Our Mission

Makarios is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educational development in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and other impoverished areas of the world. We are committed to a child’ʹs spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual growth, to provide hope for a better future.

We are Makarios, which means “blessed” in ancient Greek.  Blessed we are, and we strive to provide hope for a better future to children in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and other impoverished nations.

Founded in the spring of 2004 by Executive Director Sharla Megilligan, Makarios is a faith-based 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization committed to meeting children’s spiritual, emotional, physical, and intellectual needs.

We meet educational needs by operating the Colegio Makarios, or Makarios School, instructing children from three different communities ages three through nine in all core subjects. We also administer academic development programs in Haitian villages, called “bateyes”, on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.

We help meet our students’ physical needs by providing clean drinking water, medical and dental care, and two hot meals a day, with outreach programs throughout the communities surrounding the school. We embrace God’s calling to communicate His love for these people through provision of physical needs (Proverbs 31:9 and James 2).

We aim to do ministry like Jesus did.  He built relationships, He loved people, and He met their physical and spiritual needs.  Our greatest passion is introducing our students and their families to a life-changing relationship with God, as only He can best meet their most dire needs.