Our Teachers are our Heroes
Teachers are the backbone of the EcoVillage school. They serve not only as educators but also as mentors and role models, shaping the future of the children they teach. All are experienced in the classroom, with most having several years teaching in the EcoVillage School. From year-to-year turnover is almost nonexistent. This is crucial since educational materials are in short supply while classrooms are bursting at the seams with the arrival of refugee children whose families have escaped the violence of the big cities. Chalk and blackboard are their chief teaching aids. These are challenging times to be a teacher at the school.
You would expect all of this to weigh on student performance. Not so. The students have continued to excel in their studies. Over 82% of last year’s students progressed to the next grade level. Results of the national gateway exams were outstanding, with a high percentage of our 9th graders passing, allowing them to advance to high school. This success is a direct result of our dedicated teachers, who are committed to maintaining high educational standards despite limited resources. These accomplishments have helped the EcoVillage School maintain its national accreditation, which is particularly significant in a country where most schools have been forced to close due to lack of funding and support.
Now for some irony. The Haitian government is virtually nonexistent -- no president, no legislature -- but the Ministry of Education continues its role by adding requirements to the curriculum. It has mandated the addition of three new subjects: technology, the arts and physical fitness. All good things. But the Ministry, which is required by the Haitian Constitution to pay educators like the ones at the EcoVillage School, offers not one cent. Mandates without financial support for strapped schools to meet them simply adds more stresses. Oh, well. At least it’s worth knowing that employees at the Ministry probably aren’t being paid, either.
In addition to these external factors adding pressure to teachers, inflation and the devaluation of the Haitian currency has eaten into the spending power of teachers’ pay. Plus, transportation is more difficult and fraught with the sketchy availability of gas and the spread of gang violence. Most EcoVillage teachers live at least 5 miles away. Because of these concerns, the Atlanta Partnership has committed to increasing the salaries of the teachers. It’s only fair. Teacher salaries have averaged $2000-2200…per year.
Since teacher salaries are the lion’s share of the school budget, even a modest increase puts additional pressure on our fundraising. This makes your support ever more critical. Your contributions are shaping a brighter future for the children of Haiti. Thank you.
Meeting Medical Needs at the Haiti EcoVillage School
Young children are active, curious and often susceptible to minor injuries or sudden illnesses. These health concerns are an unavoidable part of daily life, especially in a school setting. Being able to respond quickly and effectively is vital.
The Haiti EcoVillage School is in a rural area and access to medical care is quite limited or delayed. Children often skin a knee or become ill during the day. Without any medical supplies available, the school principal would need to take students to the hospital in Hinche. Director Ramain recognized a well-stocked medical kit on site would allow the school to address these issues promptly, providing comfort and immediate care to students, addressing both their physical and emotional well-being.
Ramain requested contents of the kit to reflect the diverse needs of the school community. Items like bandages, antiseptics, and pain relief medications are essential for treating everyday cuts, bruises, and minor illnesses. Meanwhile, supplies like sanitary napkins and diapers ensure that all students, regardless of age or gender, can maintain their dignity and comfort throughout the school day.
There are no funds to purchase these medical supplies within the school budget. One of our supporters provided a designated gift so that Director Ramain can purchase these needed supplies. This gift is consistent with our core value to provide what the Haitian people need to help themselves.
By maintaining a comprehensive medical kit, Haiti EcoVillage School shows a commitment to creating a safe and nurturing environment. In a place where external challenges can feel overwhelming, the ability to provide basic healthcare supplies is a small but powerful step toward building a stronger, more resilient community.
So, How are Families in the EcoVillages Doing?
If you follow the news at all, you know that the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated at his home on July 7th. You may also know that 4 days prior to the assassination, Haiti was struck by Hurricane Elsa. These events happened while the country was struggling with political crisis, economic hardships and the coronavirus pandemic. My friends who know that I follow events in Haiti very closely have said "Boy, they just can't catch a break. Can they?"
It is true that political upheaval, bad weather events and economic hardship have been the story of Haiti for many years. It does seem like things have gotten a lot worse. For me, this is personal because I have friends in Haiti. Here in Atlanta, I have friends that have family in Haiti. So, while the seemingly insurmountable problems in Haiti are real, my concern lies with how our friends are impacted by all that is happening.
It is too dangerous to travel to Haiti right now. In fact, our friends tell us that it's too dangerous to travel in Haiti in many areas. Gang violence is on the rise. Kidnappings and murders are happening with little consequence to the perpetrators.
We are still able to communicate to our friends in Haiti via email and text messages. We have made friends with some of the people we have met in the EcoVillages, and they can now provide first-hand testimony to the conditions in the villages. (Their photos are above.)
Heguel (pictured above with Pat Murphy & David Evans) lives in village 6. He says, "Every day I speak to the people from EcoVillages where I live. Everything is going well in the countryside, most of the problems are in Port au Prince."
