“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
— Genesis 1:26
GWO MACHÉ MIRAK
This year we saw the Gwo Maché Mirak (Grand Miracle Market) expand and bring more jobs to the area. More vendors were added to the marketplace and we held several fantastic events for the people of the area that packed the house. We are also seeing more moms and dads that are able to take better care of their families because of jobs. When Président Jovenel Moïse became the president of Haiti in February, one of his first public appearances was at the Gwo Maché Mirak. We gave him a warm welcome. What an honor it was to have the President of Haiti come and make his first public speech. He loves the marketplace and what it has done for the Haitian people. I personally believe Jovenel Moïse will be the best president Haiti has ever had. He will help change this nation for the better.
On February 10th, and over a three-day period, we held a great event at the Gwo Maché Mirak! We unveiled our latest project. We dedicated our recently completed construction project – the “Epi d’Or” restaurant! This is another sustainability project inside the marketplace that is “Helping Haitians Help Themselves!” The team of La Bonne Nouvelle (#1 rated television show in Haiti) was there shooting footage for the show. Our good friends Joel and Yvonne Trimble and so many other special guests were with us.
There were a lot of activities happening at Gwo Maché Mirak this past year! This one-of-a-kind marketplace in Haiti has changed the way Haitians do business and is helping them to create self-sustainable lives. The people also celebrated the anniversary of the Fond Parisien village! Several thousand people came through the marketplace and celebrated the third anniversary. Thank you, Pastor Jentezen Franklin and your Kingdom Connection partners for the funds to build this Grand Miracle Market! Just look at how this community is changing, and we are always sharing Christ there!
We held a Gospel Sing Crusade in July, where the famous Haitian cultural singer “Rutshelle” performed. We had other great groups too. Rutshelle visited our Love A Child children and sang with them before the concert started. They love her! One evening around 10:30 PM, Sherry and I got up before several thousand young people and gave witness for Christ. Everyone sang until 3:00 AM! These young people can stay up late and rock! Gwo Maché Mirak is a testimony of what God can do. This is a sustainability project, where Haitians are helping themselves. Special thanks to Oriol and all the hard working Haitians for putting all this together!
Gwo Maché Mirak is bringing great opportunities to the Haitian people in the area. It promotes job growth with all the vendors, those who work in the restaurants, the new Abatwa (Butcher Shop), and other jobs that bring income to the many poor people of Haiti, helping to lift them out of poverty while giving them dignity and a future for their families. We want to thank all the people who spent hundreds of hours to make this a reality in Fond Parisien.
AGRICULTURAL TRAINING CENTER
One of the best ways to “Help Haitians Help Themselves,” is through our sustainability outreaches. Haitians want to work to improve their lives and take care of themselves. Through our Agricultural Training Programs, we teach them ways to improve their land so they can have bountiful gardens to raise food for their families and even have extra to sell in local markets.
We are having great success with our programs including a two-year training program and a three-week program. These programs bring Haitian men and women from surrounding villages to our Agricultural Training Center to learn hands-on techniques for erosion control, composting, organic fertilizers, pest control, irrigation, and other sustainable methods of Farming God’s Way. Thank you, partners, for showing faith in our programs and wanting to help improve the lives of Haitians by teaching them sustainability.
These are the proud students at the Agricultural Training Center (ATC). They had just completed the ATC Extension- (three week) Training Program going on this past year. The students learned all about agronomy—soil science, and how to prepare a suitable soil medium to improve a garden spot, which may have started out as a raw, barren, unproductive patch of weeds. This training gives these Haitians the ability to grow productive gardens to feed their families and sell vegetables in their community. I love seeing how happy and proud they are of their opportunity to participate in this Sustainability Program—Helping Haitians to become self-sufficient and increase their food security. Thank you to the donors who supported this program through scholarships for these students. Your faithful support is helping to change lives for generations by helping to provide “food for tomorrow.”
POUL MIRAK
The Poul Mirak Co-operatif (Miracle Chicken Co-op) program did better than we expected this past year. The Haitians involved with these programs are very happy that they have meaningful jobs and they recognize the importance of what they are doing for their whole community. The chicken co-op is really doing well and we are so proud of the men and what they have learned. They have been good “chicken farmers” for some time now, with their production numbers and results meeting or exceeding the averages for Haiti. Their birds are big, plump, clean and content and buyers favor Poul Mirak birds over others.
