July 2019
On Seeds of Hope Village Foundation’s (SHVF) most recent service trip, Madeleine and a small group of four volunteers made the long journey to Phillip S.W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City.
Following two flights and a time zone change, the group cleared customs, gathered their suitcases, and headed outside where they were met by SHVF representatives and a waiting truck. For the first time, a 55 gallon barrel full to the brim with supplies was sent via freight a month before the trip and was picked up at the Port of Belize after many hours of searching and waiting. Our travel south, to our final destination, was further delayed by a stop in Belmopan to buy additional supplies and grab a quick dinner. Around 8 pm, our overloaded vehicles were finally en route down the two-lane Hummingbird Highway towards Placencia and Toledo. With its sharp curves, one-lane bridges, and the weight strain on our vehicles, the 4-hour drive took us an unusually long 7 hours to complete. After traveling for more than 20 hours consecutively, we finally arrived in Placencia around 2 am local time. Wasting no time, Madeleine and the group headed out to Medina Bank for a meeting with the village council and teachers bright and early the next morning. Madeleine introduced the volunteers, informed the council of the supplies purchased, discussed the upcoming programs, and gave updates on the school naming ceremony and other ongoing work with the SHVF school. Following the meeting, a calendar written in both Q’eqchi’ and English was posted at the village store detailing this trip’s programs, times, and places. School supply distribution took place on our second day in Belize, with help from PTA, volunteers, teachers, and the principle. Backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, and rulers were distributed to over 100 primary school children. As part of SHVF’s hygiene improvement campaign, select products such as soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and floss were distributed to roughly the same number of students and adults.
Extra items donated to the school in support of student learning were picture dictionaries, geometry sets, and magnifying glasses. Additionally, toilet paper, hand soap, and soap dispensers were gifted to the school for use as needed. With the help of a volunteer contractor and others, work continued on the SHVF school building. Unfortunately, the official school naming ceremony had to be postponed due to time constraints and poor weather. More SHVF programs included Self Breast Exam classes, Dental Hygiene classes, and ESL(English as a Second Language) classes. The Self Breast Exam classes were supplemented by inspiring and informative talks from volunteer speaker Elvina James, a survivor of breast cancer who graciously shared her personal story and the importance of early detection. Laminated pamphlets with detailed self-breast exam instructions and other informative materials were given to those who attended the class. A large dental model was used in the Dental Hygiene class to teach the students and others how to properly brush and floss; this class was followed by the distribution of coloring books and crayons to the children who came. The ESL classes — SHVF’s newest initiative— were attended by moms, daughters, grandmothers, and granddaughters, all eager to learn.
Each ESL student received a notepad, folder, pencil, and was encouraged to take notes for practice and reference in daily life. ESL classes were offered nearly every day and were taught in collaboration with a Q’eqchi’ instructor. The lessons were divided into two sections based on ability. Overall the English classes were productive and well received by the community. To all the volunteers who worked hard to helped make this service trip a success, thank you!
May 2019
My deepest gratitude to the Ministry of Finance and the Belizean Government for their ongoing support of SHVF’s work in Belize. The Seeds of Hope Village School currently enrolls about 100 students per year. SHVF looks forward to expanding it’s services and partnerships with the Belizean government in the near future.
April 2019
Traveling to Haiti for me is always accompanied by a sense of excitement and anticipation.
However, my most recent trip in April 2019 was a surreal experience. After landing at Cap-Haitian airport, I picked up my checked bags from the rolling dispenser and headed outside where I was met by one of my team members and a taxi. The driver promptly informed us that the normally $8USD ride home was now $20USD. He then went on to explain that the fare increases were due to the ongoing gas shortage the country has been suffering for the past few months due to the Venezuelan crisis. The repercussions of the shortage were evident by the decreased number of cars and motorcycle taxis on the road. Motorcycle taxis are a cheap form of transportation for both Haitian students and the working class. The decreased transportation options and fare increases had a direct impact on these populations. The on-going gas shortages had also caused sustained, countrywide blackouts for the past few months due to Haiti’s fragile gas-dependent electrical grids. Gas on the black market when found, sold for about $12USD/gallon, too expensive for most people to afford. Finding access to water, charging ports, and affordable food was a daily challenge; additionally, those seeking relief from the stifling heat and humidity with use of AC and fans were left option-less, as I was. The small vendors operating electrical wells for water and gas generators for ice and cold drinks were disproportionately affected by this crisis, as they were unable to make a living.
