While the school officially began in 2000 with a Kindergarten class, Amor Y Esperanza’s roots go back to when Pancho and Pitty Zola started day care centers in the Carmen Bajo neighborhood.  The Lord touched the Zolas’ hearts when they found 5 children locked in a small house, crying, dirty and hungry, with no one to care for them and no opportunity for schooling. The Zolas' saw that the education level in poor neighborhoods was seriously inadequate and that families needed support and solutions. Through much prayer, the Lord inspired them to provide these families daycare solutions.

With these daycare centers running well, the burden soon grew for the older children. Being blessed with the Lord’s favor, and that of the neighborhood, a clear opportunity arose to begin a Christian school. Each year a new grade was added to keep up with the kids as they grew and with increased demand as residents began to take note of the quality care and education offered by the school. After outgrowing its home, AyE moved into a brand new, state-of-the-art building in 2019. This allows for greater enrollment, additional community ventures, and the ability to reach more families with the love and hope of the Gospel. 

So you may be wondering how Love and Hope Foundation came into the picture. . .

Well, in 2007, a group of supporters saw the need to form a US based 501c3 non-profit organization in order to raise funds to support the mission of Amor y Esperanza.  The organization was initially led by Dirk Cameron and his wife Raquel, who incorporated the non-profit in Texas.  After faithfully serving on the board of Love and Hope for many years, Dirk and Raquel resigned to follow the Lord’s calling to work in missions in Europe and Northern Africa.  In 2019, a new board was formed and Love and Hope Foundation, although still incorporated in Texas, began operating out of Atlanta, Georgia.  The current board seeks to build a firm foundation on the US side in order to provide financial stability and operational accountability to the ministry of Amor y Esperanza in Quito.