A heartfelt thank you to all our supporters.
We
collaborated with other non-profit organizations to pave the courtyard of the
Foyer Notre Dame de Lourdes, strengthen its security system with cameras, fix
its solar panel capacities; separately we also funded the Christmas meal, agriculture
training, a large electric bill, staff salaries, English instruction in two
classes for the year, digital classroom training and 8 sewing machines.
Student
volunteers from Loyola University Maryland spent their spring break at the
Foyer: they initiated pizza production and mosaic table tops, collaborated on refurbishing
a transition house for young adults and built an additional storage facility,
among other things. We were able to hire locally and not take jobs away from people
in Haiti.
We also
gave study grants and living expenses for 5 students attending college or
professional schools. We continue to purchase Samuel’s paintings to help him
attend school.
Our biggest initiatives this past year was to stimulate
micro-entrepreneurship. One young man received a grant for his propane welding torch
and moto-taxi service. We funded ABC mini-market outreach projects in his
community, awarding essential school supplies in September to 32 families in need
and helping launch 6 micro-businesses
Understanding
the need of an orphan with no support network, we funded and are mentoring another young man, who started a small convenience store and café in a new locality. " You have changed my life: now I work like a man, I don't have to do any bad. Thank you"
It is
thanks to you, our donors, that we can make a difference in the lives of friends
in a country struggling economically and politically.
