Making A Difference in Haiti

Mission of Hope is located in Grand-Goâve, Haiti. Haiti is located in the Caribbean on the western 1/3 of the island of Hispanola and is bordered by the Dominican Republic. For the better part of the last 203 years, the country has been brutally and poorly ruled resulting in the terrible conditions in which 80% of the Haitian people live, in this, the poorest country in our Hemisphere. These people live on less than $1 per day. With that money they need to feed, cloth, clean and educate their children. The average family has 5 children. The only free education available in Haiti is through a mission school like Mission of Hope, where others support the budget for these families who have no means to send their children to school. The literacy rate is estimated at 53% of the population.

Lex was born and raised in a very poor family in Haiti. His parents did not have the means to pay for him to go to school. When Lex was 10 years old a missionary came to his village and started a school. The missionary took Lex’s picture and searched for someone to sponsor him. A woman from Michigan sponsored him throughout his school years and enabled him to have an education.

After many years in the United States Lex returned to Haiti for a visit. He was moved by the needs of the children that he saw everywhere he went and the memories of his own childhood.

In March 2000, Mission of Hope was founded with the goal of ministering to the needs of the Haitian people spiritually, mentally/emotionally and physically. Lex and Renee operate a pre-school, elementary and high school for children ages 3 and over which includes a nutritious, hot meal each school day for our 424 school students. The mission also has a nurse on staff who provides basic healthcare for these children. The children attending the school are from throughout Grand-Goâve and are the poorest of the poor in this country. Many of the families benefitting from the Mission have children that they’ve “given up” to orphanages or to people living in the capital city who have agreed to send them to school in exchange for labor. These children are called “restavek” or “those who live with others” a.k.a child slaves. By helping to provide an education, food and other material items, the mission is encouraging these families to raise their own children in a nurturing, home environment.

Read how Hope and Life has supported Mission of Hope, Haiti. Go to stories >>