July 2023 🇭🇹 Haiti News

By Guesly Dessieux
Executive Director and Founder

There are days when I think about Haiti and tears start flowing out of my eyes as I feel powerless to change the situation. The news continues to weigh heavy on our hearts, but we remain optimistic and continue to work under traumatic conditions while attempting to meet the needs of those most at risk: children and youth. Many organizations have had to close their doors with inflation of prices and significant insecurity. PLH is standing strong and has responded to the national crisis. PLH employs 31 Haitians that keep our programs running. We have 200 kids and young adults participating in our programs weekly. We provide food relief to 16 churches and are feeding 130 youth weekly.  We remain steadfast to continue the work and trust in God's plan for Haiti but we need your help more than ever.  

Tomorrow, we launch our Join the Community campaign. Our goal is to raise $7000 in new monthly giving and we need your help to reach that goal. Monthly support keeps our Haitian staff employed, keeps programs going on the campus, allows us to organize events to encourage the community, and makes it possible for PLH to continue to push forward. If you are a monthly donor, I want to say a huge thank you. You have sustained PLH through some of its hardest months. If you are not a monthly donor, I want to invite you to join!

For as little as $10 a month, you can help continue the work of PLH and empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti.

$25 a month can help keep the soccer fields mowed and lined for tournament season. 

$50 a month can help cover teacher and coach salaries.

$100 a month can help provide nutritious meals for youth to combat the increasing food insecurity.

The Dessieux family is back in Haiti. So are a number of Haitian immigrants.

By Sara Dessieux

After spending four and a half months in Oregon, our family arrived back in Haiti a week ago.  It is so nice to have a comfortable home here to come back to!  My sister, Laura, and her new husband, Wahi, lived here and took care of the place and our dogs while we were gone, but the day we arrived they started staying at their new rental house on the other side of Camp Marie.  

We jumped into our new schedule: schoolwork in the morning, then soccer practice and English class in the afternoon.  For the seven and a half weeks that we’re here this time, I am teaching a Biblical English class to our most advanced English students.  Sometimes, our classes start up gradually with few students and then grow over the following couple weeks, so I was pretty surprised to have seventeen students show up today.  They’re eager to purchase, at quite an inexpensive price, the hardback ESV Bibles we brought, and I’m looking forward to interacting with them about the Bible.  

Soccer practices started up two weeks ago, so Guesly and the kids jumped into that today.  Guesly also put together a pair of soccer goals, set them on the basketball court, and introduced some players to futsal, a soccer game played on a hard, smooth floor with five players on each team.  No offense, basketball players, but soccer will always be the game of choice for most people here.  We did bring in more basketballs and are eager to have a team come at some point to do more basketball training.  

Now to switch gears, if you’ve been following the news, you may know that around 4,600 people made unplanned one-way trips to Haiti in the last week and a half.  After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti up until now, Haitian people have been travelling to South America in pursuit of jobs and better lives.  Recently, due to several different factors, they started making their way up through Central America and Mexico to the U.S. border.  Can you imagine the desperation they must feel to undertake such a long and dangerous trip?  Within a matter of days, thousands of them crossed the border into the U.S. in hopes of being accepted as refugees.  As of now, 12,400 of them were temporarily released into the U.S. to stay with family members and are expected to have a chance to appear in immigration court and 8,000 of them crossed back into Mexico.  The others were put onto chartered planes and returned to Haiti, which has only gotten worse since they left.  Some came with their children who have never even been to Haiti.  

For many more than 4,600 Haitians, this is absolutely devastating.  Haitians working abroad send money back to their families in Haiti.  These remittances have accounted for at least one third of Haiti’s economy.  Those who stay truly count on those who go.  And so, those in Chile and other South American countries, when faced with unemployment due to the economic downturn as a result of Covid-19, left their lives there and sacrificed everything for a chance to get into the U.S.  We all know that immigration is a very complicated and controversial issue, but we can still all strive to understand the plight of those trying to enter our borders.  

