The Children As Haiti is suffering an uncertain spiral, we think about the children. Children are the innocent victims who suffer the consequences of power, greed, and corruption. In this dark hour, we find solace and gratitude in the dedicated individuals rallying behind the mission of Haiti Scholars, both in the United States and Haiti. Despite the nation's ravages, our mission endures - to uplift and support the children. Wilna, our steadfast liaison in Haiti, diligently oversees the welfare of each student under our wing. Presently, they are safe. Though their families grapple to make ends meet, most of our scholarship students and the other students who attended Centre D'Etudes Lumiere before being forced to leave due to gang occupation are attending school in their relocated communities. Thank you for your continued support. Because of you, we can still provide a glimpse of hope to the precious children in Haiti. We ask that you continue to keep Haiti in your thoughts and prayers. A few messages from our children:

Good afternoon. I am happy to write you this letter. Thank you for my tuition. Please pray for me so that I can return home because I am not comfortable where I am now. Thank you so much, dear supporter.  Ribsensley Lorvendal.

am writing you this letter with all my heart to thank you for supporting my tuition and all other support. I succeeded in the 9th grade national exam. I love you so much and pray for your good health. Pray for my country, mainly me, so I can be smarter and keep moving forward in my school. Miranda Isaac Miranda is attending school in Carrefour, Haiti

I greet you in the name of Jesus almighty. How are you? I hope you are fine. For me, It's not really good because of the climate of insecurity. Thank you for being willing to support me, and to help me, thank you for all you do for me even though we are not family-related. You mean so much to me. Samil Francois Samil is attending school in Jeremie, Haiti.

I greet you in the name of Jesus, and I am so happy to write to you to thank you for all your support. Thank you for always thinking about me. Please pray for me because the situation in my country is terrible; pray for me so that I can go back home to live. I will continue to pray so that God blesses you more every day. Thanks. Nolson Joseph Nolson is attending school in Jeremie, Hai

Good afternoon. How are you? On my side, I am not fine because we were forced to leave our home because of the insecurity climate. Thank you so much for helping Sephora in her education and for other help. I will continue to pray for you so God bless you. Pray for my country so that I can return home. God bless you. Thanks. Sephora Milien's Family Sephora is attending school in Bainet, Haiti.

We remain vigilant guardians of our scholarship children, steadfast in our commitment to their well-being.

Living in the Midwest, April is the month we witness a glimpse ofwhat is to come. In my backyard the birds have returned; brightening my morning with their songs. I see the daffodils and tulips beginning to immerse in what was barren soil last month. The grass is starting to green. For me, Spring and Easter are the season of Hope and new beginnings. It is a time when life renews and awakens.

This past month with the help of donors and the compassion of Dr. Wilbert, we provided 465 physicals.  Last week, our scholarship students and teachers received dental cleaning. For many of these children, this was their first dental cleaning ever! Haiti Scholars believes we can grow this program, which is critical to a child's health. If you know any dentists, doctors, or organizations who would want to foster this program, please reach out to us.

Lea G (our full time nurse) continues her home visits and provides support and assistance to our sponsored students' families. Pastor Valcourt and Lea G have opened their home to one of our students, WoodJerry, for a meal and support.

Our students are hungry! This month we have been able to provide breakfast for students who are in great need of a meal. In addition, we  are able to feed our students before after school tutoring. We continue to reach out to organizations to find desperate help with this devastating situation of hungry children. 

The people of Haiti deal with a dark daily life of navigating the horrors of their country, gang violence, kidnappings, food shortage and political unrest. They await a spring when their life will not be a daily trauma. However, because of you, dedicated volunteers, Pastor Valcourt and Lea G's unfailing compassion, our friends in Haiti receive a glimpse of sunshine in their daily lives. Together, we provide a little hope to people who feel forgotten. For that, we are grateful and blessed. Through our programs and humanitarian support, our friends in Haiti receive a little glimpse of spring.

May you find Hope, Joy, and renewal in your soul as you enter spring and this Easter Season. 

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. 

Nicole Waite

President and Founder of Haiti Scholars

www.haitischolars.org

"What? How is this possible? I said. “Pastor Valcourt, we only sent you enough money to cover 400 physicals. Did I hear this right? 465 physicals given to children and teachers over 6 days! How is that possible?"

