“Upon returning from my visit to the Haitian orphanage I’m often asked, “Is there hope for Haiti?”  The answer, I believe, is found in the children. Hope is found in the next generation that will have the opportunity to lead Haiti in a new direction. Hope expressed itself each morning as I overheard the children reciting their lessons aloud in the classrooms. I observed hope each time I saw one of the teachers deliver discipline to a child starving for direction. Hope was born as I watched a teacher coax a young student to deeper thought and contemplation. Finally, I saw hope in the eyes of one of the teachers as he spoke with compassion about how he considers each of his students to by one of his own children. Yes there is hope for Haiti – mustard seed hope.” Bruce Johnson, Volunteer Summer 2011

“I went to Haiti with OEF not quite knowing what to expect. I’d done work in West Africa before that and my experiences there led me to have pretty low expectations about the level of structure in places that face as many challenges as Haiti does. To my delight, I encountered a motivated, responsible, caring leader at the orphanage and a productive schedule that clearly had the kids’ best interests in mind. Overall, my experience teaching there was both satisfying and rewarding in large part because there was a pre-existing structure we could plug ourselves into, which meant we could make the most of our time there. The kids were full of life and their joy was infectious! I would love to do it again!” Catherine Murtaugh, Nursing Student, NYU

“I was lucky enough to be chosen to spend a week at an orphanage in Haiti right outside of Port-Au-Prince & live the reality of the 90 children who call it home.  It was a very humbling experience to spend the week with these kids and get to know them and their stories.  Haiti is still very much a country in shambles where everyone is literally fighting to survive, and I believe the first and most critical step in helping not only the orphans but the citizens of Haiti in general is education.  We had the opportunity to work with the teachers hired by the Orphan Education Foundation and spend a few hours every day with the kids in their classrooms teaching them basic English. You can tell these teachers are truly invested in these kids’ lives in a very powerful way.  The children are so eager to learn they would crowd 5 people around a Dr. Seuss book or a deck of flashcards & get so excited when they get an answer right.  One of the most important things the teachers are giving the kids is confidence in themselves and in their abilities. In a country such as Haiti education is the only chance these kids have at not only a better life, but a life simply lived off the streets.  I met so many kids who I know could be future doctors or teachers and all they lack is the opportunity to excel. ” -Holly Shepard, Charlotte, NC, Retail Manager