Carlos (pictured with his family, Jeanine, and myself) is a doctor living in Hinche. His family lives in village 4. He describes the situation as "the country is still in a very volatile calm". He goes on to say "… everyone remains vigilant about not knowing what will happen."
Donald (pictured with his family and me in 2017) describes his attitude this way: "For things that concern politics in Haiti, this causes a lot of difficulty but despite everything I put everything in the hands of our savior Jesus Christ".
Germeil (pictured with his wife, his church and our mission group in 2017) is a pastor with whom we worshiped together on Easter Sunday. He says "We are doing well and the gardens are going well with the grace of God. We hold the brethren of Atlanta firmly in memory of our prayers and thoughts."
The silver lining is that the people still have homes in the EcoVillages. The rains have been plentiful so they should have a good year in their gardens. These past 2 years have presented many setbacks, but life goes on in the villages.
The school is out for summer and will be in session this Fall. With the strong, continued support of our donors and oversight by MPP, the children will learn and teachers will be paid.
If you want to hear first-hand testimony from a villager, you are in luck! One of the villagers will be coming to Atlanta and you can meet him on August 1st. Click here to see that invitation.
COVID and the Big Test at the Ecovillage School
COVID is peaking in Haiti and it is adding grief and loss to this country. And we just learned from a villager that our school in the EcoVIllage (along with all schools in Haiti) has been closed by the Ministry. We don’t know how long this will continue or how it will impact our class taking their exams.
This is an important year in the life of the School in the EcoVillages of Haiti. For the first time ever, since opening eight years ago, our EcoVillage School has a ninth grade class! Like many countries around the world, Haiti issues a test at the end of the school year to determine if a child is able to attend high school.
The test is called the "9th AF Exam" and will be issued in July 12-14, 2021. There will be 15 children from the EcoVillage school taking the test. Four of those children have attended our school each of the 8 years it has been open. We have profiled some of these children before and you can read their stories here:
Please give generously to the Haiti Mission and "Give a Child a Chance"
Searching for that meaningful (affordable) gift for a special teacher?
Consider making a donation to the Haiti EcoVillage School to honor the teachers in your life today. We will mail you the card for your child to present, or we will mail the card to the teacher you are honoring. Donate here and email the number of cards you need and your instructions for mailing. Thank you for supporting and affirming learning!
Thanksgiving in The EcoVillages
As we gather with our families and friends to express gratitude for our blessings, a different kind of “thanks” giving emanates from the people of the EcoVillages. This Haitian version of gratitude is directed towards YOU.
They are thankful for your gift of learning. You have helped provide the classroom, the workbook, the teacher and the full belly for this child to learn. And 266 other kids like him. When we visited in October, parents and children asked us to deliver this message to you. “Mesi!”
They are thankful for your gift of community. The school has become the center of community life. People collaborate to raise the food that feeds the kids so they can learn. “Mesi.”
They are thankful for the gift of optimism. For people who are rebuilding their lives from the personal devastation of earthquake, from the uncertainty of endless days in tent cities and from the hungry months of drought in their new homes, optimism is an incredible contrast. Make no mistake. It has been and still is hard, requiring enormous resilience just to keep going. They have done the backbreaking work required to scratch a living from fallow soil. They have had to adapt to living among people who were strangers in the beginning. But now they can see the results. The EcoVillages are lush with growing food. Children play with abandon like children are supposed to play. Parents see the possibility of a more prosperous life where there is something left over after the family has eaten. They are optimistic that they will control their own destiny soon and that their own efforts will sustain their school.
They want you to know how they feel about your support: “Mesi. Mesi anpil.”
On this Thanksgiving as you express your gratitude for the ways others have enriched your life, hear the voices of your unseen friends. You have done a good thing. Let their Mesi brighten your holiday.
Insights from my first visit to the EcoVillages of Haiti
U.S. Americans tell me, “Haitians are poor.” Haitians tell me, “we aren’t poor, we are happy.” On this, my first trip to Haiti, I have come to believe the truth is dependent on one’s perspective.
Haiti is a land plagued by hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tropical storms, and waves of cholera. Records going back to the 1700’s show this, and the inhabitants know more will come. The earthquake of 2010 is probably the worst tragedy most have experienced in their lifetime. The country is still struggling to come back from the severe devastation and loss of life it caused. There is still a lack of infrastructure, paved roads, repaired bridges, unclean drinking water, food shortages, crowding, unsanitary living conditions, health issues, and high unemployment.
For Haitians it doesn’t help to dwell on a past that can’t be changed or fear a future that is unknown, yet will inevitably bring more disasters with it. They focus on living in the present: learning what they can each day, understanding it fully, improving what they can – so the future will be better too.
Getting through hard times is easier if one has support from others. Pooling resources and sharing helps everyone. 60 disparate families that came together after the 2010 earthquake to build a community with the help of an Haitian organization, MPP. First MPP helped them get shelter and food. The next thing the families fought for was a school for their children. With the help of the Atlanta Partnership for the Haiti EcoVillage School and the UUSC, the villages now have a nationally certified school. Every family works in the school garden so the children have food at school.
