INTERNATIONAL PROJECT PROPOSAL PROJECT 0784 Arise and Build A call to bless the poor with safe shelter, clean water and the power of Christ Kobonal, Haiti For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Hebrews 3:4 CrossCatholic.org/Arise
God called Father Glenn Meaux to build something astounding in Kobonal, and we want you to be a part of it! Fr. Glenn Meaux found his inspiration for the Kobonal Haiti Mission in St. Paul s covenant to the Ephesians: Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. (Ephesians 2:20, NLT) Inspired by these words, he established the Mission many years ago, but always felt his vision for Haiti should extend beyond the boundaries of the village of Kobonal. The blessings God has brought to the poor in that one area of Haiti, he believes, should be spread throughout the Diocese of Hinche and beyond! Today, the Kobonal Haiti Mission stands at this crossroad. Its leaders are eager to build a better world for Haiti s poor, but they need our support to achieve their ambitious goal. Arise and Build! has become Fr. Glenn s call to action, and he is asking for you to stand with him. Please help Fr. Meaux embark on his most ambitious project ever! Keep reading to learn exactly how God will use our combined efforts to arise and build supplying new homes and clean water facilities beyond Kobonal and strengthening the Church s presence among the poor.
Project Description With your support, Fr. Glenn Meaux of the Kobonal Haiti Mission will be able to build sturdy homes and provide safe water to families currently living in crumbling shacks and relying on contaminated streams and rivers to meet their water needs. Keeping with his emphasis on Catholic formation, a new chapel will also be built to strengthen the Church s presence among the poor. Executive Summary Our Partner Established by Fr. Meaux in 1989 to serve and evangelize a rural community plagued by poverty and spiritual darkness, the Kobonal Haiti Mission is affiliated with The Society of Our Most Holy Trinity, and has a long-standing partnership with Cross Catholic Outreach. Location The village of Kobonal, located in the Diocese of Hinche in central Haiti. Campaign Goal $1,282,988 will help cover the costs of house construction, the installation of community clean water stations, and will provide the funding to enhance the Mission s overall ability to improve the lives of the Kobonal community, both materially and spiritually. See a complete financial summary on pages 20 and 21. Campaign Highlights Your gift will bless impoverished rural families in the following ways: SAFE HOUSING: You will help build 80 hurricane-proof concrete houses, at a cost of $6,340 each, to benefit families currently living in makeshift shacks that leak when it rains, buckle under strong winds and require frequent repairs. CLEAN WATER: You will provide funding for three community water wells to serve the daily needs of about 90 families. Each well station serves an abundant supply of clean water, and is protected and maintained by a committee of local villagers. CATHOLIC FORMATION: You will make the Kobonal Haiti Mission an even more vibrant Catholic community through the construction of a new chapel. MISSION STRENGTHENING: You will help Fr. Meaux expand his vision beyond the boundaries of the village of Kobonal by supporting the Mission s many ministries. i
And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 ii
Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... i SECTION I THE PROBLEM Dire Poverty in Rural Haiti... 2 Location of the Project... 3 A House in Name Only... 4 The Trip to the Ravine... 6 SECTION II THE PARTNER Kobonal: Our Ministry Partner................................ 10 A Conversation with Fr. Meaux... 11 The Kobonal Principles... 12 SECTION III THE PLAN Safe Housing... 14 Clean Water... 15 Catholic Formation... 16 Mission Strengthening... 16 SECTION IV HELP NOW Arise and Build!... 19 Financial Summary... 20 Give Generously!... 21 iii
For the needy shall not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the poor perish forever. Psalm 9:18 iv
SECTION I THE PROBLEM Dire Poverty in Rural Haiti Location of the Project A House in Name Only The Trip to the Ravine 1
Kobonal is located about two miles from the town of Hinche, a rural community of around 50,000 people, located on Haiti s Central Plateau. Dire Poverty in Rural Haiti Many of Haiti s people struggle under a crushing burden of poverty. Nearly 59% of the country s 10.9 million people live below the poverty line, surviving on less than $2.41 per day, with 24% living below the extreme poverty line of $1.23 per day. Haiti s poverty also intensifies as you travel from the cities into the countryside, where the hardships of rural families are even more extreme. In fact, almost 70% of rural households are considered chronically poor. This is especially worrisome because most Haitians live in the countryside, and according to the World Bank, rural populations are continuing to increase, putting even more pressure on limited resources. Sadly, only 11% of people in the Haitian countryside have access to energy, compared with 63% in the cities, and only 16% of rural areas can offer local families the benefits of modern sanitation. Source: The World Bank, 2018 2
Location of the Project HAITI S CENTRAL PLATEAU Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Many of its most destitute residents live in the rural areas outside of Port-au-Prince, the city where the public infrastructure is much more developed. Rural residents are forced to travel on dirt roads, rely on unsafe sources of water and rarely have access to power or sanitation services. HAITI Haiti at a Glance Population: 10,981,229 Yearly income per capita: $817 (Poorest country in North America, 3rd poorest in world) Literacy rate: 60.7% (95.5% in U.S.) Income distribution: The poor receive 0.7% of wealth, while the richest 10% receive 47.7% Infant mortality per 1,000 live births: 48.2 (7.5 in U.S.) Population below poverty line: 58.5% Unemployment: 40.6% (2/3 of the labor force do not have formal jobs) Sources: The World Bank, CIA Factbook The Kobonal Haiti Mission (pictured above) is located in the Diocese of Hinche, about 70 miles north and slightly east of Port-au-Prince. The area is extremely poor, even by Haitian standards. 3
