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What is ahead for FEJ as we progress in 2012?

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:35:49 GMT

We are facing many challenges to maintain the continuity of the work Fondation Enfant Jesus (FEJ) is doing in Haiti. After a disastrous 2010, last year also was exceptionally difficult for us. We recognized the outstanding efforts of all our donators, partners and individuals whom have come forth to help us maintain our core programs and special projects. Thanks to all of you, we have made tremendous progress in different programs, some of them outlined below:

1) We built the first floor of the community clinic; the second floor is in the process being built
2) Obtained funds to improve the existing programs such as the School and community clinic
3) Early in 2012 we have been able to guaranteed ongoing flow of food for the children in the school program and finished to dig the wheel, thanks to AFEJ.
4) MARCH 2012, solar panels provided by Energy Assistance provided batteries, an inverter, and other equipment for the school and the clinic, and sent a team of three electrical engineers who volunteered their time to install the system on site. The reliable power supply we have now is extremely helpful for all of FEJ’s staff. One major advantage is that the clinic can now move ahead with offering childbirth/delivery services to the community. In the past we have been unable to use the clinic building after hours because we could not depend on having light, and we were unwilling to risk having a sensitive procedure like a delivery going on under such circumstances.
5) Partially achieved our objectives to assist FEJ with post-earthquake emergency projects to help vulnerable children and women affected by the earthquake.
6) Annual deficit was very high.

Your individual and collective support, persistence and determination have helped us get through some of the most challenging years Fondation Enfant Jesus (FEJ) had to face. We recognized that the destruction from the earthquake as well as many unexpected setbacks has not allowed us to move forward to manage all aspects of our mission in 2011. Most of all, these setbacks has put additional strain on FEJ‘s resources and all our programs continue to feel it aftermath.

On a personal basis, after more than a year of Gina’s severe illness which causes a tremendous amount stress on our family and the foundation .I am grateful that she has made lots of progress in her health and eager for her return to Haiti. I am confident she continues to get well and more than willing to devote her time and face all the upcoming challenges with your usual assistance. I thank all of our devoted staff, donors, partners and friends for the overflowing and consistent support during this personally difficult ordeal we faced since 2011 as couple and family.

Another note, we forecast many changes for FEJ and challenges for the remaining of 2012:

1) Restructuration of FEJ BOARD DIRECTOR, revision of FEJ governance with forecast of the following:

• Amendment to some of our existing bylaws
• Implementation of protocols and clear Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with all our partners working on our entire social program.
• Rebuilding of our main office in Delmas.
• Returning our administration office to a more central location
• Put and strategic plan in place to resolve the annual deficit in 2012.
• Repainting the school facility, the kitchen and the Guest house.
• Tile Floor and repair door of the school library.
• Repair computer lab door.
• Repair wall near the daycare, and doors.
• Repair/ replace, Crèche screens and windows, add screen doors.
• Electrical and plumbing repairs/modification to laundry room.
• Pave the school yard with stone blocs, and create play grounds areas (school and daycare) and green space
• Convert chicken coop to workshop.
• Roof of visitor house at the crèche.
• Extend Moringa plantation, to fight malnutrition.
• Support for the children in need for family reunion.
• More shelves for school administration, classroom, library and daycare.
• Replace school toilets doors at the school.
• Screens to be place between the school roof and wall to avoid birds and others get in the classrooms.
h3. 2) An immediate challenge we are faced with is the fact that we continue receiving from the government some children who need to be reunited with their biological parents.

Unfortunately, we have not had a family reunion for the last 5 months and have not received any financial help for the care of these children. Actually, we have 25 children on standby whose care represents a heavy load of our own organization’s resources.

3) In view of improving the child protection and adoption process in Haiti.

The general director of the Institute of Social Welfare and Research (IBESR) has envisioned suspending the reception of any new folder from May 2, 2012 to July 30, 2012. The IBESR wants to restructure its services and establish a new system to ensure better protection of children available for adoption, which fit our mission and our support has been solicited.

4) FEJ has decided to remain focus on the following program during 2011,

in order to respect his mission and vision and maintain the standards of its core programs. Therefore giving priority and primary l continue to focus on child protection within our main programs, school, adoptions, empowerment of women, nutrition, and deliver health care and combat child malnutrition in our new community health clinic.