Pastor Valcourt shared that Wilbert (the head doctor from Compassion International) noticed many children needed physicals. So he gave the physicals at a reduced price, allowing more children to see doctors and get health care.

The gift of compassion shined through Wilbert and his team, who could not turn their back on our students and families desperately needing health care. His staff worked longer hours and more days and received less pay to meet the needs of seeing every child. My guess is that he and his team received a far greater gift of serving than the tangible gift of money. 

The Merriam Webster definition of compassion is: sympathetic consciousness  of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it. These physicals embodied the action of compassion by many who wanted to see children receive the gift of health.

Completing these physicals took many people working many hours together to make this possible. It was a partnership between the Haiti Scholars team of volunteers, gracious donors, Pastor Valcourt and Lea (our full-time nurse) and community members.

Physicals do not only provide health care; they offer this community the gift of hope. When Haiti cannot handle much more; due to the high inflation, lack of food, extreme gang activity, the community gets a reprieve. The community comes together to make this impactful and essential mission happen.

This week our Haiti Scholars team is overwhelmed with gratitude for the support of our donors, nurses, and volunteers who made our health physicals and all our impactful programs possible. It is overwhelming looking at the pictures of parents waiting for their child to receive a physical, nurses and doctors examining children, and parents sharing their thanks and gratitude. Compassion shined through every person who was giving and receiving the gift of health and the hope of healing.

The Gift of Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday. It is the day I intentionally celebrate people I love. Just ask my family. I have forever loved this day. It is simple, sweet, and for me, a blessing. You don't have to be in a relationship to celebrate this day. Just think of all the people who surround you with love and support. And I would include your furry friends!

This week, I received a wonderful gift when I put out a post of help.

My post said, "Asking for Help and Guidance. Running a nonprofit is something out of my comfort zone. However, it breaks my heart to know a child lacks proper nutrition to learn and live a healthy life. Currently, every child in our school needs a meal. Ninety-five children are malnourished. If you have any advice on implementing such a program, we welcome help and resources to explore. Mesi,

Nicole Waite

President of Haiti Scholars"

I put this post on all social media platforms. Guess what? People responded and sent me contacts. People I didn't know. Then some of those contacts reached back to me and shared their knowledge. They didn't need to do this. They didn't know me or really what Haiti Scholars is all about. One person was sick but still took the time to reach out immediately. They shared their wisdom, understanding, and advice. What a gift. I didn't find food for our students, but I found hope and tips to reach our goal of feeding starving children.

Then there is the gift YOU gave.

Pastor Valcourt and Lea sent me this message after I shared my post, "I didn't want to share this with you, but... the situation of the families is so difficult that they are obliged to send their children to school without food or to eat anything at times. So nurse Lea and I buy a box of sweets for the time to give to every child who visits the infirmary and hasn't eaten anything. Some of them came to the infirmary with a stomach ache. It's nothing but a need to eat."

Our team's hearts were heavy. It is a humanitarian crisis. So yesterday, we wired money to help these children who come to school with stomach aches so Pastor Valcourt and Lea can buy some food. We couldn't do this without your support.

So we continue our quest to find food for our students. So now I am reaching out to you. If you have any contacts or advice on how to move forward to find food for our students, please reach out to our teams at haitischolars@gmail.com

And on a side note, I wish every day would be Valentine's Day.

Nicole Waite

President of Haiti Scholars

The Importance of Healthcare

in Poverty-Stricken Haiti

By Mary Goetz

Nurse Lea at the Centre d’Etudes Lumiere School in Mariani, Haiti is a Godsend. There are approximately 625 students in the school that she cares for daily.  “With prayer, passion and love for community, God gives us the courage to work,” says Nurse Lea.

