The December Issue of Haitian Project News is Here!

Read all about it...

The December issue of Haitian Project News includes a segment in the LCS Leadership Series featuring Director of Operations Esther P.

The Strength of a Good Foundation: Louverturians are the foundation of the ultimate success of THP’s mission, and as new schools are built to create the Louverture Cleary Schools Network, Louverturians may also be the ones laying the literal foundations for the national system of schools that will ultimately graduate 600 servant-leaders each year. 

What else is new in this issue? 

• To make certain students and staff at each Network school have the same opportunity to partake in the transformative power of the Project’s mission, THP has created a new role, chief program officer, to oversee THP’s program activity. THP is excited that board member and Volunteer alumna Aimée Maier (THP Volunteer ’98-’99) will be its first CPO.

• Many people are aware of the acute challenges facing Haiti. The Haitian Project’s and Louverture Cleary School’s priorities are ensuring the safety of our community, supporting our students, staff and faculty in every way possible, and making sure that our mission can continue and expand beyond the current crisis.

• And more of the latest THP happenings, including a segment in the LCS Leadership Series featuring Director of Operations Esther P. You are not going to want to miss the December issue of Haitian Project News!

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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.

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Just Thanks!

Maybe you haven’t noticed, but we here at The Haitian Project ask for help—a lot.

We ask for financial contributions to run one of the best education programs in Haiti, to be good stewards of our common home by providing solar power to campus, to be good neighbors to those who live around the school, and now, of course, to create a national network of Louverture Cleary Schools.

We ask for volunteers to help us stuff, label and mail our newsletters and other correspondence, make phone calls, and bring food for potluck dinners.

We ask for people to give a year of their lives (or more!) as missionary volunteers in Haiti.

We ask for people to serve on The Haitian Project’s board and committees.

We could keep going. But the point is, the reason we opened our doors to just a handful of students 34 years ago and the reason why construction is now in full swing on our second campus are exactly the same.

It’s because at one point or another, each one of you just said yes, and in doing so, put someone else—our students—before yourselves.

And today, it’s time for us to just say thanks. Go ahead—look for a donate button. You won’t find one. We may have had to lock our VP Colby Bowker in the closet to pull this off but, hey—that’s how much you matter!

We are truly grateful (Colby, too) to each and every member of this community, whether, as our Charism says, you have chosen to respond with yes for a period of weeks, a year, or a lifetime.

And finally, because we here at The Haitian Project are all proud Rhode Islanders (by affiliation, at the very least), a Thanksgiving email wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t dust off the little observed “quahurkey”.

What is a quahurkey? Well, it involves a turkey and a quahog, and if you come visit us in the Ocean State one day, we’ll give you a complete lesson in Rhode Island lore. (You could Google it too—but, hey, where’s the fun in that?)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you to local illustrator and cartoon artist Nico Ecenarro for creating our quahurkey!

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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.

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Update on the Security Situation in Haiti

Many people are aware of the acute challenges facing Haiti, especially the insecurity that has rapidly increased since the assassination of the country’s president in July.

Amidst this unfortunate reality, The Haitian Project’s and Louverture Cleary School’s priorities are ensuring the safety of our community, supporting our students, staff and faculty in every way possible, and making sure that our mission can continue and expand beyond the current crisis.

"Continuing [the mission of LCS in Haiti] produces better leaders through education... that is what Haiti needs to stand up."
—LCS Director of Operations Esther P. (LCS '02)

We are especially grateful to the local leadership team and for the relationship that has been built with the surrounding neighborhood over the years. Both have been invaluable in navigating the current challenges.

Still, the security situation in Haiti is extremely concerning. The quality of life has deteriorated for everyone as, aside from the uncertainty and violence, gangs have disrupted the supply of gasoline, aid, and other essentials.

The Haitian Project does not currently have any U.S. staff or Missionary Volunteers based in Haiti due to the increased risk it would pose to our community at LCS, as well as to themselves.