We are in dire need of all our partner and friend support us to get through this delicate and particular situation that 2012 seem to be unfolding as obstacles and changes for FEJ.

We humbly ask you to stand with us and help FEJ with these new challenges and to work with us to achieve its objectives for 2012.

I am conscious that the challenges ahead will be many but I am confident with all of your support, we can find collective solutions that will help us get through these difficult times and ensure the longevity of FEJ Mission and Vision.

I thank you in advance for your generosity and collaboration. I look forward to hearing from everyone with suggestion, proposal and insight.

Lucien V. Duncan

Partnership with Trees That Feed Foundation

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:40:38 GMT

In November 2011, FEJ was connected with an organization named Trees That Feed Foundation (TTFF). Originally working in Jamaica, TTFF are seeking to combat deforestation and hunger simultaneously by planting fruit-bearing trees, especially the breadfruit. They are now expanding into Haiti, and were seeking partners who could help plant and care for trees and see that the fruit is made available to people in need.
After attending a meeting where the Fondation’s concept and plan in Haiti, in addition to the details of planting and maintaining fruit trees were explained, TTFF purchased 200 trees on behalf of FEJ. We received orange, lime, mango, avocado, and jave cachiman saplings, each a few months old and ready to plant. After bringing FEJ’s gardening staff up to speed on painting tree trunks to protect them from the sun, supporting them with stakes and loose ties, depth for planting, clearing an area around the tree, and most importantly, watering (!), we planted the trees in various locations near the school and the crèche.
We’re looking forward to seeing these trees grow, and before too long, provide us with delicious fruit to serve at the school and at the crèche! We’re putting together plans for distributing trees through our Chache Lavi program, which helps mothers of children in L’Ecole Enfant Jesus build small businesses, and through the school itself. Our experience gained through this partnership will be very helpful as we move forward with those projects. Many thanks to Mary McLaughlin and the Trees That Feed Foundation!

Click here to see more pictures

The openning of School Enfant Jesus

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:23:23 GMT

Our school is moving forward on the path of quality and at the beginning of this new year a whole series of changes are taking place.

First of all, the school is no longer managed by a single Head but by a management committee of five members who will make sure to :

1. Manage the school files.
2. Maintain the link between the Ministry of Education and FEJ’s administration.
3. Guarantee a smooth running of the School
4. Organize various meetings (Parents, Teachers, FEJ’s administration staff)
5. Strengthen the sponsoring program
6. Hire professionnal staff for the School
7. Organize onsite training for the teachers.

After the the teachers were evaluated in May, 2011, we made the decision to strengthen the teaching staff to consolidate what was already accomplished and insure the continuity of progress and with the obvious will to hire new staff in the school area : all our teachers now come from Lamardelle community and their motivation is much stronger because they feel closer to the children.

Our July on-site training session emphasized the importance of conscientiousness and explained the long-term vision and objectives of EEJ’s educational program; the place and the role of our school were widely commented with everybody.

The methodology and the detailed program of each grade were explained to preschool as well as primary grades teachers.
Moreover, from July 19th to 21st, our Deputy Head Alex Dorisca enrolled in a training session on TIPA TIPA (the STEP BY STEP methodology we use with the preschool children) to get an in-depth understanding of the method and help the teachers to implement it in their classrooms.

In September, the teachers made use of a of pre back-to-school week to prepare the real start of the school year and review once more the detailed program of their grade. This time, the accent was put upon the importance of carefully preparing each lesson and a good schedule. An open strategy was set up, and all the texts on which the pupils of each grade will work during the school year were chosen.

During this same week, we also held meetings with groups of parents to discover the School regulation, the objectives of the year and our new strategy. Moreover every pupil received school stationeries and two brand new uniform shirts, generously donated by our partner in Germany FEHev.

By giving the staff the opportunity to enjoy a step-by-step start of the new school year, we gave everybody enough time to organize successfully their task with the parents and especially with the children without any confusion.

What’s new ?

