DSC_0434It is the time of the year when people seem to be always talking about “stuff.”

The stores are filled with gadgets and do-dads and gift ideas. We look and say, “Who needs all of that stuff?” Chocolate fountains, dog beds that look like thrones. “Who makes up that stuff?” Five pounds of holiday catalogs from every type of retailer. “Who buys that stuff?” We shake our heads over the office Secret Santa exchange. “Who wants all of that stuff?”

There is no such thing as “stuff” in Haiti. “Stuff” is a luxury. Haitians need the basics – food, books for their children, a place to live, and a way to make a living.

This holiday season please consider giving gifts that make a difference.

A hungry child cannot learn

A hungry child cannot learn

 

No teacher needs another notepad but every teacher understands that a hungry child cannot learn. A gift of $10 will provide school lunches for two children for a week. Beginning in January, we will serve all 1,750 children in the partnership schools a hot bowl of fortified rice every school day. For many of these children this will be the only real meal of the day.

 

 

 

DSC_0678Most adults on our gift lists have everything that they need and most of what they want. Every adult understands the importance of providing for his or her family. A gift of $80 will purchase a goat. In Haiti a goat is like a bank account. Farmers raise goats and will sell a kid when money is needed for medical treatment or to send children to school or to buy seeds. A good goat farmer can generate a steady income stream through conscientious care of a goatherd. The partnership provides training and regular veterinary clinics in all ten communities. The Goat Project is celebrating ten years of improving lives in 2013.

 

 

DSC_0736Books are a popular gift selection but imagine not being able to read or even write your name. A gift of $40 will provide adult literacy education to an adult. The Partnership funds teachers for adult literacy classes in ten communities using curriculum designed for adult students. The cost of the program includes workbooks, pencils, textbooks and supplies for the teachers. The gift of teaching someone to write his or her own name is priceless.

 

 

 

DSC_0387

How many of us have purchased certificates for facials or massages for that hard-to-buy-for person? Imagine, instead, saving lives. A gift of $100 will treat a child for malnutrition using the gold standard protocol, Plumpy Nut. A gift of $40 will pay the salary of a traditional birth attendant for a month. Or consider a gift of $65, which will pay the monthly salary of a community health worker, that first line of access to care.

 

 

 

Our supporters continually humble us with their generosity. And, our pledge to our donors is that we are the best possible stewards of their resources. We have no paid staff and administrative costs of less than $2,000 a year (that would be ONE HALF OF ONE PERCENT). You won’t find a more powerful way to invest your money.

To continue to help the people of La Gonave help themselves send checks and inquiries to:

The LaGonave Haiti Partnership
2461 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30305

Make sure to tell us how you want your money applied and to whom we should notify that a gift has been made.

You can also go to our website (www.lagonavepartners.org) and donate online either through PayPal or credit cards.

Anpil men, chay pa lou.
With many hands, a load is not heavy.
Thank you for joining your hands with ours.

 

Menu