A Guide to Mission in Haiti
INFORMATION COLLECTED by Dorene Palermo, April 2015
1|Page
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
The information contained in this document is 1) copied from websites or brochures, 2) comprised of
pictures taken by persons on the UPC Mission Trip 2014-5 or from the web, and 3) editorial/explanatory
statements composed by me. Where information is taken from a website, the link to the website will be
included so you can explore further the information on the site.
Contents
ABOUT HAITI ................................................................................................................................................. 3
HAITI HISTORY .............................................................................................................................................. 4
NGOs ............................................................................................................................................................. 6
WHAT IS AN “NGO”? ................................................................................................................................ 6
HAITI OUTREACH MINISTRIES (HOM) ........................................................................................................... 7
Cité Soleil ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
Blanchard (Terre Noire) ...................................................................................................................... 10
Repatriote (Menelas).......................................................................................................................... 13
Baryé Fe .............................................................................................................................................. 14
FAMILY HEALTH MINISTRIES (FHM) ....................................................................................................... 16
Blanchard Family Health Clinic ........................................................................................................... 16
Leogane Family Health Center............................................................................................................ 17
Phase 1: the Guesthouse .................................................................................................................... 18
Phase 2: The Surgical Center -Leogane .............................................................................................. 19
Carmelle Voltaire Women’s Health Center ........................................................................................ 19
BUILDING GOODNESS FOUNDATION (BGF) ........................................................................................... 22
HAITI FUND (CODEP) .............................................................................................................................. 23
HEARTS WITH HAITI, INC ........................................................................................................................ 25
SAINT JOSEPH FAMILY ............................................................................................................................ 25
St. Joseph’s Home for Boys (Petion'Ville) .......................................................................................... 26
Wings of Hope/Trinity House ............................................................................................................. 27
Lekòl Sen Trinite ................................................................................................................................. 30
Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti .................................................................................................. 30
NEIGHBORS NEAR AND FAR ................................................................................................................... 32
GOALS ..................................................................................................................................................... 34
2|Page
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
ABOUT HAITI
http://geography.about.com/od/haitimaps/a/haitigeography.htm
Haiti is a small country located on the western part of the island of Hispaniola and is west of the
Dominican Republic. It is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland and is two-thirds mountainous.
The rest of the country features valleys, plateaus and plains. Haiti's climate is mainly tropical but it is
also semiarid in the east where its mountain areas block the trade winds.
The Republic of Haiti, is the second-oldest republic in the Western Hemisphere just after the United
States. Of the countries in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is the poorest as 80% of its population lives
below poverty level. Haiti is the least developed country in the Americas.
Haiti's official language is French but French Creole is also spoken.
Population: 9.8 million
Capital: Port au Prince
Area: 10,714 square miles (27,750 sq km)
Coastline: 1,100 miles (1,771 km)
3|Page
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
HAITI HISTORY
http://www.localhistories.org/haiti.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/17/us-haiti-martelly-idUSKBN0KQ01520150117
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/12/world/haiti-earthquake-fast-facts/
http://www.dec.org.uk/haiti-earthquake-facts-and-figures
Before the Europeans arrived a people called the Arawaks lived there. On 6 December 1492
Christopher Columbus landed at Mole Saint-Nicolas on the north-west and called the island Espanola,
which was later anglicized as Hispaniola. A hundred years after Columbus discovered Hispaniola
European diseases and war had almost exterminated the Arawaks.
The Spanish claimed ownership of the whole island but they settled mainly in the east. The west was
left largely empty and in the 17th century the French settled there. In 1697 the Spanish and French
signed the Treaty of Ryswick giving France the western third of the island of Hispaniola. They called their
colony Saint-Domingue.
In the 18th century Saint-Domingue (Haiti) became rich. The colony exported sugar, coffee, cotton,
indigo and cocoa. However the prosperity depended on slavery. Huge numbers of black slaves were
brought to work on plantations. By the end of the 18th century there were about 30,000 French
people, about 27,000 people of mixed race and nearly half a million black slaves!
SLAVE REBELLION
On 14 August 1791 the slaves rebelled and a war ensued, which devastated the colony. The war ended
when France ended slavery in 1793. Fighting continued, led by rebel leaders Toussaint and Dessalines,
until on 1 January 1804 Haiti became independent. In 1809, Spanish captured the eastern part of the
island, and it eventually (1844) became the separate country of the Dominican Republic.
France refused to recognize Haiti until 1825, and in return for recognition demanded compensation for
the land their plantation owners had lost in Haiti. The Haitians were forced to pay a large sum of money,
which was not completed until 1887. Britain recognized Haiti in 1833 but the USA did not follow until
1862.
Haiti had a long period of instability. Between 1843 and 1911 there were 16 rulers. Of them 11 were
overthrown by revolutions. From 1915 to 1934, the USA sent marines to occupy the country to protect
American business interests.