For their own safety and a better management of the preschool pupils and daycare children, the Management Committee has decided to hand to each parent an identification card of their child.
A Music teacher is now available three times a week to teach flute and other instruments in order to set up a school orchestra.
Computing lessons will be given to teachers and sixth primary grade pupils.
The Community clinic is open to the pupils in case of emergency and before January every pupil will have a medical record there.

At the beginning of school year 2010-2011, our partner in Belgium ESV-HAITI had funded the purchase of all the textbooks; this year again, ESV-HAITI has allowed us to buy all missing textbooks and exercise books : that will help us to strengthen the books loan system to the pupils and insure its continuity for years to come.

Harmony and Serenity reign among us and with the cooperation of all we will meet our objectives for 2011-2012.
We are quite eager to thank wholeheartedly FEJ’s partners : AFEJ, AEM, ESV-HAITI, FEHev, Soleil des Nations, and VVHF who, in France , Belgium, Germany , Canada, and the USA support our work. It is thanks to their combined efforts that we can offer about 500 children of Lamardelle community a real education whose quality improves year after year: it is an inestimable present and an immense hope for the future.

Sociocultural Animation Workshops

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 07:40:43 GMT

FEJ has been participating in Sociocultural Animation Workshops for the children of the School Enfant Jesus.

This program is prepared by Paula Clermont Pean and is offered as workshops in socio-cultural Animation. Training in sociocultural (singing, storytelling, reading,games, drama) is part of a series of seminars conducted by the Centre Culturel Pyepoudre in order to continue its supervisory work with associations and communities.

It also contributes to the promotion of Haitian culture and our country. These children will play an important role in the development of cultural awareness of the population. Our teaching approach is to be very involved, to allow children to interact, to exchange, share experiences, to flourish.

Video Summary of Recent Accomplishments

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:35:56 GMT

The last few years have been full of challenges and hard work as we strive to meet the lofty goals of our foundation. We have put together a short video highlighting each of our programs and some of the key facts and goals. Watch it below:

We look forward to continued service to the communities and people of Haiti. Thank you for your continued support and donations to Haiti, lives are changed and improved daily from your help!

A letter from Lucienne Duncan, President of the Fondation Enfant Jésus

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:11:13 GMT

Dear Sponsors, Partners and Collaborators

This is the beginning of a new year and I would not miss the opportunity to tell you how helpful your support has been to help us go through the painful events we had to bear.

I also want to keep you posted about the projects realized within the framework of the activities undertaken by the management staff of Fondation Enfant Jésus.

The school has reached a total number of 555 pupils : the highest ever.

A compound has been set up for one year, for disabled women victims of January 12th earthquake, to help them find back their balance and seek their reinsertion within society.

The children entrusted to us by IBESR (Social Affairs Office) have been taken in the crèche with the same intentions and above all to try to reunite them with their biological families.

A computerized class has been set up for the young teenagers of the program, after the earthquake.

We have built 8 bungalows to accomodate the volonteers who will come to help in our numerous activities.

We have also created a community clinic to provide primary and urgent
healthcare for the residents of the area .

In the name of the whole staff of Fondation Enfant Jésus and in my own name, please accept, dear sponsors, all my gratitude and our best wishes of health, peace and longlife for 2011.

Lucienne A. DUNCAN.

Program CHACHE LAVI, Previously Socio-Economic Reinsertion program

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:16:07 GMT

For The Women of Lamardelle, HAITI

PROGRAM ONGOING

This program started during the year of 2005 and focused on women of fragile conditions living with less than one US dollar per day and that are unable to feed their children who were admitted to the foundation school program.
The reinsertion program started in Lamardelle in the year 2007 On September and October of this year; participants were identified, interviewed, selected and trained before admitting to the program.

Before outlaying funds for the beneficiaries, they are required to attend training sessions on the following themes:

a. Family planning
b. Hygiene and nutrition
c. Civic rights and moral
d. Women rights
e. Basic notions on micro-enterprise.

Each beneficiary admitted to the program must provide, a social history, with relevant information of each recipient. Continuous update on their individual progress is maintained in the archives of the Foundation.
The desired outcome of each course and its contribution to the family life of each beneficiary was identified in periodical bi-weekly group session led by each group mentor ;( group are made of 8 beneficial and one mentor (which we call Marraines) selected from previous graduated beneficial.

