The April Issue of Haitian Project News is Here!

LCS Economics Department Head Djim G. and members of the Philo class (US 12th Grade + 1) participate in a weekend introductory business module of LCS’s new enhanced economics and business curriculum.

We're excited to announce the April issue of 
Haitian Project News!

Louverture Cleary School, long recognized as one of the top education programs in Haiti, recently rolled out an enhanced economics and business curriculum—an initiative as exciting as it is important.

What else is new in this issue? Read about:

• Whether navigating the COVID-19 pandemic or some of the other difficulties that have challenged Haiti in recent years, many Louverture Cleary School Alumni can be found on the frontlines, leading initiatives for positive change for their country. One such alumna is Linsey Francesca J. (LCS ’13), who has dedicated herself to the study of medicine.

• The Haitian Project continues to push forward with the LCS Network despite the challenges created by the pandemic and Haiti’s political instability.

• And all of latest THP happenings and feature stories in the April issue of Haitian Project News! You are not going to want to miss reading this issue’s Student Views!

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“Keep In Touch” to receive periodic updates on our students, activities at Louverture Cleary School, and progress on the LCS Network. Together, we can build a bright and enduring future for Haiti.

Save the Date: Double Your Donation on April 1st through 401Gives

By supporting one of the best education programs in Haiti, you are transforming lives and giving the hope of a brighter tomorrow to a new generation of servant leaders.

401Gives is back this year and better than ever! On April 1st, whether you’re in Rhode Island or not, everyone is invited to participate in this special day of online giving to support RI-based nonprofits like The Haitian Project.

Starting at 6:00am EST on April 1st, visit our 401Gives page to donate.

The first $50,000 of donations will be matched by the Rhode Island Foundation (up to $500 matched per gift), making this a great way to increase your impact. Your participation will help ensure that The Haitian Project can continue to weather the impact of the pandemic on our annual funding and move ahead with the construction of our second school in Haiti.

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“Keep In Touch” to receive periodic updates on our students, activities at Louverture Cleary School, and progress on the LCS Network. Together, we can build a bright and enduring future for Haiti.

Celebrating Our Alumnae Today and Every Day!

Earlier this month we celebrated International Women’s Day. Not only on that day, but every day, we are proud of what our female graduates have accomplished for themselves and their country. Here are a few:

Lynceé C. (LCS '20)

After the COVID-19 pandemic brought her final year at LCS to a halt last March, Lyncée C. (LCS ’20) looked for ways to stay engaged and active during a challenging time. After entering a national essay competition held by the Haitian cultural institution Centre Muse Haiti about the pandemic, Lyncée placed third overall in the contest.

Stephane C. (LCS '11)

Stephane C. is well aware of the many challenges facing her fellow Haitians. After receiving a university scholarship from the LCS Dulcich Center for Career Advancement, Stephane decided to pursue her studies in agronomy. "One of the best ways to reduce poverty and specifically hunger in Haiti is through agriculture," she says.

Myrlande A. (LCS '10)

After receiving a scholarship from the LCS Dulcich Center for Career Advancement and earning her degree in administrative sciences, Myrlande A. (LCS ’10) now works at one of the largest banks in Haiti, Unibank S.A.

AND COMING SOON...

Whether navigating the COVID-19 pandemic or some of the other difficulties that have challenged Haiti in recent years, many LCS Alumni can be found on the frontlines, leading initiatives for positive change for their country. One such alumna is Linsey Francesca J. (LCS ’13), who has dedicated herself to the study of medicine.

Read all about Francesca in the April 2021 issue of Haitian Project News!

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Seeking 360 Community members to support LCS!

As we prepare to break ground on our second school, we are relying on our strong community of supporters to ensure that our flagship LCS outside of Port-au-Prince is covered for the upcoming school year and for years to come. Specifically, we are developing a group of 360 donors—the number of students at LCS—to commit to an annual gift of $1,900, which is the direct cost of one year of education for one student at LCS.