Every possible precaution is being taken to ensure the safety of faculty, students and staff, and THP is monitoring the situation constantly.

We will continue to do all we can to ensure LCS can provide stability to our students, faculty and staff now and into the future. Please pray for everyone’s continued safety and for relief to come soon to all of Haiti.

"For the future, I would like to be a good doctor and I will work hard for this. My hope is to have a better country.... It’s not only a hope, but it’s a goal for me because my LCS education is preparing me for this, to rebuild my lovely Haiti."—Sadrac E., LCS Katryèm student (U.S. 9th grade)

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Please continue your support of our mission, especially now. Your help is the help we have to give. Together we can work towards brighter days ahead.

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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.

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The Results Are In! And They Are Perfect!

The Haitian Project is thrilled to announce that Louverture Cleary School has again continued the tradition of excellence with another perfect 100 percent pass rate for the Katryèm (U.S. 9th grade) and Philo (U.S. 12th grade + 1) state exams—a particularly great achievement during this period of ongoing difficulty in Haiti. These exams are necessary for Katryèm students to move on to Twazyèm (U.S. 10th grade) and the start of the Secondaire (high school level) curriculum, and for Philo to be eligible for university acceptance.

Stephanie B., executive director of Fondation Haitian Project, The Haitian Project's partner foundation in Haiti, reflects:

This year, once again, LCS had a perfect pass rate for Katryèm students and Philo graduates on their state exams. This is absolutely remarkable, and we could not be more proud of the students and staff for successfully ending the year and for being able to rise above all the difficulties that stood in the way. The students and staff have faced a rotation this year due to COVID-19, they faced political turmoil, and rampant insecurity. These have had the most negative impact overall in Haiti but even more so on education. I am amazed to continue to see the impact of the LCS model, which provides a safe learning environment that allows students to stay focused on their studies. This is one of the biggest strengths of our school, and it makes all the difference. Year after year, LCS students remain a force, and we look forward to seeing the impact the graduates will have in the country and their communities.

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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.

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The September Issue of Haitian Project News is Here!

LCS Dean of Students Myriam Jean B. (left) stands with students at the flag raising ceremony on opening day.

Read all about it...

A new school year has started at LCS! Following a summer that saw the assassination of the nation’s president and a devastating earthquake about 80 miles west of the school, Louverture Cleary School opened on time, equipped with experience and determination to continue its mission of forming the future leaders of Haiti.

What else is new in this issue?

• In June, a long-awaited and highly-anticipated event occurred: The
  Haitian Project officially broke ground on its next school in Haiti's Plateau Central region in the Diocese of Gonaïves. Since then, the wall at LCS 2 (the “Model Campus”) is nearly complete, security cameras have been installed, and solar powered lights are illuminating the grounds!

• The Haitian Project is proud to introduce the amazing Haitian faculty and staff who work every day to ensure that Louverture Cleary School is one of the very best secondary education programs in Haiti. The first of this series features LCS Principal Marjorie Mombrun (LCS ’07).
  

• And all of latest THP happenings... you are not going to want to miss
  the September issue of Haitian Project News!

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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.

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LCS Leadership Series: LCS Director of Operations Esther P.

LCS Director of Operations Esther P.

“At LCS, we teach the students all the normal subjects—math, science, social studies, language—but we also teach them to care about others. We give the students an education that says the priority is not just you personally, the priority is the people around you; let other people come before you. This education is about loving your neighbor and helping those who are less fortunate.”

— Esther P. (LCS '02)

LCS Director of Operations Esther P. (LCS '02) in the Operations office at LCS Santo 5

Esther P.'s family learned about Louverture Cleary School (LCS) when a neighbor who had been in one of the school's first classes inspired them to apply. Madame P.’s older sister and younger brother enrolled, and she entered LCS as a Rhéto (U.S. 12th grade) student in 2000, graduating in 2002. 

After receiving a degree in accounting at university in 2006, Madame P. joined the accounting staff at LCS in September 2007. Her responsibilities grew until she became the director of operations, the position she masterfully holds today.