Family Planning

Family planning has been taught to women to help them better manage and avoid all unwanted pregnancies They reported during the meetings of the support group how much they have benefited from the knowledge acquired and how best to protect them themselves from un wanted pregnancy and infectious diseases. During this program, they also receive appropriate advice about safe sex and how to avoid sexual transmitted diseases

Hygiene and Nutrition

The training they have received in hygiene and nutrition has allowed them to be better equipped to manage their homes and be able to manage a healthy balance to the family. The testimonies of women who applied the instructions received have allowed many to prevent malnutrition in their young children and themselves. In addition, they are learning the importance of clean water in food preparation. Moreover, the importance of clean drinking water.

Civic and Moral, Women Rights

The key issues addressed in this training are the role of the family, parenting their children and, the rights of the children. Furthermore the training on civic and moral rights of women has empowered the beneficiaries. This knowledge has allow many to be more responsive toward themselves and families. As a result many are taking more leadership roles in the development of their community.
In this training the trainer’s places great importance on the concepts of women’s rights in the Haitian legislation. All beneficial were not aware of their rights in the Haitian legislation prior to the training. Emphasis was also placed on physical abuse and what that means. How ones right are violated when abuse is involved. All participants had many questions and shared concerns after understanding the concept of abuse. A majority of the women shared personal accounts of their experience with abuses.
Information and options to help identify, avoid and protect their rights is also discussed. Steps to be taken if/when their rights are violated were highly marked as a key point of interest for all participants. This area often required multiple interventions from the Foundation and other disciplinary teams. It was very evident of the importance the participants gave to these issues in their lives.

Micro Enterprise

The training the women received on micro-enterprising has enabled them to receive practical advice how to manage their small business and how to work toward long term sustainability. The training focused on practical applications of assuring continuity of their business and self empowerment.

Outlaying funds for beneficiaries consist in buying for them merchandises to resell. Women will use the profit gained to provide food for the children and for saving.

Milestones of program:

1- After training and interview for social history, twenty (20) women had received merchandises according to program criteria.(Sep 2009-Nov 2009)
2- A silent period was observed because of the earthquake on January 12, 2010. Program restarted in March, and in April, twenty-eight (28) women had received merchandises
3- In May, a total of sixty-seven (67) women had been admitted and had received merchandises, included five godmothers, called selected after graduation prior from a similar pilot project to assist new women in her micro-enterprises.

After each support group session, the godmother sends a report to the Project Manager concerning participants’ progress and ongoing needs. For example, one report summarized concerns participants had about their poor housing conditions.

Since, the program continues in guiding families, especially mothers to find and use sustainable businesses in order to provide: health care, nutrition and education.

Since July to December 2010, forty-nine participants had received merchandises.
In total, till program starting in Lamardelle to now, we have one hundred sixty-two women with grants in hands.wow!

Why not one hundred sixty-four?
Two of those women are died for lack of medical care, one of them right after childbirth.
Every day, we face with new challenge. Now, cholera is on the first page and continues making victims in the area.

On August 1, 2010 we inaugurated a Clean Water School Project financed by Medical Wings and Haiti Pure Water for the World to provide (concrete biosand filters) clean water, training, and proper hygiene education to one school and 200 homes in the Lamardelle, Haiti.

According to this project, we have now two biosand filters, not enough to provide clean water, daily, for 520 children at the school.
One at the crèche, one at the disable women camp, and seventeen distributed in the community, not enough to serve the area in clean water.

A recent report shows a decrease in activities of some women, for they used a part of their saving to care family members reached cholera, for example.
The businesses of other women continue growing, and they would like to have more merchandises and gain more profit.

Program continues keeping opened doors to each one who wants to contribute and help women to achieve positive and sustainable change in her lives and her families too.

ENFANT JESUS SCHOOL TO-DAY

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:47:11 GMT

During April and May 2010 and after several contacts, FEJ administration noticed some lack of dedication among the teaching staff; it also seemed that the educational structure was no longer appropriate for the management of the school.

The administration took the following decisions:
Hiring of a new Director (Mr Romane DESIR) and an Education Advisor who would also coordinate the sponsorship program (Madame Maryse VIEUX).