Stepping Up

Below is a reflection by Betsy Bowman on giving back in times of uncertainty. Betsy was a Volunteer at Louverture Cleary School during the earthquake in 2010 and later served on The Haitian Project’s Board of Directors.

Like many US Americans during the recent months of the pandemic, I have felt simultaneously powerless to respond to the needs all around me, and deeply, undeservingly, lucky to be healthy and relatively financially secure. I work in a Boston public school, and the pandemic has brought much deeper and more widespread suffering to my school community than to my family and social circles. The racial and socioeconomic disparity of this impact in the United States is obvious.

From the beginning, I have been so concerned about Haiti. Having spent a year as a Volunteer at Louverture Cleary, I know how challenging basic sanitation can be for many in Haiti. And, as a witness to the 2010 earthquake and its aftermath, I saw firsthand the limitations of the medical infrastructure and the fragility of so many basic civil institutions in Haiti.

When my stimulus check arrived, I felt the nudge to just hide it away for safekeeping. There is so much uncertainty, even for me.

But I could not stop thinking about Matthew 10:8. "What you receive for free, you must give for free."

When have I ever so freely received unearned money? When has that well-worn verse from Matthew ever seemed so literally true to me? Of course, the call was obvious—to give to those in greater need than myself. I decided to split it in half: to contribute some to local organizations directly meeting the needs of people in my own community, and the remainder I contributed to The Haitian Project.

I know that so many families in Haiti rely on remittances from their families abroad, and I can only imagine how those financial gifts have been impacted by the pandemic. It seems only right that those of us who are able, should step in to fill those gaps.

We can provide the direct stimulus to the people of Haiti that the Haitian government cannot.

Of course, some may find ourselves in a position to donate part or all of a stimulus check, or to make a larger than normal annual contribution. And others will not.

No matter what our individual situation, I hope that the entire Haitian Project community will remain prayerfully united in solidarity with the people of Haiti in this time of so much turmoil.

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We are so grateful for the wonderful support of Betsy and every member of the THP Community. Please consider a gift today if you are able—you are the help we have to give!

Looking to make donating to The Haitian Project easier and more effective?

Consider setting up a recurring donation today!

Many community members have found it helpful to spread their giving throughout the year with automatic monthly donations through their credit card or bank account. This consistent support allows The Haitian Project to devote more resources to the thing that matters most to all of us—increasing access to education in Haiti!

Simply visit our donate page to select the amount and frequency of your gift. You can modify or cancel your recurring donation at any time.

Thank you for being the help we have to give!

Journeying into the Desert this Lent

Into the Desert.

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”
(Matthew 4:1)

As I was reflecting about entering this season of Lent—still in the midst of so much tension in our world, so much uncertainty and separation—the image that came to mind immediately was that of Jesus being led into the desert. Perhaps we, too, are invited into the desert. What will we encounter there?

I think back to my time as a Volunteer in Haiti, and I remember how I left many things behind in order to begin life as a Volunteer. Committing to living as a Volunteer in Haiti meant leaving behind many little comforts. It meant accepting limited communication with family and friends. And, it meant learning to trust God to provide. I would have never anticipated it at the time, but looking back, it was like entering the desert.

Jesus is tempted and tested in the desert. It is precisely through that time that the identity that had just been spoken over him, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17), is questioned and tested (Matthew 4:3; 4:6). And yet, through the grace he had to resist, it is also where his identity is strengthened.

THP Volunteer Kristin Soukup ('13-'15), center, with students at Louverture Cleary School in 2015.

When everything else is stripped away, we come face-to-face with the most essential questions. What matters the most? Who and what do I love? Where can I find hope?

It is through seasons that are like deserts that I believe I have grown the most in my relationship with the Lord. When I have stepped away from little comforts and distractions, a job, a home, when I am far from family and friends—these are the times that fundamental questions have arisen. When faced with the intensity and challenges of the work in Haiti, I had to come close in prayer to the only One who could provide the strength I needed. It was only in depending on God and trying to keep my eyes on Him that I could persevere in the hardest moments.