PAPA DOC and BABY DOC
Military coup followed coup until in 1957 Duvalier (Papa Doc) was elected President. He was a brutal
dictator, ruling Haiti with the help of his infamous secret police, the Tontons Macoutes. Under his rule
trade unions were banned and the press were strictly controlled. In 1961 following a fraudulent election
Duvalier was re-elected. In 1964 he made himself president for life. In 1971 he changed the constitution
and gave himself the power to name his successor. He died the same year and his son Jean- Claude
Duvalier (Baby Doc) became president of Haiti.
Baby Doc proved to be as repressive as his father. In the late 1970s and early 1980s many Haitians fled
to Florida by boat to escape his rule and by 1984 economic conditions were so bad sheer desperation
forced people to demonstrate. Duvalier lost support and in 1986 he went into exile.
However there was no return to democratic government in Haiti. After Duvalier went the army seized
power in Haiti. Nevertheless protests at home and pressure from the USA forced them to hold elections
in December 1990. Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president. In September 1991 he was
overthrown by a coup and forced to flee abroad.
4|Page
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Once again a brutal military dictatorship ruled Haiti and many people tried to flee from the country.
Pressure from other countries forced the army to allow President Aristide to return.
When Aristide's term ended in 1996 Rene Preval was elected president. There was a struggle between
the two men, Aristide and Preval. In 2000 Aristide was elected president but the opposition refused to
accept the result and would not recognize Aristide as president. Following protests in November 2003
Aristide promised new elections. However in February 2004 rebellion broke out and Aristide was
forced to leave Haiti. An interim government then took over until new elections could be held. Finally
in 2006 Preval was elected president.

















HAITI IN 2006
Haiti was 145th of 169 countries in the UN Human Development Index, which is the lowest in
the Western Hemisphere
More than 70% of people in Haiti were living on less than $US2 per day
86% of people in Port au Prince were living in slum conditions - mostly tightly-packed, poorlybuilt, concrete buildings.
80% of education in Haiti was provided in often poor-quality private schools, the state system
generally provided better education but provided far too few places
Half of people in Port-au-Prince had no access to latrines and only one-third has access to tap
water
JANUARY 12, 2010
7.0 Magnitude Earthquake struck near Port au Prince.
3,500,000 people were affected by the quake
220,000 people estimated to have died, 300,000+ people were injured
Over 188,383 houses were badly damaged and 105,000 were destroyed by the earthquake
(293,383 in total)
1.5m people became homeless
AFTER THE QUAKE
After the quake there were 19 million cubic metres of rubble and debris in Port au Prince –
enough to fill a line of shipping containers stretching end to end from London to Beirut.
4,000 schools were damaged or destroyed
25% of civil servants in Port au Prince died
60% of Government and administrative buildings, 80% of schools in Port-au-Prince and 60% of
schools in the South and West Departments were destroyed or damaged
Over 600,000 people left their home area in Port-au-Prince and mostly stayed with host families
At its peak, one and a half million people were living in camps including over 100,000 at critical
risk from storms and flooding
Unrelated to the earthquake but causing aid response challenges was the outbreak of cholera in
October 2010. By July 2011 5,899 had died as a result of the outbreak, and 216,000 were
infected.
CURRENT LEADERSHIP
The President of the Republic of Haiti is the head of state of Haiti. Executive power in Haiti is divided
between the president and the government headed by the Prime Minister of Haiti.[A133] The current
President is Michel Martelly, who took office on May 14, 2011. He has failed to hold elections, municipal
or legislative since he assumed power in May 2011. In January 2015, Martelly announced he would
install former Port-au-Prince Mayor Evans Paul as prime minister, with the composition of the new
government to be announced shortly.
5|Page
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
NGOs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-governmental_organization
WHAT IS AN “NGO”?
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that is neither a part of
a government nor a conventional for-profit business.
Usually set up by ordinary citizens, NGOs may be funded by governments, foundations,
businesses, or private persons. Some avoid formal funding altogether and are run primarily by
volunteers. NGOs are highly diverse groups of organizations engaged in a wide range of activities, and
take different forms in different parts of the world. Some may have charitable status, while others may
be registered for tax exemption based on recognition of social purposes. Those categorized as 501 © (3)
normally file Form 990 with the IRS allowing us to have a way to observe how the various monies are
being managed.
NGO’s RELATED TO HAITI MISSION
There are literally hundreds of NGOs and scores of them active around Haiti alone. NGOs work
independently or collaborate to increase their effectiveness. In our first encounters with HAITI MISSION
we have intersected several NGOs we believe to share values and goals with Westminster. Several of
them have their US “headquarters” in North Carolina and in the Triangle Area.
