Listing, listening, learning

A delegation travels to the EcoVillages next week to listen and learn. On Wednesday 13 April four representatives from the Atlanta Church Group arrive in Haiti. They will meet with the leaders of MPP to set goals for the upcoming period. They will see the school and meet with the school director and absorb the joy of children learning. 

Follow our News blog to see updated photos and posts as they travel. Hold the hopes of the community in your hearts as they seek ways to change the futures for so many. 

TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN – MARCH 5, 7 TO 10PM

Please Join Us!

You are invited to TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN:  A Celebration of the Haitian Eco Villages School on Saturday, March 5, 7 to 10pm at Decatur Art House.    All are welcome who have a heart for service and education. You can support our Haitian brothers and sisters striving for self-sufficiency, the flourishing of the eco-villages, and the thriving of the eco-village school - and have a little fun too!  Please register by March 1 at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taste-of-the-caribbean-a-fundraiser-for-the-haitian-eco-villages-school-tickets-21134983304

What’s Up with Those Goats?

December 12, 2015 –

Now in its second year, the Holiday Gift Program is off to a great start.  North Decatur Presbyterian Church sold 5 goats 2 Seed kits and 3 bags of seeds at their Alternative Gift Mart last weekend.  Emory Presbyterian and Good Shepherd Presbyterian will be offering goats and seeds for sale each of the next 2 Sundays.

Last year’s donations provided 20 goats to the villages in the Spring of 2015.  There are now 47 goats in the program due to successful breeding.  It is estimated that once the herd gets to about 200 goats, the program will provide needed cash for the school and sustain itself.

First discussed during our trip in October 2014, it was suggested that the parents could start a livestock program to benefit the school.  The “revolving model” for this program starts with the recipient of a pregnant goat. The first offspring goes to the school and the 2nd offspring to a community member not in an eco-village, and then they get to keep the future offspring.  

So last year at Christmas time, we created the Holiday Gift Giving Program where givers can purchase an animal or seeds to benefit the school and the donor gets a card to give as a gift.  This model has been a successful holiday tradition to benefit third world people and made popular through organizations like Heifer Int’l.

When you travel through rural Haiti, you’ll see goats all along the side of the road usually tied to a tree or a cactus.  The people raise goats for their meat and many of the meals we were served during our visit in Haiti featured goat meat.  Raising goats for breeding and later sale is one way that parents are able to contribute to the funding of the school’s operations.

MPP encourages collective care of animals in each village.  So whatever animals we end up funding, they will be equitably distributed throughout the villages.  

To purchase a goat or bag of seed to benefit the Ecovillages people, see Becky Evans @ North Decatur PC, Kathyrn Hornsby @ Emory PC, or Ginger Stapley @ Good Shepherd.

- Article submitted by C. Calia

Holiday Livestock and Seed Gift Program

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Give a Goat. Help the EcoVillages families support their children's education!

What better way to make Christmas meaningful than with a gift from Seeds

of Hope?  You can be a part of a growing holiday tradition by investing in a

sustainable future for the families of the EcoVillage School in Haiti.

Instead of material items, choose to honor your friends and loved ones with

gifts that help struggling Haitian families provide for their children's

education.  Every goat or bag of seeds given by you this Christmas is an investment in

helping the EcoVillage families grow their crops and livestock, with the

proceeds going towards covering the operating costs of the school. 

2015 Goal

2 Male Goats per Village; 1 Goat per Family = 12 Male Goats and 60 Female Goats

Thank You!

Here's are examples of how your gifts will be spent. 

$1000    Dairy Cow

$ 650    Stud Male Hybrid Goat

$ 350    Male Smaller Goat

$ 120     Female Hybrid Goat

$100      Seed Kit - with tools

$ 20       Bag of Seeds

You can click the Donate button below to access the paypal site.  All donations are processed through our member church and go directly to support this program in Haiti. If you would like to make a specific donation, please email your wishes to sowseedsofhope@gmail.com.  Thanks for making wishes come true!

Are You Overwhelmed Yet?

Our group left the MPP compound this morning, said our good-byes and headed back to Port au Prince.  As we compare notes on all the meetings of yesterday, it's pretty clear that all the leaders at MPP and the Ecovillages are on the same page.  We've seen much progress and discussed plans for ways that the children can get fed and the teachers to get paid.  At the same time, it's apparent it's going to take a while to get there.  Where's all the money going to come from to build more classrooms and fund operations until the school is self-sufficient?  It's too overwhelming to think about that and so I revert to thinking about one step at a time.

