 |
| Fary De León:Executive Director |
In 1986, I emigrated from my native town of Haina in the Dominican Republic to the United States of America. I immediately understood that life was offering me the opportunity to realize my goals and dreams.
To my surprise, the first obstacle I faced was placed by my father who said “I didn’t bring you to this country to live the easy life. I brought you here to work so you can bring your younger brothers and sisters who are still in Santo Domingo. I’ve been working here for many years for you and my family. Don’t think that you are going to abandon me now. If you can learn to say “excuse me” and “I’m sorry”, that will be more than sufficient. I continued forward with my plans since I was determined to continue on the road to progress.
Therefore, I took classes to learn to speak English and technical courses which opened doors to the professional world for me. I had no intention of settling for a job in a factory. The two days I spent working in a factory was more than enough to make it clear to me that I had the potential to do other things that would allow me to discover talents I was not yet aware that I possessed.
The years that followed were full of events that distorted my focus in life. Soon after enrolling in a nearby university, I fell in love and became a mother. Situations such as these, put to the test my drive and made it difficult to return to the path I left behind. I survived many hardships and several doors were closed to me. Then I returned, once again, to my faith. Unfortunately, it is usually in times of trouble that we remember God. I promised God that if he helped me, I would help other women who like me, were determined to overcome barriers and not accept defeat. God had plans for me. He chose me to be an example to other women to show them that there is a better future where they can achieve all of their goals without neglecting their homes.
In effect, God had kept his promise. For over 13 years, I was given the opportunity to acquire experience and training in the areas of social services and community development that granted me emotional and financial stability including marriage, a car, a house and more than I could ever ask for or even deserved. My life became so busy that I didn’t have time to fulfill my promise. As part of the divine plan, my devotion to my vow was put to the test. I faced death from an incurable form of cancer, a marriage that was kept up for appearances and had come to the point of losing everything I had worked so hard to attain. The several months that I spent recuperating from my illness gave me the opportunity to work towards realizing my dreams and my goals.
Today, I understand that my passion and my legacy is to help others to achieve their highest potential, no matter what the obstacles or how difficult the challenges they face. I am convinced that through FACES, not only can I give others the opportunity to create better lives for themselves but also accomplish my mission in life.
Thanks, LOVE
Fary De León
Executive Director
No comments:
Post a Comment