6|Page
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
HAITI OUTREACH MINISTRIES (HOM)
http://www.haitioutreachministries.com/
Haiti Outreach Ministries’ beginning can be traced back to a chance meeting between two
students at Cincinnati Christian University in the mid-1980’s, Leon Dorleans from Haiti and
Walker Gaulding from Virginia. Pastor Leon’s journey was the subject of his talk at Westminster
during the Sunday School hour of April 12, 2015 and was a wonderful object lesson about God’s
sense of humor – OUR plan vs HIS plan. His Ministry encompasses three primary focuses;
Worship, Education and Health Care.
Cité Soleil
Cité Soleil is one of the poorest areas in the Western Hemisphere. While living conditions are
very poor in this area, the strength and joy of the people is in great abundance. Cité Soleil was
the first mission site that Leon Dorleans established in 1988.
7|Page
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Church
Cité Soleil is the first and largest MICECC church, averaging 1,700 people in attendance. There
are a variety of church activities throughout the week, including worship and prayer services,
Sunday school classes, men, women and youth group meetings and Bible studies. Other
activities include choir practices, evangelism groups, prayer groups, and much more.Pastor
Profaite Medeus has served as senior pastor since 2007.
Clinic
The original medical clinic was established in 1996, with health care provided by volunteer
medical mission teams. In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, we welcomed the
Samaritan’s Purse organization who used our facilities as a hub for their teams and provided
some of the funds needed to replace the damaged clinic. In 2012, the first story of the new
larger clinic building was completed and in 2014 the second story, which houses the dental
suites, a space to distribute reading glasses and the vocational school, was completed.
8|Page
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
In late summer of 2014, Samaritan’s Purse departed and Haitian medical staff was employed to
run the clinic. Our two MDs, pharmacy and nursing staff treats approx. 250 patients per week,
with this number increasing to 600-800 people per week when volunteer medical mission
teams are on site. In 2015, two obstetrician/gynecologists joined the staff enabling us to better
meet the needs of our child-bearing women. Our goal is to continue to provide quality health
care to our patients and to establish programs for vaccines and health promotion for the
community.
Vocational School
The vocational school at Cité Soleil has been up and running for 12 years. Madame Amizar
Mentor teaches Sewing and Advanced Sewing classes. The students learn how to make clothes,
bags, ties, and embroidery. Items made by the sewing students on the Cité Soleil and Terre
Noire (Blanchard) campuses are sold in the gift shop located at Terre Noire. Computer classes
are offered on the Terre Noire campus and Cité Soleil campuses.
9|Page
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Primary School
The Primary School has a current enrollment of 312 students. This school holds classes for Pre-K
to 6th grade students. Jacqui Dorleans serves as Principal. Joseph Yves is the Assistant Principal
and has been with HOM since 2004.
Blanchard (Terre Noire)
The community of Terre Noire is better known to us as Blanchard. It is an old farm area, now a
community of about 120,000 people. In the last ten years the population has grown due to
people relocating from Cité Soleil and other areas.
Church
The church has grown in number over the years that the structure has had to be expanded
twice. Regular Sunday morning attendance averages around 1300. The church at Terre Noire is
vibrant and includes men’s, women’s and youth ministries as well as choirs and their own
missions and evangelism outreach. Pastor Luc Aristhene has been the Senior Pastor since 2004.
10 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
School
The Primary School at Terre Noire was the second school started by MICECC. Grades
include Pre-K through sixth grade and 570 students are enrolled for the 2012-2013 school
year,
11 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Terre Noire has one of the largest libraries in the area. Nadege Gay, the Principal (and a
Ministry Leader of MICECC) believes in the importance of reading and having books
available to students.
Clinic
Also on the campus is a clinic that is completely run by Family Health Ministries (see FHM
NGO). The clinic typically sees 300 patients per week. Its employees provide acute and
preventive care including prenatal and newborn care, cervical cancer prevention, children’s
nutrition program and other health care services to the local community.
Vocational School
Knowing that many adults have difficulty being self-sufficient when jobs are scarce, a vocational
school focused on teaching sewing was begun in 2007. After this three-year program, students
are able to start their own businesses.
Gift Shop
The gift shop was started to provide a service for our guests staying at the guest house, as well
as to provide opportunity for our sewing students to have income. Many items can be preordered and purchased while in Haiti, other items can be made during your stay. The shop has
expanded to include handmade items by locals in the Terre Noire community.
Guest House
HOM never intended to be in the guest house business. But after the devastating earthquake in
2010, there was a desperate need for housing our volunteers when they came to help with the
relief effort. Space was renovated on the property to accommodate men and women on shortterm and long-term mission efforts. The guest house provides a safe and secure environment
for our mission teams to stay that is also convenient and affordable.
12 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Luc Aristhene is Senior Pastor of Terre Noire (Blanchard) Church and Assistant to the Executive
Director of HOM.
