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Annual Report 2023
New York Haiti Project
Executive Summary
2023 was an eventful year for the New York Haiti Project.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and School in Martel is flourishing, though the country has descended further into chaos and violence.
Enrollment in the school has grown to 178 students, grades pre-K through 8th grade, thanks in part to families fleeing urban centers to relative safety in the deep countryside.
Thanks to the support of individuals and our partner parishes, we broke ground on our next set of buildings. Construction should be completed by April 2024 on four classrooms, an administrative building and a latrine. The school now serves grades pre-K through 8th grade.
The New York Haiti Project now has 19 partner parishes in the Diocese of New York and beyond. We expect to add more partner parishes this year. Click here to support this important work.
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2023: Haiti descends further into chaos while St. Luke’s Episcopal School thrives.
The situation in Haiti, in almost every way, is more grave than ever. According to UN statistics, kidnappings are widespread. The healthcare system, never very robust, is now on the verge of complete collapse. “The overall situation is catastrophic,” the report says. Gangs have taken control of the capital, Port au Prince, which makes it difficult to perform daily activities. Travel to Haiti for Americans is dangerous. Human Rights Watch issued this report on Haiti that quantifies the violence and suffering.
60% of Haitians live on $3.65 or less per day. Nearly half of Haitians aged 15 and older are illiterate. According to UNICEF, the rising violence has deprived 4.2 million children of their right to education.
The crisis in Haiti underscores the importance of our work. The money that we send each month to pay the teacher and staff salaries helps support dozens of families. The money we pay to the contractor and laborers, and the money used to buy construction materials, all affect the local economy. Haiti needs our help now more than ever.
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Food Packing at the Haitian Episcopal Church, Bronx, NY, March 18 | |
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We successfully planned and executed a food packing event in March. Thanks to over 300 volunteers from over 21 parishes in the Diocese of New York and beyond, we packed over 50,000 meals from Haiti.
The event was a huge success and a lot of fun. Fr. Jean Berthold Phanord joined us from Haiti. Our DJ kept things lively. Sadly, the food never made it to the children of St. Luke’s Episcopal School in Martel.
On June 25th a group of armed bandits hijacked our food shipment. All the food was stolen. The trucks delivering the food were also stolen. The drivers were kidnapped and one was killed.
His name was Junior.
This tragedy has served to strengthen our support from our partners, and to shine a light on the dire situation in Haiti right now. The overwhelming sentiment was that it was a tragedy, but it was not a mistake. We won’t be doing another food packing event in 2024. It simply isn’t safe to ship food. Instead, we continue to support the people of Martel and St. Luke’s School in other, more effective ways.
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Students from St. Luke's Episcopal School enjoying a Christmas meal | |
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A recent report by the UN Security Council documents the problems, and the complicated nature of finding a solution. You can read the report here.
These circumstances underscore the need for our work. A large number of families have relocated to Martel to escape the violence and chaos of Port au Prince. Our school enrollment has risen considerably, to 178 students. Political protests this week have brought the country to a standstill. The school is closed today, and Fr. Jean Berthold Phanord our colleague and partner in Haiti, does not plan to reopen until Monday, February 12th.
Fr. Phanord has consistently asked the partner parishes of The New York Haiti Project to pray for the people of Martel. Please include them in your intercessory prayers during Sunday worship, and your personal prayers as well.
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Foundation for four classrooms at St. Luke's Episcopal School, Martel | |
In October we broke ground on four classrooms, an administrative building and a latrine. Thanks to The Rev. Michael Bird of Trinity Church Wall Street, The Rev. Kate Flexer and Mr. Michael Smith of St. Michael’s on the Upper West Side, The Rev. John Zahl and Mr. Steve Nicholas of St. Matthew’s in Bedford, and the Rev. Jacob Smith of Calvary-St. George’s Manhattan for raising the majority of the money needed for construction. We still need to raise $10,000.00 to finish. With God’s grace and your support, I have faith we will do that. Click here to donate. | |
Building Progress as of January 2024 | |
For 2024, the board has decided to invest in teacher training of St. Luke’s Episcopal School. We have enlisted the help of P4H Global, a non-profit that specializes in Haitian schools. P4H will work with St. Luke’s over the next three years starting March 6-9. We are grateful for the generous individual who has contributed the funding. We still need to raise about $1,000.00 to cover all costs including travel for the trainers and food for the trainers and participants. Click here to donate. | |
P4H Training for Teachers from Bon Samaritain School, Bondeau | |
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We have assembled a fine board of directors that meets regularly:
· Mr. Michael Smith, President
· The Rev. Sam Owen, Director
· The Rev. Deacon Gail Ganter-Toback, Secretary
· The Rev. Marie Promise Atelon
· The Rev. Kate Flexer
· Ms. Gisele Isidore
· The Rev. Landon Moore
· The Rev. Jacob Smith
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We also added several partner parishes in 2023. Here is our current list of partners:
•Haitian Church of the Good Samaritan
•Calvary-St. George, Manhattan
•Christ Church, Guilford, CT
•Church of the Ascension, Manhattan
•Grace Church Women, Manhattan
•Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Inwood, NY
•L’Église Française du Saint-Esprit, Manhattan
•New Rochelle Episcopal Collaborative
•St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, Croton on Hudson
•St. George’s Episcopal Church, Brooklyn
•St. George’s Episcopal Church, Newburgh, NY
•St. James Episcopal Church, North Salem
•St. James the Less Episcopal Church, Scarsdale
•St. James Episcopal Church, Hyde Park
•St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Bedford, NY
•St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Milford, CT
•St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Chelsea, NY
•St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Manhattan
•Trinity Church Wall Street, Manhattan
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Finally, I would like to thank everyone who donated money to the New York Haiti Project in 2023. We do not know when it will be safe to travel to Martel again. In the meantime, we pray for the well-being of our friends there, especially Fr. Jean Berthold Phanord, Madame Nelson the school director, and Mr. Moïse Vilmeney the director of pedagogy.
Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Sam Owen
Director
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