This past year, LSM marked some exciting programatic milestones in Haiti. We saw students’ academic performance rise measurably with the implementation of a new accountability program. We brought on a psychologist and a social worker to help us advance our crucial trauma recovery initiatives for the children. We opened our doors at LSM Tech and at our new Business Office. And we built a prefabricated steel warehouse structure at our Industrial Site, which represents a new high-water mark for our technical building expertise and precision in Haiti. Read on to learn more about these exciting milestones within LSM’s various Haitian teams and programs.
LSM’s Impact Program in Haiti incentivizes our Home of Hope children to meet certain academic and behavioral benchmarks in order to earn special funding possibilities when they’re ready for college and technical school. And we’re already seeing great results! This past year, 32 out of 34 qualifying students successfully passed a critical, graduation-qualifying exam. Hope is a powerful motivator, as is accountability. Congratulations to LSM’s Haitian students!
Meet Wesly, a psychologist, and Enel, a social worker. Both joined our Haitian in 2020 to help LSM implement our Trauma Recovery program for the kids we serve, as well as to support overall mental health and well-being for our staff and families. In his letter to the Romans, Paul describes one key aspect of faith-based trauma recovery and healing: “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future…nor anything else in all creation, can separate us from the love of God.” We want those in our care to know that God loves them and that He’s given them incredible potential โ even if they’ve seen tragedy or abuse. Did you know that Jesus Christ is also the victor in your own life?
Jean Wesly grew up in a Haitian orphanage, earned his MBA here in the United States, and returned to his country to join with LSM in helping vulnerable children. In 2019, Jean married Lencia from Cayes, who shares his passion for children, and who has a strong background in accounting and administration. Together, they oversee LSM Tech, which is equipping college-age Home of Hope students for a life of service to God and their community.” Sometimes we think ‘change’ has to be big,” Jean says. “But we cannot underestimate how God often uses a simple conversation at a key moment!”
Among LSM’s businesses in Haiti, our Industrial Park and Block Plant have proven to have a significant profit potential, which we can use to help vulnerable children. As a result, we’re expanding to further harness a huge market demand. The structure below is an American pre-engineered steel building on a Haitian-designed, earthquake-resistant foundation. Creating the foundation to precisely match the dimensions of the building is an impressive feat, demonstrating how far our Haitian Construction Team has come. The frame was erected in a couple days, and the remainder of the building was completed in the weeks that followed. This cutting-edge project is among the first of its kind in Cayes, and it opens the door for exciting future possibilities!
This past summer, we launched a Business Center in Haiti for our Construction, Maintenance, Concrete Products, and Automotive businesses. The new Business Center also provides a home for key administrative functions, including Management, Sales, and Accounting. As we grow our existing businesses and start new ones, LSM collects revenue that we can use to help even more vulnerable kids โ but we also want our businesses to be known for excellent products and service. A physical storefront is an important way for these businesses to increase visibility and engage as contributing members of the communities we serve!
