2022 In Review: Thank You for Supporting Our Work in Rural Haiti!
Starting a new non-profit is no small feat — which is why we are proud to share some major accomplishments from 2022! None of this would be possible without the partnership of the families in Moreau, Moka, and other villages in the Bainet region of rural Haiti, as well as the generous support of our friends, family, and community in the US. We are grateful and humbled by what we have done so far together, and look forward to coming years of mutual success. Here is a brief summary of our proudest moments from the past year:
Teacher Salaries
Our top priority is the consistent operation of the K – 8 community school in the village of Moreau. Hundreds of students, and their families, rely on this school for access to education, economic opportunities, nutrition/healthcare, and much more. We are proud to have fundraised more than $14,000 to pay the extremely talented and dedicated teachers and staff that run the school on a monthly basis — roles in the community with countless positive ripple effects.
School building improvements
The current school building in Moreau was built with donor funds in 2018 and is hugely important for delivering high-quality education to the students who attend. However, there is always more need for classroom space and supporting facilities to ensure the wellbeing of all staff and students. In 2022, we secured funds so the community could start construction of a permanent building to house latrines and sinks for the school population — it will take time to complete this construction project, but is important for ensuring quality education and accreditation by Haitian school officials.
Emergency medical fund
Access to consistent and quality medical care is a huge challenge in rural Haiti; due to the location of most villages in the remote, mountainous regions of the country, there are not medical clinics in many areas and those that exist in larger towns and cities take time and resources to travel to. Many communities rely on services like Haiti Air Ambulance to airlift patients in critical conditions to cities like Jacmel and Port-au-Prince; this is an incredible, fast, and life-saving service, but costs lots of money, before even factoring in the cost of care.
Thus, when we can, we support emergency medical for the community upon request. Due to several tragedies in 2022, we fundraised over $1,000 on GoFundMe and our website for young people in the village who suffered extreme injuries and illness. We are so grateful for the swift donations and positive words from our supporters — you have made a huge difference for these patients.
Christmas parties in Moreau and Moka
Moreau is a deeply religious community and those who live in and around the village share a strong sense of kinship with their neighbors. Thus, it is important for the community to celebrate Christmas together every year by hosting a large party at the school and church building in the village. In 2022, we fundraised over $3,000 so that hundreds of families in the area could come to the festivities, enjoy a meal together, teach the Christmas story to the children, and much more. Thank you for helping us make this a special holiday season!
2022 was our first full year in operation as a US-based non-profit, and we have been blown away by the support from our friends and family. We are proud to invest in health, education, and the environment in rural Haiti, and look forward to all we will accomplish together in 2023. Thank you!