Eye Exams for "Love Haiti" Students

June, 2014:  Eye Exams for "Love Haiti" Students

This is Yusdarlly, a "Love Haiti" student, sitting next to her mother. She is still wearing her school uniform. Yusdarlly's mother never looks well to me, but she attends every meeting faithfully. At semester, Yusdarrly had the best overall grade average of all of the "Love Haiti" students. Last time we visited the students, we asked, "How many of you have had an eye exam?" Not one of the students or parents raised their hands. This trip, Dr. Faye DeClue will be examining the eyes of all of our students, probably in this classroom. We have eight people going on this trip, all with different gifts; I'm looking forward to this journey.

Binold Estivene

Binold, June, 2013

 We met Binold in April, 2013 when he was living in a tent city in Port au Prince, Haiti with his aunt.  Binold is 20 years old, the youngest of five sisters and three brothers.    His mother lives on the Island of LaGonave,  where Binold lived until he was ten.  His mother could no longer care for him financially, so Binold's aunt took him in.    Children living with other family members or friends of the family or even with strangers  is not uncommon in Haiti.  It's a matter of survival.  When asked about his father, Binold replied, "I don't have one."  This is not uncommon either.

Binold is a serious young man.  He is serious about his school work.   He excels in mathematics and physics. His goal is to become an agronomist.  His most difficult subjects are English, Spanish, and Literature.  We found these subjects to be difficult for many of the students.  We are learning that there are not be enough qualified teachers to teach these subjects, yet, the students are required to pass government tests at the end of the year.  Unlike here, Haitian students do not have access to libraries, internet, or help from teachers.  Typically, their parents are illiterate and unable to help.  We asked Binold what might help him in those subjects.  His reply?  "A large chalkboard."    Students often go to  schools on the weekends to use  chalkboards.  Binold lives a 45 minute "tap-tap" ride from his school. A chalkboard in his home would allow him to study more at home.  For $20, we were able to purchase a large board, chalkboard paint, and chalk.  Binold will paint and hang the board on the one free wall they have in their home.

Binold's new home, where he lives with his aunt and at least

fiveother family members.   The home has  two rooms, a dining

room and a bedroom, with no electricity or running water. 

 By Haiti standards, this is a very nice home.

This is the second room of Binold's house.  The wall to the

right is where Binold plans to hang the blackboard.

In June, 2013, the tent-city residents where Binold lived were required to relocate.  The government took back the land that had once been a soccer field.  With a small government incentive,  families  were to find other places to live.  Some families moved to a different tent city, some found temporary housing, and others found something more permanent, like Binold's aunt.   She chose to move to a mountainside outside of Port au Prince in an area called Canaan, where the government was offering land for a low cost.     Binold's aunt moved into a two-room brick home that was built by missionaries.  It is not clear if she owns it or she rents it, and it's  not clear  how many people live in the home.   I assume there are at least five people.  There is no running water or electricity, but  the home was immaculate.   They have a small yard where they hang laundry, cook, and bathe.  And in front of their home are two small stands, one for selling grain, and the other where Binold's cousin works as a seamstress.  Binold's aunt sells grain to other residents.  They are resourceful people in a country where two-thirds of the labor force is unemployed.

We are looking forward to visiting with Binold again in June.  In addition to talking with him about his school year, an optometrist will check his vision, something Binold has never had done before -- none of our Love Haiti students have had their eyes checked.  Very few Haitians do.  There are NO optometrists in Haiti, and their are 50 ophthalmologist s -- FIFTY in a country of 10 million people.

Please pray for Binold and all of our Love Haiti students.  If you would like to send Binold a message, you can do so here. We will make sure he receives the message in June.

'We asked Binold what might help him in those subjects.  His reply?  "A large chalkboard."'

Here, Binold carries into his home a portion of the board that he will convert into a chalkboard by using chalkboard paint.  He plans to hang the board on a wall in the bedroom that he shares with other family members.  

Returning From a Three-Week Trip

I just returned from a three-week trip to Haiti.  Joining me during part of that time was Susan Hevalow, John Howard, and Kyle Butler.  While there, we followed-up on the progress of all of our Love Haiti students, including  one-on-one sessions with each student, and an end-of-the semester celebration with the students and their families. We paid second-semester tuitions at four different schools, hired tutors for students in need, and sought medical care for a couple of students who needed it.  In addition, we researched and toured a public school in Port au Prince (there are not many, and we learned that entrance is extremely competitive); we toured a four-year nursing university in Leogane, and an English School in Port au Prince for future reference.  
We stayed at Notre Maison Children's Home in Port au Prince where Love Haiti sponsors a tutor for the children who live there.  We were able to observe his work, and interact with the children, learning more about their needs.
We also visited a Methodist Church in Port au Prince.  They have 4,000 members.  We were able to meet with the pastors, and they were kind enough to allow us to use a classroom to perform eye exams for the elderly.  Before we left for Haiti, Restoring Vision donated 300 pairs of reading glasses with instructions on how to perform eye exams for presbyopia.  Some of our Love Haiti students helped us perform the exams.  It was an opportunity for them to help others.    
This was a productive trip in so many ways.  Overall, the students are doing well.  We will be posting more details about our trip during the next few weeks, highlighting stories about specific students.  If you have any questions, please ask.

Update on Cliff

Yesterday we drove to Carrefour to visit Cliff and pay his next semester tuition. The last time we were in Haiti, Cliff was hit by a motorcycle. Although he still has some pain, he seems to be doing better.  Carrefour is a heavily populated city near Port au Prince, near in miles, but far in driving because of road conditions and traffic.  Once in Carrefour, the roads are narrow and rocky, and accidents are common.  Recently, Cliff's brother was hit by a car, resulting in a broken leg. It's such a hard life for these families. 

