Hope of Bastion School (Escuela Esperanza de Bastion) is located in Bastion Popular, a former squatter community on the edge of the hot, humid city of Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Founded in a time when the community did not have access to public education, the school began as a way to provide poorer families with quality education. More than just a school, Hope of Bastion School’s primary purpose is to share the good news of Jesus with its students and their families. Because children in Bastion grow up in a community where violence, abuse, drugs, and broken families are the norm, the school desires to provide an alternative to this lifestyle. The school believes that in order for education to create a lasting change, hearts also need to be changed through Jesus’ redeeming love.
The school is funded by linking each child with a sponsor from North America. Children are sponsored not only to pay for their education, but also to connect each child with someone who is committed to their best interests and praying for them regularly.
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” Jeremiah 29:11