Background and purpose
The story began in 1994 when Marlene Mathurin returned to Haiti to work with the US-Support Group-Haiti. J-5. Struck by what she saw, reminiscing back, she realizes that the Haiti she left in 1967 is not the Haiti of today. Fewer children are seen walking to school, despite the fact that the population is more than twice the size it was when she left. Health care, and nutrition conditions were already poor before the embargo in 1991.The Conditions had greatly deteriorated ; many children were facing hardships that most never dreamed existed. How? Why? What now? are questions that rang in her ears and in all of Haiti’s.
In 1992, inflation reached a high of 52% and it is estimated that 80 to 90% of all industrial jobs were lost, the entire Port-au-Prince’s Industrial Park businesses went to our neighboring the “Dominican Republic.” The three years of embargo ( 1991-1994) only exacerbated the situation.
Aware of the situation, a group of concerned individuals rallied under a common purpose created “Fondation pour la Survie de l’Enfant Haitien (FSEH) with a mission to promote and improve children’s quality of life.
Here are just a few examples of how FSEH, the US-Support Groups-Haiti, and the “Chambre de l’Enfance Necessiteuse Haitienne” (CENH) a USAID-Haiti funded organization have help many institutions working with orphaned and at-risk children throughout Haiti from 1994 to 2001.
From 1996 to 1999, in partnership with the United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR), FSEH has implemented the Crisis assistance for 450 expatriate Dominicans adults (of Haitian descent) including 180 children aged from two months to 13 years old to find safe, temporary housing, providing food for them and their children, obtaining clean water and developing marketable skills critical to establishing longer-term self-sufficiency.
Completion of more than 20 schools orphanages rehabilitation projects through the Charlie’s Battalion’s US corps of engineers Port-Call Program. With more than twelve hundreds grass-root institutions, FSEH has helped change the life of thousands of orphans and vulnerable children.
BEFORE |
AFTER |
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It turns an abandoned house into a Community School.
Irene Blakely de Ti-Boukan, Gressier Haiti |
SCHOOL/ ORPHANAGES PROGRAM
The effort's leads have been rewarded and
numerous visits from foreign and local visitors
have brought us the pride of our well doing:
FSEH/CENH Agricultural Practice Project" Semence d'Espoir"
"Seeds of Hope"
Food insecurity is a chronic problem in Haiti that has been exacerbated by almost 40 years of political instability and consequent economic deterioration. These factors coupled with natural disasters have Haiti remains the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
The poor farmers do not have access to good seeds and many orphanages do not have the expertise or the space to operate seed programs, especially the ones in Port-au-Prince area.
WHAT WE DO:
We created a two core programs aim to improve seeds and vegetable crops. These programs provide packets of seeds and "seed know how" - in the Creole language - to small farms families and community groups at Forêt des Pins, and Cap Rouge (rural area in Haiti), in exchange of vegetables for the coalition members institutions who take care of the orphans and the most vulnerable children in Port-au-Prince.
We believe that by providing to the small farms families with quality, high performance seed adapted to local farming conditions and training to grow food we can help accomplish the following:
- Reduce hunger
- Often seed available to the very poor is of marginal or poor quality
- Reduce poverty by having them spend less on purchasing food and having some food to sell.
- Improve self esteem and character by having them help themselves.
- Reducing their dependency on donated food.
Increasing food will not only result in improved nutrition or productivity, it will reduce poverty, increase learning, improve their health and purchasing power as well.
At-Risk Children Foundation hopes to revitalize the “Seeds of Hope” project in the near future.
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UMCOR’s volunteers helped in the reconstruction of Bon Berger Orphanage
Valentine Outreach Center School/Orphanage
The US-Corps of engineers participate in renovation/ construction projects
Water Project for the community of Cazeau
 FSEH places some of the expatriate’s children at Cazeau Orphanage
Nurse Patricia Lee from Houston Texas
Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Honorable Bill Richardson with J.W. Stull, Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps Commanding Officer. Mathurin thanked them for their visits.
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