With your help we can break the cycle of poverty in Haiti:
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Building a Better Future
Having coordinated many volunteer trips for FEJ over the past 5 years, I have seen dozens of people discover how different life is in Haiti compared with their homes the US. New visitors to Haiti are often shocked by the dramatic difference in everything from the roads and traffic to the houses and living conditions. But of course as you get to know the people of Haiti you realize quickly that we have a lot in common. Parents in Haiti, like parents around the world, dream of how they can provide a better future for their children. Children dream about what they want to be when they grow up.
But in Haiti, there are many barriers that make these dreams hard to achieve: Chronic illness from contaminated water and lack of medical care; no job opportunities; lack of access to education; malnutrition and hunger; and the list goes on.
Thankfully, with your support, every day FEJ staff work to remove these barriers through their holistic range of programs. By addressing basic human needs such as education, nutrition, and health care, children and families receive the foundation upon which to pursue their dreams of building a better life.
I strongly believe that the key to solving the challenges facing Haiti is to give the children and families of Haiti the support they need to be able to achieve their dreams. Thank you for your role in helping to fulfill those dreams!
Sincerely,
Brian Carlson
Director of FEJ-USA Operations
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New Housing in Lamardelle
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As you know, hundreds of residents of Lamardelle, Haiti lost their homes to flooding in Hurricane Mathew last fall. Thanks to a new partnership with "Building Goodness Foundation (BGF)", the first of 12 new houses was completed recently.
BGF has many years of experience building sustainable, low-cost, safe and comfortable houses in Haiti. By combining their expertise with FEJ's long-standing presence in the community, we are able to ensure that the new houses will be built for those people who are in the greatest need of housing.
More photos of the dedication ceremony of the first house can be found at this link. Below is a testimonial from the benefactor of this first home:
"I'm very happy about the work the "Fondation Enfant Jesus" Chaché Lavi [FEJ's women's empowerment program] and Building Goodness Foundation did here. After Hurricane Matthew destroyed my house, I was living on a porch with my kids. The foundation came to take pictures of the house and promised to fix it for me. When I came to see I was surprised that this new house was built for my family and I. I am so happy and want to say a big thank you to the foundation and "Chaché Lavi" from the bottom of my heart. I know that you will be rewarded somehow."
-Mme Vièrgemènne JOSEPH
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Vocational Training Center Open House
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FEJ's vocational training program launched last fall and currently has 70 students enrolled! The program held a community open house in February for current students to demonstrate their progress to potential new students. Over 110 attendees, participated in this event. The management staff took the opportunity to share some achievements of the practical phases of the institute since it opened last fall.
The event included fun demonstrations including:
-Parade with skirts by sewing course students.
-Exhibition of recipes by students in cooking program
-Make-up and other services offered by the cosmetology students.
All the the cooking recipes were sold to guests,generating funds to buy ingredients and supplies for the program.
FEJ and the residents of Lamardelle are looking forward to the continued opportunities offered by the vocational training center.
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Birthday Celebrations at the Crêche
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A birthday celebration is of great importance for anyone, and we honor that special day at the FEJ crêche. It’s a day to be treated a little more special, and a blessing that we were given another year on this beautiful planet. FEJ staff celebrate each child's birthday with their caregivers, nannies and nurses. We feel this is an small but important part of supporting the childrens' socio-emotional development.
For the first quarter of 2017, we had 21 people (9 children and 12 employees) celebrating their birthdays at the Crêche in Kenscoff. This was an opportunity for employees to express their gratitude with this significant gesture, and for the children to celebrate in their own environment.
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On the ground with FEJ's Child Protection Team
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FEJ's staff go to great lengths to ensure that children in their care and match for adoption are truly abandoned or orphaned. This is a critical step to ensure the safety of children in Haiti.
The research for biological parents in Haiti s always been a great challenge for the FEJ team due to the fact that communication can be very difficult with them.
In January, a biological mother whose son's file was on hold at the Canadian Embassy for a DNA test was finally found after lengthy searching. The delay granted by the Embassy had expired between January 25 and February 25, 2017. Unable to find the mother, we finally contacted her relatives and were given a few clues of her whereabouts. Following this information, our social worker went to “Les Cayes” to find her. Finally we found her in "Dube" far from the city of “Les Cayes” on Friday 3 March 2017.
She was accompanied by our social worker, returned to Port-au-Prince and made the follow up with the Embassy in order to release her son's files.
The responsibility of the staff was to find a way to close this case for the adoptive family. It was a stressful situation, especially without knowing what decision the embassy woulds take if we didn’t find the mother. It was a happy ending for the child who has now traveled home with his new forever family.
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A little history is always good!
Last month the 6th grade classes of the "Enfant Jesus" School, their teachers and administration traveled north of Port-au-Prince near "Petite Rivière" located in the Department of "l’Artibonite" to visit some historical monuments.
The Department of "l’Artibonite" is one of the ten departments of Haiti. Its name comes from the river flowing through it which is the longest river of the country and the entire island of Hispaniola.
During this visit we had the privilege to explore some important and meaningful heritage sites of Haiti.
Our first stop was The Palace of 365 Doors - shown above ("palais aux 365 portes"). It was built in 1816 by former King Henri Christophe, under the direction of architect Philippe Chatelain. Symbolizing a glorious past, it remains the pride of Petite-Rivière's residents. While visiting King Henry Christophe's conference room in the palace, we learned something new and surprising from the tour guide: The name of the palace was originally "Palace of La Belle-Rivière."
Next stop was Fort "La Crête à Pierrot".
The Battle of "Crête-à-Pierrot" was a major battle of the Haitian Revolution in March 1802. The French colonial army consisting of 2,000 men led by General Charles Leclerc, blockaded the fort defended by Jean-Jacques Dessalines' Haitian rebels. Preventing or allowing access to the Cahos Mountains, the fort was strategically important. With drained food and munitions supplies, Dessalines' rebels forced through the French blockade, escaped from the French and went to the mountains and regained control of the Crête-à-Pierrot Fort.
We also visited the main irrigation system of the area which provides water for the plantations of the plains area. The region is the country's main rice-growing area.
It's always inspiring to learn something new from our beloved Haiti. This filed trip was unforgettable and we enjoyed every minute.
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Seeking Long-term volunteers in Haiti
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Please spread the word that we are seeking long-term volunteers (ideally a 2-year position) to assist with FEJ's programs in Haiti. We need someone (preferably a couple) to oversee the daily management of the children’s home in Kenscoff. We are also seeking a volunteer (or a couple) to live and work in Lamardelle to oversee the projects there and work with visiting volunteer groups, among other tasks. Please email brian@fej-usa.org for more details about these opportunities.
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