WE ARE A CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
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We demonstrate Christian values as illustrated by the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12);
We respect the Haitian culture through compassionate care, neighborly love, and the honoring of all faiths and traditions of the Haitian people; and
We provide hope to rural Haitians through a humanitarian effort that includes accessibility to education, healthcare, and employment.
Bethlehem Ministry provides sustainable solutions that give Haitians the hope and the power to change their lives.
we help overcome poverty through
St. Barthelemy provides a quality education for children from Pre-K through grade 13. We currently have over a 1000 students that are receiving biblical teaching and academic training. Over 90% of our students pass their national exam. Many of our graduates go on to higher learning.
EDUCATION
Clinique Espérance et Vie, one of the finest medical facilities in Northeast Haiti, provides general medical service, eye and dental care, a pharmacy and lab offerings at low or no cost to those in need. All students who attend St. Barthélémy and their immediate families receive free healthcare at the Clinique.
HEALTHCARE
Jatrofa Projenou is a community agriculture and enterprise development center, located in Terrier Rouge, Haiti. It has a Haitian staff, who are skilled in agriculture, forestry, industrial arts, and small business. It contains a farm, a tree nursery, and a light manufacturing and training facility.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Jatrofa Projenou runs an agroforestry program that is teaching farmers how to fight against deforestation and rampant erosion. They are healing the land and communities by planting crops with trees and food to produce food and income for families. Farmers are learning how to make their devastated lands productive again!
ENVIRONMENT
WHY IS OUR WORK SO IMPORTANT?
- 90% of schools are privately funded by religious organizations or NGOs
- 50% of children do not attend school
- Average Haitian has an 8th grade education, even less for females
- Almost all schools in Haiti cost money
- Life expectancy is 64.4 years
- Haitian government directs just 4.4% of its budget to healthcare
- Haitian government spends $13/capita on healthcare vs. the US which spends $10,000
- 30% of population is food insecure
- 50% of population has no access to clean water
- Poorest country in the western hemisphere
- 14% unemployment; highest in the Americas
- 2 of 3 Haitians live on less than $2 a day
- 50% of Haitians in cities are unemployed
- 80% of population lives below the poverty line
- Highest rate of deforestation of any country in the world
- 2% of original forest remains
- Less than 20% of the land is open to agriculture
- Crippled agriculture
- Degradation of water sources
EDUCATION
healthcare
economic development
environment
ONGOING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
Terrier Rouge, like all of Haiti, is struggling with the rising cost of food, fuel, and goods. With gas as high as $13 a gallon (roughly the equivalent of a week of work), every aspect of life is affected. Compounding the problem is the drought in northern Haiti that has persisted for the past several months, eliminating the essential rainy season. As a result, St. Barthelemy’s farm (and others in the region) which provides nutritious fresh food for the students has produced very little. The deeper crisis, however, is in the community where it has become impossible for many to afford food for their families or transportation for work. For those persons, the weight of Haiti’s economic collapse is crushing.
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Our partner NGO, Espérance et Vie, under the calming presence and steady leadership of Father Bruno, is working to bring emergency aid to those suffering the most, including a program to feed those most desperate. St. Barthélémy School is open, providing a sense of normalcy for families and a meal for each student. Clinique Espérance et Vie is operational, welcoming patients suffering from malnourishment and other illnesses. For many in Terrier Rouge, these small mercies are making a tremendous impact.