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The
Congregation of the Little Sisters of Ste Therese of the Child
Jesus was founded at Marbial, in the Diocese of Jacmel in Haiti,
on Dec 14, 1948 by the Rev. Franèse Louis-Charles, with
the collaboration of 3 young girls. One of them, Mother Carmélia
Lohier, became the Co-Foundress of the Congregation. The congregation
has two major objectives: evangelization and the social development
of the rural population.
“Education
rentable” is the French term Father Louis Charles used
to describe his vision of education for the poorest peasants.
In English, “Worthwhile, or profitable education”
was understood by him as the way to teach poor children. Learning
vocational skills as well as academics even in elementary school
would give poor children a means to earn enough income to pay
their tuition in secondary schools.
Today,
the Petites Soeurs operate 26 elementary schools, 6 secondary
schools, and a teacher training school, all based on the “education
rentable” model, so the children learn vocational skills
as well as academics. They also accept 30 to 40 women into each
of their 15 Centres Feminines or Home Economics Centers each
year. Here they learn reading, nutrition, cooking, child development,
sewing and many other skills during this three-year program.
At
80 small centers throughout the mountains, workers perform monthly
weigh-ins for infants and children and give supplements and
nutritional counseling to mothers. Children are vaccinated and
the health of pregnant women is monitored. Children with severe
malnutrition can stay and recuperate at the centers for one
to eighteen months.
The
sisters also manage 2 nursing homes for the elderly, 1 TB sanitarium,
20 dispensaries, and 2 farms where they process food.
The
sisters live from day to day. The economic and political situation
in Haiti is extremely difficult. They do not receive any assistance
from the government. Many of the children who attend their schools
cannot afford to pay the tuition. The sisters, because they
are an indigenous religious congregation, depend almost entirely
on grants and the generosity of their friends and family outside
the country, especially in the United States.
What
do they need? Everything!! In addition to helping them with
a financial contribution (that is given directly and entirely
to them) they are in great need of medical and school supplies.
The money that is sent is used to buy food for the meals provided
for the children as well as for the Sisters themselves. Money
also helps to pay for the medical expenses incurred by the Sisters
because the congregation cannot afford to carry medical insurance.
Money is also needed to pay the salaries of the teachers and
staff at their ministry sites. During the year money received
from contributions is either delivered personally during our
annual visit to them or forwarded to them through a reliable
liaison. Each September, the Nation Twinning Program sponsors
a Sea Container Project, which facilitates the shipping of materials
through a site in New Jersey. In the past boxes of school supplies
such as notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers, erasers, etc have
been collected from schools in the Scranton Diocese and sent
to their school in Riviere Froide. Medical supplies such as
vitamins, antibacterial lotions, aspirin, iron supplements,
bandages, personal hygiene items, etc are examples of supplies
that have been donated and either brought or sent to the congregation.
There
is no such thing as a small contribution. Haiti is the poorest
country in the Western Hemisphere and the 3rh hungriest in the
world. If $1 can buy a notebook on which a Haitian child can
practice writing then you have helped to erase illiteracy in
a county whose rate of illiteracy is 85%. If $10.00 can feed
a family for a week then you have helped several children to
have the strength to walk the 2 to 4 hrs to get to school.
If
you want to make a difference in the lives of these poorest
of God’s poor, please contact:
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