HELP Updates

Posted on Jul 29, 2021 in Haitian Timoun Foundation |

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Dear Friends,

Many of you will have heard of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise early this morning at his residence in the hills above Port-au-Prince. Most businesses in and around Port-au-Prince did not open today and with little public transportation there have been few people in the streets and no significant demonstrations of any kind. Due to a number of factors, the presidential succession plan is not clear and the Prime Minister has assumed de facto control of the government.

At HELP, we closed out the school year in June, though due to coronavirus-related delays early in the school year, a handful of students are in their final weeks of university.  Therefore, this assassination will not affect most students’ studies in the short term.

The past two years have been difficult for Haitians, starting with violent anti-government strikes which shut down schools from September to December of 2019, followed closely by the coronavirus which shut down schools again from March through July of 2020. The security situation in and around Port-au-Prince disintegrated in 2020, with armed gangs sprouting up, controlling poor, densely populated neighborhoods, sparking a wave of kidnap for ransom across the capital, and more recently shutting down vast swaths of the city as a result of territorial disputes.

There has been no state-sponsored covid vaccination campaign and vaccines have yet to arrive in Haiti, due to the Moise administration declining a donation of vaccines earlier this year. Consequently, there has been a recent resurgence of covid-19 cases, most likely due to the Gamma variant from Brazil and experts fear that when the more contagious and deadly Delta variant arrives, the situation will only deteriorate.

Despite the disintegrating political, economic, security, and public health situation, your steady contributions enable HELP students not only to survive but to thrive in a supportive atmosphere, and to think about how to create the new leaders that their country so desperately needs. For the first time ever, 17 students are taking online courses during the summer session, and thanks to a longstanding partnership with Cornell University, four students are enrolled in an online summer class at Cornell. HELP enrolled Stael Toussaint (Law, ’22) in an online course in civic engagement at Bard College for the second semester and he wrote to us a few days ago as the course ended.

I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I learned so much that in the end, I think I owe you more than just a thank you. I have progressed in many ways, and I even received a message from BARD, telling me that they have agreed to fund my project in Mariani… I believe in the mission of HELP, I believe in a new Haiti despite the circumstances.

As we celebrate 25 years of student success, we owe each of you a tremendous Thank You for continuing to believe in HELP’s goal of a more just society in Haiti through education.
 

Conor Bohan

Founder and Executive Director

 
P.S. from Editor
On July 13 the Haitian Education and Leadership Program’s director of development, Sam Connor, also shared with us an opinion-editorial from two graduates, Daphnée Charles and current Fulbright Scholar Stephanie Rubin.
 
 
Connor also shared a link to Daphnée’s nationally syndicated clip on The World July 12.
 
 

Introducing Frantzcesca Jean-Charles

Posted on Apr 15, 2021 in Haitian Timoun Foundation |

Resurrection – a time of renewal and of new life. As we continue through the season of Easter and celebrate Christ’s resurrection, we also look to how we can help effect change in others’ lives so that they, too, might find new life. We are calling this initiative our Resurrection Project, and specifically, we are excited to introduce to Epiphany Frantzcesca Jean-Charles. Frantzcesca is the Haitian college student we committed to sponsor two years ago, and who is diligently studying for a law degree which will impact many lives. Our goal for this Resurrection Project is to raise the $10,000 needed for this year’s tuition. Download Frantzcesca’s bio to learn more about her!
 
Through our global mission partnership with the Haitian Timoun Foundation (HTF), Epiphany promised in 2018 to support a student placed in the Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP) through the five years of the program. The mission of HELP is to create, through merit- and needs-based scholarships, a community of young professionals and leaders who will promote a more just society in Haiti. On top of an accredited university education, HELP scholarships provide students with textbooks, living stipends, housing, academic advising and counseling, leadership curricula, as well as study abroad and internship opportunities. After graduation 80% of HELP students remain in Haiti, having learned the importance of making a difference in their society. Our hope is that after Frantzcesca graduates, she will be empowered to help stabilize the government in Haiti, which will raise the quality of life of the ultra-poor in that poverty-stricken country.
 
In Haiti, this access to education is a true rebirth. Less than 1% of the Haitian population receives a college education, due to abject poverty and inability to pay to attend university. Of those who actually are able to attend and graduate college, 85% will leave the country in search of opportunities.
 
Two years ago HELP received about 450 eligible applications. However, due to financial limitations, only about 15% of those students were accepted into the program. The only thing keeping this program from training new leaders is funding, and Epiphany stepped up to the plate.
 
To date, we have raised the funds and have paid for Frantzcesca’s first two years of education. The attached profile tells us the impact this sponsorship has already meant for her. We will continue to follow her progress and hope to have personal interaction with her in the coming month. We will continue to walk alongside Frantzcesca and are eager to hear and see the difference she will make in Haiti.
 
To make a contribution by check please indicate that your donation is for HTF-HELP. For online giving, please select Haitian Timoun Foundation – HELP.
 