A House in Name Only The Laurents live on the outskirts of Kobonal, and their extreme poverty is typical of the rural residents of the area. When we met the family, our hearts wept over their suffering, and we couldn t help but recall the personal ministry Christ pursued during his earthly ministry. Not only did Jesus demonstrate compassion for the poor personally, but he recognized alms given to the poor as a critical part of heaven s economy. (Luke 12:33-34) This came to mind when we spoke to Amonise, 9, and Venise, 6. The girls protruding stomachs and orangetinted hair were obvious signs of malnourishment, and although the sisters were shyly polite about their situation, we could see their underlying fear. They clearly didn t know the source of their next meal. We also saw where the family sought shelter. Calling their two-room shanty a house would have been a generous description. The makeshift structure is shared with the girls parents, cousins and siblings, and because the place is so small, the family sleeps in shifts on one dilapidated bed. The shack has no electricity, no latrine and no running water. On rainy days, water seeps in through holes in the ceiling, turning the dirt floor into a mud pit. Sadly, this situation is not unique among the poor families in and around Kobonal, which is why Cross Catholic Outreach has made providing better housing and safe water a priority for this special outreach. For little Amonise and Venise, these priceless gifts would be an answer to their prayers in part because they currently they must spend so much time doing house chores and fetching water that they aren t able to attend school. Now that you have met the Laurents, we are sure your heart must be breaking over their situation as well. Be blessed in knowing an intervention is possible! As you and other American Catholics help Cross Catholic Outreach with this special project in Kobonal, their lives will be transformed! For the Laurents, a tiny one-room shack must house four adults and seven children. 4
Amonise, the oldest Laurent child, began each day with morning chores. The little children pray for the day when they will have room to sleep and play. Six-year-old Venise peered out of the doorway at us as we took her photo. 5
We watched the Laurent sisters as they began their trip to the ravine, fetching water for the family. The Trip to the Ravine Armed with five-gallon containers, the two Laurent sisters, Amonise and Venise, slowly made their way down the steep, rocky path to the local water source. The course is treacherous, but there is no other option, and since water is a heavy burden it takes two trips every day to meet the family s needs. On this particular day, we followed the girls as they struggled to complete their task. The water source was plentiful but obviously contaminated. The murky water would be unsuitable for most pets, much less for children like these. Tragically, the Laurents don t have access to a community well, so this is the best they can hope to obtain. When the sisters returned with the sloshing containers of water, their mom, Odimene, was grateful. On average, she needs about 25 gallons of water a day to provide for the entire family. Compare that to the average American who uses 25 gallons on just one load of laundry! We asked Odimene if the two girls ever got sick from drinking water from the ravine. At first, she seemed hesitant to admit the water was unsuitable for drinking. Then she tried to assure us the children would be fine, but one look at Amonise, Venice and their little brothers confirmed our fears. All had distended bellies and we realized they must have worms. For these little ones, diarrhea and stomachaches must be so normal that sick has come to mean something different to them. Clearly, this family desperately needed deliverance from a reliance on contaminated water. 6
It was a long, arduous journey down the rocky path. We could see that the murky water was not fit to drink. These girls were forced to fetch tainted water from this stream, for there was no other choice. 7
May he grant you your heart s desire, and fulfill all your plans. Psalm 20:4 8
SECTION II THE PARTNER Kobonal: Our Ministry Partner A Conversation with Fr. Meaux The Kobonal Principles 9
Kobonal: Our Ministry Partner When Fr. Meaux came to Kobonal in 1989, he was deeply disturbed by the magnitude of the people s poverty. Hardly anyone in the village owned the land that their fragile huts occupied. No one grew gardens or raised animals. Very few employment opportunities existed for the unskilled, uneducated population, so very few were able to earn money to buy food. There was no agriculture, there was no irrigation system. It was a wasteland, recalled Fr. Meaux. One of the first things Fr. Meaux s team did was to identify all those who were elderly, destitute, widowed, orphaned, mentally disabled or ill. In the process, the missionaries found that the material poverty was matched by spiritual poverty. The family unit itself had been reduced to grandmothers struggling to care for babies who had been abandoned by their parents, and teenage girls who were having children, said Fr. Meaux. The second thing Fr. Meaux did was to begin evangelizing, holding Mass every Sunday. He also opened a small school, beginning with 50 students. The community was thrilled. The provision of a free education helped Fr. Meaux earn the trust of