I wonder if going into the desert is an invitation. An invitation to ask those questions. To discover where we have been relying on ourselves or seeking hope in other places but God. And, most importantly, to go to Him and grow closer in relationship. Everything else flows out from this.

May we allow the Lord through his Spirit to lead us into the desert this Lent. Even if tempted, even when uncomfortable, if you let Him meet you, let Him provide, you will grow closer to Him. And, from Him comes our hope and the strength we have to give of ourselves in love.

LCS Enhances Economics Curriculum

Louverture Cleary School (LCS), long recognized as one of the top education programs in Haiti, recently rolled out an enhanced economics and business curriculum—an initiative as exciting as it is important.

Josh Daly, a Regional Director with the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center, teaches an introductory business module to LCS students.

Economic growth is essential to a brighter future for Haiti, which is why Economics has been a capstone course for Philo (US 12th grade + 1) students at LCS since 2012. With the help of Harvard economist N. Gregory Mankiw, who generously donated his first-year college economics text to our program, Economics at LCS has become extremely popular with LCS students, who appreciate understanding the very tangible implications of economics on their lives in Haiti.

Now, LCS is incorporating accounting and finance into the curriculum to provide the practical tools necessary to turn economic theory into economic growth. The finance and accounting curriculum was developed in partnership with Economic Growth Initiative for Haiti (EGI), which worked closely with LCS Economics Department Head Djim Guerrier (LCS ’14) to bolster the current instruction provided to LCS students through the addition of introductory modules taught by Djim and guest lecturers.

LCS Economics Department Head Djim G. and members of the Philo class participate in an introductory business module.

Reflecting on the first lesson, The Haitian Project's (THP) partners at EGI express their enthusiam for this new program:

We at EGI have been so pleased with the opportunity to deepen our partnership with THP and LCS to develop a robust business curriculum. To see that work start to come to fruition is a real delight. Even in the first sessions—done remotely through the new computer lab at LCS—students are engaged and eager to learn. Amidst a world turned upside down with the COVID-19 pandemic, through a great deal of hard work and persistence on all sides, we've been able to start something new and exciting together.

This is an exciting step for LCS in the use of the new computer lab, the growth of THP's partnership with its sister organization EGI, and continuing to provide a top-notch education to the students of LCS as they continue to work to make Haiti's better tomorrow a reality.

As ever, it is your support that we have to give. Thank you!

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THP VP Colby Bowker Featured in America Magazine

We’re excited to let you know that THP was just featured in America Magazine.

Check out "The Road to Racial Justice Must Also Run Through Haiti" by THP VP Colby Bowker.

“As the Biden administration takes shape, there are several things that the United States and the international community can do for Haiti to ensure that the issue of racial justice is being addressed both at home and abroad.”

— THP VP Colby Bowker

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Thank You for Believing

Thank you. For your support. For your prayers. For caring. For being a part of something amazing. YOU made 2020 a success, and we couldn't be more grateful.

The approach of a new year is always a great time to reflect on everything you make possible for our students and alumni. Your belief in The Haitian Project's (THP) mission enables Louverture Cleary School (LCS) graduates to use their education to break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. Thank you!

Here are just a few of the many milestones from last year:

• Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and unrest in Haiti, LCS remained successful and supportive to its students and community in Haiti, providing direct assistance including food supplies, potable water and 2,400 reusable masks to our neighbors, while ensuring that our 90 teachers and staff had the financial stability to care for their families through the pandemic.

• LCS’s 25th graduating class achieved a 100 percent pass-rate on the national exam and joined an amazing group of successful alumni who are staying in Haiti to make a brighter future for their country.

• LCS once again proved its academic excellence with another National Laureate and a high-placed winner in a national essay contest.

• And... THP had a successful transition year as new THP President Reese Grondin took the helm, bringing a tremendous amount of expertise and skill from her many years of service with THP, along with a dedicated family to help lead the mission.

Looking ahead to a bright new year, there is much work still to do. But it is good and important work. And we couldn't be more happy to be doing it together with you.