Despite the difficult conditions, my team and I spent many days preparing for SHVF’s upcoming programs in Port-Margo, a village two hours away from Cap-Haitian. The impact of the gas shortage was felt when we were unable to find fuel for our travels. In addition to this, some of the country’s largest food distributors had empty shelves and warehouses. The high cost of fuel has made it prohibitively expensive for them to buy and resell their usual goods —rice, beans, cornmeal, sugars, flour, oil, etc— at a profitable margin. This fuel crisis exacerbated food insecurity within Haiti’s vulnerable communities. Haiti currently imports the majority of its food and other goods, all purchased in US dollars. SHVF was unable to carry out the normally scheduled programs, we instead provided tuition and transportation assistance to more than 20 students and families. The increased cost of gas and families income losses has resulted in many students being unable to attend school, compounding their already impossible situations. This experience has strengthened my resolve for the work that SHVF is doing in Haiti. This continued crisis has highlighted the precarious nature of day to day life in Haiti for its citizens.
October 2018
I would like to share with you events from my October 2018 service trip to Haiti.
I arrived in Cap-Haitian on October 3rd and spent the following days preparing for our upcoming programs. October 6 was like any other day in Haiti, it was melodic, hot, humid, and chaotic. My team and I spent most of the day buying and sorting needed supplies to be loaded onto the trucks for distribution in the mountainous regions of Port-Margo. Our journey started at sunset and was interrupted by heavy rainfall, forcing the driver to stop briefly to cover up the supplies. We made our way to Port-Margot on the dark, narrow, pothole-riddled dirt roads, arriving around 8 pm. As we prepared to unload the trucks, the ground beneath our feet began to shake violently, with no shelter in sight, we stood huddled in the middle of the courtyard. The shaking eventually stopped and was replaced by silence only pierced by growing cries for help. As I composed my thoughts and checked on those around me, I began to receive a flurry of text messages from my worried children who informed me the earthquake was a magnitude of 5.9 resulting in many fatalities. At that moment I found myself torn between my children’s pleas to return home to safety and pleas for help from those around me. Calmly, I assured my children I was fine and promised to leave if things deteriorated any further. Without delay or hesitation, my team and I began to prepare for the days ahead. I am proud to say, SHVF was the first and only organization on the ground providing assistance to those in need. We distributed food and medicine to more than 400 families, including the homeless, sick, and the elderly. We supplied toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, and soap to more than 200 students. A grant from the Women’s Alliance enabled SHVF to provide school supplies to an additional 25 students, bringing the total student aid to more than 250 students. SHVF is a direct engagement grassroots organization, rooted in the belief that everyone’s dignity ought to be affirmed regardless of need. Your donation today will be used to assist the elderly, women, and children of Haiti who are victims of circumstance. The challenges facing Haiti are endemic, overwhelming, and seemingly endless; yet, at difficult moments, I hear the voice of Rev. Nathan saying we can not do everything, but doing something is better than doing nothing at all.
July 2017
Seeds of Hope Village Foundation(SHVF) is pleased to announce it is now registered as a non-government organization(NGO) with the Belizean government.
A snapshot of Belize in 2017:
Belize is an English speaking Central American country located on the Caribbean coast of Northern America. It has a diverse population of approximately 380,000, the majority of which is made up of Creole(African-European), Mestizos(Hispanic-Amerindian), Maya(Yucatec and Mopan), Garifuna(African-Amerindian), and others. According to the United Nations Development Program in Belize, in 2016 the poverty rate was 41.3%, and slightly over half of the country’s population lives in rural areas.
In July, Seeds of Hope Village Foundation’s (SHVF) Founder and Executive Director, Madeleine Jeune and 2 student volunteers Yasmeen Wirth and Lella Wirth traveled to Placencia, Belize. They flew out of Boston Logan International Airport into Miami International Airport, then boarded a connecting flight to Phillip S. W. Goldson International Airport, in Belize city, from there they took a Maya Island Air single-engine 12 seater Cessna Caravan into Placencia. They arrived with 6 large tightly packed suitcases, 3 carry-on suitcases, and 3 backpacks, all filled with tools, school supplies, and medical equipment. After resting for a day, Ms. Jeune and the 2 volunteers left Placencia for the Toledo District of Belize. They arrived at Medina Bank Village around noon to familiar smiling faces, and a delicious lunch of soup with freshly made corn tortillas. After lunch, accompanied by a few locals, they walked across a field and up a small hill, where a large and small school building sat. The smaller building had evidence of having been worked on, while the larger one was clearly in a state of complete disrepair both outside and inside. After much inquiry and discussion, SHVF was appointed proprietor of the larger building which is the primary school. Later that day, and at a pre-scheduled meeting with the local village representatives (a form of local government which exist in the Kekchi and Mopan Maya villages in Belize), Ms. Jeune met with the village council chairman, school PTA representative, government health worker, and the Alcalde(Mayor/police).