As I battled anxious feelings about our own upcoming trip to Haiti, I could only imagine how many more feelings these Haitian people on the move have.  Desperation, fear, stress, hopelessness.  For all of them, no matter where they are on their journey.  For those being sent back to Haiti, they are returning to a country plagued with such violence, political instability and economic devastation that most people here would say they have never experienced a Haiti this bad in all their life.  

So as I packed our suitcases, I said many prayers for these people who were returning to nothing carrying nearly nothing.  We aren’t likely to cross paths with any of them in this country of millions, though Wahi, Laura’s husband, has already, but we know they are joining the masses already struggling here.  Their difference is they have seen a better life, but then things got bad again.  

We always covet your prayers for our family, our staff and the community we serve.  We ask that you pray also for the Haitian people - those who have never left this country, those who have travelled far and wide in search of a better life, and those among them who find themselves back in Haiti once again.

THE VISION

Written by Guesly Dessieux, Founder and Executive Director

As we enter a new year, I believe that God has great plans for Project Living Hope, the people of Camp Marie, and the people of Haiti. A few years ago when I started talking about this idea, this big vision and dream of starting an organization that empowers people and creates disciples, I was sure my wife thought I was crazy. She knows I don’t do things small. For me, it’s always “go big or go home.” Sometimes, we can have such huge dreams that we are afraid to even talk about them, but this was something I wanted to share with others and act on, no matter how big the task seemed.

In Ephesians 3:20, Paul refers to God as, “Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”  Like anybody, I sometimes battle the fear that I am not capable of succeeding at this, but I always come back to believing that God can do something huge through us. Do you believe that? That God can do immeasurably more in you and through you than you could ever imagine? Is He just waiting for you to take the needed steps in obedience?

We believe that God wants to use Project Living Hope to reach more people for Christ. Our vision as an organization is to empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti. We focus on purposefully training up strong, future disciples that will have a heart for Christ and that will train up more disciples. We want this movement to change Haiti. Right now, there are 11 million people that live in Haiti with less than 20% of the population being devoted Christians. As an organization, we want to be part of reaching both young and old for Christ. We focus primarily on reaching Haiti’s next generation for Christ through purposeful discipleship and we believe that God can do immeasurably more through them to change their families, their friends, their communities, and their country than they could ever imagine. We are not looking for a quick fix but are undertaking a process that takes time and requires investing in relationships.

THE KING CENTER

We are planning four weeks of construction this March to place drainage pipes, resurface the soccer fields for future turf placement, address erosion, and build a shop and garage. We have purchased three shipping containers to send equipment and materials to Haiti. The first two shipped out in late January and include the backhoe, miscellaneous tools, erosion control materials, HDPE pipe, tables and chairs for the English class, and balls and cleats for the soccer program. The third one will follow in February and include the building materials. We may face obstacles and setbacks but we move forward in faith knowing God can do immeasurably more than we can ever imagine.

FIRST TWO BUILDINGS

These first two buildings will allow us to start offering job skills programs as well as provide a shaded area for Bible training with the children and youth in our sports programs and for staff meetings and trainings. It will temporarily house English classes until we are able to build the education center.

• Is God asking you use your talents and skills to be part of His story in Haiti and go on a trip with us this year? For more information click here.

• Would you donate financially to the programs and building projects?  To give, click here.

We believe that God can do immeasurably more through each one of you than you could ever imagine. Thank you for your support and prayers!

FIRST RELIEF VENTURE - WORKING AS A COMMUNITY

Athletics, job skills training, community development and disaster preparedness. These are the four areas of Project Living Hope’s work. This past fall, a disaster hit PLH's Haitian community for the first time since we began our work in Camp Marie. The political situation in the country created what Haitians refer to as “Peyi Lok” or “Locked Country.” During this time, individuals could not get to work, kids could not go to school, prices rose and resources became hard to find, much less buy. The time came for PLH to join with community leaders to devise a plan for relief. What followed was 6 weeks of collaboration and partnership between PLH leaders and Haitian staff, local leaders and pastors, and you, the PLH champions. Together, you raised over $17,000. Your generous giving financed the plans which were carried out through unified effort within the community of Camp Marie. We are proud of how our Haitian staff stepped up to manage this project and how the pastors, farmers and working individuals came together to accomplish something that benefited all. It is never our goal to bring attention to PLH and what we may accomplish. It is our goal to support and empower local leaders and the greater community to accomplish great things for their community. We appreciate all of you who stepped up to support and pray for this project. We appreciate the nine churches who carried out the purchase and distribution of food and facilitated the agreement with the farmers. We loved seeing God bring together the community of Camp Marie and the community of PLH champions to accomplish all of this.