Our health team, Cam Daly and Debbie Phillips, along with Haiti Scholars president, Nicole Waite, recently met with Nurse Lea, Pastor Valcourt, and Gens (serving as translator) on a Zoom call. It was heartwarming for me to watch this collaboration among these caring professionals. The Haiti Scholars team works closely with Nurse Lea and Pastor Valcourt to ensure students’ healthcare needs are being met, while at the same time providing needed financial aid for services and medications. Here are some updates relating to this program:

• This spring students at Centre d’Etudes Lumiere will receive physical exams and medications for fever, pain, infection, vitamin deficiency and deworming. A nutritional assessment will also be completed, as it was determined at last year’s clinic that 101 students, six of those Haiti Scholars-sponsored students, were malnourished.

• Haiti Scholars will begin fundraising to cover costs of these physical exams and medications. Pastor Valcourt predicts that Haiti Scholars will provide funds for about 400 students, 48 teachers and 11 staff members or approximately 459 in total. 

• We have provided funds for medication, nutrition, including extra food kits for the six malnourished students this school year, along with health education and home visits.

• Nurse Lea has visited nine homes this school year, brought food to families and invited other Haiti Scholars-sponsored families to come to the school to pick up food kits. Nurse Lea: “The people are happy that you are thinking of them, sending staff members to their homes. They are very thankful.”

• The Haiti Scholars Health Team has asked Lea to track information about physical exams, medications dispersed and nutrition. Our team will use this data to make decisions about future needs.

What is the impact of a physical exam for a student?

• Provides much needed information about a student’s health by giving blood tests, which help to diagnose underlying diseases and all vitamin deficiencies. Doctors can then refer students for necessary interventions and determine required medications.

• Provides information such as height, weight, rashes, etc. 

What is the impact of our other programs for students and their families?

• We hope to include a dental checkup and cleaning this year and if a problem is evident, the student can be referred to a dentist.

• Children in Haiti can get parasites at a very young age, when they are most vulnerable and their immune system is not fully developed.  Haiti Scholars has provided deworming medications for all the students and treating these intestinal issues is the most effective method to improve school attendance.  If left untreated, a student's growth is affected because of improper nutrition, thus leading to their inability to concentrate and learn.  

• Vitamin A prevents skin rashes, respiratory issues, and eye ailments and for this to be absorbed, students need to have good nutrition, as food is the foundation for good health.

• Nutrition - Nurse Lea distributes groceries to families in their homes and provides education on preparation. This will have a long term positive effect, as families learn about hygiene and the importance of nutrition. 

• Health Education - Nurse Lea provides workshops for parents and students, educating them about current health issues, including cholera and ongoing preventative care.

Haiti Scholars is collaborating with the administration at Centre d’Etudes Lumiere School to make physical exams a reality. In order to be successful, we need to raise $12,000.

We are asking your consideration in making a donation to support this effort. Learning cannot take place if a child is sick. Your kindness and generosity will make a difference in the lives of many children.

The Zoom meeting came to a close with some loving comments all around:

Lea: “Thank you for your time. God will provide so the program will grow. God bless you.”

Pastor Valcourt: “I am thankful for the work of Lea and her God given ability to collaborate." Staff members say, “What is she made of?”

To which Debbie replied, “She is made of lots of love.”  Cam concurred, “God gives us the ability to be who we are and Lea is God’s hands and feet.”

Pastor Valcourt added, “The love of God can be seen in a person’s eyes. The Haiti Scholars team is also made of love.”

Pastor Valcourt never stops praying for us all.

January is off and running, and our students are in uniforms and ready to begin their new year. Our after-school tutoring program is underway. English lessons are in full force, and other programs like deworming and vitamin A continue. In addition, the community has worked hard to start building a new school. Four classrooms are completed and filled with students ready to learn.

Our nurse, Lea, works countless hours with students and families. When she visits a home, she greets the family with a bag of food. Our families are in great need of nourishment and support. She uses this time to build relationships with the family and the children we support. We feel blessed she serves on our Haiti Scholars team.

February is dedicated to our pouring "Health Love" on our students.

What does this mean? During February, we will be asking for your help to continue our impactful-life changing health programs. Because of your support, programs like deworming, vitamin A, a full-time nurse, home visits, a food program for malnourished students, medicine, and other health needs have been implemented. These programs are changing the lives of children who, without your assistance, children would not get these services.

We are so grateful for your help and support. We continue to pray that 2023 brings peace and love to this world. We look forward to February, when we can pour our love into the health of our precious children in Haiti.

