Pastor Lahens Ceraphin and his wife have led the Eglise Ministere de Jesus Christ de Luly (translated Church of the Ministry of Jesus Christ of Luly) for 18 years. In 2002, they opened the Ecole Communautaire Mixte de Jesus Christ (briefly referred to as the “Luly Community School”).
WWV has recognized great need in the community of Luly – inadequate education, faltering economy, poor nutrition – therefore has become a major focus area for WWV’s resources.
Recent health checks of children at the Luly Community School indicate that an alarming 30% of the students currently suffer from malnutrition or have stunted growth as a result of early childhood malnutrition. This shocking assessment caused the WWV team to embark on a community survey of conditions and traditions, gathering data on water, personal hygiene, sanitation, food preparation, and food security. READ MORE…
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Williamson
In 2002, Pastor Joissaint Mesilas founded The Ecole Autonomme Communautaire des Freres Unis de Williamson (Autonomous Community School of the United Brethren of Williamson – “The Williamson School”). The school is located approximately 50 miles from Port au Prince. Pastor Joissaint has been married to Roselaure for 12 years and has four children – Maria Montessori, age 10; Jose, age 9; John, age 7; and Samanthe, age 4.
The Williamson School became a part of the WWV Student Sponsorship program in 2010. At that time WWV began supporting the school by offering administration support, paying teachers and staff, providing school lunches,
and regular medical checkups. Visiting WWV teams have conducted teacher trainings, conducted soccer camps, attended church services, built school desks, distributed Bibles, dresses, and TOMS Shoes. Our generous supporters have provided funds to improve the school and church building with a new roof and sidewalls as well as contributing to the monthly operating costs for both the school and church.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Dumont/Macabee
WWV was introduced to the village of Dumont in 2008 at the request of a collaborative partner. No Time for Poverty was building a pediatrics clinic in Port Salut and also supporting Coeur School in nearby Dumont. As their clinic progressed the decision was made to concentrate their efforts soley on developing and operating the clinic, No Time for Poverty asked WWV to assume administrative and financial support of the elementary school.
Dumont is a six-hour drive from Port au Prince. Its lush, tropical setting is worlds away from the bustle of the capital city. Coeur School, run by headmaster, Seraphin Bonne Annee, consists of a pair of three-classroom buildings housing 238 children. Through student sponsorships and generous donations, WWV has been able to increase teacher salaries and provide school lunches five days each week. Student population at Coeur School is expected to increase significantly in 2011-2012.
In the nearby village of Macabee, WWV supports an after school snack program serving the nutritional needs of between 30 and 40 children every weekday. The Macabee area is extremely underserved and its children are chronically malnourished. The Haitian founder of the program passed away in 2011; however, his family has continued his legacy and, with assistance from WWV, the children are nourished five days a week.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Rosembert
Many areas of Haiti were severely damaged during the 2010 earthquake. Rosembert is one of them. Located just outside of Port au Prince, Rosembert is home to approximately 35,000 residents. It is in a low-lying area and during the rainy season is plagued with large amounts of standing water – which produce swarms of mosquitos. As a result, malaria is a great concern. Sadly, voodou temples are prominent in the village.
The time and resources of many dedicated WWV volunteers have enabled considerable improvement to the community. A water purification system was deployed there. North American medical providers have worked alongside a Haitian doctor,
nurses and a Haitian dentist at a Haitian owned and operated clinic. A deep water well has been funded, solving a desperate need. Lots of paint has been applied. Over 245 children at the Rosembert School run by Mislary Pierre received new TOMS Shoes and dental hygiene training. And, the most impactful contribution was the 2-bedroom house built by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities for Madame Jude who lost her home in the earthquake and was forced to live, with her multi- generational family, in two “tents” made from tarps and bed sheets. This family was blessed beyond words with their new living quarters.