THP: What do you like about your role in the LCS community? 

EP: I really love knowing I can be useful to others. I can be responsible for my community. Managing the staff and budget are big responsibilities which provide a sense of self-worth.

THP: How did your LCS education prepare you for your current leadership role at LCS?

EP: LCS taught me integrity, to do what is right; accountability, to be responsible for my community; and empathy, to focus on developing others. Those values prepared me for my current leadership at LCS. There are other good schools in Haiti, but students there take the education just for themselves. At LCS, we act for our community. 

At LCS, we teach the students all the normal subjects—math, science, social studies, language—but we also teach them to care about others. We give the students an education that says the priority is not just you personally, the priority is the people around you; let other people come before you. This education is about loving your neighbor and helping those who are less fortunate.

It is also an experience that reveals how important education is. Take me, for example. I come from a very poor family but now, because of my education, I can take care of my mother and my nieces and nephews. The LCS education is all about that—using one's education to help others. The fact that we do everything together—eat, study, clean the campus, wash dishes, provide pre-school and literacy classes for the neighborhood—reinforces this sense of community. 

THP: What is the most important thing you believe LCS does to encourage leadership skills in its female students, and why? 

EP: Having women in leadership positions provides a good example for our students and for all women. They see that if they have education, they can be whatever they want to be. It is not about “man” or “woman,” it is about education and how it makes a difference in everyone’s life. But I must also say that it was my mother who, though she did not go to school, always believed in education. She always said, “My children have to go to school so that they don’t have to have the same hard life that I’ve had.” My mother always believed in this.

All students at LCS, boys or girls, receive the same quality of education. I think it is the main thing which encourages the female students. Receiving the same level of education gives them self-confidence and makes them believe it is not about male or female, but about a human being who can achieve whatever he or she wants with a good education.

LCS Director of Operations Esther P. (right) with LCS Accounting Manager Nicolenne Philomé M.

THP: What role do you believe LCS and the LCS Network have to play in Haiti’s future, especially given recent events?

EP: Continuing [the mission of LCS in Haiti] produces better leaders through education. That is what Haiti needs to stand up. We will have ten times Esther; ten times Madame Marjorie M. [LCS Principal Majorie M.]; ten times the current students, boys and girls; ten times the graduates who are prepared to be productive, patriotic Haitian citizens. Graduates will be examples in their families, neighborhoods, churches. Everywhere they go, they will share what they learned at LCS and spread the good work we do here. To have 3,600 students every year makes for a very big number. Even just one person like me can have an impact on 100 people or 200 people, and now we will have 3,600 people each spreading the influence of LCS to 100 people, 200 people, and so on.

The biggest impact will be producing good leaders for Haiti. In general, Haitians believe in education—you see that when Diaspora send money to their families in Haiti, the families use it for food and to send their children to school. What Haiti lacks now is good leaders; good leaders are what Haiti needs in order to rise up. At LCS, we have our own leadership program where the older students learn to lead small groups of fellow students. Each student in the Philo (U.S. 12th grade +1) and Rhéto classes is responsible for a group of younger students in the dorms. The student leaders also supervise groups in Work Hour and in the cafeteria. The training of the student leaders starts in their first year, as they learn from their own leaders; but we also have one week before school starts when the older classes come in for leadership training. After leaving LCS, graduates can use the same methods to lead larger groups of people.

In Haiti, we have these sayings: "L'union fait la force" (unity is strength, as written on the Haitian flag); "Anpil men chay pa lou" (many hands make light work); and "Yon sel dwèt pa manje kalalou" (you can't eat gumbo with just one finger). The sense of community is important because it can help us become a better country and a better family.

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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.

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LCS Leadership Series: LCS Head of School Ernst V.

LCS Head of School Ernst V. teaching a leadership seminar for Philo (U.S. 12 grade +1) and Rhéto (U.S. 12th grade) students in preparation for the new school year.

