Saturday morning, Prit and I spoke to the Delta Kappa Gamma, Upsilon Chapter, in Jacksonville, N.C. This group of teachers invited us to share with them about our schools in Haiti, as well as the work we’re doing to help various individuals in our churches start small businesses.

Prit shared about our three church/school plants and the differences between a typical Haitian child’s school day and that of an American child. One example is that a child who speaks Haitian Creole at home begins school with a mixed curriculum of French and Creole. Haitian Creole and French are two very different languages. While French is the official language of Haiti, Haitian Creole is the mother tongue. This is quite a challenge for the beginning student, yet our students have risen to the occasion! He also shared about our feeding program and the dynamics that accompany feeding over 1,200 students, teachers, and cooks twice a week for an entire year.

I (Dana) shared about having an incredible desire to give individuals a head start in getting small businesses up and running.  Giving motivated individuals a hand up restores their dignity and gives them a way to provide for themselves and their families. Members of the DKG group have purchased several of the Haitian paintings we bring back each year, thereby allowing us to put this money into our Small Business account. They have gone a step further though. They have done a beautiful job of framing many of the Haitian pictures and reselling them. The proceeds have enabled them to raise money for scholarships for college students interested in pursuing a degree in education in the Jacksonville area. We are thrilled to be a part of their venture and admire their ingenuity as well!

Thank you, Delta Kappa Gamma, for your labor of love and your dedication to your work. It was such a privilege getting to share our hearts with you!