Dear Loved Ones,

Greetings. Please let me introduce you to the sad case of Evanaud Laurent. The boy is now 15 years old, the first in a family of 7 children. The father of the 7 children, after suffering in Haiti, went to cut sugar canes in the sugar cane plantations in Dominican Republic. He got sick while there and came back to Haiti to die. His death at that time left this young boy of 11 years old then to play the role of the father.

This ending school year 2013-2014, the boy was in six grade of elementary school in our community. He had to pay 1000 gourdes, Haitian money which at that time was the equivalent of US $ 23.25. Because his mother, Ma Geyi, a short lady with a short term memory loss whom we reported in our journal of 26/10/2011 was not able to pay.

Because of his love to study, the boy had to find a job to make those 1000 gourdes. He went to help the construction people who were building the wall of one local clinic. Sadly for the boy, part of the wall fell on him causing him to lose his middle finger on the left hand.  The rest of the fingers were also damaged and remain very rigid and cannot move to be of use.

Kihomi intervened by paying the 1000 gourdes, and gave brand new shoes and clothes to the boy.

The fact of losing his middle finger has doomed this boy to carry with him a piece of government paper testifying that he is not a thief but it was an accident.  (Sometimes citizens take the law into their own hands and amputate limbs when they catch a thief.)

In spite of this accident, the boy passed the Haitian state exam required to start the junior high. Ma Geyi, the mother does not know what to do. I saw her sell a small goat she was raising for 1500 gourdes (US $ 33.33) but it is not enough.

The opening of school year is already here. Ma Geyi wants to send her son and the other 6 children to school but cannot. The boy is excited to start his junior high but who will pay for his studies this year. It takes only US $200 for him to study this year. These situations are heartbreaking for us and there are many in similar situations.

In His Peace,
Nzunga and Kihomi

Dear supporters,

Everyone knows education is one of the key elements to eliminate poverty but how can the absolute poor get the funds to go.  Besides tuition they will need a uniform and shoes or they can not go.  Costs vary depending on area but generally elementary school will cost $50 - $100 , Jr High $200 - $300, High School $300 - $400 and college $1500.  These costs are for a year!  By USA standards this is dirt cheap.  You can give to Nzunga’s Scholarship fund and change a life possibly for a whole family.  You can give hope.  You can give a future.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.  Proverbs 13:12 NIV

Dennis Shewell
Mission Partnership Team Communications Advocate and Convener
Nzunga and Kihomi Ministry

E-mail: deshewell@gmail.com

Phone: 812-569-1352

Other team Members:
Les Roberson
Diana Peysha
Terry Bivens-Fry
Charles Newman