LCS Head of School Ernst V.

Ernst V.’s career in academia began as a Brother of Christian Instruction (Frères d’Instruction Chrétienne, or FIC). He spent three years in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, as a missionary and student of theology and education science.

Monsieur V. returned to Haiti from West Africa and worked an additional 11 years with FIC. He taught and served in various administrative roles at schools throughout Haiti, including principal and regional treasurer. During that time, Monsieur V. completed his master’s degree in education administration. He has been Head of School at LCS since 2018.

THP: What do you love about your role in the LCS community?

EV: I love working with a project that gives hope to disadvantaged youth in my country while attacking poverty at its base. LCS does not provide the fish, but it gives the necessary training for the young people to fish for themselves. This allows youth to reflect and make free choices while fundamentally improving the quality of life for those around them.

THP: What most distinguishes LCS/THP from U.S.-based charitable groups operating in the country?

EV: We work with a sector of young people that poverty would otherwise prevent from continuing their education if they didn’t have an institution like LCS to provide it. Most schools in Haiti only serve people who have the means to pay for the education. In Haiti, lack of opportunity is a significant driver of political instability. Our work at LCS allows us to give young people the opportunity to truly thrive and create better conditions for themselves and those around them. We also teach kids here that if you are not happy with the way things are, you sit down, you talk, you recognize your differences, and figure out how to resolve those differences and work together.

The challenge for Haiti in general is to be able to get people to sit down together and talk in order to get people to move in the same direction. This is why the LCS Network will be so important—to spread these ideas of working together.

THP: Why is it so important that LCS and the creation of the LCS Network are being locally led [i.e., led by Haitians]?

EV: The Haitian leadership of LCS allows the adaptation of the overall system to the unique needs of the local community. This I learned in my work with the Brothers: what works in St. Marc will not work in Les Cayes; what works in the countryside, will not work downtown. Only local Haitian leadership will best know how to translate the global objectives into local practice.

THP: What role do you believe LCS and the LCS Network have to play in Haiti’s future, especially given recent events? And why?

EV: LCS and the LCS Network have an important role to play in Haiti's future because today, more than ever, it is important to give to the disadvantaged the possibility of feeling valued, of not only dreaming of a better tomorrow but to be the actors in this better tomorrow. At LCS, academic excellence is good, but the values of community are much more important.

I think LCS will provide a model that will inspire other institutions. LCS students are taught to live in community and that is the biggest challenge in Haiti today—to get people to live and work together. The Network is not just talk; it is action, a concrete example of how the will to change becomes an institution designed to build community, understanding, and progress for Haiti.

THP: What lesson from your education has stayed with you and influences your current leadership?

EV: Fè tout byen m kapab, tout jan m kapab, pou tout moun m kapab, jiskaske m pa kapab ankò. (Do everything I am capable of, as well as I can, for as many as I can, until I can do no more.)

LCS Head of School Ernst V. (right) pictured with members of the LCS Administration (from left): Head of Fondation Haitian Project Patrick B., LCS Director of Operations Esther P. and LCS Principal Marjorie M.

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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.

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Welcome Back to School, LCS Students!

Louverture Cleary School Dean of Students Myriam Jean B. (left) stands with students at this morning's flag raising ceremony on the opening day of school.

The 34th school year at Louverture Cleary School has begun! This academic year is a special one with more new students entering than ever before—both a new Sizyèm (U.S. 7th grade) class and a new Senkyèm (U.S. 8th grade) class! The whole community is thrilled to welcome double the usual number of new Louverturians. Please join us in wishing the students, faculty and staff a wonderful and successful school year!

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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.

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LCS Leadership Series: Stéphanie B., Executive Director, Fondation Haitian Project

Stéphanie B., Executive Director, Fondation Haitian Project

Stéphanie B., Executive Director, Fondation Haitian Project

In October 2020, Stéphanie B. became the first Executive Director of Fondation Haitian Project (FHP), The Haitian Project’s (THP) partner foundation in Haiti and the local entity responsible for the management of school programs and the development of the Louverture Cleary Schools Network. She spent the previous 10 years working in Port-au-Prince for Chabuma S.A., a building materials and hardware retailer where she was in many different levels of operation, including management, accounting, sales, and internal control.

