We are so grateful for your support of Practical Compassion. While our focus and commitment to providing opportunities and a better life for the people of Haiti remains the same, 2018 has held some changes for us as well.
This year we were faced with the challenge of having one of our largest contributors determine they were unable to continue providing funding. As a result, we started looking at how we could ensure that the remaining support we receive goes as far as possible.
Letting Go Of Our Medical Clinics
Historically, Practical Compassion has sent teams twice a year to hold medical clinics in remote areas.
As these clinics progressed through the years, we streamlined our process and built a corresponding team of Haitian translators, nurses and even a dentist to join us in better serving these communities.
Recent political unrest in Haiti made it unsafe to bring in medical teams from the US. Thatâs when we realized we already had a Haitian team on the ground who was trained, experienced, ready and eager to take on the challenge.
We let go and they took flight.
Our Haitian teammates have since held four successful medical clinics through the support of Practical Compassion. Seeing their success excites us; not only because it reduces the overall costs of these clinics, but because it fulfills our goal of empowering Haitian partners and their community.
Today, your support of Practical Compassion not only provides medicine and medical clinics, itâs providing valuable income to Haitian nurses, doctors and clinic staff.
A New English Class and Continued Educational Scholarships
The barriers to education are great for many Haitian children. Thatâs why Practical Compassion has continued to offer hundreds of scholarships to help children receive an education at our school in Pont Sonde, which continues to be run and staffed by Haitians.
This school offers a chance not only to learn, but also feeds students as finances allow, to help the kids thrive in body and mind.
This year, an entrepreneurial âgraduateâ of our program, who often serves as our teamâs translator, proposed starting an English class at our school in Pont Sonde.
This is just one of many examples of how your investment in students through the years can open up doors for their success, and create ways for them to also pay it forward to the next generation.
Why English Classes?
In Haiti, there is government-mandated testing that determines whether or not a child moves ahead in school. Two failures at any given level, the childâs chance at an education is over.
We see an English class as a way to provide these students with a very marketable, practical skill, that will help them regardless of them passing their government tests.
Students who learn English will have a much greater chances at finding a job as a housekeeper, nanny, office worker, translator, etc.
Continued Program Support
As always costs continue to rise in Haiti, but we continue to work with the funds we have to do the most with them. Our overall budget is around $150,000 per year to accomplish the normal programs we have in place. We currently are facing a short-fall of almost $20,000 for these programs:
- A feeding program for orphans outside of Port au Prince
- Louis Pierrot School in Pont Sondeâyearly stipend to cover student scholarships, teacher salaries and overhead.
- Supporting 7 program graduates through university
- Liancourt School and Bon Berger School â Paying teacher salaries
- Two Medical Clinicsâcovering medicine, supplies, and medical staff
- English classesâPaying for an English teacher and educational materials
Would you consider a year-end gift that helps us continue the work weâve invested in in Haiti for nearly two decades? We canât do it without you.
Consider reaching out to your family, friends and coworkers and see if they would be willing to join our mission of changing lives in Haiti!
And again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are a small organization, making a big impact in the lives of those we work with. We canât thank you enough for your generous and ongoing support! You are truly making a difference.
Fred Windholz,
President, Practical Compassion