Repatriote (Menelas)
Menelas (Repatriote) is an area outside Port-au-Prince. When the Dominican Republic began to
expel Haitian refugees in 2004 it was set aside as a place where they could find affordable land
for homes. The Menelas campus was completely destroyed in the earthquake. The church,
school, and campus wall were lost completely. Construction began shortly after the earthquake
and thanks to generous donations of labor and funds, the Menelas church building was
completed in 2014. The campus now includes a church, school and recreation field, and clean
water system that serves the local for the community. Future plans include additional
classrooms and a medical clinic.
Church
On January 12, 2014, the new church building was rededicated with over 700 people
worshiping in both the morning and evening service. Pastor Leon Dorleons will serve as lead
pastor and mentor to Pastor Jean Charles Pierre for the next 3 years.
School
The school currently has 113 Pre-K and Kindergarten students in the first building rebuilt after
the earthquake. The second phase of the school is under construction with a goal to accept new
students the fall of 2014. Jacqui Dorleans serves as Principal of the Repatriate school. Schildson
Fougette works with Jacqui as Secretary and Assistant Principal.
13 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Baryé Fe
Baryé Fe is a community near Terre Noire and the site of our new secondary school. Once
complete, students will be able to continue their secondary school education under the same
outstanding leadership they received as primary school students.
The school will serve not only students from our primary schools but will be open to anyone
who wishes to continue their education past the 6th grade. The first module of the secondary
school will open in September 2015 for 7thgrade students, ultimately it will include classrooms
for 8th through 13th grades.
Not only will our secondary school provide opportunities for our students but we will also
provide job opportunities for Haitian educators and administrators. In addition to the efforts of
all the mission teams who have provided funds and labor for to help build the Baryé Fe campus,
we perform most all work with Haitian labor. This year we provided approximately 15,000 man
days’ work for Haitians.
STAFF AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Haiti Outreach Ministries
P.O. Box 97
Doswell, VA 23047-0097
Chris Northup, President Cary, NC
Carol Anne Moehring, Vice President / Finance Raleigh, NC
Leon Dorleans, Executive Director Port-au-Prince, Haiti
14 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
LEON DORLEANS
JACQUI DORLEANS
15 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
FAMILY HEALTH MINISTRIES (FHM)
http://familyhm.org/
FHM support Haitians communities in their efforts to build and sustain healthy families by
developing best health care practices to share across Haiti and other low-resource
communities.
At Family Health Ministries, we pursue a dream of building healthy families, healthy
communities by developing long-term relationships with people and communities ‘in need’.
We believe that true relationships do not develop unless we make the time to listen and
learn. Once we become friends who trust and care about one another, we gain insights into
each other’s needs, hopes and desires. Our work is directed by the goals of local communities
and implemented by the local people who are motivated to see their own lives improve. We
have learned that when projects become challenging and we continue to work together, our
relationships grow in confidence and trust, and then real progress begins. We invite you to join
us and discover that wealth and happiness do not come from self-centered goals; instead they
come from caring, other-centered, long-term relationships.
.
-
Blanchard Family Health Clinic
In 2003, Leon Dorleans, the senior pastor of the Christian Community Church of Cite Soleil,
Haiti, approached FHM and described the lack of basic healthcare in the community of
Blanchard, a small suburb of Port-au-Prince considered an extension of Cite Soleil. The
community of Blanchard was one of Pastor Dorleans’ main concerns because several
16 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
parishioners from his Cite Soleil church moved to Blanchard and asked him to organize a
church, school and health clinic. Under the direction of Pastor Dorleans and his wife, Jacqui
Dorleans, the church and school opened and grew rapidly; however, the unmet need of
access to affordable healthcare, health education and disease prevention still plagued the
people of Blanchard. The residents have minimal access to acute care, sanitation, potable
water, simple nutrition, family planning and immunizations. FHM partnered with Pastor
Dorleans to oversee the health care program of the Blanchard facility.

In March 2004, FHM hired the first Blanchard public health workers Napeau Chrisnel
and Annaus Frankel. .

Construction of the FHM Blanchard Clinic took place in phases as funding became
available. With support of several funding sources including Duke Chapel, the
construction of the first floor of the Blanchard Clinic was completed in the summer of
2006. The clinic opened later that year and began to provide acute and preventive
healthcare. In 2008 construction on the second floor was completed and the space is
now used for the cervical cancer prevention program.

Currently, the FHM Blanchard Clinic employs 17 Haitian healthcare workers and is open
Monday through Friday. The family health clinic on the first floor provides care to
approximately 500 patients per month and the cervical cancer prevention clinic screens
and treats another 350 women per month. The Blanchard Clinic offers healthcare for
acute medical issues, follow-up care for chronic conditions, as well as public
health research and healthcare training to improve overall health of the Blanchard
community. Other services such as prenatal and well-baby care, childhood
immunizations, preventive health services for adults including diabetes and high blood
pressure care are also offered at the Blanchard Clinic.