Interventions 1

Remodeling of the school staff.
1. One education supervisor.
2. One Deputy Head.
3. Appointment of the teachers per class, according to their capacities.
4. Inventory of all the school supply and equipment.
5. All possible suggestions to make teachers work easier.

Interventions 2

Several training sessions were organized for the teachers from July 27th to August 12th 2010, with Mr. Romane DESIR:
A. About self-esteem to be able to face the coming 2010-2011 school year.
B. To discuss all technical problems met during 2009-2010 academic year in order to find appropriate solutions.
C. How to face possible earthquakes.
D. How to manage the children in case of replicas (knowing that the school now counts all in all 519 children).

Interventions 3

1. Training about hygiene organized for school staff (the whole team) from July 12th to 16th, by Dr Reid.
2. Four teachers have performed “World Vision Tipa Tipa” training in August 2010.
3. Five teachers have already started their French Class at Haiti’s French Institute. (in different grades according to their level).
4. The teaching staff and the school nurse, Olgard OCCELIN, have followed a 3 days training session about water purification (Pure Water).
5. Ms Olgard is the person in charge of the daily water treatment for the school needs. She also gives hygiene lessons about cholera to increase teachers and children awareness.
6. Four days training, 2 hours/day about psychotherapy and trauma have been organized by Bethany Christian Services for all the teaching staff.
7. Mr. Romane DESIR has organized a supervision pattern to control the teachers work; this supervision will be performed 3 times a week.
8. All teachers are presently taking English lessons with Mr. Romane DESIR; this will go on for 6 months.
9. The Director and the teachers have followed 16 hours of training about self and child psychology with Mrs. Simone CASTERA. All year long, she will perform a follow-up by watching them in their classrooms and will provide assessment and further recommendations.
10. This year, Mrs. Lomène NERISIER, our daycare assistant, has gone back to school to complete high school.
11. Special Education Center (CES) has offered a new support program for the remedial class, as well as an additional training for the preschool teachers during second and third terms.
12. From January 2011, teaching staff and teenagers victims of the earthquake will have access to Distance Learning.
13. From January 6th to May 14th 2011, Mrs. Paula Clermont PEAN (Cultural Center Pyé Poudré) will set up a sociocultural workshop program for 100 children (4 groups of 25 participants).

CONCLUSION

After this 1st term assessment, we note that the children have improved in the academic as well as in the discipline areas, and the school atmosphere is serene.
For this 2010-2011 school year, educational and learning supplies (schoolbooks, notebooks, pencils …) have been given to the children to help improve their learning capacities.
The primary grades pupils visit the school library once a week during 2 hours. We are planning to organize a book renting system to encourage reading.
The administrative staff has organized clothes and shoes distribution to each child, twice.
The pupils fully enjoy the cafeteria where they share 2 meals per day in a family atmosphere.
Parents/teachers meetings are scheduled 4 times a year to establish and maintain a strong bond between school and families.

Seven Months after January 12, 2010

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:58:24 GMT

With the help of all of its partners, Fondation Enfant Jesus has spent the last several months working on consolidating all of its programs as well as engaging in other new programs. These new programs have become a priority based on our Mission and Vision since the January 12, 2010 earthquake. Even with all of the challenges we have confronted, our teams and collaborators have remained focused, allowing each of FEJ’s programs to continue to be operational even though restrictions and setbacks have been key factors for us during these last seven months.

Below, I have outlined my perceptions of the last couple of months and what I forecast the months ahead have in store for Fondation Enfant Jesus.

School Enfant Jesus

Post earthquake: We have and will continue to remain an axis of stability and continuity for many of the children and families in the region. Furthermore, with so many schools in the country that were destroyed, many children have lost their academic year because of post-earthquake trauma. At School Enfant Jesus, we consider ourselves fortunate that our own school structure was not damaged. Our students and teachers have received post-traumatic psychosocial assistance, medical care, and much more. Our partners, (see partner’s dedication page for details) whose primary focus point is our school program, have all participated in the consolidation and ongoing improvement of the quality of education that the children have access to.

