School is back in full swing and so is the Rosemila Project. This fall, we have 130 children registered—for those who don’t recall, that’s nearly three times the number we had when we began a year and a half ago.
Under the close supervision of Pastor Maula’s wife, Elda and our kitchen director, Dieula, the children all receive one meal a day, made fresh in the kitchen using all locally-purchased ingredients: eggs and bread from our neighbor’s store, goat slaughtered right on our property, rice and beans from the market. And soon, mangos, peppers, tomatoes and carrots from our very own garden.
Over the summer, thanks to a team from Las Vegas and San Diego, we were able to finish the construction of a wall around a plot of land Pastor Maula has long desired to turn into a garden. With the help of some local agronomists, we are working on planting our first crop this fall. One day, we plan to produce all our vegetables and fruits from this 2-acre property, cutting our monthly expenses in half. It’s exciting to see the start of that right now!
Another exciting step we’re taking in the program is the launch of an artisanal center. The center will employ parents from the program who are unable to pay their monthly tuition in creating simple hand-crafted jewelry and clothes to be sold both in Haiti and the US. This will generate both income for the feeding program to move it toward self-sustainability and a steady source of income for parents who are unable to find or keep a permanent job. We are starting this fall with the creation of simple bracelets made from paper but plan to purchase sewing machines later in the year.
So there’s a lot going on in our community in Gonaives this fall: 130 kids getting one meal a day, a garden being planted, an artisanal center in its infancy stages… All steps being taken toward fulfilling our mission of empowering Haitians with skills to grow their communities spiritually, physically and intellectually with a goal to be free from foreign aid.
Want to get involved? Partner with us through giving on a monthly basis— a gift of $15 feeds a child for a month (yes—it’s getting cheaper for us the more children we bring in!). Check out our Get Involved page for more ideas for how you can join with us in serving the community of Gonaives.
The Rosemila Project 