Haitian Roots Newsletter - April 2006
11 Apr 2006
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the first official edition of the Haitian Roots newsletter. We are excited to update you on what has been happening since our first thoughts came together into concrete ideas, an actual organization, and what we are today. So much has happened over the past nine months! Upon first viewing the length of this letter, you may be tempted to spend your limited time doing something else. Please read on. You won"t be disappointed!
For those of you new to Haitian Roots I will explain a little about our mission. Haiti is one of the most beautiful places you could ever see-an island in the Caribbean just an hour flight from US soil. Yet it is also one of the most poverty stricken countries in the entire world. Haiti is racked with illness, starvation, political unrest, and corruption. But the spirit of the people is indomitable. It is important to note that in reality, Haiti is a nation of children. Some reports indicate that as many as 75% of Haitians are under the age of 15. We believe that the most effective way to bring about change is to start with the rising generation. For only $250 per year, a child can receive an education, along with proper textbooks and uniforms. However, with the vast majority of Haitian families struggling to eat, it is impossible for most to make education a priority. Haitian Roots believes that to affect any change in the political, economic, and social ills that plague Haiti, we must educate the youth. We depend on generous donations from individuals and businesses to sponsor these children. Your monetary donation will give hope not only to the child but the entire family.
Our beginnings are humble, but we were grateful to have been able to sponsor 23 children our first year. Our goal for this fall is to sponsor at least 50. Our long term goals are to eventually build schools of our own to educate thousands of children in Haiti.
A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT, ISSON JOSEPH
It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I am writing this statement to briefly introduce Haitian Roots, its mission, its accomplishments, and its challenges. Ever since we were small little children, Marie France and I have been fascinated by the power of social services. We have detected in ourselves a certain compassion for the poor and the needy and an innate desire to help others. Even though we faced one of the most tenacious and chronic problems, poverty, we always felt compelled to serve our people and the children particularly. We always admired our beautiful island whose climate and friendly people never cease to amaze us.
Victims of political conflicts and poverty, we had to leave Haiti physically but our minds were always focused on the little ones we left behind. In fact every September-a desperate month for Haitian parents because that is the month they must come up with tuition if their children are to attend school--we would send some money to help pay the tuition for a couple of children.
About two years ago, we found a US couple (although "Haitian by heart"), the Cox family. They had fallen in love with Haiti after visiting on several occasions. As a result, they adopted Andre last year and since then have been devoted to helping the little ones that Andre left behind. To overcome the weight of poverty, we began nourishing the idea of creating a bridge for Haitian children through education.
On May 25, 2005, Marie France, Shannon, Jason and I came up with the idea of creating an organization called Haitian Roots with the mission of preparing a better Haitian generation by educating the children and encouraging the youth to learn a technical skill. All this is being done through donations of generous people. Since then our passion for this organization has continued to burn brightly as we hope to see these children have a better life.
Even though we are devoted and have worked hard to find sponsors for these children, I did not realize the impact Haitian Roots was making until I made a trip at the end January, 2006. I had not been to Haiti for seven years. When I met the children and their parents on February 1, 2006, it was one of the most thrilling days of my life. I saw parents whose children are already in the program almost worship me in order to thank me for this great help we have provided. There were also others who don"t have children in the program and who found out somehow of our meeting. They came from all over the place with documents such as copies of birth certificates or immunization records, begging me to accept their children into the program for next year. It was a good time for me to realize how much I love this country and how much I missed it. I took that opportunity to play, talk, and have dinner with those beautiful and handsome children in our program. The two biggest things I learned on my trip were:
- Haitian Roots is making more of a difference than I ever could have imagined
- The name of Haitian Roots has already spread throughout the island through people you and I serve
Upon my return, we had a board meeting. We all agreed that we needed to expand our list from 25 children to at least 50 children even though it will require much more effort and concentration. We are filled with joy and hope as we envision these great kids in the future. They will become good citizens with the hope and the skills to help their country become a better place. It is amazing to see that every one of them already has a dream, something they want to be when they grow up. We at Haitian Roots want to help give these children the opportunity to reach their goals. We are unified in a good cause and we invite you to join us either by sponsoring a child, making a donation of any amount, or simply sharing your ideas. Let us team up to save this generation because "Haiti pa dwe peri" (Haiti should not perish).
Isson Joseph
President, Haitian Roots
REACTIONS FROM OUR SPONSORED CHILDREN
One of the biggest joys for all of us after Isson.s trip was the opportunity we had to see new photos of the children, see a video of them and their families, as well as receive hand-written letters from them. I would like to share a few excerpts here:
Jacky, 14-years-old, writes: "In my family I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters. I don"t have a dad. My mom doesn"t have a house for herself, she rents a little home and she doesn"t have a job. Without your help, I could not go to school. That.s why I am praying for you and Haitian Roots program since I don"t have a dad to help me. Thank you Jesus for my dear god mother Kathy (sponsor)..."
Jenny writes: "...thank you for your help. I will do my best so that I won"t spend your money in vain. I pray for you that you will be healthy and live long on the earth. Thank you."
One father writes: "...I am very happy for the help that you have given for Saraphina because I was in darkness, I didn"t know where to go for help. I am a father who prays a lot and it"s because of this that God put it into your heart to participate in the education of my daughter."
Eight-year-old Ophney writes: "...I am happy to you for your help and I want to say thank you for such great help. My mom and my dad died in a terrible accident. Now I live with my aunt. I like school. Please keep helping me. Thank you."
The children were all thrilled to receive letters from their sponsor families. Besides the financial help, these children are so excited and filled with hope to know that there is somebody, some place, who really cares about their future. This hope is not just lighting their lives, but is giving hope to their whole family.
OUR SPONSORS
We would sincerely like to thank all of those who have donated to Haitian Roots. We had businesses, families, and friends all happy to participate. We were especially impressed with some of the creativity used to raise money. Two teenage boys decided to focus their Eagle Scout project around Haitian Roots. They decided to gather donations for several weeks, then held a large yard sale and donated the proceeds to Haitian Roots.
Another special donation that touched our hearts came from Ethan Russell (age 7) and his little sister Meg who decided they wanted to raise money to sponsor a child. With a little capital from their parents, they set up a stand in their front yard to sell candy and soda. They are now sponsoring a little boy from Haiti to go to school. They are planning their fundraising for this upcoming year and Ethan said to his mom, .Maybe we can raise enough to sponsor two kids this year!.
We appreciate the organizations that donated large sums of money to get us on our feet. We thank Wasatch International Adoptions for their support and for all they do to help provide homes for the orphaned children of Haiti.
Whether it was in the thousands, or whether you were only able to donate $10, we are grateful. Thank you.
We also want to thank those who have donated their time and talents to helping us translate letters and are currently helping us to create materials to raise awareness for Haitian Roots.
AN INVITATION
We would like to invite all of you, whether you have donated in the past or are reading about Haitian Roots for the first time, to please help the children of Haiti. You can mail your donations directly to us, or you can also send us a payment through PayPal. For more information, please visit our website: www.haitianroots.com
We also are thrilled to hear any ideas you may have or talents that you might be able to share to help us grow. Please pass this along to anybody you think might be interested in helping.
Sincerely,
Isson and Marie France Joseph
Jason and Shannon Cox
- Website:
- www.haitianroots.com
- E-mail:
- info@haitianroots.com
- Mailing Address:
- 609 West 3850 South
Riverdale, UT 84405 - Telephone:
- 801-621-2895
- Fax:
- 801-621-1753