The new school year will start on September 13, 2010. During the summer month of July, the administration of FEJ focused on making the necessary improvements to the physical infrastructure of the school, as well as academic improvements to the curriculum. Furthermore, we held teacher evaluations that allowed us to help each teacher review their strengths and weaknesses with regards to their individual performance. We also provided these teachers with the necessary training to allow them to improve their performance as teachers. We have also been able to recruit new personnel. We are confident that the quality of education that we provide will be evident in the upcoming school year.

Our fundamental challenge remains that we have many children still in need of sponsors. We ask that you please encourage all of the friends and supporters of FEJ to help us ensure that every child has a sponsor for the upcoming school year!

Women Reinsertion

Besides the setback from early this year, this program has still met its primary objective to provide the necessary training. We have also provided social reinsertion for 130 women since June 30, 2010. The program has been forecasted to incorporate 250 other women into the program this fall. The management team of FEJ has brought in an external evaluator, Matt Despard, a clinical professor from the School of Social Work from the University of North Carolina. He will conduct an evaluation of the outcome of this program of the recent benefactors in order for the FEJ management team to forecast the immediate future of this program. The result and recommendations from the evaluation will allow us to know how to move forward and how best to have more women benefit from this program.

Adoption Program

Ever since the intensive evacuation effort, we have worked long hours and long days to get as many children home to their adoptive families as possible to countries such as the United States, Canada, France and Germany. We have continued to work with all of our partner agencies to ensure all of the required paperwork in each country is being expedited to the families of these children now living in their new countries. We have also continued to process the children’s paperwork who were matched with families prior to January 12, 2010. Since then we have been able to unite 71 children with their adoptive families. We are doing our best to do the same for another 23 adoptive families before the end of this year.

Orphan Program

Since the earthquake, we have received 90 orphaned children, varying from the ages of 1 month to 17 years. The IBESR and other child protection organizations are working in tandem to return these children to their families. The story of each child is difficult and dramatic. Each child has been scarred in a different way from the events which unfolded on January 12, 2010. There have been days when some of these children’s suffering and agony seems endless, and our staff has become overwhelmed and drained. We have had many ups and downs with some of these children through health problems, emotional issues and many attachment issues; all grieving their losses.

We’d like to give a big “thank you” to the continuous support and devotion of our partners, directors, staff members, advisors, volunteers and friends. We have been slowly stabilizing these children and providing them with the nurturing that they need. The adolescents have had the toughest time with getting back to some form of normalcy in life. Each of these youth continue to grieve in their own way and each struggles with the changes in their lives.

We are very grateful for the two new additions to FEJ, Frank and Jan Vieux, a retired couple that has undertaken the youth program. They have embraced these adolescents, providing them with the needed patience, comfort, assurance and love necessary to help them overcome the fears of their future and confront the losses that each one has endured.

Family Reunification

We have also worked in collaboration with the social welfare program to reunite 42 children with their families since the earthquake. Each situation being very unique has truly been a learning experience for all of us at FEJ.

Women with Disabilities Program

During the last couple of months, we have focused primarily on the implementation of the necessary infrastructure for this program. In addition, we have worked out all of the protocol details with the Secretary of State for the disabled; a Haitian government entity which is responsible for all people with disabilities. We concluded an agreement on July 30, 2010. The program is scheduled to start on September 6, 2010. In the month of August, our team will focus on the final necessary details so that we will be ready to launch the program as planned.

Community Empowerment

We have launched four new projects in the last couple of months. The first two were projected in 2009, but were subsequently delayed due to the events that occurred this past January.

1) Agriculture Pilot Project: We have started working timidly in producing our own vegetables and fruits as well as breeding chickens and rabbits to provide more nutritional foods for the children in the school canteen and for the children and youth that reside in our structures. We hired an agronomist that oversees this project and also provides hands-on training to children in our remedial classes and women in our reinsertion program who are seeking to expand their own agro-businesses. We have had a few obstacles in getting maintenance supplies and medication for the animals. We have already forecasted that in order to work towards a self-sustaining agro-business program, more wells will need to be drilled. We are still in need of heavy equipment as well as some agricultural education in order to establish a suitable water irrigation system. However, the project is still progressing. We have started to use the crops for the school and the crèches’ daily menu and have recently started giving fresh eggs from our chicken coops to the children at the crèches.