ATHLETIC CAMPS FOR KIDS

Kids were happy to participate in six weeks of organized soccer and basketball training where they were able to play a game they love, practice new things, develop their skills, and learn from trained coaches. We hired three local soccer coaches and three young men who participated in our basketball coach training to organize these camps for the kids.

I want to say thank you Project Living Hope. Right now, I teach sports and Bible to children in my community. I work  very hard to change my community because sport has the power to change Haiti. I am a Life Coach. I work for God. May God continue to protect you and give you strength.

Coach Robenson Beauger

ENGLISH CAMP FOR KIDS

With school being canceled for several months, we saw a need to provide kids in the community with an opportunity to learn and participate in consistent activities. We hired three students from our English class to lead English kids camp for six weeks. Angelot, Rival, and Snyson did a great job providing the kids with a fun, positive learning environment. Together, the children learned about the alphabet, numbers, family, the calendar, and more.

All the kids in Camp Marie are very clever, even if they are also talkative. They are very funny.

Rival Asseil

EMPLOYMENT

Through this effort, 120 individuals from the community were able to earn a much needed day's wage by working on the PLH land. This pay helped them purchase food and other essentials for their families during this difficult time. Each work day, individuals came together in unity, worked hard to accomplish a task, and walked away with the means to provide for others and the knowledge that they had done honest work.

This is the first job I’ve had like this. They pay you well.  They give you food. It’s a good job.

Fritz Jean Louis

FOOD RELIEF

The nine churches of Camp Marie and 45 local farmers came together with PLH in a unified effort to help alleviate some of the food needs within the community. Your generous giving allowed for the churches to provide 1,100 families with food packages. The 45 farmers have planted beans, tomatoes, potatoes, okra, and other vegetables and will be giving 50% of the harvest back to the community through the oversight of the local churches.

We are happy for the great work you are doing in the community. We in the church are delighted to say thank you to everyone who is involved in this great project and for this beautiful help you gave us. We were very happy when we received this help, because the economic situation in the country is very difficult at this time. We did everything we needed to do, and each person was happy when they received the provisions. We ask that God bless you for the good work this project is doing in our area. 

Pastor Jean Ernest Gracia

DISCIPLESHIP

Discipleship is a key focus of Project Living Hope. We train, equip and empower our staff and coaches to grow in their faith so they can share their faith with the people we serve. We choose strong Christian leaders to serve in our ministry who are excited about their faith and want to use their gifts to bring others to Christ.

Crisis Relief Effort Update

We want to say a huge thank you to all those who gave and prayed for the recent crisis relief effort. Together, you raised over $17,000 to provide food relief through our church partners, jobs on the PLH property, seeds for farmers to plant in the community, and English and sport camps for kids. Through this project, we witnessed two communities, that of Camp Marie and that of the PLH supporters, come together to accomplish something that brought hope, encouragement, and opportunity to so many.

Here is a short message from PLH Camp Marie Operations Manager, Benedic Maxime.

Things have begun to calm down in Haiti. Most schools have reopened. People are able to return to work. Resources are being distributed once again. Though we do not know what the next month has in store for Haiti, we are thankful for the current relative peace and we rejoice for what God, through you, was able to give to Camp Marie these past couple months: jobs, food, hope, and a more united community. 

Here is a video showing twenty individuals that were hired for short-term work on the PLH land.

Here is a look at the kids’ English camp as they learn the ABC's.

Watch your mailbox for a full update with more photos and details!

