St Joseph Family
FAST FACTS
Community Partners: Hearts with Haiti, Saint Joseph Family, Lékol Sen Trinité, Wings of Hope, Saint Joseph Community Outreach Center
Location: Port-Au-Prince and Jacmel, Haiti
Participants: 220 (LST), K-9
Classes: year-long Dance, Music, Visual Arts, Drum programs
Teaching Artists: Mackendy Augustin, Betina Georges, Gethro Jean, Edy Louis
PHOTO GALLERY
IMPACT REFLECTION
Even though US-based BAE staff have still not been able to visit since 2019, our arts education programs in Jacmel and Port-au-Prince continue to flourish thanks to the expert leadership and perseverance of our teaching staff in Haiti. BAE provides the funding for salaries, classroom supplies, paints, costumes, and musical instruments for 4 wonderful teaching artists who led nearly 30 classes each week during the past school year, and coordinated several community events and school shows.
While regular communications with our staff via Facebook messenger show dance, music, and visual arts classes full of happy students, we also receive regular updates of the ongoing political crises that continue to affect every aspect of our students’ and teachers’ lives.
In March of 2024, Renee Dietrich, SJF Communications and Development Director, shared the following:
“Everyone at the St. Joseph Family is safe and healthy, but they are frightened by the everyday threat of violence and risk of shortages for basic necessities. In Jacmel, the staff at Wings of Hope and Lekòl Sen Trinite (LST) are trying to keep things as normal as possible for the residents and students. Employees are making it to work, but if the situation on the streets gets worse, that may change. Everyone is paying attention and making decisions on a minute-by-minute basis. If things get bad, Wings of Hope will let employees leave early and LST will close early, or cancel classes for the day. LST has been able to remain open and the students are in the middle of semester exams. Wings of Hope and LST are stocking up as much as possible on food. Supplies are limited and costs have sky-rocketed. Transportation between Port-Au-Prince and Jacmel has been nearly impossible for some time due to the gangs controlling the roads. Gangs seized control of the main port in Port-au-Prince last week and looted shipping containers, affecting the distribution of food and other goods indefinitely.
I wish I had better news, but Haiti continues to spiral, and the levels of terror and danger continue to increase. The Port-au-Prince area is very, very bad right now and our friends are in danger. Please pray for the safety of all those we love and support, especially in the Port-au-Prince area. And pray that things remain calm in Jacmel and Wings and LST and everyone there stays safe.”