Leogane Family Health Center
The Leogane Family Health Center will be a preventative and acute healthcare complex serving
those without access to health services. The center will provide healthcare, education, and
research programs.
With an estimated annual operating budget of $717,000, the $11 million Leogane
Family Health Center is currently under construction on a 10-acre site purchased by Family
Health Ministries in 2007, located 1.5 hours from the capital of Port-au-Prince. Once
completed, it will feature outpatient exam rooms, multiple operating rooms, inpatient
beds, administrative space, a chapel, and a community auditorium.
17 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Phase 1: the Guesthouse
The Guesthouse is complete and welcomes reservations from teams and travelers. Once Phase
2, the Surgical Center is complete, the Guesthouse will also host visiting medical staff at the
Leogane Family Health Center. Construction of the Surgical Center is expected to begin Fall
2014.
Lauren McRaven, FHM In-Country Manager and Interior of Guest House
18 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Phase 2: The Surgical Center -Leogane
Construction on a 6,000 square foot, multi-purpose Surgical Center began in 2014 to bring lifesaving services to the Leogane area. This facility will provide care to mothers with preganancyrelated complications and newborn care. Reproductive health services, including surgery for
woman at risk of fatal cervical cancer, will be available. The Surgical Center will also feature
a nursery, pharmacy, laboratory, and data center.
Carmelle Voltaire Women’s Health Center
In Tombe Gâteau Near Fondwa
http://familyhealthministries.org/our-work-in-haiti/womens-programs/carmelle-voltairewomens-health-center/
For expecting mothers in the rural mountains of Haiti, there are many uncertainties. Women are often
in labor at home with only family in attendance. Many women do not know what to expect during labor
and without skilled birth attendants, women labor for hours alone with no medication or even the
comforts of indoor running water. Should the mother need medical attention, she would most likely be
carried on a wood plank, such as a door, from her home for miles on winding steep paths to the nearest
road. Once on the main road, hopefully a passerby or a tap-tap (local transportation) will stop to take
her to the next town that may or may not have a hospital. Many women have complications during
childbirth that result in fatality for themselves and/or their infants.
19 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
For this reason, FHM is partnering with the Building Goodness Foundation (SEE NGO BELOW) to build
a birthing and education center in Tombe Gateau. Our goal is to increase safe delivery of Haitian infants,
to reduce maternal and child birth-related deaths, and to expand access to skilled birth attendants for
the rural community.
The Carmelle Voltaire Women’s Health Center will be managed by skilled Haitian birth attendants and
midwives. Haitian midwives in collaboration with US midwives will provide an educational program to
improve the skills of the traditional birth attendants who have been the only source of care in this
mountain area for years. The traditional birth attendants will serve as community outreach partners
who will monitor pregnant women in the community for such issues as elevated blood pressures, signs
of preterm labor, and other pregnancy complications. Women who are identified as needing further
evaluation will be referred to the birthing and education center. To ensure that the traditional birth
attendants do not lose their sense of community and their financial income, there will be a financial
incentive given for accompanying a patient to deliver at the birthing center under the assistance of a
skilled midwife. Women requiring emergency services will be evacuated to the FHM surgical center in
Leogane.
Facility
The Carmelle Voltaire Women’s Health Center will be 3,400 square feet. The first floor will include a
waiting room, office space, four exam rooms, clean and dirty utility rooms, two bathrooms, two delivery
rooms and a nursery. The second floor will provide housing for visiting midwives and educators, a large
educational area, a pharmacy and a storage space. A kitchen will be located behind the facility in a
separate area.
Building Goodness Foundation Field Manager Michael Anello at Women’s Health Center
20 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Target Population
The target population for these services is indigent Haitian women of childbearing age with limited
access to prenatal care. It is estimated the community surrounding the birthing center has
approximately 20,000 women of whom 56% are 15-54 years of age. This means that the clinic has the
potential to provide outreach, education and direct services to approximately 11,200 women in the
Tome Gato area. Our experience in a similar size community allows us to estimate utilization of 150-200
patients a month. This would include patients receiving education, prenatal care, and delivery services.
Staffing
Initially, FHM will hire two skilled birth attendants, two nursing assistants, and one receptionist who will
rotate day, evening, and weekend shifts. There will be one data manager who will begin working onetwo days a week. Kitchen staff and a driver will be hired as needed. Collaborations will continue with the
existing traditional birth attendants with whom FHM has already established a working relationship.
Staffing will be added as utilization of the facility increases and funding is made available through grants,
individual and church support, and a small fee for service charge at the clinic. All permanent birthing
center staff will be Haitian.
STAFF AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Family Health Ministries, Inc. is recognized as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code.
