How we started the

New York Haiti Project

After we finished building Good Samaritan Episcopal Church in Bondeau in 2015 (pictured above), leaders from Martel approached Father Phanord asking for help. They had no school and no church, they said.

Martel and Bondeau are both in the Nippes region,

on the Tiburon Peninsula

In 2016 we had a series of conversations with the Mistal family about starting a school and a church in Martel. The family offered to donate ten acres of land to the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti if we could help them create a school and church.

First conversation with the Mistal family, December 2016. Pictured are Madam Nelson and Fr. Phanord with his back to the camera

We Americans told the Mistal family that we were eager to partner with the Martel community, and we wanted to make the school sustainable. How could we create revenue to help support the school?

The Mistals proposed a grain mill. They said that Martel farmers travel over an hour to grind their corn and millet. A grain mill in their own community would keep the work local, with some revenue to support the school. Another Martel family donated land of the mill.

From the beginning we have asked God to reveal his will for our work in Martel, and to bring to us the people and resources to accomplish his will.

Thanks to a grant from the Global Mission Commission of the Diocese of New York, and donations from several of our founding partner parishes, including The French Church of Saint-Esprit, Church of the Atonement in the Bronx and Church of the Ascension in Greenwich Village, we built the grain mill.

Milling machine July 2017

The Red generator on the left

powers the grinder on the right

The grain mill reminds us that mission work is messy. We are still not sure why the farmers never used it. We plan to reopen this conversation when it is safe to travel to Haiti again.

Americans traveled to Martel again in the summer of 2017. We went to worship and celebrate the beginning of St. Luke's Episcopal School and Church.

First service of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Martel, July 2017

St. Luke's first church building was made of sheet metal and 2x4's. That building lasted four years until a strong wind blew it down. In the years since we have built a new church hall and three classroom buildings. We've also built a latrine, a cistern for drinking water and handwashing, and an administrative building.

The school opened in September 2017 with 34 students, grades K-2. Today the school has 246 students grades K-9. We have added a grade level more or less each year.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Martel October 2021

Two classroom buildings

Each has three classrooms

Construction has not been easy. Earthquakes and hurricanes are a regular part of life in Haiti. Since we began partnering with the people of Martel there have been two major hurricanes, two earthquakes nearby 7.0 and above, and hundreds of aftershocks. We build to withstand nature.

In addition, violence and civil unrest have driven up the price of everything, including building materials.

Father Jean Berthol Phanord is the priest in charge of Martel and Bondeau. He makes all of this work possible, a faithful partner and friend for over twelve years.

Fr. Phanord and students, Lent 2018

Latrine October 2024

Drinking water cistern October 2024

Happy students

In addition to building the physical campus, we are working to build the capacity of the teachers. We partner with P4H Global, a Haitian American non profit organization whose entire mission is to train teachers in Haiti.

P4H teaches teachers how to get students to open up and speak more. They move beyond rote memorization, encouraging children to ask more questions. Collaboration among students is also encouraged, as you can see from the photo above.

P4H Teacher Training year 2, March 26, 2025

St. Luke's Episcopal School teachers just finished the second year of a three year teacher training. Teachers will receive ongoing one-on-one coaching by telephone, and an observation week in the fall.

What's next for St. Luke's Episcopal School? Fr. Phanord and the school administrators want to continue expanding the school with another set of classrooms, so we can add 10th grade. We plan to build a classroom building that will be ready in September.

Please donate to the New York Haiti Project to make this dream become reality. You can now make a monthly recurring donation. Click here to donate.

Please pray for St. Luke's Episcopal Church and School. "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective." James 5:15.

Thank you for your continued support.

Christ's peace,

The Rev. Sam Owen

Founder and Director

New York Haiti Project

Haitian Church of the

Good Samaritan

1858 Hunt Ave.

Bronx, NY 10462

(303) 886-8149

www.newyorkhaitiproject.org