Learn More
In addition, please consider attending the following webinar sponsored by HTF, in which you can learn more about the HELP program and meet four students and hear their life changing stories.
 
April 22, 2021 at noon Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this webinar:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

HTF Update from Maya

Posted on Feb 19, 2020 in Haitian Timoun Foundation |

Meet in Person with Maya 
Tuesday, March 3 
7:30 PM, Austin Campus
 
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. More than 6 million Haitians live below the poverty line on less than US$2.41 per day, and more than 2.5 million fall below the extreme poverty line of US$1.23 per day. The political instability of the past year further hindered Haiti’s economic and social development, and the unrest has directly impacted our partners and the Haitians they serve.
 
We have an exciting opportunity to welcome HTF’s Haiti Country Director Luckner Fond Rose (better known as Maya), who is the in-country, on-the-ground leadership of HTF. Maya will give an update of how things are going on the ground now that the period of civil unrest has settled, and he will speak to how HTF’s mission model proved strong through that time. He will also update us on the executive director transition currently taking place. 
 
Please join us in welcoming Maya and hearing his message.

Rise Up for Haiti

Posted on Dec 3, 2019 in Haitian Timoun Foundation |

To the right is a picture of HTF’s in-country director, Maya, as he makes plans for food distribution on November 26 for 100 families in the Jacmel area. He identified families from several partners there to receive cooking oil, spaghetti, rice and sardines. HTF wired funds to cover the first round, but more can be done through your donations.
 
After two months of government, business and school closures, the Education Ministry called for children to return to school on Monday, December 2. Some schools were about a quarter full and other schools had only a few students in attendance or didn’t open at all. Click here for a full New York Times article.
 

From the Haitian Timoun Foundation

Our friends in Haiti are living amid dire circumstances. Fuel is scarce, leadership is silent, and citizens are rightfully demanding answers. Schools and businesses are closed, and public transportation is running at skeleton levels. Prices of food and other staples have been increasing at unbelievable rates, because of the limited ability to get goods to market coupled with a collapsing economy. Violence ensues throughout the country to the point that people are afraid to leave their homes. Our hearts break knowing of the suffering among millions of people as the country is held hostage. We are called to Rise Up for Haiti as we stand together with our brothers and sisters as they weather this enormous crisis.

In addition to our Haitian partners continuing to provide necessary services to the countless Haitians in need, they now require additional support simply to provide basic daily sustenance. There is no end in sight for this crisis, therefore HTF is committed to Rise Up for Haiti for as long as it takes.
 
HAITI IS IN CRISIS
While Haiti has a history of government corruption and instability coupled with periodic unrest, the situation in Haiti right now is decidedly different. This crisis has been building since the middle of last year and shows no sign of abating.
 
To learn more details about the recent situation in Haiti read these articles:
 
WIDESPREAD INTERNATIONAL AID IS NOT IMMEDIATELY FORTHCOMING
As NGOs leave the country and non-essential personnel in the foreign embassies have been sent home, HTF is doing what we have always done. We are standing by our partners and those communities in Haiti with whom we have built long-term relationships.

Rise Up for Haiti will raise funds to ensure that our Haitian partners have the food, water, fuel, and supplies to sustain the lives of their staff and those they serve. Please join HTF and Rise Up for Haiti today!
 
Please join HTF and Rise Up for Haiti! The time is now. Lives depend on it. God is counting on us so that all may have life!
 
You can make a donation toward Rise Up for Haiti through online giving, by cash or check designated for “Haiti Rise Up” or by texting “HaitiRiseUp 100” or whatever dollar amount you wish to donate to 833-941-1494. Learn more about GIVE+ TEXT.
 

Message from HTF Founder

Posted on Dec 3, 2019 in Haitian Timoun Foundation |

November 2019

Dear Friends of HTF and Haiti,

We need your help. A severe crisis of human suffering has gripped Haiti. Massive protests are taking place against Haiti’s corrupt leadership, and a compromised police force and foreign mercenaries are battling back. Schools are closed, roads are blocked, food and clean water are scarce, inflation is rampant, hospitals lack basic supplies, electricity is in short supply, and those suffering the most are the most vulnerable: the children. In recent days, the violence has hit home as people and children dear to us have been victims of the violence.

While Haiti has a history of government corruption and instability coupled with periodic unrest, the situation in Haiti right now is decidedly different. This crisis has been building since the middle of last year and shows no sign of abating. So far, there is no cavalry coming to the rescue nor any political resolution in sight.

When the January 2010 earthquake happened, television and other media brought it front and center to the whole world. It touched hearts, and people responded. Today, as much of the world and our own country are embroiled in their own conflicts, the situation in Haiti is getting scant attention. This lack of media attention does not make it any less real.
As non-governmental organizations leave the country and non-essential personnel in the foreign embassies have been sent home, HTF is doing what we have always done. We are standing by our partners and those communities in Haiti with whom we have built long-term relationships. The courage of our partners and their resiliency to adjust and carry-on as best they can the essential work that we do together inspire us.

