New Name

In order to facilitate donations and future projects, we've decided on a name for our organization and started the process of becoming a nonprofit organization (called an "NGO" here in Haiti.) Here is our mission statement, etc, that my dear friend Jared Stanley helped me write up for the website (which is under construction):

Hearts of Haiti(HoH) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that began in response to the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12th, 2010.

Mission Statement:

HoH believes that the best way to make a long term impact in a developing country such as Haiti is through the education of future generations.

HoH's mission is to educate the youth of Haiti; our mission is accomplished in three steps:

1) We provide or facilitate access to basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter; it's impossible to focus on educational needs while dealing with survival.

2) We create and implement educational curriculum with three key areas of focus: Agriculture, Technology, and English. We believe that this process will give students the best chance to become self-reliant and become future leaders.

3) We strive to create sustainable programs that generate revenue needed to cover operating costs, keeping the facility independent of foreign aid.

Positioning Statement:

HoH volunteers are educational professionals that understand the education process. HoH is small with independent financing for our overhead, so 100% of donations go directly to funding our educational facilities; donors can even indicate specifically where their money goes to.
We are altruistic, transparent, and focused on our mission.

Current State of Operations:

In June, we found a group of 45 orphans that had been displaced in the earthquake living in a field outside of Leogane, Haiti.

We quickly directed efforts with other organizations to get these children shelter, clothing, food, and sanitation facilities. Then we arranged the purchase of two acres of land and financed and engineered the construction of three 1100 sq/ft school buildings.

We also designed the master plan for the school focusing on 100% self-sufficiency; we led the design on everything from the physical structures to the curriculum.

About our Process:

Educational:

In addition to the traditional Haitian curriculum, we focus on two other educational paths:

1. English and computer literacy.

2. Vocational training through agricultural skills and development.

Sustainable:

We use sustainable building methods and materials in addition to local resources and labor.

Structures:

HoH currently uses the earthbag(superadobe) method for building structures and foundations, using plans that were drafted and donated from The Geiger Research Institute of Sustainable Building.

We chose the Earthbag process for a number of reasons:

1. Buildings using this process are relatively inexpensive to build

2. This process utilizes readily available and/or low cost materials

3. This process is vastly more earthquake/hurricane resistant than traditional cinderblock structures

4. This process can be quickly learned and replicated by Haitians as well as volunteers.

Agricultural Facilities:

The master plan for our facilities includes a large agricultural area that will be used to help make the school and children's home sustainable including the following:

1. Livestock: students will take part in raising goats, pigs, rabbits, pigeons, and cattle as a food source.

2. Poultry: students will learn about raising different types of chickens for both eggs and meat.

3. Beekeeping: students will learn how to make an inexpensive hive and care for bees.

4. Alternative Fuels: students will learn how to make alternative fuel briquettes out of a sugar cane waste product called bagas. These briquettes save the buyer money over charcoal and help to reduce deforestation.

5. Rocket stoves: students will learn how to make a stove which increases fuel efficiency by over 50% and reduces smoke by up to 80% over traditional methods.

6. Nursery: students will learn how to start and raise trees and shrubs used for fruit and landscaping, which will be sold in the local market.

7. Aquaculture: students will take part in raising tilapia, a resilient tropical fish that is easy to feed and care for.

8. Bio-intensive Gardening: students will learn gardening methods that maximize crop production in a minimal amount of space.

Through these facilities we envision an environment where students can learn to be self-reliant as well as learn valuable trades and survival skills.

The English and technology training will open doors to employment in a changing global economy where this skill set is vital.

The hands on, agricultural related training provides students with valuable experiences that will enable them to become more self reliant while minimizing their impact on Haiti's limited natural resources.

The student body will be made up of children from the orphanage, with vacancies at each grade level being filled by children from a neighboring refugee camp.