Focus on Haiti (continued): Reports

In 2016, being mercy in Haiti by FoH is concentrated in four areas: agronomy, care for poor elderly, empowerment of women and immersion experiences for others interested in being mercy in Haiti.

Agronomist Guy Marie in tree nursery with over 60,000 saplings

Support of the Agro-Forestry Program

• Salary for two full-time Agronomists - Guy Marie and Teligene
• Providing “motos” for the agronomists to visit all areas of Gros Morne and providing community education programs to hundreds of residents regarding beneficial ecological practices such as weevil eradication, water control programs, worm composting, organic gardens, tree nursery and seed bank;
• Reforestation with planting well over 100,000 trees on the hills of Gros Morne;
• Training local Haitians in goat husbandry, raising chicken and fish, community gardens with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Adult literacy classes at Maison Bon Samaritan in new outdoor pavilion

Support of Maison Bon Samaritan (House of the Good Samaritan)

• Home to 23 formerly homeless, vulnerable and ill residents;
• Improvements in the physical space and safety including communal spaces, kitchen, latrines, and perimeter wall and addition of a courtyard pavilion;
  
• Salary for a full time nurse and administrator, Lulianne and her assistant Timothee;
• Improved access to health care, medications and nutritious meals;
• Salary for agronomy technician, Roselin who has transformed grounds and gardens into sustainable food source for the residents

Mercy High School Student and Andrea Healy presenting a cake to Ms Lulianne- nurse administrator at Maison Bon Samaritan

Support of Immersion/Service Trips

•  In 2015-16, four Mercy High Schools: Our Lady of Mercy for Young Women (Rochester, NY), Our Lady of Mercy (Syosset, NY), Gywnedd Mercy Academy (Gwynedd Valley, PA), and Mercy (San Francisco, Ca) were missioning in Gros Morne;
• Weeklong immersion in Gros Morne with the Haitian people in service to the community but also to be present with the most vulnerable of our time.
• Immersion experiences to Gros Morne include time with Mercy Beyond Boarders Scholars who reside in Gros Morne. It’s a great connection among mercy students from both countries.
  Video: Gwynedd Mercy Academy’s Immersion Trip

Mercy High school Students presenting plates to MPGN

Support and Partnering with Women

• Partnership with MPGN, a women’s group who have a catering business for weddings, funerals, and other events. We supported their initiative to move away from using styrofoam plates because of damage to the environment and acquire dishes that are washable and look nice for catering. FOH has agreed to provide 1000 plates;
• Partnership with MPGN, a women’s group who have a catering business for weddings, funerals, and other events. We supported their initiative to move away from using styrofoam plates because of damage to the environment and acquire dishes that are washable and look nice for catering. FOH has agreed to provide 1000 plates;

If you are interested in more information about the work of Focus on Haiti, or would like to contribute to their work, contact Sister Kathy Thornton

Messages to: Karen Scheer rsm, MD