Back to School!

What does “back to school” mean to you?

Does it mean a break from the full-time parenting of summer? Is it a chance to find or redefine the family routine again? Does it mean shopping for sharp crayons, new backpacks, and that one mysterious item that none of the local stores has in stock? Does it mean the beginning of weeknight activities, practices, homework and early bedtimes? Does it offer excitement about new subjects and new goals? Do you look forward to chances for your child to make new friends and see old ones?

Our kids, Kaley and Amaris started 2^nd grade and preK these past two weeks. For us, back to school certainly means all of the above and brings a mix of emotions, mostly excitement.

What if instead “back to school” meant the difference in your family staying together? What if it meant hope for the future of your child or your neighbor’s child? What if school meant the difference in going hungry vs. not hungry? What if going to school meant the hearing the good news about God’s love for the first time?

Here in the US, school does not seem like the answer to such dire questions, but in other countries, like Haiti, the ability to go to school can change a child’s life. In Haiti, 50% of the population is illiterate and less 35% of the population graduates from 6^th grade. Many families cannot afford to send their children to school, because most Haitian schools are private.

This past spring, Derek and I began to partner with Global Orphan (GO) project as they help improve life for impoverished families and orphans through education. We have begun to share information about and raise funds for the specific village and school we’ve adopted in Léogâne, Haiti. This village is part of GO project’s 6-school pilot for major improvements for education.

It’s really happening! Next week school starts for 225 children in Léogâne. That’s 65 more children that were financially unable to attend last year! In addition to added capacity, the quality of education is improving too. Children will be learning, growing, and hearing the word of God. The school is comprised of about 60 orphans cared for by the church, and the rest are children from the community who may not otherwise be involved in the church.

We want to share with you the 3 huge goals for how improving education can ultimately improve the lives of many children in Léogâne.

1. Orphan Prevention: Families may abandon their children into orphan care if they think their children will have a better life, particularly through the ability to go to school. When we help fund the school’s budget, the church can offer affordable tuition (like a scholarship) to the needy families in the local community. The financial burden is also improved as the children receive a meal at school and are provided uniforms through the GO Haiti sewing center. With these costs out of the picture, we pray that abandonment can be reduced! 
2. Increase the standard of care for the orphans in the GO Project villages: Prior to help with the school budget, the church could only hire a few under-qualified teachers (who still often went months without pay). Just to keep the school running, the “orphan care” dollars that might be intended for other uses would sometimes be “leaked out” to cover shortfalls. Instead, now there is money for more teachers who are more qualified, and there is a GO Education Director who will provide accountability, training, and support for the GO schools. It’s a better school for the attendees and the staff too.
3. Reunification: Some children currently living as orphans in the Eben Ezer Léogâne may have family members who would be willing to re-assume care of the child if school costs were no longer an issue. Did you imagine that your dollars could actually help reunify families! Pray that this would be the case in Léogâne. 

We’re raising money for the school’s operating budget which is about $3000 per month. This money allows the church staff members (who also run the school) to:

• Cover the cost of all the orphans (about 60) from the village who attend
• Open the school to at-risk families in the community who could not otherwise afford school
• Hire qualified teachers and staff to support the school’s true capacity. This includes 15 teachers and support staff. (This is the biggest part of the budget and means that 15 Haitians have good, reliable jobs.)
• Improve education quality. GO Haiti has hired an Education Director to oversee all the schools to provide support, accountability, and training. Each school will cover a small portion of those expenses
• Hire a nurse. Having a nurse on site will not only bless the children, but the community at large.
• Offer a food program. Providing one meal a day will make a HUGE difference in the lives of the children and ultimately their families.

God is working! He is using your generosity and hearing your prayers. Right now, the school’s budget for the year is about 40% funded. We are praising God for this progress and trusting that there will be more. Would you consider making an investment in the Eben Ezer Léogâne school and changing lives in Haiti? Even a small amount per month can send one of these children to school. You can make a recurring donation here and make a note of “Gilmans Leogane” for specifying how the donation should be used. You can link to the page to make one-time donations to this project here and click the donate button. Please call or email us if you want to talk about this more. Thank you for all your prayers, support, and encouragement.