2022 Vocational Training for Families

Responding to the realities of life in Haiti – the extreme poverty, malnutrition, lack of opportunity for education and medical care, slavery, homelessness – has become more complex with COVID19 and continued escalation of inflation. Like others world-wide, our core programs have refocused. Ensuring health awareness, food supply, Haitian staff well-being, and concentration on what will be needed and what we CAN DO – thanks to your continued support.

With a sigh of relief, our Head of Operations looks out over the land Little Footprints Big Steps has planted crops on near Les Cayes, Haiti. Last night’s rainfall was exactly what was needed to finish sowing the seeds that will soon provide peanuts, corn and plantains to distribute to vulnerable families. We have been able to provide practical experience to several University students studying agronomy in the planning and planting of these key crops. 

Back in the office, a sewing machine is being packed to deliver to a youth so that he can continue to practice his vocational training sewing skills and possibly generate income. One of the first things he did was to create child-sized masks to give to LFBS! These are perfect for the younger children in our Safehouses and for little children we accompany to the hospital.

We are also using this time to reinforce our team's capacity and effectiveness. A highly respected Haitian Child Protection Consultant with extensive experience and expertise has developed a training specifically for our staff. Two days a week, she works with our staff to teach and discuss modules related to Child Protection - Child Rights, Child Development, Child Protection System, Case Management, Juvenile Delinquency, Justice of Minors, Psycho-Social Support of Children. The staff will also be using this time to review and update all beneficiary files. A part-time Social Worker will be added to the staff to work witih them on the plans toward self-sufficiency specific to each family.

While Universities have closed due to COVID-19, this is an opportunity to hire our most advanced Agronomy student part-time! A welcome addition to our Outreach team, our Agronomist-in-training meets with each family to discover their experience, challenges, and potential and when it comes to planting food crops to increase nutirtional food security options for them and their community. He then develops an individualized plan for each family. Considering the frightening inflation and economic crisis Haiti has endured starting during last year's political unrest and continuing into this year's pandemic, we believe it's important to focus on sustainable food security options for these families, instead of keeping them reliant on food donations.

As much as possible, while keeping our Haitian staff safe, we continue regular connection with the vulnerable children and families in both local and remote areas is key to keep their capacity - and hope - developing. Before heading our, our team makes washing stations out of buckets and puts together hygiene kits and core food supplies to distribute. During the visits, they update file notes on the well-being of the children, activities the family is involved with and the progress of those involved in our Small Business program. Our nurse provides training about COVID-19, preventative measures families should take, and proper hand-washing techniques.

Thank you for your continued care and support as we focus on and strengthen the areas that we CAN DO. The number of lives you save and change continues to grow each day. Thank you for continuing to stand with us.

LINKS to the LFBS Annual Report and an informative news article about effects of COVID19 on Haitians are provided below. 

Links:

• LFBS Annual Report
• News article Haiti and COVID19
• Little Footprints Big Steps Child Protection Organization web

As a child, Fransnel spent most of his time on the streets, but with a dream in his heart and a goal of being able to go to school. He never gave up his dream.  His determination helps him live with a lot of discipline. Today he is a diligent student, in English tutoring, part of LFBS Youth Mentorship program and a photography apprentice! With all schools requiring uniforms, sewing is a terrific skill and future income generating opportunity. Sewing classes are underway!

While the construction work continues on Phase 1 LFBS Land Development project, crops planted on Phase 2 area yield a nice corn harvest! The agronomy students planned out the crop planting and we hired some of the families we work with to do the planting and maintenance! The harvest of the corn and peanuts will provide nutritious food for use at the Transitional Safehouses and nearby outreach families.

During the week before Christmas, in collaboration with Haitian Social Services (IBESR), the LFBS Outreach Team was able to:

-reunite 3 girls with their families! All of them had been in situations of mistreatment and domestic labour before coming to our Transitional Safehouse.
-reunite 2 boys who had been separated from their families;
-have employees briefed on the documentation process of children/youth in prison, and discuss the process of reunification of children in conflict with the law;
-distribute hygiene kits to nearly 40 youth in the children’s cell of the prison, and begin a dialogue with them to motivate them to make some changes in their lives;
-transfer 2 babies who had been abandoned in a hospital located several hours away, into foster families (although the trip to pick up these babies ended up taking nearly 12 hours due to road blocks and protests).
-bring 2 boys with bullet wounds to the hospital for bandaging, twice per week for each child.
-add to the Business Program for 5 parents who have been managing their businesses well, and integrate one new parent into the Business Start-up Program!... and that’s only part of what our small but dedicated team accomplished this week in collaboration with local authorities! In early 2020, we will follow-up with the newly reunited children to ensure they have access to education and potentially to integrate their parents in our Business Start-up Program.

Family structures are important – by strengthening families and empowering parents to care for their children, you are also empowering children…to be children and strive for the future. Please don’t underestimate the importance of community development, family preservation and family strengthening! Helping vulnerable families stay together and become more sustainable impacts their children’s mentality, life choices, self-perception, social engagement, and futures.

In early January, our staff facilitated an STI training for the children in the local prison, and provided the youth with a nutritious meal. There are over 30 children currently in the local prison, and all of them are in need of medical attention. Together with local authorities, we document each of the children with psychological, academic, and medical evaluations, and gather information about their families. Eventually we hope to trace their families and begin working towards a more successful reunification once they are liberated. We also hope to provide medical care to those who need it, although considering the conditions they are living in it will be difficult for them to be healthy while in prison. With your support, we would like to provide a meal for the children each day we spend with them as they are clearly not well fed in the prison, especially following the prolonged crisis the country recently endured and the resulting inflation.

Sharing information about the critical development aid issues, and the work being done by LFBS and our partners, having the chance for in-person discussions, meetings and connecting with people of all ages, and having LFBS Haitian staff there to share the stories and culture, is another important part of the mandate to increase awareness, understanding and capacity. LFBS Founder/Head of Operations and two Haitian staff traveled to Canada in January. While in Whitehorse, Toronto and Montreal, they met with students in schools, Universities, Sunday Schools; Service Club members; architects, Senator, Member of Parliament, and Board Directors; they presented and had discussions at community events, fundraisers, and at a Concordia University special event.

Examples of determination and tenacity … from Haiti to the Arctic! Nicolas has been a key employee with LFBS since 2013. While continuing his very demanding work with LFBS, studying and going to classes after a full work day, being a caring husband and father to two sons, he models leadership and motivation as he has graduates from Law School!

While far away in the frozen arctic, Dr. Russ Reinbolt, ER doctor from a San Diego hospital, undertakes the coldest and toughest Ultra Marathon in the world! During this grueling 300miles/483km run in temperatures as low as -37C, he has chosen to champion Little Footprints Big Steps Child Protection Organization! A documentary is being made of his training and run and he hopes that additional awareness will be brought to LFBS work.

Thank YOU for being the catalysts for the continued empowerment and opportunities for lasting change that you bring to so many!

Links:

• Little Footprints Big Steps Child Protection Org website
• Full feature documentary trailer!