Blessings

The Haiti Scholar Team

Vido link below.

https://youtu.be/pSRwf4TATA8

This week we celebrate the blessing of our students returning to school after months of unrest, gang violence, and uncertainty. We celebrate the success of HaitiFest as we raised over $15,000 to help serve valuable programs.

It was an evening where local volunteers and our partners in Haiti came together to bring awareness, community, and hope to children with unimaginable life circumstances and hardships.

Thank you to all who supported this event by volunteering, donating, or supporting our mission to make quality education possible for children in Haiti.

Please take a moment to watch a short video created by Haiti Scholars and our team in Haiti sharing the impact your support has on our mission and how Haiti Scholars has changed the lives of students, parents, teachers and community in Mariani.

Teachers and Staff Don't Give UP!.pdf

Mission Moments byMary Goetz

Physical Exams and Healthcare Are Making a Difference in Haiti 

During the week of March 14-19, 2022, many lives were changed in our partner school in Haiti. 447 students and staff received much needed physical exams at Centre d'Etudes Lumiere in Mariani, Haiti. This amazing feat was accomplished thanks to generous donors in the U.S. What a difference a $15 donation can make in a person’s life. It’s truly a miracle. The teachers, staff, and students’ families at the school have no health insurance and little money to pay for doctor visits, so these physical exams are critical to providing adequate healthcare.

Camilla Daly and Debbie Phillips, our Haiti Scholars, Inc. Health Team initiated this project last year. At that time, 289 children received physical exams. This year after conferring with Pastor Valcourt, we were able to receive enough money to examine 447 students and staff. We feel blessed to be able to provide so many individuals with this needed exam. We had an overwhelming number of contributions to the campaign this year. This project would not have been possible without financial support from our Haiti Scholars donors. Thank you for giving so generously!

Message from Pastor Valcourt:

“We had a very good week of medical activities with physicals of students (including parents), teachers, support staff and management staff. All were motivated to make this program successful and to receive health care. A total of 447 people benefited from a medical check up thanks to Haiti Scholars. On behalf of the community, I thank you and all those who have infinitely contributed in one way or another to the success of the program."

Haiti Scholars has worked in partnership with Centre d’Etudes Lumiere since 2018. Prior to the physical exam campaign, Haiti Scholars provided hand washing stations for the school.  Also, each student received deworming medicine and Vitamin A supplements. We have found that many Haitian children at the school were lacking vitamin A due to malnutrition.  In September of 2021, thanks to Pregis’ generous donation, each family of students, teachers, and staff  received an Uzima Water Filter for their home. In addition, the school now has water filters. Our hope is that the water filtration systems will help with gastrointestinal problems.

Prior to Haiti Scholars health programs, parents never had the opportunity to help their children stay healthy. During the physical exams,  medications were given if needed,  for pain, anti-diarrhea/gastrointestinal problems, and skin rashes. The end result of the Haiti Scholars health initiative is that it provides  parents with the knowledge for proper nutrition and hygiene so their children can thrive. A detailed report will be given to parents following each child’s physical exam. These reports provide important information for parents and for our health team. 

Our health team (Camilla and Debbie) will continue working with Pastor Valcourt and Mrs. Lea G. Valcourt, the full-time nurse, via zoom to learn about and support the students and staff in Mariani. As Camilla Daly stated, “Praise to them. They live in an environment that can be unsafe. They have a solid faith in God, which never ceases to amaze me. There is no complaining. They never give up. Pastor Valcourt’s determination and faith is so important.”

Thank you so much for your generosity to make the physical exam program a success in Haiti! We appreciate your generous donations, which are making a huge difference in the lives of so many.

Meet Josue Etienne  (Part 1)

Josue Etienne is a native born Haitian young man who has a passion for helping the children and people of Haiti. We are honored to have him serving on our Haiti Scholars Board. I asked Josue, “ How do you feel serving on the Haiti Scholars Board?” A resounding, “I love it! This is a great opportunity for me to give back to the people of Haiti for what God has done for me. He will use me to help other people.” Josue is instrumental in helping with our understanding about the people of Haiti and the school in Mariani in particular. He translates for Pastor Valcourt and talks to him on a regular basis. Josue advises us and is a wonderful resource. He has also spoken to our scholarship students at the school via zoom. I asked what he said to the students.  He told them to “Love God, love your parents, listen to your parents and teachers. Be good and success will follow. Life is not easy, nothing is given to you, but work hard now and you will have a better life tomorrow.”