Now each village is tending goats, growing manioc, goat feed and moringa. They are working together so the village can become self-sustaining and bring in some income from these products. They started learning to sew over a year ago. They make school uniforms for their children and hope to sew them for surrounding schools as well. This is a joint effort of all the EcoVillages. In observing this group I saw them working hard, hours long without a break, yet they laugh and tease one another as well. Small children come to work with their mothers. When the older children come in after school they help take care of their siblings and seem to enjoy playing with them. When I visited the school the children all smiled and laughed and were eager to learn.
The U.S. seems so different. It is an individualistic society where often suburbanites drive into their garage and walk directly into their house without seeing anyone. When we pass someone in the grocery store, we seldom know or greet one another. We have individual goals – a more prestigious position at work, a better car, a bigger house. We work long hours under great stress to “make it” in our jobs. Many people live alone and are lonely. That is not to say we are unhappy, for we are fortunate in many ways.
In contrast in the EcoVillages of Haiti everyone lives together, works together, and struggles together. The individual depends on the community for spiritual and emotional health. One Haitian, who moved to the U.S. and then came back to live again in Haiti, told me stress in Haiti is different. In the U.S. we are under a lot of pressure to succeed and build a career and to have material possessions. In Haiti happiness is independent of the physical. It is based on family and community.
Haitians are proud, proud of their heritage, proud of their culture, and of what they have accomplished. They need and want the help U.S. Americans are giving them but they do not want to be told what to do and how to manage their affairs. They want the relationship to be one of mutual respect.
So, are Haitians happy or poor? Happiness seems indeed to be a matter of perspective. Despite meagre physical infrastructure, money, and comforts Haitians are happy for they have what they value most, community and family. We could all learn something from them. I know I have.
Written by Marty Maxwell
Life Improves in the EcoVillages
Education. Enrollment at the school has grown from 170 last year to 267 this year. A new 7th grade classroom was added.
The thirst for learning is contagious. Parents are now clamoring for adult literacy classes so that they can learn to read and help their kids in school.
Electricity. It doesn’t look like much, but a pole can be a beautiful thing. Our partners at the Unitarian-Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) in Boston approved a grant to bring electricity to the six EcoVillages this year. The power is now on! There is a pole next to the community center building in each village which provides light at night. Residents must buy a meter to bring power to their own homes, which some have already done. Residents are already imagining how their lives might change.
Water. Wells in two of the villages were broken last year. UUSC paid to have them fixed. Now there is nearby water for everyone. Clean clothes feel good.
Food. Everywhere you look there is food: congo beans, cassava, plantains, papaya, bananas, peppers, cabbage, squash. You even hear chickens peck and goats bleat and an occasional pig grunt. The days of empty pots and lean harvests are behind them – at least for now.
Collaboration. Parents understand that they must coordinate their efforts to grow food for school lunches. Thanks in part to a grant from PATH (Atlanta’s Presbyterian Answer to Hunger) new school gardens have been planted, expanding their contribution dramatically. Hot, organic meals are served to the students every day of the week. Cassava came in this month, cabbage next week and squash in November. As a result, the school budget for food has been slashed so that precious funds can be allocated elsewhere.
When asked about his life in the village, one man replied matter-of-factly, “Sometimes it’s good, sometimes not.” In other words, for many life has returned to familiar routines. The struggle for basics -- survival and safety and a place to belong – is being replaced by the struggle to get ahead. You know -- normalcy.
Party Planning
Plans for the 4th Annual Flavors of Haiti are underway! As we prepare for our one fundraising event of the year, we try to consider ways to make the event meaningful, inviting and fun. We want to raise funds, and we want our guests to feel energized and enthusiastic and educated about the impact their support makes.
These critical components of party-planning are also basics in community building. As we have worked to build a school, we have worked to build community in Atlanta with our three-church partnership and to build community with our friends in Haiti. We are excited, enthusiastic and energized! We celebrate the new friendships, relationships, understandings and potential for the future that these years have provided.
We invite you to come to the Party! April 15th, 5:30-7:30pm. Meet the person who founded the EcoVillages. Hear the leader who inspired us to build the school. Learn about the families who have hope because of the communities that support them.
Building from Bricks to Business Development
As we begin our fifth year with our school project, we celebrate the accomplishments and the beautiful school that is central to the lives of the EcoVillages.
We also recognize the impact of the crippling poverty on these families. They work hard and struggle to find ways to provide income for themselves and for supporting the school.
We realize the key to the future of the school is the ability of the families to become self-sufficient. We need business-minded friends to share their ideas and expertise with us as we search for ways to support the work of the families.
Gather with others to share food, friendship and your ideas. Join us to apply what you know to the challenging situation facing the people of the EcoVillages.
Dinner and Brainstorming, Saturday, January 20, 2018, 7:00p-8:30pm
For more info or to RSVP: sowseedsofhope@gmail.com by Jan. 17