How can a Christian Haitian start a school that feeds one nutritious meal per day and educates almost 400 underserved Haitian children in Croix de Bouquets, a suburb of Port au Prince? Meet FanFan Janvier. FanFan was given to an orphanage as a child by his mother because she was not able to support him, a not uncommon situation in Haiti. Fortunately a visiting missionary met FanFan at the orphanage and was moved to sponsor him so he could get an education and learn English. Thirty-five years later, FanFan is still in touch with this wonderful woman and thanks God every day for the commitment she made to him. Education in Haiti is not free. Her generosity inspired FanFan to work to change that.
When we first met FanFan he was working for a mission group as a driver and translator. He had saved his money and used it to buy a plot of land outside Port au Prince. On this land, he built Faith Academy, named after Faith UMC of Elkhart, Indiana who had donated the initial construction funds. That was 2002. First classes started in 2006.
Hyde Park Community UMC started supporting Faith Academy in 2013. These donations are being used to add a second story to Faith Academy. These extra classrooms will allow FanFan to add another 100 students to the school bringing total enrollment to around 400.
FanFan is committed to not denying any child an education. A nominal tuition is charged but it does not cover all the costs and not all children are able to pay. Individuals provide support through the sponsoring of a teacher’s salary or part of it for a school year, about $1,200/yr. He feels this approach provides more stability for the students and the teachers. Funds are also needed for educational materials, desks, and to provide what often is the only nutritious meal a child will receive that day.
John and Vicki Moseley are leading a team to Haiti Oct 2 through 9, 2015. Both have made numerous trips to Haiti. They have a deep commitment to Haiti and to supporting Faith Academy as it embodies Haitians helping Haitians. No special skills are required! Space is limited, let Sarah Putnam at sputnam@hpcumc.org know if you are interested in joining this team. Time will be spent at Faith Academy, we won’t know any specific projects until late summer. A $500 deposit is required by June 24 to secure your place.
John and Vicki Moseley