Along the road back to the city, there is an endless stream of humanity.  A few people travel in cars, some on motorcycle and the majority are walking.  They walk to get to market carrying what they can to sell.  Or perhaps they're returning from market with a few items they've purchased. There is dust everywhere kicked up from the dirty roads.  Congestion on the road is so bad a times that it's a miracle that more people are not run over.  At the same time, we observe that they are well groomed and wearing shoes.  We don't see any evidence of starvation.  It's a tough life and it's hard to see how it could ever improve.  It's overwhelming.

After our return to Port au Prince, we go out for a "fast food" lunch.  I had brown rice, chicken, vegetables, bottled water and a beer.  It cost $6 and the food was tasty.  We had planned to be tourists for the day but learned that there were demonstrations on the route to the place we wished to visit.  The gatherings are in response to the recent elections and we have been warned to stay clear in case things get out of hand.

Instead of touring, we gladly go to the home of Cindy Corell who is our mission co-worker in Haiti.  The house is lovely and comfortable.  This little oasis is a welcome break from the chaos of the streets on the other side of the wall that surrounds the house.  I can't help but think of all those people we passed on the road that will not get a break from the difficulties of their daily existence. 

Somehow though, I don't feel depressed or discouraged.  I think about all the wonderful people I've met these past few days.  The people of the village, the people at MPP and our PCUSA friends that live and work in this country.  Memories of the smiling children at the school make me smile.  The friendliness of our interpreter Marc and our driver Bernado is in stark contrast with our perception of the hardship of this life.  The people here are respectful, grateful and hopeful.  When I think about that, it can be rather overwhelming.

submitted by C. Calia

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Answering the Key Questions

From the outset, the intriguing part of this development project is that it's run by the local people.  They designed the school, hired the teachers, and engaged the community.  It's not just a place to park their kids for five hours a day.  They have a vision to make this a model of a great primary school that is self-sustaining and run by Haitians.

Over the past two days, we heard the story several times that the people of the Ecovillages lost everything in the earthquake and they came to the Central Plateau to start over.  They have little.  We can help by raising the funds to construct the building but what will happen when we're gone?  How will they afford to pay for continuing operations?

To answer that key question, we started by asking the executive board of MPP about their long range vision for sustainability.  They have clearly considered this issue and have discussed solutions.  The first step is to develop the agriculture on the school property.  We saw the beans that have been planted, the peanuts that have been harvested and a tire garden being built.  Once the plantation (which is what they call the fields around the school) is developed, it should produce enough food to feed the school children.  In Haiti, the biggest meal of the day is lunch and these children will be well fed with nutritious food grown by their parents.  They will grow up knowing where the food comes from; and importantly, the school will not have to use money to buy food from the outside.  This is ambitious and will take time but could be a "game changer" when it's completed.

Even with a fully developed plantation, however, how will the teachers get paid and the school materials get purchased?  The answer may be goats and crafts.  A goat breeding program was started last year with funds that we provided from our donors.  In all, 20 goats were purchased and now there are 47 goats.  The goats are not kept at the school because there's no pen.  The goats are kept by the families in the villages with the understanding that the first offspring goes to the school and the second goes to another family.  With further purchases and breeding, we hope to get goats to allthe families that have children in the schoolwhen there are enough goats, some can be sold to provide income.

Another idea that was discussed was using the skills of the parents to start a local craft industry.  For example, they have identified 8 women in the Ecovillages that know how to sew.  If we can find and deliver sewing machines to these people, they can make school uniforms and other clothes to sell.  The parents can contribute a small amount of money to buy uniforms and pay tuition.

Once the school has classes through 8th grade, establishes a lunch program, and has students pass standardized tests, the school board will apply for accreditation from the government.  This may be a few years down the road but we can see that they have a vision, a plan and the energy to pull it off.  Our partnership is a critical piece of the plan.  A Partnership with one vision, clear roles and lots of exciting possibilities.

-- submitted by C. Calia

{pictured below is the view of the school from the main road.  there are over 20 acres dedicated to growing food for school lunches)

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Indicators of Progress

We finally reached the day that we have been anticipating for months.  The visit to the school was to be the highlight of our trip and it did not disappoint.  The children were at recess when we arrived.  They immediately mobbed anyone with a camera and started posing.  DeeDee's iPad was popular because the children could see their pictures right after they were taken.

The children are all nicely dressed and look healthy.  Once back in the classrooms, we were able to visit each class, talk to the teachers and greet the students.  The children are all very nicely mannered.  School starts at 8am and lasts 5 hours.  To serve K-4th grade, they converted the storage room to a class for the 2nd grade.  One of the large classrooms has a partition down the center to make separate classrooms for 3rd and 4th grade.  The newest classroom that our group helped to build is now the Kindergarten.  The classrooms are decorated and the children have materials to work with.  The children don’t get a full lunch but they did get a snack that included bread, peanut butter and milk.

