House of Hope Report

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

In the months leading up to the earthquake on January 12, 2010, House of Hope was hard at work providing alternatives to Haitian children so they do not have to work as domestic servants, enabling them to take control of their own lives, and teaching young people to be honorable citizens and live with dignity as children of God. The earthquake did not change House of Hope’s commitment to young people in the impoverished neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince but did provide many more challenges.

In the months since the earthquake, House of Hope has acquired a new locale, as their previous rented location was to heavily damaged in the earthquake. They have increased the number of beneficiaries of the House of Hope Program. In 2009, there were 100 beneficiaries and in 2010 there are 250 adolescents that frequent the center every day where they learn to read, write, and sew. This year, 20 students have taken the state academic exams and 16 have passed. More than 175 youth are learning a profession from the eight career options that House of Hope offers to youth.

House of Hope has many success stories like Auguste Linese who is a thirteen year-old who has been participating for three years. She is from the city of Leogane in the western part of Haiti. After the death of her parents, she had no one to take care of her. In 2007, a resident of Leogane took her to Port-au-Prince where she was given to another person who lived in Carrefour-Feuilles, after which she became a domestic servant. The first time she visited the House of Hope Program, she was very sad and withdrawn, and she could not read or write. She did not have any confidence since she had been mistreated for so long. Now, with the patience and the constant attention that House of Hope has devoted to her, Linese is a very happy teenager who makes good grades in her classes, is the best dancer at House of Hope, and participates in all of House of Hope’s activities.

Gifts received from Global Ministries in late 2009 were used for salaries, support of programs, and exam fees in December and were instrumental in supporting House of Hope’s care for earthquake victims in early 2010. House of Hope provided meals, trauma support and counseling, and staff salaries while also paying for clean-up and transporting materials from damaged buildings in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Read more about House of Hope and their programs here: http://globalministries.org/lac/projects/house-of-hope-haiti.html