Christian Light School
Christian Light School in Haiti
Mission Statement
Christian Light School exists to raise up Christian leadership for Haiti. We have established a school to give children who live in abject poverty an excellent education. We provide the necessary environment for Haitian children to be healthy and able to learn.
Who are we?
Christian Light School in Haiti is a non-denominational Christian ministry that operates under its umbrella organization of Christian Light School, Inc in St. Augustine, Florida. The purpose of Christian Light School in Haiti is to carry out Jesus’ Great Commission and to minister to “the least” of His. The Lord called me to Haiti to begin a school in 1999, and my life has been an adventure ever since.
Our Impact
For the last ten years, Christian Light School has touched the lives of thousands of the poorest children and their families in Port-au-Prince and Gonaives. This has been done by ministering to the Haitian children, their parents, and other adults.
- In 2002, we opened the Christian Light School in one of the most impoverished areas of Port-au-Prince to develop and educate Christian men and women who could go forth to change their country for the better and foster strong Christian leadership in Haiti. We began with just 20 preschool children and have since grown to over 200 schoolchildren.
- Our school is a Christian school. We teach daily Bible studies suitable to the ages of the children. We use the A Beka Bible picture cards for younger children. Older children are using Bible studies such as Masterlife.
- Sick, hungry children cannot learn. We serve 2 cooked meals each school day. We help with medical and dental problems. All the children receive vitamins each day.
- In 2004, we began the “Little Angels” program, in which a staff of workers visits infants and children in the communities surrounding our facility to give them nutritious food and vitamins to help promote strong bodies and strong minds. This program currently helps 60 babies and malnourished children in tent cities near the school.
- In 2008, hurricane floods destroyed an orphanage in the neighboring city of Gonaives, and despite our limited space, we began an orphanage to give a home to 27 young refugee orphans who desperately needed a place to stay.
Since the earthquake, the orphanage has grown. We have now taken in earthquake refugees and malnourished babies and have 36 children in the orphanage.
- The local Haitian pastors are trying to preach the Gospel but they need help and Bible training. We have provided Pastor’s Conferences and began a Bible School for Pastors.
- Most of our student’s parents are illiterate. We have graduated 3 classes of adults in our Adult Literacy Program. We hope to expand the school to include a vocational school to give young marketable adults job skills.
Description of the Project/Program
Christians in Haiti need to be given the tools to become leaders in their country. Education is the best tool to help a child rise out of poverty into leadership. It must be a Christian education to raise up Christian leadership.
We have 208 students from very poor homes that cannot afford to go to school. We provide the textbooks, uniforms, school supplies, 2 meals per day, medical and dental care, and only charge $10 HD ($1.25 USD) per year for tuition.
Our children learn English in Pre-kindergarten, start French in first grade, and sign language in second grade. By third grade they can read in French, English, and Creole and communicate with sign language. In seventh grade, the children learn Spanish.
We teach in both French and English. We use American Christian textbooks in English because they are better textbooks and teach Biblical principles. We use the Haitian textbooks in French because the children are Haitian. Our children score very high on the Haitian state exams. They are among the best educated students in Haiti and will grow up to assume leadership positions.