THANK YOU! Crisis Relief Effort Update

We want to say a huge THANK YOU to all those who have given to the PLH Haiti crisis relief effort. We are so excited to announce that we reached our unpublished goal of $10,000! This money is directly impacting the community of Camp Marie in a variety of ways.

Emergency Food Relief:
Funds will be sent to the churches this week for the purchasing and distributing of food to families in need within the community.

Youth Programs:
Individuals from our English classes and soccer and basketball coaches clinics have been selected to run the youth programs which are beginning this week!

English Teachers from left to right: Angelot, Snyson, Rival

Employment:
The first team of locals completed the first work day on the PLH land! More teams will be hired for work days in the coming weeks.

Planting for Tomorrow:
Farmers and PLH leaders will meet to arrange the planting of fast turn around crops which will help to provide food to the community in the coming months.

Please continue to keep Haiti and these projects in your prayers over the coming weeks. We will be sending you another update in the coming weeks so you can see what is happening and how your gifts and prayers are impacting the community of Camp Marie.

It's not too late to join this campaign with your gift.

If you missed the initial email, click here to read the full story.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40
 

HAITI CRISIS RELIEF EFFORT

Project Living Hope exists to empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti and does this through athletics, job skill training, community development, and disaster preparedness. The political unrest over the last few months has led to a major humanitarian crisis where people are struggling to feed their families.  Food prices have increased a great deal and the value of the Haitian currency has dropped. People have been unable to work and students have been unable to go to school. As a result, we are not exaggerating when we say people are going whole days without eating.

Over the last few weeks, we have continued to have regular meetings with our staff and leaders in Camp Marie and they have assessed the needs within the community. Our Camp Marie Operational Manager, Benedic Maxime, met with the pastors of the nine churches in Camp Marie and he heard the same thing over and over. All are discouraged about the current state of Haiti as they say the political situation is leading to a severe food storage and inability for people to work. All expressed a strong desire for people to work and have a purpose. The majority of Haitain people have no control over the current political situation or the protests that have been shutting down the country since early September. 

As a response to this crisis, Project Living Hope has devised a multi-faceted relief strategy. Our mission is to empower, not to enable or create dependency. This is why we choose to offer short-term relief in times of crisis by empowering individuals and partnering with churches within the community. We have devised the following strategies. 

1. Emergency Food Relief: We will partner with the local churches of Camp Marie to help with emergency food assistance. The nine local churches will organize the purchasing and distributing of food to those who need it most. 

2. Planting for Tomorrow: We will invest in local farmers to help bolster the agricultural efforts within the community. This food crisis has the potential to increase over the coming months, so creating opportunities for the Haitian people to grow more will empower them to sustain themselves through this challenging time. 

3. Youth Programs: We will hire a few individuals who have participated in PLH’s English and athletics training programs to hold camps for the kids in the community. All schools are closed due to the country shutdown. These English, basketball, and soccer camps will offer kids a fun, positive activity to participate in. 

4. Employment: We will create as many short-term work opportunities as our land projects allow, hiring local people to cut brush, clear fence lines, and clear out drainage ditches. 

We would like to invite you to join us in providing short-term relief to the community of Camp Marie. Would you consider giving a financial gift to support these four efforts?

We will be running this campaign for the next ten days. Please consider sharing this need with your friends, family, and church, and keep an eye out for an update from us as we close out the campaign November 25th. 

Your gift makes an impact!

• $50 empowers a Camp Marie church to feed a family for a week.

• $100 plants a crop of beans.

• $250 sends kids to learn English, basketball or soccer.

• $600 employs a crew of locals to complete a land project.

Thank you for being a champion of Haiti and the community of Camp Marie and empowering locals to press on during this difficult time. Please continue to keep Haiti in your prayers.  

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

Empowering Visionary Thinking in the PLH Community

By Laura Nott

Empowering Haitians to build a stronger Haiti. This is the PLH motto. But this is not just a catchy phrase or an abstract idea. This is the metric by which PLH operates. This month, I was proud to see the leaders of PLH put this into practice yet again by including our Haitian leaders in their strategic planning process. 

