Meet Maria Pambi

Like most of the people in the neighborhood of El Carmen Bajo, Maria Pambi has not had an easy life. Yet, to talk with her-to interact with her on a daily basis-you'd never know how hard her life has been. She's happy; she's full of life, and she is thankful for everything that she has. Maria is raising four children on her own, and she is a woman of faith. At present, Maria works for the Love and Hope Foundation as a teacher's assistant. She loves working with young children, and she hopes to be a teacher in the school one day.

Years ago, as a married woman and a religious person, things seemed all right for her and her husband. They both had good jobs, and they had a beautiful family. However, over time, things changed. Her husband stopped coming home every night, and he eventually became involved with another woman. He married this woman, but then later went back to Maria. He didn't stay long this second time. He sees very little of his four children now, and he does not help with the cost of raising them. All of this has been very difficult to live through, but when Maria tells her story she is at peace with it. She doesn't feel alone. She doesn't yearn for a husband. She feels loved-loved by her children, by her students, and by her family at the Foundation.

About nine years ago, Maria and her husband moved to El Carmen Bajo. One of their new neighbors invited Maria to church, but she wasn't interested. The neighbor was persistent, and Maria ended up at church. The sermon that day was taken from First Corinthians: our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. Maria was very moved by the message, and found herself ready to make changes in her life. At the end of the sermon, Maria raised her hand along with a few others who wanted to invite Christ into their lives. Maria looks back at that moment as a distinct turning point in her life. Not only did she become a Christian, but she also quit smoking that day. She began to live her life as if it was not her own. Maria came home from church a very different woman.

Shortly after becoming a Christian, Maria got involved in the Foundation. She and the Foundation have grown alongside one another. In the beginning, the ministry consisted of handing out sandwiches and drinks to school children in the neighborhood. From there, a bakery was started, then a nursery, and eventually a school and a church. Maria has been involved through it all. She has worked as a baker, a cook, a nursery worker, a teacher's assistant, and even as a kitchen supervisor. Moreover, as the ministry continues to grow, so do Maria's dreams for the future. Not only has she been raising her four children alone and working full-time at the Foundation, but she has also been able to go back to school for her high school diploma. She is extremely grateful to the Foundation and to the sponsors of her children, because without them she would never have had this opportunity.’’

Maria hopes to start university later this year so that she can become a teacher. If that doesn't work out, she would like to open a bakery or a beauty salon. Her eldest son, Bryan, is sixteen, and he hopes to finish school and enter the military. Jhaira is only fourteen, but she would like to be a systems engineer. Fatima is eleven and she, like her mother, would like to be a teacher. Danielita is only seven, and her dreams will probably change, but at the moment, she would like to be a doctor. The future is bright for Maria and her children. Their lives have been changed, and their dreams no longer feel intangible.