After the 2010 earthquake, the US Peace Corps named HTF as one of their five most effectively positioned organizations to be good stewards of emergency relief funds. Their faith and countless donors’ faith were validated as our grassroots network and presence on the ground saved lives and led towards recovery from the disaster.

We appeal to your generosity so that we can stand with the most vulnerable in Haiti during this crisis. The cards stacked against them are high, but with your help we can get to our partners – from La Montagne to the Central Plateau, and from Jacmel to Port-au-Prince – the resources they need. Together with your generosity we will Rise Up and save lives. Thank you.
 
Pou tout moun kapab gen lavi (that ALL may have life),

Rick Barger
You can make a donation toward Rise Up for Haiti through online giving, by cash or check designated for “Haiti Rise Up” or by texting “HaitiRiseUp 100” or whatever dollar amount you wish to donate to 833-941-1494. Learn more about GIVE+ TEXT.
 

Meet Jinoue Cherizard

Posted on Dec 3, 2019 in Haitian Timoun Foundation, Uncategorized |

Haitian Education Leadership Program Alumna

 

Pharmacy – Class of 2016

Throughout primary and secondary school, Jinoue was consistently regarded as a model student. “I was always at the top of my class,” she recalls. “And all of my teachers loved me.”Besides earning top grades herself, Jinoue also volunteered as a tutor for her peers, and found time to participate in a literature club, a dance troupe, and a youth group at her church.
 
But Jinoue’s family struggled financially, with her parents – a subsistence farmer and a vendor in the local market – barely making enough for the family of six children to get by. Despite her impeccable academic record and excellent reputation, university seemed out of the question for Jinoue until her school principal told her about HELP.
 
Today, Jinoue is working towards fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a medical professional. “I want to be an advocate for the healthcare of the Haitian people,” she says. “I hope to play a role in ending some of the public health epidemics we face as a country.” Jinoue continues to thrive academically, and is able to focus on her university studies without the stress of economic hardship. “I’m thankful to HELP because it provides a path to success for promising young people like me,” she says.
Once Epiphany’s sponsorship student is selected, we will share his or her profile and keep in touch through the entire education journey. In the mean time, learn more about Haitian Education Leadership Program Alumni here. 
 
You can make a donation toward sponsoring our student through online giving, by cash or check designated for “Haiti HELP” or by texting “HaitiHelp 100” or whatever dollar amount you wish to donate to 833-941-1494. Learn more about GIVE+ TEXT.

Haitian Education & Leadership Program

Posted on May 2, 2019 in Haitian Timoun Foundation |

by Natalie Heimann
 
Less than 1% of the Haitian population receives a college education, due to abject poverty. Of those who actually are able to attend and graduate college, 85% will leave the country in search of opportunities elsewhere.
 
Through HTF’s partnership with the Haitian Education and Leadership Program, or HELP, some of the best and brightest young students in Haiti are given an opportunity to attend university. The mission of HELP is to create, through merit- and needs-based scholarships, a community of young professionals and leaders who will promote a more just society in Haiti. On top of an accredited university education, HELP scholarships provide students with textbooks, living stipends, housing, academic advising and counseling, leadership curricula, as well as study abroad and internship opportunities. After graduation 80% of HELP students remain in Haiti, having learned the importance of making a difference in their society.
 
In 2018, HELP received 453 eligible applications. However, due to financial limitations, the program was only able to offer scholarships to approximately 15% of those students. The only thing keeping this program from training new leaders is funding. Here is where our support comes in!
 
Epiphany is committed to sponsor a single student throughout their entire time in the HELP program — totaling $12,000 per year for four years.
 

Meet Marie Lourde

Posted on Apr 25, 2018 in Haitian Timoun Foundation |


22
Mar '18

Walk Alongside Our Haitian Partners

Posted on Mar 22, 2018 in Haitian Timoun Foundation |

22
Mar '18

by Natalie Heimann and Pastor Jay Shailer

Now, as ever before, Epiphany is committed to our mission of loving Jesus by serving others. That commitment shines in the many ministries that extend the hand of Christ into our community and world. The six who recently returned from Haiti want to lift up the stories you heard either in worship, via devotions or in conversation from those of us who traveled to Haiti last month. You’ve heard the stories of the people we met and the relationships we formed. You’ve heard how, through the Haitian Timoun Foundation, we walk alongside our new friends as they take steps toward lives that have value and dignity. And you’ve heard about Epiphany’s challenge to sponsor 10 women in the Chemen Lavi Mio (CLM) program by the end of 2018. Give online. Read more…


Heartbreaking and Beautiful

Posted on Sep 28, 2017 in Haitian Timoun Foundation |

by Natalie Heimann

Families who are existing on $1 a day of income. A water supply that can turn a bath into a breeding ground for serious illness. Child slaves. A deforested rain forest. These are some of the heartbreaking images that we observed during our immersion trip to Haiti earlier this year. 
 
Community. Pride in success. Sacrificial love. Radical hospitality. Hope. These were the overwhelmingly beautiful images we witnessed on that very same trip.

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