Monday, September 29, 2014

What a month!  Started September, two and a half months into my new church appointment, with a quick week in Port au Prince Haiti, attending a partners conference with the E’lgise Methodiste of Haiti and partners from England, Canada the US and UMCOR and missions folks.

I begin by saying “thank you” to the people who have graciously donated lap tops for scholarship students in Haiti.  The Geeks4God “refurbishing ministry allows us to “trade in” donated lap tops to be upgraded and we can claim others for the students who “upgrade” from one class level to another. We use our account funds to provide new batteries. The young adult Haitians are so grateful and ask that we pass that on to Geeks4God and all who donate to their needs..
Enickson Villerier, the 5th year computer science major, texted me 3 days before my trip he was in the hospital following a robbery on a tap tap that morning. All the riders where confronted by a man with a hand gun and told to put all their belongings in a pile. Enickson is a tall, athletic looking young man, and when he put his backpack with phone and computer down the man pushed him backward over the side of the truck into traffic.  He suffered a concussion and laceration to the scalp, severe whiplash injury but was most distressed at the loss of his computer.  I had posted a “onsey” photo to Facebook so when Joe arrived at Church of the Resurrection to pick up the 3 computers headed for students they graciously offered a replacement for Enickson.

We started the scholarship program in 2008 for Methodist young adults on La Gonave who had completed academic work above the normal 6th grade offered in Haiti.  The EMH offers one scholarship in each circuit each year but only for agriculture and teaching; two vocations with relatively hopeless futures. The scholarships we have provided have been for engineering, nursing science, and computer science in university, and vocational programs in language, computer training, chauffeur and diesel mechanics. South Dakota Conference picked up half the students which included one medical student who will be graduating this next year and beginning practice on La Gonave.

Change is inevitable in all things and with the “advent” of a new Great Plains Conference; we anticipate change in the assistance with tuitions that Kansas East Conference had provided for the last three years. More than half of the selected students have graduated but 14 continue to need tuition and project support.  Of course, there are always others wanting the project to continue to take new students. Our future support is rather iffy at this time.

We face the uncertain future with questions. The total cost for university science majors has been $8000.00 for the FIVE years of school.  High School (like an associate degree in the US) is $200 to 300.00 per semester. Vocational training can range from $150.00 to $350.00 a year, depending on the projects they must complete. These range from 1 year to 2 years per program.

 The question? What source of funding do we explore in the coming two years (we still have our Advance Special); AND would it be reasonable to seek sponsors for new students wanting to enroll?
There are issues!  Haitian businesses do not like to hire Haitian professionals other than nursing science grads!
 
Vocationally trained Haitians seem to find work easily.

Teachers in many Haitian schools have not been paid for months.

Haitian parents do not pay school tuition because the government has said all elementary education should be free. National schools may have one teacher per 50 to 100 students, but it is free.

The EMH charges tuition; classes are smaller; most teachers go months without salary and salary is often less than 75.00 US per month in small villages.

As we “close in” on November and the Bishop’s Round Up Against Hunger, our major funding source, we are uncertain about our future in funding the students that depend on our program.

We have been blessed to serve these worthy young people, the Conference and GBGM since 2007.

We join with the students in saying “thank you” to all who have supported Round Up, our Advance Special and those who have sponsored individual student needs PLUS all the prayer support from individuals and individual congregations. 

We are STILL funding the scholarship program. Please pray for the future.                                            Pastor Shirley and Joe Edgerton,                                                                                                       CUMC Haiti Advance Special #982465-6, mailed to Central UMC, Lawrence Kansas.


Monday, August 11, 2014

GBGM on La Gonave: La Gonave Mission & Transition

GBGM on La Gonave: La Gonave Mission & Transition

La Gonave Mission & Transition

An important project of our La Gonave Mission in Haiti was the education of 29 plus students. Eight chose University, others Vocational Training and several High School.  President Paul of the Haitian Methodist Church said the program was problematic. The EMH offers a scholarship program in either agriculture or teaching in each of the districts.  All of our students have chosen university science majors or vocation training primarily related to new technology. All have been active in EMH congregations and EMH Youth groups. One university student was a trained teacher who was paid infrequently and will graduate with a Nursing Science Degree. 

Dorvil, the student who graduated with honors in November has yet to be awarded his license to practice as the professor did not have 3 projects for him ready to complete before graduation. One project he finally completed recently but has two left. That may perhaps mean another 6 months or more before he can move away from the university and try to find employment as a civil engineer. He can not work while doing the projects and although they have not tried to collect any other tuition, he still has housing, food and transportation expense. 

A  computer science major who graduates this semester has been working for a school in Petit Guave for a salary of $650.00 per month but was recently told he can not continue unless he is married. They only hire married "men"...I am uncertain if female teachers have that restriction.