Prior to working with Chabuma S.A., Stéphanie studied business with a focus on entrepreneurship at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA.

THP: What experiences have you had that enhance your leadership at FHP?

SB: With my background in entrepreneurship and my experience at Chabuma, I was able to go in and out of many areas of operation. This allowed me to always hold a broader perspective in any given situation, which I feel is a really good way to operate in Haiti because things here are constantly changing. It’s really good to keep an eye on the bigger picture, to be able to assess the pros and cons at all times and be able to stay on the path to reach the objectives that have been set in the beginning. It is easy to get lost if you have a narrow sight.

I’m also not afraid to learn. In entrepreneurship, there’s an endless range of activities which require involvement, so this means that you’re constantly forced to discover, to plan, to adapt, and to learn until you master the field. And, even when you do master the field, the effort never stops.

THP: What role do you believe the LCS Network will play in Haiti's future?

SB: With the Network, we are always aware that we are working towards bettering the situation of the less fortunate here in Haiti. We are providing the opportunity for a part of the population to no longer have financial concerns when it comes to their education. We are providing the environment for them to become productive, active members of Haitian society who will contribute to the development of Haiti. That’s the bigger picture that we have to keep in mind.

THP: How does FHP work with THP to ensure Louverture Cleary Schools are locally led and operate differently from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)?

SB: Having the ability to be self-sustaining is important. When I look around here, I don’t see anything similar to LCS — something contributing in such a sustainable long-term way to the development of this country. This is why the Project is so special to me; I’m really glad to be a part of it. When I look at many other projects, what I often see are band-aid solutions that over time can do more harm than good. I can think of an example of a well-known international organization which has operated in Haiti for many years. They build hospitals, clinics, etc. They provide facilities and infrastructure all across the country, and they even provide much of the medical equipment. The problem is that they don't do any maintenance on the facilities themselves and no maintenance on the medical equipment either. As we know, facility and equipment maintenance are musts whenever any institution stretches their operations in the long term. There is no training of local staff to do this work, so what ends up happening is these hospitals are able to serve the communities for a while but then end up closing after things break down. The communities are then left with just a structure. There is also the aspect of Haiti not having enough trained medical personnel to keep these facilities running. The lack of sustainability is not the case at LCS at all.

FHP Executive Director Stephanie B. (left) with (from left): THP Director of New School Construction Jimi Grondin, Bishop Pierre-Antoine Paulo (now deceased, Bishop Emeritus of Port-de-Paix), and clergy from the diocese photographed while visiting potential sites for a Louverture Cleary School in Port-de-Paix, Haiti.

THP: What is the importance of the LCS Network being led by Haitians themselves?

SB: Some organizations have people from other countries outside of Haiti occupying the highest roles and directing the project, but this does not always have a positive effect. When a project is led by someone here in Haiti, they have a greater understanding of what the reality on the ground is. It’s very, very difficult for anybody coming from the outside to fully grasp the reality here, no matter how familiar they are with the country. The situation here can change very quickly, it can literally change from one day to the next. It has an impact on all levels of activity. You have to be able to maneuver within that reality every day.

THP: What are your thoughts on women in leadership positions throughout The Haitian Project and Haiti in general?

SB: I think that having women in leadership positions at LCS, FHP and THP is great. Historically here in Haiti, there has been a lot of machiste (machismo) in the way institutions have operated throughout the years. Today, this is no longer entirely the case, but it does very much still exist. We now find women in more areas of great influence, and it's amazing that LCS and THP provide environments for women to flourish in a majority of leadership positions. I think women tend to handle these roles with a lot of care and a lot of fairness. Very often, we are meticulous and thorough in our approach.