Our group spent some time with the principal of the school and the MPP representative that oversees the school's operation.  These two men work in cooperation with a parent committee that makes the decisions about the school.  We're not sure that we could call this committee a School Board, but it functions at least like a PTA.

Today, there were parents building a tire garden next to the school building.  It was explained to us several times that the parents must commit time to working at the school for the children to attend.  There is evidence that some agricultural development has occurred on the school property and we hope to hear more about that when we meet with the MPP executive committee tomorrow.

We've learned that we'll need to get the school serving through the 8th grade to receive government support.  The children will also need to demonstrate competency on standardize test.  So, while we have a way to go before the school can be accredited, we have come a long way.

-- submitted by C. Calia

 

The Send Off

Our group rose early on Sunday to worship at St James Episcopal Church which has a service in English. (There are five of us traveling together including myself (Chris Calia) and Ginger Stapley from Good Shepherd, Pat and Deedee Murphy from North Decatur and Frank Dimmock from PCUSA World Mission Agency.)  The 8:00 service began around 8:15 with about 8 people in attendance.  Over the next 10 minutes or so, more people wandered in until there were around 25 worshippers.  The service was similar to the Catholic mass that I grew up with. Ginger was asked to do a scripture reading. 

One of the worshippers was our old friend, Suzette Goss-Geffrard (pictured), who helped the original group from Atlanta that traveled to Haiti in search of a mission project.  There was a short fellowship time after the service and then a 30 minute van ride back to the hotel to prepare for our trip to the Central Plateau.

The weather for the ride to MPP was wonderful and we got a great view of the countryside.    As we rode up to the Central Plateau, I'm thinking about this passage we read from the Book of Prayer:

And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do.  To love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.  To him, to you and to the Holy Spirit.  Be honor and glory now and forever.  Amen.


Haiti Trip -- What to Expect?

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Several people encouraged me to write about what I expect from my first trip to Haiti so that I might compare my expectations to my perspective when I return.  Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and so that conjures up images of a primitive place with unsanitary conditions.  The news media focuses on stories of dysfunctional and corrupt government, rampant disease and civil unrest.

But my limited international travel experience suggests the it's never what you see in news stories.  They do have modern conveniences such as electricity, bathrooms and internet.  Photos from past trips show people that are cleanly dressed and smiling.  In fact, all my friends that have been to Haiti have loved their experience and most have made return trips.

So, is Haiti a hopeless wasteland or a tropical paradise?  I suspect it's somewhere in between.

My journey is a mission to observe, learn and relate.   The people who have made our travel arrangements will make every effort to see that we have a good experience.  The Haitians in the villages and MPP know that we are about the business of building a school that is for them.  I'm told that they are looking forward to showing off what they've accomplished.  I am anxious to learn of their progress.

What I expect is to make new friends, see new places, learn new things and return with a new perspective on the world in which we live.

 

Haiti Trip -- How to Prepare?

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Monday, November 09, 2015, 5:49 AM

It's with great excitement and trepidation that I anticipate my first trip to Haiti.  This is not only my first time to Haiti, but my first international mission trip of any kind.  After years of supporting others through financial contributions, supplies, and prayers, it's my turn.  Even though I've had much time to contemplate the trip, I still wonder "how do I prepare?"

First, there's all the physical things such as what to pack.  I've got my wide brimmed hat, sunglasses and insect repellent.  I've diligently taken all my medications and read all the safe travel warnings.  I've talked to people who have been to Haiti before and gotten all the good tips.  Don’t drink the water.  Stay with your group.  Keep your money out of sight.

In my heart, I know the real issue I have is being way out of my comfort zone.  I typically avoid third world countries, places where the people don't speak English, and cultures different than the US.  In this case, I've got all those things and more. 

The thing that helps me to face my fears is knowing that the work we're going is so important.  Our purpose on this trip is to check on the status of the school we're helping to build in the Ecovillages, meet the people responsible for implementing the plan for the school, and help shape future phases of the school's development.  That's a tall order but it's critical that all our donors and supporters know that their money and efforts are making an impact. 

So, while the physical preparation is important, it is the easy part.  How best to prepare to meet with people you've never met and who don't speak your language to discuss a project as complex as building a school from the ground up? 


