Meet the Director: Miriam

Miriam is the school director of Fuente de Agua Viva.

Miriam has been a devoted member of the Kids Alive team in Palo Blanco since its beginnings as an early education tutoring program in 2001, mastering a variety of roles along the way. She started working alongside missionary Jan Burkey, taking on responsibilities that included cooking, cleaning, and tutoring. Friends warned her that she was crazy to work in such a dangerous and troubled community, but Miriam remained steadfast. While continuing her work with Kids Alive, she also pursued further education, becoming a licensed teacher and psychologist. In 2022, she made history as the first Dominican director of the Fuente de Agua Viva school in Palo Blanco, which had expanded to serve more than 300 children and youth, from age 3 through 12th grade. 

Miriam is deeply grateful to God for His faithfulness through the years. One of the things she treasures most about her work is the chance to witness lives being transformed. She feels blessed to be part of that journey, seeing firsthand the impact of God’s love and guidance on the children and families she serves. 

“Miriam is a skilled, experienced, and passionate leader who God has provided to direct our school in Palo Blanco,” says Vic Trautwein, Co-country Director for Kids Alive in the Dominican Republic. “One thing I love about Miriam is that over the years, she has literally done every job in the school. So, when she asks someone to do something, she is speaking not just from authority but from personal experience and knowledge!”