PLH is currently in the process of developing a 3-year strategic plan. Guesly Dessieux (CEO) and Sarah Comstock (Board Chair) asked me, as the in-country worker, to arrange a meeting with three of our Haitian staff to complete the first stage of the strategic planning process.

On Aug 17, Thonny Fabien (Haiti Operations Manager), Benedic Maxime (Camp Marie Operations Manager), Gerald Grecilien (English Instructor), and myself joined together to discuss the desired state of PLH — where we want to see the organization in 3 years. As instructed, we asked ourselves, “What is a 10?” In other words, what would it look like if PLH was functioning in a way that warranted a score of 10 out of 10? We considered programs, administration, organizational culture, infrastructure, financial management, etc. 

Throughout the discussion, I continued to marvel at the passion, commitment, and pride of the three men that sat with me. They openly shared their ideas, dreams, and concerns. They listened and fed off each other and myself. They took their task seriously. Much of what they discussed was in regards to the culture of PLH: how we as an organization can blend Haitian culture and American standards and how we can perpetuate a Christ-like attitude within our own team as well as the larger community we are a part of. They discussed the end goals of spreading the gospel and empowering individuals to succeed. I appreciated how they didn’t only list the programs and facilities that they dreamed of having for the community but they also put thought into what a healthy organization looks like and what the true results of the work will be. 

As we reached the end of our 3-hour meeting, Benedic commented, “This is the longest I’ve ever spent speaking English.” I am so proud of this man and the leader and advocate he is for PLH and his community. As the operations manager for Camp Marie, he fields most of the questions and requests from the community, oversees projects and resolves issues, and PLH has high expectations on him, but he stands firm. None of us are perfect, but he is humble, level-headed, and rooted in Christ. 

In a few weeks, the stateside team will conduct their own strategic planning session asking themselves “What is a 10?” But the notes from the Haiti meeting will serve as a valued voice of the Haitian people. In the upcoming months, we plan to continue working through the next three steps of the process with the Haitian and stateside committees. 

This process has reiterated why it is that I believe in PLH and what they are doing. I am proud to work for an organization that values their staff and those they serve enough to give them a platform and truly hear what they have to say. And I am proud to work alongside American and Haitian employees that are passionate and comfortable enough to share their voice and work together to accomplish a shared goal. I am also humbled by the community of people in Oregon, Missouri, Kansas, and so many other places who support this work with their time, money, knowledge and passion. Together, we truly are empowering Haitians to build a stronger Haiti. 

PLH is strong. God has blessed this organization with experienced, humble leaders, with committed workers, and with passionate supporters. These three groups make up the PLH community. I consider myself blessed to be a part of it. I hope you do too.

Medical Mission: PLH and Corban Partner to Serve the Community of Camp Marie

Project Living Hope has a partnership with Corban University. We have taken several students with us on athletic trips, and every year for the past eight years, Guesly Dessieux, our president and Sarah Comstock, our Vice President, have helped lead a medical trip for Corban. This year we decided to bring the team to work with another local partner organization, Project Help Haiti, so that they could run a clinic in the town of Camp Marie, where PLH serves. Below you will find a reflection from Kate Vetter, one of the Corban students who participated on the trip, and the impact she saw that PLH is having in our community.

By Kate Vetter

As I stepped off the airplane hot, sticky air surrounded me, clinging to my skin and filling my lungs. I took off the flannel that had kept me warm on the much cooler plane and turned to a teammate, “It feels like we just walked into a giant sauna!” A broad smile spread across his face, “Kate, do you realize we’re in the airport? It’s air conditioned.”

My eyes grew wide with surprise. Just a bit later I discovered my teammate was right—it was much, much hotter outside! I had expected Haiti to be hot, yes, but having never visited the Caribbean I had no frame of reference for what humid heat would feel like. 

This May I went to Haiti with Corban University’s medical missions trip. Our team was comprised of a dozen students and about the same number of healthcare professionals including Dr. Guesly Dessieux. Our purpose? Running clinics in the communities surrounding Camp Marie, providing healthcare and medication for the people.