Preparations and Prayers

On Saturday, November 14th, five members of the Atlanta Church Group will travel to Haiti. They are Ginger Stapley and Chris Calia from Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, Scott Grosse from Emory Presbyterian Church, Pat and DeeDee Murphy from North Decatur Presbyterian Church.

The group will meet with MPP leadership, the school staff, the parents and the community. They will visit the classrooms, see the gardens planted for income for the school, watch the goats and learn from the children who are learning in their new school.

Watch for updates and journals from the group as they travel. 

Intergenerational Trip to Haiti: April 2 – 9, 2016

Haiti:  Beyond Just Recovery

Cross Cultural Engagement Interfaith, Intergenerational Trip to Haiti

The Seeds of Hope Atlanta Church Group invites adults and youth 16 and older to participate in a Cross Cultural Engagement Interfaith Trip to Haiti from April 2 – 9, 2016.  We will go under the leadership of the Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice (UUCSJ) and be hosted by our Haitian Partner, (MPP), the Peasant Movement Papaye, near Hinche, Haiti.   On this journey, we will focus on learning from MPP about the critical issues of food sovereignty and climate justice.  We will have the opportunity to engage in hands on work alongside our Haitian partners in the Eco Villages and the school, as well as other “agro ecology” projects.   We will approach our experiences as “pilgrims”, ready to be present, ready to listen and notice where, how, and with whom God is working.  Please join us on this transformative journey!  Registration Deadline for Youth:  November 20, 2015; for Adults:  January 31, 2016.  Questions?  Contact beckyevans@mindspring.com or amanda@ndpc.org. 

More Information: 

I.               We need to have a minimum of 10 people.  

II.              We plan for at least two Presbyterian clergy to participate in the trip (Amanda Osenga and Rick Neale.)

III.            Youth must be at least 16, and 16 & 17 year olds need to be accompanied either by a parent or a guardian.  A Youth minister may serve as a guardian. 

IV.            Becky Evans, will be the Atlanta Church Group lay leader, assisting the UUCSJ trip leader.  She has been to visit MPP three times.  There will be participants from other Atlanta Church group churches as well as Unitarian Universalists. 

V.              Cost is $2,000 per person.  $1500 to UUCSJ for trip planning, $500 airfare to Port au Prince.

VI.            NDPC will offer a 10 week Haiti Cross Cultural Engagement Learning Circle Sunday School class from February 7 – April 24.  Trip participants will be expected to participate in a minimum of:  two evening or weekend travel group meetings ahead of time; 4 of 7 Sunday School classes before the April 2 trip; 2 of 3 Sunday School Classes after the trip. 

VII.           Participants will be expected to read: A chapter from Haiti:  The Aftershocks of History by Laurent DuBois and Krik?Krak! Short Stories by Edwidge Danticat.   

VIII.         To register and to learn more about the UUCSJ Haiti trips, visit:  http://uucsj.org/journeys/haiti/

IX.            Registration Deadline for Youth:  Friday, November 20, 2015; for Adults, January 31st, 2016.  Requires a $500 deposit.  

 

Make Natural Insecticide, Build a Tire Garden and Meet Mark Hare!

Meet Mark Hare, PCUSA Mission Worker

He speaks 4 languages, has a Master’s Degree in agronomy from Michigan State University and he’s our guy in Haiti.  In his 20 years as a Peace Corps volunteer and PCUSA mission worker, he has acquired a deep understanding of the connections between small farmers, ecology, nutrition and demonstrating Christ’s love for the poor people of the world. He has improved the lives of thousands of poor families by showing them how to grow super-nutritious food in a small place. He has a lot to teach us, too, about how we can improve our lives and the world around us.

Saturday, October 10, 12:00-2:00. 

North Decatur Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall

(611 Medlock Road, at intersection with Scott Bldv.)  

The gathering will feature 

·         Free Haitian meal (beans and rice, plantains, baguette, tropical fruit) that incorporates moringa, the world’s most nutritious plant.  If you don’t know moringa, come learn how it can improve your health.

·         Demonstration of how to build a tire garden, including how to convert waste into rich soil.

·         Hands-on lesson in how to make natural insecticide that keeps the bugs – and the chemicals – away.

·         Chance to meet others from the Atlanta Church Group who are building a school in the Haitian EcoVillages.

For more info, email sowseedsofhope@gmail.com

Enrollment is Up!

The EcoVillage school opened for its second year with 99 students in four elementary grades and preschool.  Completion this summer of the 3rd classroom has allowed expansion of two more grades and hiring of additional teachers for those grades.

