La Maison du Bonhuer Annual Report for 2007 2007 was a year of much needed peace in Haiti. The year proceeded without any school closings due to riots or violence. News of kidnapping greatly decreased in 2007. We even had children who were able to take some early evening courses, before being out after dark had been very dangerous in our area. There was peace in La Maison du Bonheur as well. With my wife and I being here for over 4 years now we are all learning to live together much better. We still don’t always agree or get along perfectly but everyone’s tolerance has gone way up. Many goals were achieved by the Home and the children in 2007. - We had five young people successfully return to live with their families
- Everyone 16 and older in the Home is learning a trade as well as going to school
- We have as many non-residents as residents in our after-school program
- We started offering Micro Credit (Commerce Loans) to families to help get their financial situation to where they can have their children once again live with them
- All our children who took state exams passed
- 5 of our oldest have found full or part time work before or shortly after leaving the program
Objective 1 To provide for the physical needs of the children in our children’s home Food prices rose throughout the year while donations of food to the home decreased significantly. Despite these two things we were able to provide nutritious meals for our 35 residents, 12 staff members and the 25 non-residents who participate in our after-school program. The children’s health has been relatively good during this year. The Salvation Army health clinic below the Home now has a full time doctor and we have found this very helpful in taking care of any minor illnesses that occur. In January we took Ala Jah, one of our older girls, to Les Cayes, southern Haiti, to a Canadian hospital to have an operation repairing a hole in her ear drum. The operation was a success and after spending three nights in the hospital and two return check ups Ala Jah’s ear has totally healed. She has noticed since the operation dramatic improvement in her hearing. The months of May, June and November brought lots of rain and also a malaria epidemic to Port au Prince. The medical clinic below us was filled every day with children with fevers and head aches suffering from malaria. Several of our children contracted malaria but recovered quickly with the proper medicine and diet. We were blessed to have received enough children’s vitamins for 6 months which are given out every afternoon during our after school program. Objective 2 To provide opportunities for salvation and spiritual growth Nightly prayer times are held with some of the older children taking a leadership role in this. We study the Bible and sing songs together. We often have time where the children share a testimony or a memorized Bible verse with the other children. We are pleased the Salvation Army officers in charge of youth work in Haiti come and do devotions with the children every Tuesday evening. On Wednesday afternoons all 60 children involved in our after school program meet together for a time of devotions with the pastor of the local Salvation Army church. Since starting these meeting times many children who previously did not attend church have started attending church regularly. They often sit with my wife and I and are sure to show us they came to church with the Bibles we gave them. Our children continue to be active in the local Salvation Army church. Many sing in the choirs the church offers for young people. Two of our girls, Bessie Joseph and Modline Charles became junior members of our local Salvation Army church on Easter Sunday. February in Haiti means carnival. Many of our older children participated in a camp that the Salvation Army church sponsors during carnival week. This year the camps theme was “Being God’s Property”. The young people learned how as God’s property they should live their lives. The younger children stayed at the home during the carnival holiday and we had a day at the beach. Objective 3 To provide schooling, tutoring and job training We had many children who took official state exams this year. Stephanie Saint Hubert and Wilried Jean (photo on left) took the 6th grade state exam. Walto Silme took the 9th grade state exam and Elie Bonenfant took the Philo exam which is the last state exam for secondary school. We are happy to say that all these students passed their state exams. Elie Bonenfant graduated from High School. He is the first member of his family to graduate. It was a very special day for Elie, the Home and his family. Many members of his family were in attendance at the graduation. Four of our high school girls have started taking cosmetology classes after school. Two of our boys signed up for job training courses in refrigerator repair and videography/photography. Four of our older boys started studying to be electricians. The young men are really enjoying what they are learning and believe it will help them to find work when they leave the home. This makes a total of 14 of our young people involved in taking a job training course. In the month of February three of our Outside Children, Fabiana Tomsine, Masline Florastal and Manouchka Pierre started receiving after school tutoring thanks to La Maison du Bonheur. The majority of the tutoring is being done by Jean Fred Gouin, a young man who grew up at the home. Our younger students are all involved in our after school tutoring program. This program is 50% residential children and 50% children who live outside the Home. The children meet together at 2:00 pm with their tutors and work on their school lessons. After lessons they break up into classes such as cooking, sewing, art, singing and dance. After class they have play time before being called for supper. The children eat supper together and then the non residential children go to their homes. The Home was donated funds to purchase two foot powered sewing machines. The sewing classes have both residential and non-residential children in them. The teacher is Chimene Chatieler who grew up at the home. The students are also learning embroidery. The life skills classes were very busy in preparation for Christmas. The sewing class worked on making dresses that will one day be worn for the Christmas party. The cooking class learned to make dishes that were enjoyed by the party guests. The choir, band and dance group all worked on items that they performed for the party. Objective 4 When children finish secondary school they will return to their families. When deemed best younger children in our home are returned to their families and become part of the Community Outreach Program. June was a month of major change here at La Maison du Bonheur. Elizabeth Desir left the project to live near family. Elizabeth is 22 years old and finished with school. We were able to help her find a job working for a Salvation Army Aids Program in the south of Haiti near where her family lives. Her job has also helped her to take a course in adult literacy. Elie Bonenfant and Carlo Petit Homme moved to live with family as they were both finished with their secondary education. They will continue to be a part of the program as they attend a professional training school. Stephanie Raymond and Stephanie Saint Hubert both moved back with their families as their families are now in a position to take proper care of them. These girls will continue to be a part of La Maison du Bonheur as they will come here everyday after school for tutoring. It is a blessing to see children reunited with family. It is a special blessing in Haiti, a country with 70 percent unemployment, when one of those young people leaving is able to find a job right away. We have partnered with another Salvation Army program to provide eleven of our families with micro credit to help with income earning commerce projects. The families went to a seminar on small business operation before receiving the micro credit loan. If this goes well we hope to include more of our families in this program. All of our children spent time with family during Christmas vacation. We believe this is a very important part of readying the children and families for when the children will return to their families on a full time basis. It is exciting to see how both the children and their families are getting more comfortable with each other. Since most of the cases it is an aunt or cousin they are spending vacation with the process is slow but definitely on the right track. We want to thank all of you who help sponsor our Home. Your sponsorship of children at La Maison du Bonheur not only makes a difference to those specific children but it also helps their entire family. Without your help we could not continue to do the work the Lord has given us to do with these precious children. Stephen Diaz Director | 