During the meeting, plans for the school building and health fairs were presented and discussed, and resolutions were adopted. Once the plans were approved by the village council, SHVF was allowed to proceed with its programs and work. In a place with few cell phones and no electricity, communication and organizing can be a challenge. In a village of about 100 families, formal announcements are still made door to door by the Alcalde and others. The Alcaldes were instrumental in getting the word out to the village women about the health class, focusing on breast cancer. In attendance were young and older woman, and some were accompanied by their small children. Using an open question and answer platform a discussion was held, during which a realistic breast prototype was used to teach the woman how to perform an effective self breast exam. For many of the women, this was their first time participating in such a class, at first, some were shy and apprehensive. However, as the class progressed the women became excited, silly, and engaging. By the end of class they were initiating conversations amongst themselves, and expressing interest in other health topics to me. In the following days, local volunteers were gathered and supplies were purchased, in preparation for work on the school. A couple of days were spent removing furnishings, and meticulously power washing the exterior and interior of the school. Once dried and prepped, priming and painting began. Due to the rainy season, our work was often interrupted and delayed by thunderstorms and rain. Some other unforeseen challenges of working in such a rural area, where the difficulty we faced in finding enough materials to complete the project in a timely manner. Long distances were traveled by car and boats, and countless hours were spent searching for paint, and other materials. While much progress was made on the building during our time there, it became very clear more than a of couple weeks were needed to complete such a large project, to be continued. In between our work, we distributed school supplies to the Mayan children in Medina Bank Village, and to the Garifuna students at St. Alphonsus school in Seine Bight. A huge thanks to all of the Medina Bank residents who pitched in and helped out with the work, they were so accommodating to the SHVF volunteers. This was a very productive service trip much progress was made and a lot was accomplished.
March 2017
Seeds of Hope Village Foundation (SHVF) has been working on some massive undertakings over the course of the past year. After a very long uphill battle and countless hours of international phone calls and travel, SHVF is pleased to announce it is now officially registered as a non-government organization (NGO) with the Haitian government. SHVF was also designated as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization by the IRS in January 2017!
A snapshot of Haiti in 2017:
According to the 2014 United Nations Development Program, the poverty rate in Haiti was 58.6% with those living in abject poverty at 24.7%, roughly ¼ of the population. Presently, Haiti’s literacy rate is 61.1% and 1 in 5 children suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Earlier this year, our Founder and Executive Director Madeleine Jeune, and our Community Health Advisor, Jean Brodnax, traveled to the northern part of Haiti on a service trip. They flew into Cap-Haitian with 9 suitcases, 3 backpacks, and 3 carry-ons, all tightly packed with school supplies, medical supplies, and clothes. After navigating their way through the crowded streets of pedestrians, merchants, motorcycles, and cars, they finally made it to their destination. They arrived to children playing in the street, music blasting, and lots of curious onlookers.
Early the next day, the crew headed to the Cap-Haitian open-air marketplace, where they purchased all of the food for distribution. The food and educational assistance SHVF provides to families are an important and essential part of our community outreach. On this past service trip, we worked with Ecole Saint-Joseph where 200 students received school supplies, and 250 families received food assistance.
While SHVF is passionate about assisting those in need, we are also committed to addressing the fundamental issues of poverty, through education, training, and employment. These programs create short and long term employment for the locals. Our spring program in Haiti created about 20 temporary jobs, and SHVF currently has 3 permanent employees.
We Still Have a Long Way To Go
Regardless of geography, the daily challenges facing women, children, and the elderly are inconceivable and appalling. Whether it is in Belize where the Mayan children are often accompanied by their mothers in search of customers to sell their home made crafts to. Or in Ghana where a disabled child is being cared for by his elderly grandmother who is disabled herself. Or in Haiti where women are unable to feed and care for their children. The common threads among all of these women are their shared struggles in meeting their families’ basic needs. SHVF works to create sustainable and lasting change by addressing basic needs while dealing with fundamental issues stemming from poverty.