Kathy Walmer, Executive Director
Lauren McRaven, FHM In-Country Manager
Leon Dorleans, Blanchard Project Manager
1921 North Pointe Drive, Suite 200 Durham, NC 27705
(919) 382-5500 - Office
mailto:[email protected]
21 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
BUILDING GOODNESS FOUNDATION (BGF)
http://www.buildinggoodness.org/
How We Work
Building Goodness Foundation (BGF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects skilled volunteers from the
design and construction industries with vulnerable communities at home and abroad. In partnership
with best-practice non-government organizations (NGOs) and domestic nonprofits, we build and
renovate critically needed schools, clinics, homes, and centers for ecological and economic
development. BGF prioritizes work that aligns with the United Nations Millennium Development
Goals (click icons for examples):
Where We Work
BGF works at home and abroad. Building Goodness Foundation was established in Charlottesville,
Virginia, Our current focus is on projects in: Virginia,Colorado,Central America,The Caribbean,and
West Africa
How It All Began
In 1997, Lawson Drinkard had convinced Jack Stoner, his good friend and contractor, to hop on a plane
to Haiti. There, the Comprehensive Development Project (CODEP – See HAITI FUND NGO
below) wanted to construct a rural community center to help address poverty and deforestation. Jack
found the perfect place to unleash the building talents he had accumulated over the years, while
engaging with the local community.
BGF’s first international trips were to Haiti, and our volunteers continue to travel there to construct
schools, clinics, and community centers. As part of ongoing earthquake recovery work, BGF also employs
Haitian crews to construct ti kays (little houses). Subsequently BGF partners with other NGOs in Haiti on
specific construction efforts like FHM’s Carmelle Voltaire Women’s Health Center.
STAFF AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Executive Director Kelly Eplee
Haiti Field Manager Michael Anello
Haiti Field Manager Jean Daniel Lalanne
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4325 Charlottesville, VA 22905
Physical Address: 1710 Gordon Avenue Charlottesville, VA 22903
Phone: 434-973-0993
Women’s Health Center and Michael Anello
22 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
HAITI FUND (CODEP)
http://www.haitifundinc.org/#sthash.En4iBK9O.dpuf
Haiti Fund, Inc., was founded in 1990 for the specific purpose of choosing one watershed in order to
improve both the nutrition and health of the local populace. For years and years, trees had been cut
down causing almost a complete denudation of forests in the area. This, in turn, caused severe erosion
to the point where there were no trees except for the very few spring-fed gullies and brooks. As a result,
Haiti Fund refocused its efforts in environmental reclamation/ reforestation as a way to re-create soils
Jack Hanna, the founder of CODEP, had in mind that the best way to achieve improved health, nutrition,
and self-sufficiency among subsistence farmers was to show them how to farm such that they could
have nutritious food and an abundance to sell in local markets to provide sufficient income to support
themselves. Since most families live in close-knit communities, it seemed the best way to do this was to
provide a program where the entire community (typically 15 -25 adults) could participate as seemed
best for them. CODEP offered to provide tools, techniques of planting, and a small stipend if the
community would provide land and would work as volunteers at least one day per week. This system
worked well, but the trees were often cut as soon as they got to be 8 – 15 cm in diameter. To stem this
issue, incentives were offered providing tin roofs, water catchment systems and cisterns if the trees were
not cut down. This worked well and we now also provide incentive homes for those who meet these
standards over long periods of time.
Reforestation is necessary because of significant denudation of all plant life in most parts of Haiti. This
causes erosion and there is little topsoil. To create soils, ramps (contour ditches) are cut into the
hillsides. Stabilizing grass is planted on the lower side to hold the water collecting in the ramps and
rapid growth forest trees are planted above. In just two or three years dead leaves collect in the ramps
and a natural compost is formed, which allows for planting of gardens, fruit trees, and coffee.
Over the 23 year period, Haitian members of CODEP have grown to increasing levels of responsibility
and authority. This is evidenced by the current organizational framework where almost all decisions in
CODEP are made by the Haitian management team and one third of the 1400 people who work in
CODEP are women, including nearly one third of the manager and leaders.
CODEP's Depot:
A gift from Building Goodness Foundation (BGF) is a depot building (pictured below) for use in
manufacturing, storage, and as an office. This building is designed for several purposes so that, as
CODEP needs change, it will be able to adapt readily. Situated near our Haitian partner organization
APKF, we will be able to coordinate a variety of activities there which will enhance the CODEP image and
provide an opportunity for CODEP communities to participate in the activities. Because of its long
history in the area, CODEP is essentially a brand name.
23 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
The Depot and Community Products
The result of this has been for CODEP to plan for regular sale of member community products under the
CODEP brand (or Mak, in Kreyòl). As such, any excess produce and other products CODEP communities
have can be sold under the CODEP name.
The principle for selling any CODEP product is that the communities who produced the product will get
their costs back, CODEP/Haiti Fund will receive a 30% portion of the profits, and then remaining profits
will be distributed among CODEP member communities normal in cooperative businesses.