Early life in Haiti

Josue grew up in Carrefour, Haiti, not far from Port-au-Prince and not far from the Centre D’Etudes Lumiere School in Mariani. He was a hard working student and he always wanted to do well in school. He had more opportunities at the school in Carrefour because it was larger than the one in Mariani. He learned some English, but Haitian Creole was the primary language. Some teachers also taught in French. Josue faced many challenges growing up in Haiti. His family was not wealthy, but his parents did all that they could to make sure their eight children received an education. Josue’s father worked at the school and the church. After leaving the work at the school, his father started a small grocery business. He continued to work at the church on a voluntary basis. The church helped pay tuition for the family one child at a time. Other challenges growing up in Haiti in the 1990s included crime and unrest. “You didn’t know if it was safe to go to school. You didn’t know if you would get kidnapped. It was really bad.” Josue went on to attend college for five years to study public administration. He never received his papers from those years.

Josue joined the Praying Pelicans mission organization in about 2011. Praying Pelicans “exists to build up, encourage, and assist the local Church in serving and reaching their communities for Christ.” That is exactly what Josue did for the church and school in Mariani. In 2015, he met Nicole Waite, the president of Haiti Scholars, Inc. who was in Haiti on a mission trip with Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church (OSLC). Josue’s job was to help the high school group and chaperones from Naperville, IL with lodging, transportation, food and faith. 

Part 2 of the story of Josue Etienne will be available next month on the Haiti Scholars website: haitischolars.org

Josue Etienne (Part 2)

Josue Etienne is a native born Haitian young man who has a passion for helping the children and people of Haiti. We are honored to have him serving on our Haiti Scholars Board. This is the second part of Josue’s story. Part I was published on the Haiti Scholars website in March 2022.

Life in the U.S.

Josue’s parents and most of his siblings had relocated to the U.S. He spent some time with them in Florida and Alabama and thought he would stay there. Then Scott Peterson, who met Josue on one of those OSLC mission trips, reached out to him. He asked if Josue would be interested in enrolling in an English immersion program at North Central College in Naperville. “Yes!” was Josue’s response. He came to Naperville, took the TOEFL test and gained admission into the program. Josue has been adjusting to American culture ever since. He finished the program at North Central College, then studied business management for two years at the College of DuPage. He has been living in Lisle, Illinois for four years. Along with all of his studies, Josue has been working as an account manager for a local marketing company. He is grateful for living in the U.S. due to the many opportunities he has here. “There is freedom to work here and make money.” Josue is grateful for so many things: his job, Uber Eats, Door Dash, Uber, Lyft, etc. “It’s so great to have a car here. That was not possible in Haiti because maintenance and gas are so expensive.”

Challenges in the U.S.

Josue admits that it is hard for him living in the US. It is hard for him to meet people. He has some friends through Haiti Scholars, but it’s a different culture in the U.S. Learning those cultural differences and nuances is an ongoing process. People here might get offended by a comment like, “She is big.” Whereas, in Haiti, that comment is just a statement of fact and no feelings are hurt. The language poses challenges on a daily basis. “English is my second language. It’s hard sometimes. It would be so much easier if English was my first language.” Josue is reminded about cultural and social differences daily between the U.S. and his native Haiti.

Faith, Family, Goals

Josue said, “My life is about my faith. Any decision I make on earth is just short term. I will spend eternity with Him.” Josue has had many people influence him through the years: his parents, teachers, Bible School teachers and friends. He would love to have his own family, finish his degree and get a better job. Then he said that he would really like to start his own business.

Josue lives and believes all of the things that he told those young students in Haiti.

“Love God. Love your parents. Listen to your parents and teachers. Be good and success will follow. Life is not easy and nothing is given to you. Work hard now for a better life tomorrow.”

A great positive message for us all. Thank you Josue!