Lights for Learning

The last few times I’ve been to Haiti, one of the first things the kids in the village greet me with is their report card. They love to show off their grades. It is so heartwarming to see how proud they are of their performance in school. They are not taking for granted the opportunity that you, as their sponsor, are providing for them. For those of you that know me, or work with me, you probably already know the first thing that comes out of my mouth after they share their report cards with me. 🙂 “So what do you need to do to improve upon that score”? Most of the time I get a blank stare. If this happens I will just say, “So you will have an 8, or 9, when I come back in July… right?” They invariably say, “yes!” I am always very interested to see who actually puts forth the effort to keep that promise. 

Marie Edeline

On this last trip I asked one of the little girls I sponsor for school, Marie Edeline, how she was going to improve her report card score. She told me she could get better scores if she was able to study at night. Immediately a “light” went off in my head…no pun intended. The villagers do not have electricity built into their houses and couldn’t afford it if they did. 🙂 The sun goes down about 5:45. Instead of having a couple of hours available to study at night, the only real option the villagers have is to sit in the dark or go to sleep. I began thinking about what “light” could do for this village. Not only would the children be able to study at night or read the Bible, but the women of the village who attended Threads of Blessing would be able to work on their needlework pieces during the evening hours.

There is a light available for purchase in Haiti that costs $45. It is a 3 level LED lamp and has the ability to light the entire house. It also has a radio, USB charging port, and solar panels that charge it. 

Our January team, after a nice conversation at dinner one night, put together funds to purchase 14 of these lights. The lights were purchased and handed out the day after we left. Here are a few pictures of the families receiving their new lights. Praise God!!

There are approximately 49 houses that are still in need of a light. By purchasing a light for $45, you will provide the villagers with the opportunity to study at night, read the Bible together as a family, work on their Threads of Blessing projects, and much more! 

#Haiti #homes #lanterns