Check back here throughout the week to read additional stories in our miniseries — all leading up to the one-year anniversary of the 2021 Haiti earthquake.
Mission of Hope Provides Aid in Haiti After Earthquake
Education offers more than growth in knowledge. It offers both confidence in academic performance and in the security and provision students will have after they graduate. Thus, positive generational change results from regular school attendance.
But all of that has to start with consistent, nutritional meals.
Mission of Hope, an organization working with local churches to help communities in Haiti, has partnered with Convoy of Hope to provide relief amid hardship since 2007. Due to great need in Haiti following the earthquake, Mission of Hope has worked to reach as many schools as possible through food provision.
Below are some of the students impacted by Mission of Hope’s meal program in their schools.
Scheilla is in kindergarten and is one of 1,000 students at a Haitian school sponsored by Mission of Hope. Before the school received regular meals, Scheilla was fatigued during school and could barely stay awake to learn. After years of applying to the program, Mission of Hope was finally able to begin providing her school with meals in 2020.
For those who had known her before, Scheilla’s transformation is evident. Now, she is just a kid — enjoying a meal, staying awake in school, and dreaming of the future. You can see the change on her face.
Romilus, one of five siblings, has been at a Mission of Hope-sponsored school since 2009. Sometimes, the meal he receives at school is the only meal he has in a day. This consistent nutrition is meeting his immediate needs and helping him focus on his studies.
“The food from Mission of Hope is very important to me,” Romilus said. “I am thankful that hunger has not taken my life, and I know that this food gives me the strength and energy to learn and to study.”
Mirlene has been going to a school sponsored by Mission of Hope since 2015. With her parents unable to feed her and her siblings properly, the food Mirlene receives daily at school gives her the chance to dream about her future.
“[The food] gives me the strength to study and allows me to grow,” Mirlene said. “Without it, it would be difficult for me to stay motivated during class to learn.”
As recovery efforts continue in Haiti, so will Mission of Hope’s programs to provide meals, spur on sustainable development, and bring hope to more people. Learn more about Mission of Hope at missionofhope.com and read more about Convoy’s partnerships on our News & Stories page.
Food: An Avenue for Recovery After Haiti’s Earthquake
The devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti almost a year ago also disrupted access to food supplies. But in the areas where the damage most significantly affected Haitians, there was help — and hope — from a Convoy of Hope partnership.
Mission of Hope, an organization working with local churches to help communities in Haiti, has partnered with Convoy to provide relief since 2007. Convoy helped build Mission of Hope’s warehouse in Haiti, which still acts as a base of operations and a place for the organization to store food.
That food is sent out to schools across Haiti, fueling students’ stomachs and helping them make the most out of their education.
Marvin, a teacher at a school Mission of Hope sponsors, has seen the difference regular meals make. He started teaching there in 2015, and their feeding program started in 2017.
“Before we had this food at school, it was difficult for me to have a good working environment,” he said. “Sometimes, I would buy something for the children who come to school without food, because when the children were hungry, they did not want to learn.”
As a teacher, it lifts a weight off his shoulders knowing students are getting consistent nutrition that also helps them focus. Marvin said, “The food that is given to the children facilitates a better environment for teaching. Thank you!”
After the earthquake, Mission of Hope also flew food to the most rural areas of Haiti, where people were extremely vulnerable.
Davius, a Mission of Hope staff member, loaded helicopters bound for southern Haiti. It was especially meaningful for him to help meet direct needs.
“I am so thankful Mission of Hope was able to help get food to the people,” said Davius.
Stay tuned this week for more stories from students impacted by Mission of Hope.
Mission of Hope Highlights: Madame Calinda’s Growth as a Farmer
Nearly a year ago, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit southwest Haiti, killing thousands. The earthquake fell at an already-difficult time for the country. Political instability, organized crime, food insecurity, and pandemic-induced hardships were already making life miserable for Haitians.
Mission of Hope, an organization that works with local churches to help communities in Haiti, has partnered with Convoy of Hope to provide relief amid hardship since 2007. Madame Calinda, a mother of seven, is one example of how this partnership is at work in Haiti. The combined agricultural programming between the two organizations has changed her family for the better.
Before Madame Calinda joined the program, she was in a hopeless situation. She couldn’t take care of her land or feed her kids. Although her husband had land, economic difficulties prevented their family from developing it.
But through sponsorship from Pastor Eavan, a local church leader, Madame Calinda joined Mission of Hope’s agricultural programming. Mission of Hope has trained thousands of individuals just like Madame Calinda on how to sell crops, feed their families, and combat food shortages with local produce. According to Mission of Hope, there has been a triple-digit yield increase in villages that have this programming.
Madame Calinda received seeds and learned how to grow produce. Now, she can feed her family and sell her produce at the local market. And because her garden is thriving, Madame Calinda can care for her five goats and pregnant pig! From the produce yield she sells, she also can pay for her children to go to school.
“I’m very grateful for all that God has done in my life,” she said. “Do not stop praying for Mission of Hope, and Convoy of Hope, and for each person who makes this project possible.”
Convoy has seen real impact after the Haiti earthquake thanks to our partnership with Mission of Hope. Stay tuned for more stories on how this partnership is creating lasting change in the lives of many.
