Spotlights on Staff - June Edition!

At the heart of the success of all the work our ministry supports are the fundamental staff members serving our programs, ensuring the very best for the children, families, and community members benefiting from this critical work. We are grateful for each and every individual and delighted to spotlight some of these amazing individuals. Scroll down to see photos of some phenomenal staff members!

In honor of Haitian Father's Day, nine staff members from École St. Barthélémy and Clinique Espérance et Vie were delighted to pose with their children (present and former St. Bart's students), and Dominique Bruno graciously shared with us the wonderful moments she captured! Pictured from left to right:

1. Wilhem, clinic payment processor, with his daughters Wilkenia, Wildania, and Wildencie

2. Hugues, clinic lab tech, with his son Ange-Gardys

3. Harold, clinic logistics, with his son Carlos

4. Jhonny, 3rd school supervisor, with his children Cristiano and Jonnah

5. Rony, 4th-grade teacher, with his twins Guyvens and Guyvensley

6. Keplair, social sciences teacher, with his daughter MidHerna

7. Saint-Lucien, St. Bart's/NGO driver, with his daughter, Shelove, the current school secretary, and a former student

8. Orinvil, junior high French teacher, with his children Ruth, Diane, and Prince

9. Wilfrid, elementary school director, with his son Calvin

Special Staff Spotlight!

We are truly delighted to announce that Madeleine has been appointed Head Nurse at Clinique Espérance et Vie! You may remember the story of Madeleine and her husband, Harold, and their son from "A Chain of Kindness" in our Winter 2024 Newsletter. Thanks to the support of donors, it has been possible to expand the Clinic Staff and appoint Madeleine to this much-needed position! Both Madeleine and Harold are now key staff at the Clinic, and their son attends École St. Barthélémy. We are so thankful for this family! To read more about the journey of Madeleine and the beautiful full-circle moment involved, go to https://www.bethlehemministry.org/newsletter-archive to see our Winter 2024 Newsletter!

 Photos courtesy of Dominique Bruno!

Haitian Heritage Month!

May is Haitian Heritage Month, and we are grateful to share with you this video of this year's Flag Day on and around the St. Barthélémy campus in Terrier Rouge! St. Bart's drill team and St. Bart's band proudly showcased their skills alongside fellow students, all of whom take great pride in their school, country, and Haitian heritage! Video footage courtesy of Dominique Bruno!

We are also delighted to share pictures from this year's Flag Day parade on and around St. Barthélémy! St. Bart's students were excited to perform for their community members and show off their outfits inspired by the Haitian flag! Photos courtesy of Dominique Bruno!

St. Barthélémy's youngest students were excited to wave their flags and parade on and around campus a few days before Flag Day, which took place on May 18th! St. Bart's band was happy to accompany these proud young students. What a wonderfully festive time for students and community members alike! Photos courtesy of Dominique Bruno!

Haitian Heritage Month is also a great time to learn about Haitian cuisine! Click the link below to see special archived cooking videos and recipes, thanks to Rachel Bruno! https://www.bethlehemministry.org/post/a-special-haitian-meal

Project launches on new(?) social media

Everyone is paying attention, the lady in red especially, which is a good thing because she's going to market to sell her honey and she'll be talking to everyone. By the end of the day the news of planting thousands of trees will have drifted like aerosol into a hundred places where people talk. That's social media here and why 100,000 TREES AND MORE, our project to rescue family farms, launched on a dirt road.

Within weeks 39 families stepped forward, which took courage. While they know their land is washing away and doesn't grow enough to satisfy their hunger, the risk that change might make things worse is frightening. For them, this project is a leap of faith. The risk is asymmetrical, they have more to lose than we and they trust we will act in their best interest.

Together these families are made up of 500 men, women and children, their farms total 200 acres of steep degraded land. To triage their situation we must control erosion and plant thousands of trees. Josh Koons and I just got back from Haiti and already more than a kilometer of terraces are built, 17,000 trees planted, and farmers quickly getting the hang of planting trees and food crops together (Agroforestry). By summer 50,000 trees will be in the ground. Then we'll do it again to complete the project. The barren land we start with will be visibly transformed and a thousand people nourished by a reliable food supply.

Projects like this only happen when people know who you are and trust what you do. So whether you are walking to market on a dirt road or reading my message on a smart phone, I say thank you.

We won't let you down.

Take care,

Rob

Rob Fisher, Executive Director

Partner For People and Place, Inc/JP HAITI