Growth of enrollment is an important step toward financial independence for the school.  Still, there are many older students who do not attend school or who walk 2 ½  hours each way to the nearest school.  Additional grades will allow the school to bring in these older children and allow parents to send all of their kids to the same, nearby school.  When this happens, parents will channel all of their tuition and volunteer hours toward the EcoVillage school.

Another critical revenue stream is the development of the school farm lands.  According to our partners at MPP, banana and plantain trees have been planted, and the Parents Committee has harvested beans and peanuts, which were the first planting this summer.  Our partnership has funded the development of the farm, which will raise funds for the school and produce for children’s lunches.  Beginning 2016, the farm will contribute funds toward operation of the school.

Gordon French, co-chair of the Atlanta Church Group, notes the important progress made this year.  “Our goal is for the EcoVillage school to be financially self-sufficient by the time our 5-year commitment is completed at the end of 2018.  To achieve that, three things are happening simultaneously. First, classrooms are being built so that, secondly, enrollment can grow (eventually to cover all 12 grades) and thirdly, the farm lands are being planted so that harvests can go to market to  subsidize the school.  As we develop budgets and plans for 2016, these will be our goals.”

Uniforms for Students!

Q: What weighs 350 pounds, takes up 575 cubic feet in volume, is brown plastic on the outside, and Khaki, light blue, and navy on the inside?

A: A shipment of recycled uniforms, courtesy of the Lovett School and The Uniform Project, for the school children of the EcoVillages School.

Problem: The students of the EcoVillage school had no uniforms their first year. In Haiti, it is customary for school children to wear uniforms. For the upcoming school year, they anticipate growing from 50 students to approximately 150 students. That is a LOT of uniforms!

They would ideally like the uniforms to be made there but they do not yet have the resources.

Solution: Thanks to a lead by NDPC member Martha Osborne, we discovered The Uniform Project, http://www.theuniformproject.org/, a nonprofit that recycles uniforms. After showing sample uniforms to Verona Val and the School Principal in April, we agreed to donate pants, shorts, and skirts for the bottom of their uniforms, and that the families and MPP would sew unique uniform tops. In addition, the students can wear the recycled uniform knit tops on Fridays. The Lovett School has a Recycled Uniform Shop that donated 80% of the recycled uniforms for our school.

Problem: How do we get these 6 huge, heavy contractor bags filled with uniforms to Haiti in time for school to begin?

Solution: Our friend Wendy Flick, Senior Program Leader for the Unitarian Universalists, spoke with a friend, Shawn Davidson in Sarasota, Florida, who was shipping stoves down to Haiti in July, and agreed to include the uniforms in his shipping container.

Problem: How do we get these uniforms to Sarasota?

Solution: Becky and David Evans were planning a trip to Cape Coral, Florida, and to Cocoa Beach. They offered to drive the uniforms down to Sarasota, a short distance from Cape Coral.

Problem: Shawn is on vacation when Becky and David are in Florida.

Solution: Wendy helps come up with a Plan B, where Shawn shares his garage access code with Becky over e­mail, and the uniforms are successfully dropped off in the garage in Sarasota on June 9!

Praise God for conversations, collaboration, trust, and problem solving! And pray for this uniform shipment to make it safely into MPP's hands, and on to the students and staff! 

Day 7 - Lake Lawob and Guest Blog Appearance

A friendly note from one of our favorite Unitarian Universalists, Melinda Meyerhoff. Of course, we love all our UU traveling companions (doctors Beth and Duane and UU staff persons Wendy and Kristin), but Melinda spent the most time with our ragtag Presbyterian crew, so she’s earned a place of privilege on this here blog. :)

- Jennifer
 

This interfaith group has been blessed with a week in pastoral Haiti.  As we drive to our work sites each day, I am enthralled by the people walking on the road carrying their goods, wood, and fresh produce to town to sell or trade.  Oxen, burros, and horses, all rigged up with saddles, yokes, carts and baskets (made by hand with resources found near their homes or bartered for) make the journey possible.  Others balance items on their heads, using the power of their legs only.  Children follow in crisp, clean clothes, on their way to school. 
 
No fossil fuels are burned. The people are content living a life steeped in tradition, wisdom, and simplicity. 
 
World, take note: Can this way of living help us envision the new paradigm needed to save our earth?

- Melinda

Mango, plantain trees, and cow at Lake Lawob.

Mango, plantain trees, and cow at Lake Lawob.

Baby goats, one week old, held by Alcont, the goat farm veterinarian.

Baby goats, one week old, held by Alcont, the goat farm veterinarian.

 
100% of your donation is tax-deductible and 100% goes directly to build and support the school. This PayPal link is provided by North Decatur Presbyterian Church, which acts as our banker.