All of the students have had some assistance from family, but for 6 years most have lived "hand to mouth" and maintained high grade point averages.  They all share fear they will not find work following graduation because of cultural issues AND because they are Haitian. We have contacted NGO's we know to see if they are hiring without any luck. 

One retired ordained clergy couple of the EMH recently sent their two children to a university in Kansas for education and said they would only get work in Haiti if educated in the US. 
Graduates from vocational training, and Nursing Science majors have had little problem finding work. Translators, mechanics and chauffeurs are hired but not necessarily well paid. We fear university training moves into another realm.  Another group sponsoring a medical student is running into issues with obtaining license for the student trained in DR following the earthquake.  ​

We have been blessed by the former Kansas East Conference for making Round Up Against Hunger funds available each year to ensure we could pay each semesters tuition for the eight enrolled university students and the other 14  still attending Vocational Training and High School. 

Congregations, individuals, UMW, family and various organizations have contributed not only tuition.  Church of the Resurrection UMC in Leawood refurbished  more than 18 computers for students and are prepared to set up a "training project" for our graduating Computer Science major. Wyandotte UMC in Kansas City sponsored one student with tuition and a living stipend plus prayer support.  Love offerings, monthly individual commitments and fund raising events plus generous offerings at Annual Conference and individual and VIM Team "gifts" have been used for tuition,  housing, equipment, medical care and food. The need continues as student tuition, project costs and need for specialized equipment rise. 

Primarily, I am feeling lost in cultural issues. We face the future with graduating students and it seems our task is not coming to an end but making a transition. These bright, committed and now educated young adults have dreams of "making a real difference" on La Gonave.  We are now exploring ways to help as university students graduate and seek jobs that will actualize their devotion and education. 

I like to think transitions in our UM Conference, the Round Up Against Hunger program, and the Haitian Methodist Church are not endings but doors opening for new and (to coin the Bishops word) audacious possibilities. I dream of the day 29 Haitian young adults will be using their education to improve their livelihood, and that of  their families, neighbors and people on La Gonave and Haiti.

The need continues for funding for the Scholarship Program for La Gonave Students through our GBGM Long Term Volunteer Advance Special. Donations have been managed by Central UMC in Lawrence KS since we moved to Haiti in 2007.  The advance number is #982465-6.  Checks are made to Central UMC with the advance number in the memo line and mailed to the church at 1501 Massachusetts, Lawrence KS 66044. Much gratitude to Sid Snyder who retires soon as treasurer.

I will attend a Partnership Summit in Port a Prince, September 8th -11th. 


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Claude & Angels

 Claude & Angels. blurb not blog

We are in the process of sending tuition money for the coming semester so that means lots of emails, texts and phone calls. The prices are never the same or due at the same time. It is Haiti.
Following a lengthy apology for asking, Fedner said he needed $50.00 US for an engineering project at the same time he needed the $350.00 for the semester.  He said he was not attending seminars and explained those are extra credit tutorials that professors do for a price. Projects are required for graduation. A few months ago we paid for some tests and exams because he had developed a loud continuous noise in his ear that was very distracting. His parents had taken him to a doctor but did not have money for a specialist. He still has the noise but says it goes away sometimes.
He also gave me the news that prompted this note. Boss Claude, the young man who made 3000 prayer angels for us after the 5 hurricanes, is his cousin, which we knew, but did not know that he has been very ill.  Last I talked with him his wife had left him with their 3 children and gone to the Dominican Republic to work. He looked very sad and underweight then but now is dying. Fedner said he is praying to die.  Fenders’ parents are caring for him and his children.
Guess, I want to say, if you happen to have one of the angels, please hold it and pray for this fine young furniture builder, father and businessman who has no will to live, now. No more Claude; no more angels. I gave him the pattern and he registered his “mark”. He is the second of the young businessmen to die since we left the island.  They die young in the remote areas.
Enickson starts his last of 10 semesters in May.  His engineering major is Computer Science and has been the priciest of all. Of course he has needed more equipment and bigger projects. I spent a week with him and Gamaniel, another Civil Engineering student, in November. They are now such professional young men. University in Haiti is serious business.  They cared for me as if I was royalty and make me promise to let “everyone” responsible for their education, know how grateful they are.
Another Nursing Science major has 4 of his 10 semesters left and that is our last university student who will graduate with assistance from Round Up For Hunger funds, angel sales, and support from individual congregations.
The ten other students in vocational training, college and High School will be graduating in two years. Only one has had issues with grades. We were unaware his first year was spent as a restovec for his aunt who refused to feed him if he did not do “special favors”. At the end of the year he returned to SaP as a skeleton. We enrolled him in a school that provided meals and he has done well since.

Joe goes in June with the Andover team and will visit the orphanage in Ansagale that is in dire straits now; he will talk again with staff at the Guest House that we hope one day to have a micro lending program for; and look at the clinic in SaP that is now open full time. He probably will not see Boss Claude. Dang.