Sponsor a teacher in Haiti

The Story of Haiti

Much can be said about the country of Haiti. News stories appear from time to time about the poverty crisis in Haiti, and occasionally a natural disaster or civil unrest. But there is much more to the Haitian story than what is reported. As in any culture, there are social woes and bad actors. Haiti is also full of honest, hard-working people who love faith and family. It is the faith of the people in Haiti and those supporting ministries like Samaritans Heart that provide great hope.

Statistics show that Haitians typically spend 60-70% of their income on food.[1] Imagine if that were the case in developed countries. According to the U.S.D.A, Americans spend about 6.5% of income on food. Where would the money come from for a house, a second car, new clothes, or even medical care?

Literacy rates in Haiti are also low. Among the Haitian population age 15 or older, only 15% of Haitian are literate. In the United States that number is 99%. Only about 10% of all Haitian children enrolled in elementary school go on to a high school. There are few public schools in Haiti - about 80% of schools are private.

Without access to a quality education, most Haitian children grow up without being able to read or write. Education is one of the keys to helping Haiti climb up and become more self-reliant. If you ever have the chance to visit one of the schools that Samaritans Heart supports, you will find that the children love to learn. They hunger for an education.

One of the challenges is finding qualified teachers. As in any free market economy, hiring good employees requires paying a livable wage. Samaritans Heart seeks to not only help provide an education, but a quality education. Through its Sponsor a Teacher program, teachers are paid a livable wage and, over time, the quality of the teaching is increased. The children, their families, and the entire village are impacted by the support of donors like you.

Samaritans Heart is blessed to have Pastor Josue Octeus as its director of Haitian operations. Pastor Josue grew up in Haiti, received an education in America, and has remained a resident of Haiti because of his calling to help. Josue worked for Compassion International for almost 11 years and learned much about effective support of underprivileged children. Josue is passionate about helping and knows that his education has opened doors that most Haitians in the villages Samaritans Haiti serves have never even considered.

Pastor Josue’s experience, his contacts, and his reputation provide the perfect mode of supporting education in under-served areas. The people in the communities know him and respect him, but mostly they just love him.

With the help of the Board, Pastor Josue is able to provide the accountability needed to insure the support is properly received and disbursed. It is important that the money sent to school teachers is delivered and properly utilized. Teachers receiving support from Samaritans Haiti are required to make regular reports on their class, the subjects being taught, the number of students, etc. This information is passed along to the donors as a way to keep us all accountable.

Samaritans Heart Board members Craig Buscher of Iowa and Mark Buhlig of Missouri have organized many mission trips and building projects for schools and churches in Haiti. They both bring a wealth of experience to Samaritans Heart and a passion to serve. The schools in Dinise and Jan Bois were constructed through funds they helped raise and by crews they lead from the United States, with the help of local Haitian co-laborers.

[1] Blashfield, Jean F. Haiti: Enchantment of the World. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2008.