19/08/2026
A CHANCE TO CHANGE MY FUTURE
Yeliza's Story
My name is Yeliza Martínez de la Cruz. I am the youngest of four sisters, a mother of two, and currently expecting my third baby. I am a psychologist, and I continue to pursue professional development while caring for my family, working, and remaining part of a community that has played a pivotal role in my story.
My story begins with my mother. When I was just eight years old, my father left my mother, abandoning her to raise four daughters on her own. She lacked the resources to support us and had never been able to finish primary school; she could barely read and struggled with writing. Yet, she always possessed one thing in abundance: the desire for her daughters to receive an education and go further in life than she had.
I loved school from an early age. Studying was something I enjoyed, something that made me dream of a different future. However, as a child, I never knew if I would ever be able to attend university. No one in my family had ever had that opportunity, and it seemed like a distant, unattainable goal.
Through immense effort, my mother did everything she could to ensure we could attend school. She had to support a large family on her own with extremely limited resources, yet she always found a way for us to keep studying. She hadn't had the chance to receive a good education herself, but she was determined to fight so that we would.
When I was fifteen, I began volunteering at the school the foundation had built in our community. At the time, I was living with my mother in a small, unsafe house. It wasn't a concrete structure; living conditions were very harsh. Water would leak in when it rained, and the walls were cracked and in danger of collapsing at any moment.
While I was volunteering at the school, my mother had to move away. For some time, my older sister and I were left on our own; she was barely eighteen, and I was still a teenager. A few months later, my sister also had to leave, and I was left alone in that small house. Despite my age and the circumstances, I continued volunteering at the school. The foundation gave me 1,000 pesos each month to help with my living expenses. It wasn't a lot of money, but it meant the world to me. It allowed me to buy food, and often, it ensured I had at least one meal a day.
In 2014, I received a scholarship from the foundation. That moment marked a turning point in my life. I remember the excitement I felt because the scholarship meant I could continue my studies, but it also included something equally important to me: breakfast.
At that time, the breakfast I received at school might have been the only full meal I had all day. That is why I looked forward to every morning with such happiness. I wasn't just receiving an education; I was also getting the chance to eat, to learn, and to envision a different future.
Through significant effort, I finished my schooling with honors. My graduation day was one of the happiest days of my life. I remember looking out at the guests and seeing Ron there, wearing a smile and a look of pride I will never forget. His presence meant so much to me. I didn't feel alone. There were people who believed in me and were happy to see me achieve something that had long seemed impossible.
That same year, another life-changing event occurred, the year of my graduation. The foundation decided to help me secure decent housing. My mother donated all her land, and Ron gave his word that he would pay for my university studies so I could prepare for a decent job. He also committed to building a house where I would have a safe place to live.
Building my house took only four weeks. It was an incredible experience for me. Not only did I watch my home being built, but I also had the chance to interact with the workers and learn things I never imagined I would. I learned about plumbing, electrical work, rebar, and various aspects of construction.
Later, I also learned how to paint. Over time, I became the person who paints the signs in my neighborhood. Today, I am proud to say that I have contributed my work and skills to Barrio Blanco, the place where I grew up.
At the age of twenty, I entered a relationship and started my own family while continuing my studies. When my daughter Nashly was born, I felt immense happiness. Becoming a mother changed many things in my life, but I never gave up on my dreams.
During that time, I also learned to sew and eventually started my own small business. I sold girls' clothing I had made myself online. I enjoyed being able to create things with my own hands while also generating my own income.
But then the pandemic hit, and I had to close my business. It was a challenging time, and I had to make the decision to move elsewhere to work and help support our family alongside my partner.
About a year ago, I decided to start a new business with my partner. We opened a small café in Cabarete, where we sell empanadas, fast food, and various items we prepare ourselves. This business has become a vital source of income for our household, allowing us to keep moving forward while I continue my master's studies.
Starting a business hasn't been easy—especially balancing work, studies, and family responsibilities—but I learned that we don't always have to wait for an opportunity to appear; often, we must create it ourselves. My café represents exactly that to me: an honest way to work, support my family, and keep striving for my professional goals while I finish my master's degree.
Despite all the challenges, I kept studying. I finally completed my university degree in Psychology. My graduation day was another major milestone in my life.
This time, he wasn't just there like the person who had believed in that young girl who once needed a chance. He was there as my number one photographer, beaming with happiness and pride that made it feel as though he were watching his own granddaughter graduate. Seeing him there again reminded me of the long journey we had shared and everything the foundation had meant to me.
When I finished university, I was overjoyed and full of hope. I thought that after so many years of demanding work, I would finally land an excellent job. But I learned that things in this country aren't always a bed of roses.
After working so hard to earn my degree, I discovered that to practice in my desired field, I needed a specialization—and specializations are very expensive. For a moment, I thought I might find myself facing a closed door again.
But the foundation didn't leave me on my own.
Today, they continue to support me so I can keep preparing myself and reaching new goals. I am currently pursuing a master's degree while looking for ways to give back to my community using what I have learned and what I have.
I help in the study room with children who need extra support. I also assist Arianna with various tasks for the foundation when she can't manage them alone. I lead hygiene-related activities for the children and try to help however I can.
For me, giving back a little of what I received is especially important. I know what it means to have someone believe in you when you don't yet know how far you can go.
And this year, I received news that made me incredibly happy: in addition to my own scholarship, my daughter received one too.
This means the world to me. My daughter will now have some of the same opportunities I had. She will benefit from things that changed my life. Knowing she will have access to opportunities I once dreamed of for myself brings me so much joy.
Today, I am a mother of two and am expecting my third baby. My life is full of responsibilities, caring for my family, running my small business, studying, continuing my professional development, and helping my community. But it is also full of dreams.
When I look back and remember that eight-year-old girl whose father had left, that teenager alone in a small house with cracked walls, that young girl waiting every morning for her school breakfast, I find it hard to believe everything we have achieved.
I didn't know if I would ever go to university. I didn't know if I would have a career. I didn't know if I would have a safe home. I didn't know what my future held.
But someone believed in me.
The foundation gave me more than just a scholarship. It gave me opportunities. It gave me security. It gave me an education. It gave me a home. It allowed me to discover abilities I didn't even know I had. But it helped me change the way I viewed my future.
Today, I understand that an opportunity can completely change a person's life.
I am proof of that.
And that is why I want to continue being part of this great family. I want to keep helping other children and young people in my community, because I know that behind every child who needs support, there could be a story like mine: someone with many dreams who simply needs someone to believe in them.
My story isn't over yet.
I still have goals to reach, a master's degree to finish, a profession to practice, a family to care for, a business to keep growing, and many dreams for my children.
And as I move forward, I will always remember where I come from and the people who were there when I needed them most.
Because if I can look toward the future with hope today, it is because one day someone decided to give me a chance to change my future.
From Board Members: Jeanette Lowry Tracy Dennis & Julie Jackson If this touched your heart we have several children still praying for someone to believe in them enough to get a first chance in school. If you are looking for a way to donate where 100% of your donation goes to the cause.....NOT overhead....this is for you. Please check out our website: https://www.providingopportunity.org and find out more how you can help pay for a child to attend a full year of school (which still includes one meal / day). Blessings!