We prepared extensively for the trip, learning about healthcare issues in Haiti and approaches for nonprofit work in developing countries. Despite this, I had many interactions resembling the exchange I’d had with my teammate about the heat. Having never been in Haiti before, I had no idea what to expect, and nearly every facet of the country surprised me in some way. 

On one of our first days we went on a hike up a mountain. An avid hiker from Oregon, I was anticipating beautiful trees, and hoping for a good view. Both my expectations and hopes were far exceeded by our journey which snaked up the mountainside. 

Sections of plantain trees, and looming breadfruit trees provided areas of shade from the hot sun, but when the trees were sparse, the views were stunning which more than made up for the heat. What surprised me about this hike was the consistent spread of homes which continued with our upward climb. We did not leave the villages behind at the foot of the mountain, rather, our so-called hike was really a walk on the roads many use for a regular commute.

Clinic days, similarly, brought many surprises. My heart was warmed by the multi-generational families who came in together, clearly invested in caring for one another. My favorite part of clinic, however, and one of the most pleasant surprises of the trip were the many employees from Project Living Hope who accompanied us. They did not come because they had been asked to accompany us, rather, they chose to. Their presence was an enormous help practically as they monitored the flow of patients, but also spoke volumes about their dedication to embodying servant leadership as a means of improving their own community and Haiti. 

What surprised me most though, more than the heat, mountainside villages, and clinic days, was how obvious the relative magnitude of my opportunities, wealth, and privilege became. Because I was born in a country with public education through high school, generally plentiful jobs, and allowance of international travel, I have had opportunities galore.

Grappling with my circumstances given this trip to Haiti has transformed my view of the world in many ways. While dwelling on the magnitude of my own privilege, feeling guilty for my plenty or overwhelmed by how small I am is an easy trap to fall into, I have instead chosen to focus on what can be done. 

How will I use all that I have? My gifts and my talents, my money and my privilege—how will I use these things in a way that is honoring to the Lord, and communicates the love of God to those I meet?

While it is a small step, I am choosing to support Project Living Hope as a part of this newfound effort to use what I have. I consider myself lucky to have seen the firsthand impact they are having in a Haitian community, and I am thrilled to help support their efforts in any way I can.

PLH Staff Party: Pierre Payen, Haiti

By Anita Nott

Earlier this month, my husband, Nick, and I went to visit our kids in Haiti. It was hard to believe that we were actually eating together, playing games, swimming in the pool, picking mangoes, and watching soccer practice in Haiti – with my grandkids! It really was a vacation and gave us a little idea of what life is like for them when they are living in Haiti.

Our oldest daughter is Sara Dessieux who, together with her husband, Guesly, founded Project Living Hope. On this trip, we got to see the dramatic change from last summer when the property was all just farmland. If you have been following the updates, excavation of the property has taken place so it was a huge contrast from my last visit.

Laura, the Administrative Assistant for PLH, is our youngest daughter, and we spent our evenings at the guesthouse where she lives. Just imagine – no AC, ceiling fans only if there is power, cold showers, mosquitos, and 24-hour road noise. But combine that with lively English classes, trips to the open-air markets, strolls along the beach, and meeting amazing people who are committed to helping PLH reach their dream, and the result was an amazing experience.

To top it all off, we were blessed to join the Project Living Hope staff party. Friday afternoon, we were dropped off at a beach property in Pierre Payen and helped get it all set up. Soon, Laura and Guesly arrived with the guests – eight of the PLH staff members, their families, and a few men who have been volunteering with projects on the land and as soccer referees. Of course, there was soccer! However, seeing adults and children participate in gunny sack races, three-legged races, a water balloon toss, and playing with the parachute brought out the laughter and a bit of friendly competition. The cooks had prepared an ample amount of food with plenty of leftovers to take home. Guesly spoke to the staff, and since I don’t speak Creole, I assume it was a time for him to express his appreciation for all the work they had done these past few months. Leon, the property manager for PLH, closed the evening in prayer.