2) Community Health Clinic: The initial projected construction of the clinic was delayed after January’s disaster. It was relaunched this May when the Japanese Embassy released the necessary funds. Since then, the clinic has been under construction. The essential equipment which was funded also by the Japanese Embassy has been ordered. Our staff and team of experts are now working on the operational component of this soon-to-open clinic.

3) Construction Projects: The walls for the women’s camp, the sanitary toilet, electricity, laundry space and showers have been completed.

The school cafeteria has been completed in the school’s compound.

The water reservoir tower is currently under construction at the crèche in Lamardelle and at the orphanage site in Kenscoff.

The community health clinic is under construction.

Volunteer housing is under construction.

Warehouse space is under construction.

Renovation of temporary housing for the adolescent girls is in progress.

4) Water filtration Project: On August 2, 2010, we launched a water filtration project with Medical Wings and Pure Water For Life. Water Purification Pictures *More details to come soon.

Long Term Volunteers

The extension of these programs has required the recruitment of five long-term volunteers with expertise in the following domains:

Education – Maryse Vieux, an early childhood educator who oversees the school management and sponsorship program.

Program Development – Rob McColley has committed to six months of volunteering to enhance and improve the management of the program.

Social Service – Danielle Nyquist, a social worker, has committed one year of volunteering to collaborate with our staff in the adoption program.

Youth Ministry – Jan & Frank Vieux, a retired couple, has committed to taking charge of the youth program.
Forecasting needs in the months to come:

The main office was damaged during the earthquake and needs to be repaired. We have been using classrooms as office space. In September, the administration must return those classroom spaces, as the school capacity will be at its maximum.

Transportation: Thanks to one of our key partners (see partners homepage) for the generous donation of a 15-passenger Toyota bus. We have now resolved some of the transportation issues we were experiencing. We can now safely transport several children at a time and pick up all relevant staff members at designated points in the village. Moreover, we are also able to transport several volunteers who have come to assist in our program.
However, we are still in need of another vehicle that we can use to pick up incoming supplies, materials and other equipment. This has become a huge burden on our existing vehicles, particularly our pickup that is ten years old. Our rapid program expansion has caused the need for constant repairs of this vehicle. Therefore, in the near future, we will need a bigger truck which will be necessary for the internal transportation of goods, supplies and materials.

Thanks to all of our partners, frequent supplies, materials and food drives are being held to meet our needs. Therefore, we are now receiving regular containers that allow our operations to run much more smoothly and we are able to have the needed supplies available for all of our programs.

The last seven months have been busy, but productive. We could not have achieved all of this without the devotion, perseverance and dedication of all of our partners, volunteers and staff members.

You all “GIVE US HOPE”. Together, we will continue to work toward developing communities for a better Haiti for its children.

It is imperative that we forecast that all of these programs will require operational funding so we can achieve our goals in the coming years and work towards self-sustainability for those we seek to serve.

I would like to thank my mother for her generosity. –All know her as “Mamnie Lucienne”. She remains our pillar at the Fondation Enfant Jesus. I pray and ask for courage and serenity so we can continue on with her legacy.

Lucien Victor Duncan
General Director, Fondation Enfant Jesus
“United together to build.”

Haiti testimony and reports by Jo-Ann REID

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:12:39 GMT

Testimony July 12—July 16 2010

Two days before my third trip ever to Haiti, I found myself smack in the middle of feeling the anticipation of my return and a sense of fear and wonder over what little difference I might make once I arrived at the Foundation. Little did I know that this trip would transform me in so many personal and professional ways as I reconnected with my roots and tried to make some kind of impact on the lives of others. Before the trip, I was a typical Haitian-American college professor of English teaching Composition, Creative Writing and literature electives while working on committees such as The Haiti Committee (on campus), The Honors and Awards Committee, The Graduation Speech Audition Sub-Committee, and The Honors Steering Committee in addition to working on my writing (mostly poetry) and co-facilitating the campus literary magazine each spring along with doing Black History Month events, Leve Kampe Haiti Awareness and fundraising events (Spring 2010) and working on my second three year portfolio evaluation. Working steadily this past semester on the Haiti projects in particular while teaching at Dean College really helped many of us to focus our energies as we waited to hear from family and friends back home.