The good news is - Cliff is doing well in school.

Cliff's story

Ten-year-old Cliff

When we met our "Love Haiti" students, they were living in a Tent City in Port au Prince.  Many had lived there for three years.   Since then, the government took back the land, offering the residents a small financial subsidy to move.  Most of the students and their families stayed in Port au Prince, but a few moved.  In October, we visited  all of the schools, but had not had a chance to visit their new homes yet.

This is the crossing to get into Carrefour from Port au Prince. 

We were directed in several different ways trying to find Cliff's home.  This was one of the neighborhoods we traveled through.

Ten-year-old Cliff moved with his family, four brothers, his mother and father, to Carrefour (very unusual for a Haitian child to live with both parents).  Carrefour is a "commune" of Port au Prince, but the drive makes it seem far. Carrefour is mostly residential with a population of 460,000 residents.

It was laundry day for many residents of Carrefour.

The day we went to Cliff's school the principal said that he had been hit by a motorcycle while walking to school.  She did not know how he was doing, so we set out looking for Cliff and his family.    It took awhile, but we finally found his home, and we were happy to see that he was OK.  He was not bedridden, but limping and in pain. Although he continues to be in some pain, he is attending school and  doing well academically.  

We searched for Cliff's brother who attends a different school.  School was letting out and we were greeted by happy faces.

Vision

Dr. Faye DeClue Young, a former classmate of mine, and an optometrist in the KC area volunteered to go to Haiti in June to check the eyesight of  "Love Haiti" students. NONE of these students, their siblings, or their parents have ever had their eyes examined. After sharing her intent with the director of Restoring Vision the director offered to send 400 pairs of glasses with us on this upcoming trip to Haiti next week. We received the glasses today and instructions on how we can test vision for those needing readers. I am so excited to see the response from the recipients of these glasses, and the reaction from the students who will have their eyes examined this summer. Thank you Dr. Faye Young and Restoring Vision. Look for upcoming stories and photos about improving vision in Haiti!

Minese

Minese is a senior in high school.

"Love Haiti" has enrolled 22 Haitian children in school. We have students from age 4 - 25, grade Kindergarten to 12th. Minese Felix is a senior. On our last visit, Oct., 2013, Minese asked us to tell supporters how grateful she is to them for giving her an opportunity. "I was always told that I would never be able to finish school because my family could not afford it." Education is not free to everyone in Haiti. Minese also promised that she would study her hardest so that she could pass exams and go to nursing school, where she wants to focus on women's health issues. One day, Minese will be able to help her family, her friends, and her country. Minese is setting a good example for the younger "Love Haiti" students. She is aware of her role.

Upcoming Mission Trip ~ January 2014

In January, 2014, a group is traveling to Haiti to pay school tuition for the second semester.  There are no "middle agents" in the Love Haiti project.  Volunteers pay their own way, and make tuition payments directly to the schools.  While there, the volunteers will meet with the students and their families, teachers, and principals.  If a child is needing some assistance in school, Love Haiti will attempt to provide that for them.  The students are required to pass their subjects.  They understand the consequences if they do not (they will not be sponsored).  Haitians value an education.  It is a precious commodity to them and their families.   

Prayers for Debbie, John, Sue  and Kyle who will be venturing to Haiti soon!

Notre Maison Children's Home Tutoring

 We exceeded our goal of enrolling 14 students in the 2013-14 school year.  In September, we enrolled 22 students.  These children were living in a Tent City in Port au Prince when we met them. They range in age from four to 25 (Kindergarten to 12th grade). 

In addition, we are sponsoring a tutoring program at Notre Maison Children's Home in Port au Prince.   Notre Maison houses 49 children.  The tutor, Gabriel, has a full-time job assisting the school children  with homework, and he teaches them English after school.  Children in Haiti who can learn English have a greater opportunity for employment than those who do not learn English.

This is Gabriel working with some of the children at Notre Mainson Children's Home.  The children call him Papa.  He is a kind and patient person, trained in sociology.  The children are so blessed to have him as their "papa."  

Our Plan

The vast majority of Haitians earn $2 per day. A basic education costs $1 per day. That's not right. We believe God has called us to help families in Haiti because cycles of generational poverty is not God's will. We believe God can use us to make a difference. We believe education is one of the key components to long-term lasting change. The Plan: Our goal for our Love Haiti ministry is to build relationships with Haitians that can help bring about lasting change to a desperate situation. Over the next few years, we hope to send children to school as well as form a relationship with a local church to be able to provide care, support, and prayer.

Love Haiti is for everyone.  From the youngest of children to our oldest members, we believe there are ways for all of us to help. There will be those who end up going and there will be more who stay and commit to pray for the work God is doing. Our Love Haiti ministry has a set a goal to send 14 kids to school in 2013-2014, plus to pay for tutoring and follow up in-home instruction. We will have the 2013-2014 school money raised by October when we will send another team to deliver the money.

Here's how you can help: Pray. Give.  The cost of a Haitian education is only $1 per day. If you would like to help send a child to school by paying the entire tuition or a partial tuition, you can make that donation either in a one-time gift, monthly, or weekly gift. You can always donate through the offering plate or by sending a check or cash to the church, just make sure you mark it for Love Haiti. You can also give online by clicking here.  

Invite.  Giving towards Love Haiti is a great project for families, Sunday Schools, Small Groups, Classes or even offices and neighborhoods. The possibilities are endless!  Invite your friends to help. Host an event, a bake sale, a garage sale, lemonade stand to help. Get creative and invite others to help make a difference.  Ask about having a speaker come to your group to spread the word about LoveHaiti.

Thank you SO much for your support!