• Building on the decades-long success of LCS outside of Port-au-Prince, The Haitian Project is preparing to break ground on its next school—the Model Campus—as part of the Louverture Cleary Schools Network, a national system of 10 schools stretching across the country. Each new school in the Network will be established in a different diocese / department of Haiti, increasing access to quality education outside of the nation’s capital.

Thanks to you, Louverture Cleary School students go on to professional careers IN HAITI to make a brighter future for their country.

Because you believe, 90 percent of LCS graduates are in Haiti working, or in university, or both. They are working as teachers, accountants, doctors, and lawyers. They are earning an average of $12,000 per year just several years into their careers—having come from families who struggle to survive on $1,000 per year.

Because you believe, graduates of Louverture Cleary School can attain professional careers and build strong families and communities—IN HAITI. They are able to send their own children to school, buy their own homes, pay for their own medical care, and support their extended families.

All with your support.

And when 25 percent of Louverture Cleary School graduates go on to study medicine (in a country that has one-tenth the number of doctors per capita as the U.S.), the need for MORE Louverture Cleary Schools has never been been more clear.

Thank you for believing in them. And in our work together.

Best wishes to you and yours for a safe and happy new year!

A Day in the Life of a Louverturian

Daily life at Louverture Cleary School (LCS) is a structured routine of purpose, hard work and service. As everyone in the LCS Community goes about their day of classes, communal work, mealtimes, and play, putting others first is a common theme.

This year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the routine looks a little different, but the purpose and goals of the community are as clear as ever.

Every student, teacher and staff member embraces their responsibility to each other’s health and safety so that the LCS community may continue to push forward with its mission to educate the future servant-leaders of Haiti.

And they are succeeding, despite both the pandemic and the political unrest that has made 2020 an especially challenging year.

With 50 percent of the student body on campus at any one time, lots of hand washing, social distancing and, of course, face masks, here is a look at A Day in the Life of a Louverturian right now:

• 5:00 am The bell awakens students for the day. Students prepare themselves in their dorms and then, grouped by class, proceed to the cafeteria for breakfast. With plenty of space between students, they eat their meal and clean up before the next group arrives.
  
  

• 7:00 am Students are in their designated classrooms and the school day begins. This year, students remain in the same room for all their courses and only teachers move from class to class throughout the day. Rooms are constantly open to the air, thanks to the beautiful Haitian climate.
  
  

• 7:40 am The bell rings again to call students, staff and teachers to the front basketball court for the reading of the Gospel of the day, the raising of flags, and announcements from the Administration.
  
  

• 8:00 am Classes resume and change every 40 minutes for 11 periods each day, with lunch taking place between 11:00 am and 1:10 pm, rotating by class groups.
  
  

• 3:25 pm The school day ends, and students put on their work clothes for Netwayaj (clean-up). Student groups, led by Guides and Monitors—the leadership titles given to Philo (US 12th grade +1) and Rheto (US 12th grade) students—report to their designated areas of campus to clean.
  
  

• 4:30 pm Netwayaj ends and Play Hour begins. Students all remain outside for recreation, trading the usual favorites like soccer or basketball games for penalty kick practice, dance club, playing drums and guitars, card games, and reading—all with masks and socially distanced.
  
  

• 5:30 pm Students finish Play Hour and return to their dorms to clean up for dinner. Again grouped by class, they rotate in the cafeteria to eat their meal and clean up.
  
  

• 6:55 pm The bell brings all students back to the basketball court, still mindful of social distancing. The school prays together and receives any additional announcements from the Administration. From there, they move to their designated classrooms for Study Hour.
  
  

• 9:30 pm Study Hour ends and students return to their dormitories for bed.
  
  

• 10:00 pm The final bell of the day rings, lights are out, and the campus goes to sleep for the night to recharge for the coming day.

Whether it is gathered to start the day with the school song and flag raising, in class, or assembled with their classmates, a Louverturian's day is filled with purpose.

YOU are the reason why talented, civic-minded Haitian students whose families cannot afford the cost of their education are able to receive one of the best educations in the country, tuition-free!

Please keep the wind in our sails—make your year-end gift today!