Why I Give to the Haiti EcoVillage School

My travel group from Atlanta to Haiti in 2015. I am front row, second from the left.

When I first learned about the Haiti EcoVillage School, I never imagined it would become a mission so close to my heart.

In 2013, Gordon French came to speak with the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Mission Team about the EcoVillages. I admit I had reservations about Haiti, but I was fascinated by the vision of the villages and the determination of the people who were building a new future after the earthquake in 2010.

Several members of our mission team began attending planning meetings with other area churches. The villagers had communicated to the church groups that their greatest desire was to have a school for their children. Since so many in our congregation were educators, it seemed exactly the right way for us to serve.

In 2015, I had the privilege of traveling to Haiti to see the school project firsthand. We visited a village, met with our Haitian partner (MPP), and saw how families were learning to build new lives.  The school had only four classrooms, with third- and fourth-grade students sharing one room. Yet despite having so few resources, the teachers inspired me. They were giving these children hope for a better future. It was my first visit to a third-world country, and I came home with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the blessings I have simply because of where I was born.

We had brought a few school supplies and soccer balls. Standing there, our gifts seemed so small compared to the tremendous need. But the teachers and principal received them with genuine joy, and before long the soccer balls were being used during recess. That moment reminded me that even modest gifts can make a meaningful difference.

The Haiti EcoVillage School now serves students from kindergarten through ninth grade. It includes a kitchen and cafeteria where every child receives lunch during the school year.  Many times, this is their only source of nutrition for the day. Thanks to the partnership between the villagers, MPP, and faithful supporters, hundreds of children now have opportunities that simply did not exist before.

Over the years I have watched our relationship with MPP grow stronger. They have remained one of the few dependable organizations continuing to serve the Haitian people despite extraordinary challenges. Across Haiti, many schools have been forced to close because teachers are no longer being paid. Yet the EcoVillage School continues to thrive. The school remains open, teachers receive salaries, students keep learning, and hope remains alive.

When I think about everything I have witnessed, from four crowded classrooms to a thriving K-9 school, I know my support truly matters. I give because I have seen what faithful people can accomplish together. I give because education changes lives. And I give because every child deserves the opportunity to learn, dream, and build a better future.

By Ginger Stapley, Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church

August 2026

Survivor of 2010 Earthquake Provides Earthquake Relief Aid in 2021

Carlos arrives in earthquake disaster area to begin relief efforts.

A Haitian medical team from Hinche flew to Southern Haiti on August 15th only one day after a devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck centered around Les Cayes. Our friend, Carlos Sinfinice, was a member of this first response team. He is the oldest child of a family that lives in the Ecovillages in the Central Plateau of Haiti and has just graduated from medical school in April, 2021.

The university that sponsored the team was able to send them by air bypassing the gang-controlled area around Port au Prince. On day one, they started treating the injured and providing supplies to those in need. They then made their way to the Saint-Antoine de Jérémie Hospital which is located in an area only slightly impacted by the earthquake. From this functioning facility, they provided adequate care for the people.

Many of the survivors of this year’s earthquake lost all their material possessions and were living in the streets with no food or water. The aid the team offered was very welcomed. On the third day of their relief efforts, the area was struck by a hurricane which only added to the stress of the situation. As the storm cleared, the team continued their work of distributing food kits and providing necessary medical care.

Visit the photo gallery to see the team in action.

In a quieter moment, Carlos pauses to reflect on his many blessings. He writes, “Have you ever asked God why He loves you, why He protects you, why He does all these miracles in your life, when you don't feel different from the others yet you have the impression that He  chose you and that you have a great destiny.

This is how I feel.  I come from a poor family and here I am a doctor.  I was in Port-au-Prince during the earthquake of January 12, 2010. I was there. I almost fell victim.  I spent 2 months sleeping in the streets of Port-au-Prince not knowing whether I was going to eat or not.  And here it is, I am helping the earthquake victims.

One day when I was in the first year of faculty I missed 3 days of class because my only shoes were torn. And here today. I have about 4 or 5 pairs of shoes, and a car that is on the way.

 Why has God given so much. I am nothing but a sinner like the others.  But is it true how am I different?”

We are glad to know that Carlos and his friends are back in Hinche now. They are safe and fulfilled knowing that they were able to help some people. But they also know that the hard part is rebuilding the area impacted by the earthquake. This is a long process. Some of the people impacted by this year’s quake had not fully recovered from the impact of Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

This is not the first article we have written about Carlos and likely will not be the last. He is a remarkable young man. He is blessed by God and by our support of his journey.

Our mission isn’t to simply provide emergency relief and help with recovery. We are working to help Haitians build a better tomorrow.

Follow this link to view a gallery of photos Carlos was able to send during their relief efforts.

Team of doctors from Hinche among the first to reach victims of recent earthquake in Southern Haiti.

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:

 A Boy with a Future

 Meet Beatrice

 Haitian Students Love Math

  Please give generously to the Haiti Mission and "Give a Child a Chance"