03/02/2019
We don’t post often enough but we wanted to give everyone an update on this upcoming year at New Hope. We will have 7 of the last 8 kids either graduating or reaching the age 18 as of this summer. Since it doesn’t make financial sense to run an orphanage with just Amos, he will be reintegrated with his family as well.
We have a lot of challenges ahead, as usual. Our overall support has dropped considerably as the kids have been going home, and we fear another large decrease with the last of the kids going home. We are still paying for their school, trade schools and universities, a cost that continues to increase. We also have the 3L program that has been a huge success in Santo as well, providing school sponsorships, tutoring, and various services to 19 families in the area, with many many more requesting to join the program.
The reintegration process with the families continues to present challenges as well. A number of the homes that the children will be going to are in need of basic amenities. Some are deplorable, and much too small for the size of family that lives there. We are hoping to provide some basic needs for the families to prepare to receive their child back, but again, this is another financial issue that we are unsure that we can meet.
Through the years we have tried to work quietly as a small organization, doing the right thing for the kids rather than that which just promotes ourselves to raise money, like drastically limiting the number of visitors to the orphanage. We have much to be proud of though, so allow me to share a few thoughts on the successes of New Hope:
-In 2008, with a change in leadership and direction, we determined to not take in more children to the orphanage and focus on a healthy aging out and reintegration process for the kids to be reunited to their families. We felt that more effective models existed to assist families in their needs rather than just taking in children. Eleven years later we are realizing that goal.
-Became a registered and licensed orphanage around 2008, despite the warnings of many people that it would create more problems for us. We pay all necessary fees and pay in-country taxes (a rarity for many ministries years ago).
-When first notifying the social services department in Haiti (IBESR) that our intention was to close after the current children aged out, they didn’t know what to do with us. They told us we had to remain open and continually tried to place more children with us. We fought back and tried to explain our goals and reasoning. Now, IBESR’s main goal is to close the overwhelming majority of orphanages as they see them as unhealthy solutions. :-)
-Our goal has been to always have Haitian house parents and directors running the mission, not Americans. Without going into a long explanation just know it presents a lot less issues in the community and is healthier for our kids and the community as a whole to have competent men and women of integrity leading each of the programs.
-Through the earthquake of 2010 and recovery thereafter New Hope was a source of incredibly important assistance to our community and other organizations as well.
-We have been able to have a social worker, a nurse, and a child psychologist on staff or on call at all times to address any need of the children; something that is just now being required or recommended of orphanages.
-Rather than just aging out the kids we have thus far been able to assist the families as needed for reintegration, provide small business loans, find jobs for the kids here and there, and pay for trade schools and universities for them after graduation.
-In total we have been operating for just over 20 years, and have done so on a shoestring budget for the most part.
All of this to say THANK YOU! This couldn’t have happened without the hard work, generosity, and perseverance of so many people. Thank you to our donors, volunteers, Haitian staff, board members, advisors, and more. The different house parents that had such a difficult task of helping to raise so many children, especially when they were teens!
With the current political situation worsening, violent protests increasing, and rampant inflation continuing, we ask that you don’t forget the work that we still have ahead. The expenses this summer alone are daunting and we currently aren’t anywhere close to having the income that will be needed in the short term.