STAFF AND CONTACT INFO
Robert A Herrick, Cary, NC – Board Chairman – Member -Hope Community Church in Raleigh.
Executive Director John V. Winings
[email protected]
Phone: (919) 696-6762 Haiti Fund Inc. P.O. Box 1075 New Bern, NC 28563-1075 –
24 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
HEARTS WITH HAITI, INC.
http://heartswithhaiti.org/
http://www.sjfamilyhaiti.org/
Hearts with Haiti, was founded in 2001, as a nonprofit organization to support St. Joseph Family, Haiti.
SAINT JOSEPH FAMILY
We are a family of children's homes and programs in Haiti. We have two homes for former street boys
— St. Joseph's Home for Boys, in Petionville, and Trinity House, in Jacmel. We also have a home for
physically and mentally challenged children and young adults, Wings of Hope, in Fermathe. The St.
Joseph Family has several outreach programs, including Lekòl Sen Trinite, a school for the poorest
children in Jacmel; St. Joseph's Arts Center; and the Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti.
The St. Joseph Family is entering its 30th year of continuous operation in Haiti, and has graduated over
100 boys into adulthood and independent living. All three of the St. Joseph Family homes are now being
managed and led by men who were once SJF children, rescued off the streets of Haiti, and provided with
an opportunity for a better life. They are all living testaments to the power and success of the St. Joseph
Family mission work.
25 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
St. Joseph’s Home for Boys (Petion'Ville)
The earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince and left the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys, the main home for 22
young boys and a seven-story mission center that thousands of guests and volunteers had come to love, near
complete collapse. As a result, the young residents of the home were forced to relocate to Trinity House, a
St. Joseph Family facility in Jacmel, roughly 50 miles south of Port- au-Prince on the Caribbean Sea.
Bill Nathan, Director
Memories and material possessions were lost – Ben Splichal Larsen, a young seminarian from the United
States was tragically lost amid the rubble – and a whole way of life changed in an instant. By the grace of
God, no residents of the St. Joseph Family lost their lives as the building collapsed and the home’s director,
Bill Nathan, was flung seven stories off the top of the building, but lived to tell his story of survival to the
world.
Today, thanks to the support of friends across the world, a brand new vibrant St. Joseph’s home and guest
house stands in the footprint of the original facility.
Guest House and Dormitory
Play Yard
26 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Rooftop Lounge
View from Rooftop
Wings of Hope/Trinity House
http://heartswithhaiti.org/haitian-partners/wings-of-hope/
Since 1994, Wings of Hope has been a critical part of the St. Joseph Family, providing a safe, happy, loving,
caring, and hopeful family environment for children and young adults with physical and mental
challenges. Today, Wings of Hope provides a home and second chance for 30 residents who would
otherwise be shunned by Haitian society.
Under the direction of St. Joseph’s Graduate Daniel Jean Mary, Trinity House, located in the seaside
town of Jacmel, is the latest home established by the graduates of St. Joseph’s Home for Boys. Rapidly
becoming a mission center for the entire city of Jacmel, Trinity House operates several successful
community outreach programs and start-up businesses that provide revenue for both the St. Joseph
Family and employment for graduates of the SJF and residents of the surrounding community.
Wings of Hope Staff
Many members of the staff at Wings of Hope are graduates of the St. Joseph Family, all work at a semiprofessional level, and all are paid a decent living wage, as compared to Haiti’s average annual income of U.S.
$400(*).
27 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Jacky Asse, Director
Renee Dietrich,
Communications/Development
Staff and Children
The original Wings of Hope facility was destroyed in the earthquake. The Home is currently located in
temporary (rented) housing which is ill-suited for the care of handicapped children. A new facility is
under construction to be occupied later this year. This facility is all on one floor and is designed
specifically for the needs of the children and the staff.
Current Facilities – Multi-floors, very little open space.
New Facility – Single floor around spacious courtyard
28 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Guest House Facilities
A comfortable guest house is currently maintained in an adjoining property, with accommodations
available by reservation year-round. Interacting with the residents of Wings of Hope is a life affirming
experience, and the mountain climate of Fermathe is a wonderful relief from the heat of
Port au Prince.
29 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Daniel Jean Mary and Michele Petit-Homme,
Trinity House Directors
Lekòl Sen Trinite
Located in the beautiful beach town of Jacmel, Lekòl Sen Trinite is a day school that serves the most
impoverished families and children in the community. Children begin their education with a Montessori
kindergarten and continue through the 6th grade. Currently, about 150 young boys and girls are
receiving a top-quality education at the school. Without Lekòl Sen Trinite these children would likely not
otherwise have the opportunity to attend school.
Directed by Daniel Jean Mary, a St. Joseph’s graduate, the school also offers members of the community
with extracurricular educational opportunities including crochet and karate lessons. Micro-loan financing
opportunities are available to parents to assist them in their ability to fund future educational
opportunities for their children.
Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti
Drums beating. Dancers soaring. Spirits lifted. The Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti (RDTH) is an
internationally recognized dance troupe of orphans, former street children and child slaves in Haiti. The
troupe uses drumming and dance to vibrantly tell their story and lift up hearts, as they have done all
over the United States and Canada, dancing in venues such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music for Dance
Africa and for the Pope at World Youth Day in Canada.
Transformed from being the rejected ones in Haiti to being among the very best of servant-leaders,
members of the St. Joseph Family have reached out and encouraged countless other Haitian girls and
boys to fulfill their potential.
30 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
Bill Nathan, lead drummer, Walnes Cangas, and Jacky Asse lead dancers, provide direction for RDTH.
The three young men grew up at St. Joseph’s Home for Boys. In addition to their leadership roles with
the dance theatre, Bill directs St. Joseph’s Home for Boys and Walnes is assistant director. Jacky directs
Wings of Hope, the Family's home for children with physical and mental challenges.
Bill
Walnes
Jacky
Hearts with Haiti is a registered U.S. 501c3 nonprofit (56-2267791)
27 Horne St, Raleigh, NC 27607 | 919.758.8085
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Jeanette Fuccella
31 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
NEIGHBORS NEAR AND FAR
Neighbors Near & Far was founded by Joyce and Ted Kruse to support the basic needs of our near neighbors
(food banks in Baltimore, Maryland) and our far neighbors in Haiti (the work of CHRICHA school and its
orphanage Kay Papa Nou and Unity House.)
KAY PAPA NOU ORPHANAGE, HAITI
Govans Presbyterian Church’s work in Haiti began in 2007 when a small group went to visit missions and
ministries in Port-au-Prince to learn more about what we could do in this poorest nation in the Western
Hemisphere. Through our contacts we met Dani and David Guillame who were caring for 20 children
orphaned or displaced after civil unrest. David and Dani and the children were facing eviction so Govans
Presbyterian Church now supports Kay Papa Nou orphanage in Haiti. In addition to sponsoring 25
children at the orphanage, the church pays their annual rent out of the mission budget. Church member
Joyce Kruse visits Haiti to take school supplies, toys, clothes, and money to help the children.
David Guillame
Church/School at Boys’ Home
Boys’ Bedroom
Pat Gunter was referred to David Guillame on her first mission trip to Haiti in 2013 by Bill Nathan from St.
Joseph’s School for Boys. . Then she learned that David and his wife were supporting and educating 35 girls from
ages 3 to 21 in their own three bedroom house, and also had created a church/school/home for 20 boys nearby.
The high school has three classrooms and both girls and boys attend.
32 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
When we visited the girls in 2015 we were warmly welcomed to a concert in the yard under the tree by
some of the older girls, and a wonderful lunch afterwards. We toured the house and met two of the
older girls. One is in college to be a doctor, the other an architect.
Neighbors Near and Far is supported by individual donors as well as Brown Memorial Woodbrook
Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, MD, Roland Park Presbyterian in Baltimore, MD and Hearts With Haiti
in Raleigh, NC.
Read more on the Kay Papa Nou Newsletter .
The IRS granted Neighbors Near & Far 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt status on January 19, 2012.
Govans Presbyterian Church, 5828 York Rd., Baltimore, MD 21212 410-4359188/www.govanspres.org Roland Park Presbyterian Church, 4801 Roland Ave., Baltimore,
MD 21210 410-889- 2000/www.rolandparkchurch.org
Brown Memorial Woodbrook Presbyterian Church, 6200 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21212 410-3777232/www.bmwpc.org
Neighbors Near & Far, 374 Old Trail Rd., Baltimore, MD 21212 443-9041149/www.neighborsnearfar.org
33 | P a g e
A Guide to Mission in Haiti
GOALS
GOALS is a non-profit organization that uses soccer in Haiti to engage youth in community service and
education to improve quality of life today and develop new leaders for tomorrow. Activities include
competitive soccer teams, after-school programs, summer camp, community outreach, and high school
scholarships. Our work in Haiti is centralized in Leogane, approximately 20 miles southwest of Port-auPrince. Leogane was the epicenter of the 2010 earthquake, and it is estimated that 80-90% of its
infrastructure was destroyed in the disaster.
Our competitive teams, after-school activities, summer camp, community outreach, and high- school
scholarships directly impact an average of 636 children per month. Our full-time sites are located in
Leogane, with outreach sites in La Colline, St. George, Magandu, and Cite Soleil. Most of our work
impacts family members as well – as the average player lives with seven other people, GOALS considers
a conservative estimates that programs indirectly affect an additional 4,452 people per month. GOALS
uniquely provides free, permanent sport-for-development programs on a daily basis.
Global Outreach & Love of Soccer
1201 Tree Bay Lane Sarasota, FL 34242
GOALS IS A REGISTERED 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES
34 | P a g e