ages of five and 17. Until recently, the school’s only security was a chain-link fence around its campus, which was insufficient to protect students, teachers, school, equipment and the school building itself.
The need to build a cement block wall around the perimeter of the school was identified nine years ago. Although the school sought help several times, they could not move the project forward. A few years ago, however, the urgency for security in the area increased due local gang activity and violence. Alarmingly, throughout the country, attacks on students have been rapidly increasing, with 52 students reportedly killed in 2010 and already 108 in 2011.
Rosa Lilian Martinez and Children of the Public SchoolWith these high numbers in mind, Rosa Alicia Martínez, the principal of the school in Miraflores, admitted, “One of the greatest needs for the school has been a perimeter wall” because “there are people who don’t belong in the school who come in at any time. That affects the normal process of the classes and the students’ comfort.” The principal is thrilled that Pastor Santos’ church has helped to pave the way to create a safer environment for students and teachers in Miraflores.
Thank God the Tabernáculo Biblico Salem Church came to us! This is a dream for me. We have seen the results of their work, and people from the community are responding. It wasn’t until the church joined us that the mayor’s office helped us a little. Church members come and work, and parents also play a role in the work. Older students are volunteers on the project too, and now, even Americans have joined us to help build the wall!. Rosa Alicia Martinez, School Principal in Miraflores.
The construction of the wall has been divided into four stages, corresponding to the back, front, and two sides of the school’s campus. Timberline Church from Fort Collins, Colorado was the talk of the town as they picked up shovels and joined the local church from two weeks to work on the wall from the very beginning of the project’s first stage. Community members told us they were impressed to see 15 teenagers and their youth pastors working passionately on the wall. When the second Timberline group came, there were 17 more adults and five teenagers who worked on the wall, brought a medical team, and visited homes in the community.
“The impact was enormous, and everyone was motivated by the visit from the Americans. Their service has made the community feel like they can do great things, and the church has confirmed that what they are doing is for the Lord. Now, they feel strengthened and more committed.” Nuria Reyes, Church Coach in El Espino.
After years of wishing and waiting for a school wall, the community has finally achieved their dream through the leadership of the local church and the collaboration of the school, parent’s association, and mayor’s office. The work would not have been possible without the area’s partnership with Timberline Church which has helped to provide ENLACE coaching and technical support, as well as filling in gaps of funding for the much-needed wall. We would like to thank Timberline Church for its generous support and congratulate the Tabernáculo Biblico Salem Church for all their hard work in Miraflores!
Click here to see the Picture Gallery from Timberline Church’s works