Although I was born and raised in the States in February of 1976, I still consider Haiti to be home as well. It is evoked in my writing and of course in my childhood home and this sense of home has continued to grow within me over the years; particularly in 2005 as my family faced the devastating loss of our beloved mother/wife/sister/auntie, Nicole (Noel) Reid, a native of Petionville and Ti’Goave who succumbed to cancer after putting up the fight of her life for seven months. Just before this trip, I ruminated on the fact that it had been nine years since I’d been to Haiti as I had gone with my mother to see her parents, in August 2001, shortly before the death of her own mother in September 2001, just days before 9/11. I knew that I would be reconnecting with family and family friends and relatives on this current trip but the void created by my dear mother’s death had created a void within me and I feared how it would affect my emotional state and ability to make some kind of impact on those I met. I also knew very little about the Foundation and the work I would be doing there. I did know that I would be working with student teachers as well as a group of adolescent girls who were also personally scarred by the events of January 12, 2010. As the world watched as Mother Nature held Haiti in her furious grip, we wondered what would happen next and where to go from there. As the world watched in shock and horror at the devastating 7.0 earthquake and its effects, we knew that the time was and still is now to help Haiti reach its full potential and live out its prod legacy as the first free black nation in history led by Toussaint L’Overture in 1804. Few people truly knew the weight of that historical fact but those who did often turned their backs on Haiti while others around me often claimed that Haiti had been paying the price for its freedom ever since.

Now, it is a full week since my return back to the States and I can truly say that this trip was awe-inspiring, shocking, celebratory, empowering and most of all healing. For a cynical and slightly jaded and often stressed thirty-four ear old Haitian American woman, this trip helped me continue to thread together each square that makes up my cultural identity and it helped me to not only work side by side with my father, Gerald Reid and his companion Yannick Ferrus and her son Jean Noel Salvne (both now dear friends of mine), as well as my ever-dedicated Auntie Edwige. The trip helped me reconcile with so many changes that had challenged and healed our family since 2005 and what I was in store for and eventually experienced has transformed me in so many ways that there is not enough room to reflect on each one. Besides, the time I spent getting to know those amazing student teachers as well as with 12 adolescent girls was what the real work was about. I not only got to be inspired by others but I really rediscovered my love of teaching and storytelling, the power of lending a hand to someone in need, and the necessity of asking for help as well. As human beings, we need validation, and purpose, as well as maturity, accountability, love and resources and what we are lacking we must do everything in our power to mend that loss and regain a sense of focus.

This third trip to Haiti reinforced the spirit of everything my sisters, Marie and Tamie had learned from our proud and hardworking parents. It spoke to the significance of knowing where you come from and taking a leap of faith. This latest trip showed me that people are still connected by their roots and branches, and that even across oceans; we can wake up one day and truly find ourselves. I was reminded that we all have a story to tell no matter how triumphant or tragic and that we all deserve to be heard. It is in telling our stories that we find the potential to affect and possibly even motivate, accept, and of course heal each other and ultimately ourselves.

So it is with these thoughts and reflections that I thank the people at L’Enfant Enfant Jesus for all of the amazing work that they continue to do each day as they wake with the symphony of babies gurgling, and donkeys going to market and fall asleep after long days of work to the singing frogs (who knew they could sing!) and the backdrop of stunning mountain views and seemingly every star in the sky as a protective blanket and a reminder that although as individuals we may seem insignificant in the universe but as a united front anything is truly possible with the help of community, self-determination and maybe even a bit of faith. I thank you so much for this opportunity and I hope I was able to be of some use during my time there. I miss each of the teachers and adolescent girls I have met as well as Gina, Maryise, Mamie, Lucien, Frankie, Jan, Robb (a.k.a. Rob with two B’s!) as Sara…and of course how could I forget Achi’s hefty bark and Sophie’s keen eyes! Leve Kampe my friends and let’s see if we can do even more to help Haiti find herself again!
—Jo-Ann Reid, MFA
Assistant Professor of English