2014 was a good year for Living Hope Haiti Christian Mission!
The progress made in each Mission area during 2014 is outlined below and is followed by the plans for 2015.
Health 2014:
· Our medical clinic saw 721 patients for the year, the majority female.
· The most common ailments were high blood pressure and infections.
· We had 8 women gave birth at our medical clinic.
· We brought to St Michel two eye technicians who screened 235 people and provided glasses.
· During our 3 surgical trips to Croix des Bouquets: 62 patients from St Michel had successful surgery.
· We started a blood pressure control program. The goal is to control with medication the blood pressure of 100 people. We finished the year with 55 patients enrolled in this program.
Health 2015:
Our goal for 2015 is to serve more people with better service by doing the following:
· We will replace some of our medical staff with more qualified employees.
· We will continue to reach out to the community with health education through radio programs and community health education at churches and schools.
· We will do more screenings in our schools.
· We hope to bring doctors from Miami to St Michel four times a year.
· We hope to be able to do more tests in our laboratory.
· To train three people to do x-ray, cardiogram, and, sonogram.
School 2014:
Our schools in greater St Michel continue to be excellent schools.
· The results for the state exam was close to perfect. From our three schools (Lacide, Camathe, and l’Attalaye) only one student did not pass.
· The state exam result in 9th grade was great. Out of 45 students, 42 passed the state exam.
· The 12th grade result was not great, although it was the second best in St Michel. Only 77 percent of our students passed.
School 2015:
Our goal is to continue with our success with 6th and 9th grades and made the corrections necessary for better success in 12th grade. Here are the decisions we have made to accomplish this goal.
· Last September, we reviewed our curriculum in comparison with the state curriculum.
· Starting last October, we introduced a monthly exam to evaluate our students in each subject.
· We won’t guarantee contract renewal with our teachers if the class grade average per subject is lower than a B.
· At the end of the year, we will give a bonus to teachers whose subject average is B or above.
· We hope to have a Band in our High school.
Technical school 2014:
Our technical school was the first and only technical school in the history of the city. We are pleased to inform you that our school had inspired other people and now, St Michel has a two year LPN school. Our technical school last year partnered with them to offer their students computer training. The co-founder of the LPN School is a former employee of our Mission.
Our Technical school has been self sufficient. We have students graduate every year in computer, trade school, electricity, and construction. 2015 students are the 6th class to graduate.
Technical School 2015:
· We need to replace our computers. This December, my wife went down to St Michel and worked at our computer lab. Her recommendation is to replace our computers instead of paying so much to fix them.
· I would like to partner with the LPN School to offer continuing education in nursing if we can bring nurses from Miami to teach twice a year.
Orphanage 2014:
Six years ago, we started our orphanage. There is no doubt, taking care of 20 kids daily is a great endeavor. On the other hand, the result has been much greater. Under great loving staff, we have seen our 20 children grow not only physically, but they also have grown emotionally and intellectually. By next school year, some of them are going to be in middle school.
In October, our orphanage was blessed with the visit of Allison Garrett. She did an evaluation of the orphanage and she made great recommendations on how we can improve it so our kids can benefit the most. January 6, Allison and her friends will be at the orphanage to celebrate with the kids the New Year.
Before last month, we have 18 kids in our orphanage. In a village close to our technical school, there were two children who lost their father at in early age. They were living with their mother who was mentally sick. Last year, my wife sent food for them and paid for them to go to school yet during our trip in October, these two kids looked malnourished. Calvin and I decided to get them and bring them to our orphanage. After all the legal procedures, successfully they have joined our orphanage. One week after they joined our orphanage, their mother died.
Orphanage 2015:
· We have been housing the 20 kids in a place that was not built as an orphanage. Furthermore, where they are, there is no middle school. As result, we are planning to start building in Camathe (where our middle/High school is) a Permanent orphanage building during the first quarter of 2015.
Habitat Housing 2014:
This year, we have built two houses. Another one is under construction. However the contractor had surgery, we have not been able to complete this construction. One family moved in this year.
Habitat Housing 2015:
· We plan to build two more houses.
· To dig one well in the habitat village.
· To build the fence wall
· To build a playground inside the Habitat village in Camathe.
· Four more families to move in.
Food program 2014:
With the food we’ve received from Feed my staving children, in 2014; we fed daily children the following organizations:
· Three Living Hope Elementary schools with a total of 1435 students.
· Living hope orphanage: 20 children
· One Middle School In St Michel 102 students
· Two orphanages in Gonaives with each 100 children.
· One Middle/High school in Gonaives with 311 students
· An elementary school in Pignon with 174 students
· An elementary school in Savanette with 340 students
· Three elementary schools in St Michel 600 students.
· We also, used the FMSC in our medical clinic in Camathe.
Food Program 2015:
· We hope to receive one or two more containers in 2015 from FMSC.
· Our total meals in 2015 should be over 3 million meals
· We hope to serve more schools in the greater St Michel area. It is easier to supervise.
Grinders in 2014:
In the past 8 years, Living Hope has invested in two grinders: a corn grinders and a Sugar cane. Both are part of agricultural development project. They’ve rendered great services to the community and bring in some income to Living Hope.
Grinders in 2015:
· Sugar cane is the main crop for St Michel. To harvest, the farmers have used bulls to pull the 18th century sugar cane presser. It is not effective. It takes forever and they lose 40 percent of yield.
· I hope we can invest in buying another sugar grinder.
Construction Projects in 2014:
· We are close to complete the first irrigation system in the village of Camathe. This system will be the best gift for the farmers who often lose their crops due to drought.
· We are Building a guest house / social hall. It will serve to host teams from the States and the room will be rented to the Non profit organizations that come to St Michel. The social hall will be rented to the locals.
· With the help of Tim, Loren and Brennon Garrett, we’ve realized several electrical projects at the radio station, in the church in Camathe, in the elementary school in Camathe, in the administration building in Camathe, and at the orphanage in L’Attallaye.
· With the help of a team led by Chap, we completed the roofing project at the church at the Technical school.
Construction Projects in 2015:
· To finish the Guest House
· To do another irrigation system in another village
· To finish the orphanage buildings.
· To complete the Habitat village in Camathe
· To build a Bridge on River Denyo.
· To complete the church building at the technical school.
· To build a new elementary school at Denyo.
Churches 2014
Living Hope Haiti Christian Mission has four vibrant churches. One is in each of our schools. They have ministered to our students and staff and have reached the community with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This year, we ordained a new pastor, Yves Laguerre. He is a graduate from our Theological Seminary in St Michel. He is currently the assistant pastor in the Church that is at the technical school. Bible and theology are taught in all of our schools from pre-k to 12th grade.
Churches 2015:
· Last year, was the first time we did not have Vacation Bible study for all our Churches. We plan of having one in 2015.
· We also plan in the summer for a convention with all our churches meeting in one place.
· The goal of Living Hope Churches for 2015 is to grow our membership 10 percent.
Radio 2014:
Last October was the first anniversary of our radio station 96.1 FM. We are the only Christian radio Station serving St Michel.
Radio 2015:
· In 2015, we hope to be on the air 14 hours a day.
· We would like to find some sponsors in the States for the radio.
· We would like to be sponsored by some NGOs in Haiti.
I want thank each and everyone who travels to Haiti to help realize these projects. Thank you to those who prayed for our ongoing works in Haiti. Thank you to our board members, and those who have given their money so we could achieve all these works in 2014. The needs are great. I count on you for the years to come.
Dr. Gueillant Dorcinvil
President of Living Hope Haiti Christian Mission
Submitted January 7, 2015