Jonás Sánchez, 5th grade student. degree from the Santo Domingo Savio Salesian School, has won the affection and admiration of his entire educational community. His courage, joy and determination inspire classmates, teachers and everyone who knows him. Despite being born without arms, Jonás demonstrates every day that limits can be overcome with love, faith and perseverance.
She was born in 2015 with a congenital condition called amelia, which involves the absence of one or more limbs. However, for Jonah, that difference has never been a barrier, but rather an opportunity to show the greatness of his spirit. He is not defined by what he lacks, but by everything he can achieve.
When starting school, he faced difficult times. “When I started, I didn’t know how to read or write, and sometimes I felt bad, but now I feel happy, because I achieved it,” he remembers. With effort and the loving guidance of his teachers, he learned to write with his feet, demonstrating that when there is a will, nothing is impossible.
Thanks to the constant support of his teachers and classmates, Jonás has found a place in the classroom where he feels strong, capable and deeply loved. He says enthusiastically that what he likes most about his school is being able to learn more every day, surrounded by teachers who teach with patience, understanding and heart.
In addition to being a responsible and dedicated student, Jonás enjoys activities that stimulate his mind and competitive spirit, such as chess. He is passionate about it because, as he says, “it helps create strategies, think better and concentrate on day-to-day issues.”
But his great love is football. Although he is missing both upper limbs, his dream of becoming a great soccer player remains intact. With each match, he shows that true strength is not in the arms or legs, but in the soul and the enthusiasm that drives each step.
With the maturity of someone who has learned to look at life with gratitude, Jonás sends a message full of hope to other children who face similar challenges: “If some children feel bad for having a condition, let them be like me, let them be motivated to do what they want to be when they grow up and study the career of their dreams.”
He also shares a reflection that summarizes his enormous inner strength: “Being strong is not giving importance to what others say, standing up and not getting sad about anything. I am happy because God made me like this and gave me more intelligence.”
The story of Jonás Sánchez is a living lesson in love, self-improvement and faith. With every word, with every smile and with every step he takes, he reminds us that there are no limits when you love life and believe in yourself. Because Jonah doesn’t just write with his feet… he writes with his heart.
The Ministry of Education of the Dominican Republic (MINERD) has strengthened its efforts to guarantee educational inclusion, particularly through the Directorate of Special Education.
This direction has promoted the National Plan for Inclusive Education, a comprehensive framework that ranges from the early identification of students with disabilities to the provision of adapted educational services.
Among its key actions, the updating of the operational manual of the Special Education Centers and the training of teachers and technicians in attention to diversity stand out. These trainings have included workshops on the Educational Care Model for students with deafblindness and multiple disabilities, as well as the socialization of Ordinance 05-2024, which establishes clear guidelines for inclusion in regular classrooms.
In this way, an equitable educational system is promoted where students with specific educational support needs, like Jonás, receive individualized plans that promote their permanence and school success, aligned with the 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Another fundamental pillar is accessibility and technological resources, with the delivery of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) application kits and tools for students with visual and intellectual disabilities, along with buses adapted for mobility through the National Student Transportation System (TRAE).
These initiatives, under the inclusive vision of Minister Luis Miguel De Camps, not only eliminate physical and pedagogical barriers, but transform the school culture towards true equity, ensuring that stories like Jonás’s multiply throughout the country.This article was originally published in The Day