THP: What do you love about your role in the THP community?

SB: The Haitian Project provides the framework, a blueprint of what needs to be done to develop the Network, which is of utmost importance to what we’re doing here. I am able to communicate information between THP and FHP and be in constant contact with members of the Project at all levels.

I’m glad and grateful to be part of this amazing Project! The situation here [in Haiti] is pretty difficult, and this is one thing that really motivates me. It’s nice to have something to look forward to everyday and feel like I am contributing to something that’s positive. I feel like we are working towards something that benefits Haiti; we are literally contributing to developing a society.

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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.

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LCS Leadership Series: Principal Marjorie M.

Marjorie M., Principal, Louverture Cleary School Santo 5 (LCS '07)

Principal Marjorie M. at a school assembly

Marjorie M. is a strong educator both in and out of the classroom, a spiritual leader through faith formation and all-school liturgical activities, and a role model for all, modeling a commitment to giving back and putting education first.

After graduating from LCS in 2007, Madame M. studied education in university at the Centre de Recherche, de Formation et d’Intervention Psychologique. In 2009, she returned to LCS as junior staff, receiving a scholarship from the Dulcich Center for Career Advancement for her university studies while working at the school.

Madame M. grew as an educator and community member, becoming dean of academics and ultimately principal, a role she has held since 2014.

THP: How did your LCS education prepare you for your current leadership role at LCS?

MM: As an alum, I already knew the system, so I fit quickly into the administration. Because of the example I had seen as a student, I had an idea about what LCS is looking for, how it works, and what daily life is like. I knew as a junior staff member how I was supposed to take part in the community, to be an example for the students, and help them to become and be great Louverturians. I was there to give for free what I received for free [Matthew 10:8].

THP: What do you love about your role at LCS?

MM: I love putting my hand in the dough to educate the future generation in so many aspects of school life. As a religion teacher, I teach them to become great Christians, to make better choices, and grow in dignity. And as an educator, I discipline them to become good citizens for the country.

I also love forming the Guides (Philo students, U.S. 12th grade +1) and Monitors (Rheto students, U.S. 12th grade) to be mentors to protect and help the youngest, and to represent the Direction (administration) in their groups and in the dormitories. When students enter in the Sizyèm (U.S. 7th grade) class, everything about the students’ style of life changes as we integrate them. For example, they are taught how to treat the trash in the compost and in the incinerator, supported in the language program [practicing and learning in the school’s four languages: Kreyòl, French, English and Spanish], and helped to work hard and excel in class. In return, they will be able to teach others and become leaders.

THP: What’s the most important thing you believe LCS does to encourage leadership skills in its female students, and why?

MM: Encouraging the leadership of female students at LCS is so important because in the family in Haiti, it is common to put women and girls in the back. Women and girls are still taught that their place is in the kitchen, not look at men in their eyes, and so on. But at LCS, we encourage girls to do what boys can do. [And, in turn, boys are taught to support their female classmates.] The leadership skills are equal for male and female students. With that, we will have better families and a better society.

THP: How do you see your role at LCS paving the way for other women in Haiti?

MM: My role creates a foundation for the female students to lead and succeed in Haiti because the female examples that I had showed me that I could inspire them [the students] to believe in themselves and work to take their place in society. This helps them to work hard in class and not be seen as weak. It shows them, too, that they could take our place as leaders and educators in the future. By the education they received, they believe that they are smart and have a lot of potential. They can always have a family and have a job. They can be whatever they want to be.

THP: What role do you believe LCS and the LCS Network have to play in Haiti’s future, especially given recent events?

MM: LCS is playing an important role [in Haiti's future] by giving a quality education to Louverturians. The education we give at LCS helps to train future leaders for the country. Those alumni will be able to spread the great culture of LCS to others throughout Haiti. Haiti will change when we put education first and change our mentality and the way we are doing things in the structures and administration of the country.

Principal Marjorie M. at an LCS graduation

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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.

Go to Community Updates Page