Without the courage and foresight of Mike Welch and the World Poultry Foundation, this unique co-op model would not have given these men the opportunity to rise to this level of success. Their lives are dramatically changed. When I asked them why they thought their life is so good now, without hesitation they all raised their hands to the sky and cried “Bondye” (God in Creole). They give God the glory and are very thankful for Mike Welch, and the Love A Child partners. Meet our Poul Mirak members.
One of the objectives of the Poul Mirak chicken co-op was to provide a place for training for more jobs in business and food production in Haiti. We are now ready to extend the success of this program to others throughout Haiti. It is a residential program where students will live, learn and work together at our Agricultural Training Center (ATC) bunkhouse and the Poul Mirak chicken co-op farm. Upon completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to raise chickens for meat and eggs either for consumption or as a small business enterprise.
REFORESTATION
We planted hundreds of trees throughout the region this year. Our ATC Director, Wilner teaches his students about tree planting as part of improving the soil and helping to stop the erosion, which has devastated this country. They planted Moringa trees, lemon and orange trees, avocados, Paulownia trees and many others. Special thanks to Rad Hazelip, whose vision and hard work has made this a success! Students are caring for the plants in the nursery that will be planted in the next few months.
Wilner, our wonderful Director of our Agricultural Training Center, had classes in agriculture with our children at our Love A Child Miracle Village School. These little ones are learning about growing trees and protecting the soil of Haiti! They will be teaching the next generation to care for the land. God bless you Wilner, and all our partners!
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES
Our Appropriate Technologies initiative produced several options to the Haitians to improve the environment in which they live. We introduced sustainable, small-scale technologies that were affordable and can have an immediate improvement in time-savings, comfort, health, and safety in daily family life. Rocket stoves are much faster, safer and use less fuel; therefore they are better for the environment. This is one of the first steps to a better ecologic solution than cutting down trees for cooking fuel and destroying the landscape. The “arborloo” is a communal composting toilet that is re-locatable, which provides improved hygiene and sanitation for a village.
Our Moringa production jumped to new heights this past year. You have heard us speak about Madamn Sonja who has been harvesting the leaves from the thousands of Moringa trees we have planted in the last five years. The leaves are dried in a solar dehydrator, then crushed into a powder and sold as a food supplement, medicine, and several other health uses for this miracle plant.
These are the many sustainability programs we are supporting and we are seeing great results. These programs have multiple purposes, showing how all these programs support each other and lift the Haitian people out of poverty for those who want to work. We teach them how, and they put in the work… Many Haitians are now seeing a vast difference in their lives, because they now have means to make a living and support their families and their community.
JOBS FOR THE POOR
Women Starting a Business
“Look What She’s Selling Now!”
Do you remember when our Haitian Pastor Joseph and Evangelist Peter first met Madamn Charles? They were in the “village that makes mud cookies” in Sapaterre. Madamn Charles did not want anyone coming into their village because they didn’t trust the “Americans.” She said, “Those people take pictures, make promises and never do anything.” Peter and Joseph told them about us, and they invited us to their village. Then, we started a feeding program…and then a great crusade! After that, we had to “build a church” because there were so many converts! Then, we had a Mobile Medical Clinic, and then, we began to find sponsors for five of the ladies of the village. All these women from Sapaterre were able to start a small business because some of our partners sponsored these ladies. Thank you for bringing hope to the women in the village of mud cookies.
Thank you partners for helping change lives in Haiti every day. Please, hear the “cry of the poor,” and “do something” today. And when you do, God will bless you for “considering the poor!” (Psalm 41:1-3) If you would like to speak directly to one of our staff members, please call 239-210-6107 or email us at [email protected].
We look forward to 2018 and seeing all that God has intended for Love A Child. Thank you to our partners and sponsors who made all this happen in Haiti in 2017. Look for my next journal of the 2017 Year in Review series to see all the things we have done with your help. God did so many great things that we want to share with all of you. You can view 2017 Year in Review – Part One and 2017 Year in Review – Part Two of my journal page.
God Bless,
Sherry