A typical family in St. Etienne

Pitit se byen malere"(child is wealthier poor) is a very use word in the countryside of Haiti. Because the lack of clean water, electricity, education, healthcare...at 6:00 pm people go to bed and create misery in having lot of children while resources are very limited. Sometimes they don't really know how to name the children and lot of children born and grow up without a birth certificate, in fact, don't integrate the database of the government and, so don't benefit any service. 

This family is a typic one in the village of St. Etienne where no clean water and you must walk 3 hours to get water for the cook. Mireille is the mother(30 years old) and Kernizan the father(44). Mireille and Kernizan had their first baby 10 years ago and now they have 6 while Mireille is still young(30). Kernizan had, before he met Mireille, 2 children who grew up without any chance to go to school. 

In the village, St. Etienne episcopal church has been creating an elementary school in order to educate the children of the village. The parents, even they can not pay any tuition, believe in educating their children in expectation of a better life if their children are lucky in getting a job. The parents live by working the land, it doesn't rain often, and each year the hurricanes devastate all the gardens, complicating the life of those. 

It isn't easy to educate them on a family planing(birth control) because their belief in having children.

Like priest, it's really hard to see those little ones grow without any birth certificate and many more without any chance to be well educated. Sometimes I can't even sleep thinking about this situation. It's not only a drama for the Christian I am, but more than that, it's a human drama which needs human attentions.

If this touches your heart, open your pocket, welcome in joining us  to reach out those littles one. 

St. Patrick Church And School, Tom Gâteau

St. Patrick episcopal Church and School in Tom Gâteau, Haïti, is in process to be rebuilt. Visiting the church and school I met Frantz, one of the young living of Tom Gateau, who is a shoemaker. In my conversations with him he told me that he spends too much money for one shoe because the equipment to make it can be found only in Port Au Prince. When he finishes to establish one shoe he needs to go down in Port Au prince, paying transportation and other fees cause the machine shoemaker costs 2,000,00 Haitian dollars( equivalent of $300,00 US)
The school welcomes more 250 students whom parents can't pay any kind of tuition and then the administration can't pay the teachers either. I am doing a call for help for those children in order to accept them at school, provide them books and supplies, create a feeding program where all the children can take lunch together creating so one family.
I am illustrating this with some pictures.

My new appointment

Dear all, since last August 15th I was appointed to St. Etienne(Stephen) Episcopal church in the mountains of Leogane where there is even no water as one of the basic conditions for a human life. I served there 4 churches & 4 elementary schools and welcome about 1250 students. The quality of the teachers for a good education isn't present in the mountains. It is complicated for a young priest like me who believe in a new generation by a good education and then can't pay a good salary to the teachers.
In spite of all those difficulties I feel myself blessed to restore hope in middle of those forgotten.
Will post more in hours coming!!!

Travelling/visit

During my last visit to America, I went to visit the US Capitol, Washington. I enjoyed and hope to bring some friends as soon as possible. It was a wnderfull moment where my mentor explained that some haitian heroes where very involved in some batlles for the freedom in America. Some images are in a gallery in the capitol. I enjoy learning that. Hope to come back as soon as possible with family.

In front of the US Capitol, may of 2012.

Enjoy to meet agin our friend Florence, from Hong Kong. She received a price that day, which day was also her graduation at the VTS (Virginia Theological Seminary). I enjoyed being with her. 

FÊTE PATRONALE NOTRE-DAME/ BOLOSSE

Maestro Castellano se va pero se queda

                                                        Foto tirada por Chuchi en la madrugada, el tiempo perferido de oracion del Maestro

Maestro Rene Morientes Castellanos, un profesor que amo a sus alumnos y a todos aquellos que tuvo oportunidad de conocer a este hombre, criatura de Dios. Maestro no es alguien que uno puede ensenar a otro, es alguien a conocer o aprender a vivir como el.... Asi que quiero dar gracias a Dios por haber conocido Maestro, vivir con el, hablar con el, tocarlo y a veces bailar con el.... las danzas folkloricas... que pena vivir sin la presencia fisica de uno. Tenemos la esperanza, creemos que Dios lo recibira en su hogar....

Adios Maestro, vete en paz, has vivido tu vida, has amado, has dando esperanza a multitudes generaciones en muchas partes del mundo. Ahora, Haiti, Uruguay, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Canada, Inglaterra, todos aquellos estudiantes estan llorando su ida, pero siempre estaras viviendo en nuestras vidas.

Maestro, vete en PAZ.... ADIOS

Jean Fils

Feed & Educate our children

Notre bonne volonté ne nous permet pas de toujours bien faire. Nous voudrions bien nourrir toute la semaine nos enfants de l’École Notre-Dame mais nous ne pouvons pas. Nous avons une ration de 3 jours/ semaine en attendant que d'autres mains nous viennent supporter. Merci a tous ceux-la qui sont animés par la bonne volonté de nous aider a bien instruire et éduquer nos enfants grâce a une éducation de qualité soutenue par un plat chaud quotidien.

Voulez-vous aider? écrivez a notre adresse électronique.