2022 was an unsettling year for the world, and Haiti was no exception. The country continues to be mired in political and economic turmoil with lawlessness prevailing in the streets of her cities. Life for those living there has been completely upended. Emboldened by the assassination of Haiti’s president in 2021, violent gangs seized control of much of the country. Last fall, they shut down the major fuel terminal for approximately two months, blocking fuel distribution to the country. Many businesses, banks, schools, and hospitals were forced to close and public transportation was unavailable. In mid-November, the fuel terminal was released, and schools and some businesses began to reopen. Still, ongoing insecurity, inflation, and a new cholera outbreak are exacerbating an already faltering economy and disrupting day-to-day life.
Along with the national crisis, CINHP also experienced a catastrophic internal upheaval. After years of being uninvolved in the school, CINHP’s president unexpectedly took exclusive control of it, unilaterally reversing policies and undoing years of progress. Exhibiting erratic behavior, he threatened to fire the directors and staff and began spreading disinformation about us to the Lespinasse community. Months of negotiation with him failed to produce an acceptable outcome, and over our protests, he decided to close the school.
You may wonder how this could legally happen. In the United States, it probably couldn’t. However, this is Haiti and different standards apply. Knowing we could spend thousands of dollars in legal fees and still not reach a desired outcome eventually compelled us (Sharon and Jeanette) to resign from the organization, leaving the president as the sole manager of Children In Need Haitian Project. Sorrowfully, we informed the staff of the situation letting them know their options were to continue and work for the president, or seek other means of support for themselves and their families. They unanimously chose the latter. At that time, the school had more than 200 students grades K – 7th.
At the close of the school year, before our official resignation, we were delighted to give generous appreciation bonuses to all of our departing staff. In addition, we gave partial scholarships to our older students to give them the chance to attend another school. The little ones, however, were without options. The preschool director, Mme. Julia, heartbroken for the children said, “I cannot just let this happen!” Despite having no assurance of ongoing support, she took a bold step of faith and re-opened the preschool for the 2022/2023 school year.
NOT AN END… BUT A NEW BEGINNING!
God has an amazing way of redeeming broken pieces to form something new from devastation. Isaiah 43:19 has become our new favorite verse: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” What initially looked hopeless to us is being remade into something even more beautiful.
After much prayer and counsel, we (Sharon and Jeanette) formed a new organization, which, in its infancy, has already helped even more children go to school. God is clearly at work bringing to fruition the plans He began in Lespinasse and expanding our reach to other areas of Haiti and beyond. We are so excited to be a conduit through which He can work and we are looking forward to see all He will do as we enter this journey of faith.
INTRODUCING: NEXUS FOR GOOD – Connecting Generosity to Need.
Nexus for Good links with other grassroots missions that work in communities, like Lespinasse, where children are deprived of education for various reasons. Through Nexus we connect compassionate donors with ministries that promote Christian education as a means of disrupting the cycle of poverty. By partnering, rather than doing it all ourselves, we expand our reach to more children in more areas of the world. We have chosen and begun to extend financial assistance and consultation to several partner missions:
LESPINASSE, HAITI—After years of investing in leadership training for our teaching staff, the preschool director, Mme. Julia, (with the support of her husband, former school director, Jean Simon) took advantage of that training and opened a preschool in Lespinasse under her own banner and direction. One hundred students, preschool through 2nd grade currently attend, and they are growing. Nexus for Good is walking alongside them with financial support, counsel, encouragement, and prayer. As we release our previous hands-on approach, we feel a little like concerned parents praying for the success of maturing children as they take their next steps of independence.
PLATEAU-ANSE-ROUGE—Lemuel Ministries is a Haitian-founded organization working in an arid, desolate area of Northwest Haiti. Lemuel’s philosophy, school history, and community development vision uniquely parallel our Lespinasse program. We are proud to walk with them and to have funded the remainder of their class sponsorships for 2022/23. In a recent meeting, one of their directors told us, “This is the first year we have ever been fully funded!”
INDIA—Friends ministering in a Leper colony in Northern India told us recently that there is no school for the children living there. Although they do not have leprosy themselves, they are rejected and not allowed in schools. Ridiculed and deemed unworthy of an education they become beggars and scavengers who are often molested and prostituted. A few are receiving a modest education thanks to one lone Christian teacher who, through great personal sacrifice, has chosen to enter the colony to teach them. We are teaming up with them to create a safe space for these children to learn. A rent-free building, badly in need of reconstruction, has been secured for this and plans to renovate it are being developed. Initial funding has already been sent to start the construction project.
CURRENT UPDATE ON LESPINASSE, HAITI
Haiti has been under relentless attack from multiple lawless gangs for more than a year. The violence eventually reached Lespinasse, where our school is located. A couple of weeks ago, police along with several men in the community confronted some gang members. Several people were shot and killed, including Rene, the elderly husband of our former school cook, Lolo. Several days after the first attack, gang members returned, captured and beat a local Pastor, killed others, and burned homes. In fear, people abandoned everything they had to go into hiding. These gangs spread terror through violence, arson, and theft. Homes and gardens are ravaged, or burned, and animals stolen for food or to be sold. These gardens, goats, pigs, and cows are the only livelihood that many in this area have to survive. As you can well imagine, lives were completely disrupted. Schools closed, and families fled to neighboring areas or went into hiding, even sleeping in the underbrush. Supply routes to and from Lespinasse were blocked by thugs causing shortages of basic necessities and making it impossible for people to work.
Our school directors, amid these dangerous conditions, stepped out in faith and courage to keep the school open and running. During the worst of the violence, they closed for two weeks as the students had left the area. Last week when the majority of the danger had subsided the school reopened. We are extremely proud of Mme. Julia and Jean Simon, who through great personal sacrifice and in obedience to what God has called them to do continue to invest in the lives of the 100 students we now serve.
These events weigh heavily on our hearts as we consider what is happening to many we know in this community. We are angry and feel helpless to defend our students and their families from this evil. Yet, we are not powerless! We pray with confidence because we have a God who hears, who cares, who is all powerful, and who intervenes for his children. No matter how discouraging and upsetting things appear, we know that God is working for good and that justice will prevail! Please consider supporting this worthwhile work financially and take some time to pray with us for Haiti as you read this update and :
Please pray for our students, their families, our school directors and staff; for unity and courage as Christian churches reach out to defend, comfort, and help their neighbors, Thank God that He protected the church building.
FROM R.K.’S CORNER
Last time published a Bridge Report on Haiti was in the wake of the August 2021 earthquake, focusing on our partners’ disaster relief and restoration.
This month, our report comes from the midst of another disaster in Haiti—the turmoil of violence and lawlessness in the country which is breaking down every level of society. The headquarters of many humanitarian and Christian organizations have been destroyed by gangs and have had to pack up and leave. Children In Need Haitian Project’s school community in Lespinasse was attacked by gangs, but is still operating.
In 2023, Jeanette and Sharon restructured CINHP. They continue working in Lespinasse, but also expanded to include forgotten children in a new area of Haiti and added a new project in India focusing on children living in a leper colony. The new organization has been renamed NEXUS FOR GOOD. You will find their background history on the link:
https://www.bridgeinternational.org/category/carribean/haiti