local families, who now knew for a fact that the American priest was not just another outsider trying to scam them with empty promises. As the school expanded to two campuses and the Mission continued developing programs to meet the community s needs, another change began to take place spiritual transformation. Villagers abandoned voodoo and embraced Christ. The fear of curses was overcome by the joy of the Gospel. Broken families were reconciled, teenage pregnancy declined, discord gave way to brotherly love and the people came together to hear the Word and receive the Blessed Sacrament. Today on an average Sunday, 600 villagers walk to the Mission some from hours away to attend Mass. They are an extended family, linked by faith, worship and a shared responsibility for one another s welfare. But Fr. Meaux believes all of this is just the beginning of what God intends to accomplish in Kobonal and the rural villages beyond. Much more can be accomplished, he contends, if we will just arise and build! Fr. Meaux (far left) and his executive staff 10
A Conversation with Fr. Meaux To give you a sense of how your investment will bear fruit, we recently had a conversation with Fr. Meaux, and asked him to share his thoughts on how the Mission has positively impacted the poor. Q A Q A Q A Q A I understand the Catholic Church has been very complimentary over what you have accomplished at Kobonal. Can you share some of the comments you have received? Bishop LaRoche, who was the Bishop of Hinche when I first arrived at Kobonal he has followed the Mission for a long time. He observed that the real difference we have at Kobonal is that all our ministries the housing, the education, the service for the elderly all of it is in support of our Catholic Social Teachings the value of work, rights and responsibilities, etc. all of that is Kobonal. And then he mentioned our management team. He said, You know, Fr. Meaux, in Hinche we had voodoo, human sacrifice, zombiism. And since the Mission arrived, this parish has become the light of the diocese. Isn t it true that before you established the Mission, Kobonal was known as the darkest corner of Hinche? That s right. And today, darkness has become light. And Bishop LaRoche told me. He said, Fr. Meaux, if I had three more missions like yours, I could change the whole country of Haiti. When Bishop Mesidor the new Archbishop of Port-au-Prince visited Kobonal, what did he have to say? When Bishop Mesidor came to the Mission, he saw all of our ministries. He saw the students, the destitute, the farmers. He saw all of them gathered. And he wrote back to me the next day. He said, Fr. Meaux, after visiting your Mission, I am edified, not only over what you are doing but over how the people love the Mission with their hearts. How far has the Mission expanded its reach? One of my Haitian coordinators, Antoine, has told me the Mission has now affected more than 30 villages in the Central Plateau by word of mouth, and by those who watch what is going on. He says, Fr. Meaux, it is truly unbelievable. The Kobonal Mission is the only place we know of in the entire country of Haiti that has touched so many lives. People from all over know about the Mission and its good work. Read on to learn more about Kobonal s connection to Catholic Social Teachings. 11
The Kobonal Principles Everything that happens at Kobonal revolves around the seven tenets of Catholic Social Teachings. When Fr. Meaux teaches these holy concepts to parishioners, he adopts the pneumonic device first devised by the late Bishop Kenneth Untener. As Fr. Meaux explains (see page 11), these principles are the foundation of Kobonal. They are what set the Kobonal Mission apart from all other Haitian charities. The principles revolve around seven key words that can be remembered by the first letter of the phrase: Please Send Round Pizza With Square Corners PERSON: Each person is a child of God, and has a dignity he or she can never lose. People are always more important than things. SOCIAL: Human beings are social beings they are made to connect with other people. One of the most basic connections is family. There is a wider connection called society, in which all have a right and responsibility to participate. RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Every person has a right to life, which includes food, shelter, health care, education and employment. Every person has a responsibility to support these rights for others. POOR: The poor have a special claim because they are not sharing in the goods that God intended for all people. A basic measure of everything we do is: How will this affect or involve the poor? WORK: Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God s creation. The worker is to be respected and has a right to a wage adequate to support a family. SOLIDARITY: We belong to one human family and are our sisters and brothers keepers wherever they live. CREATION: The story of creation says that God looked at everything and saw that it was good. All creation belongs to God and we must be good stewards of what God has made. 12
SECTION III THE PLAN Safe Housing Clean Water Catholic Formation Mission Strengthening 13
Safe Housing Your generous gift will help fund the construction of 80 new Kobonal houses for families currently living in deplorable conditions, providing families with blessed relief and hope for the future. More than a temporary fix, a Mission house is part of a longterm solution that brings stability and security to families while affirming their human dignity and value to God. These people have struggled under the burden of extreme poverty for so long that many have lost hope. The loving gesture your generous gift represents sets them on a brighter path in life and strengthens their relationship with Christ. You might expect such a home to cost tens of thousands of dollars, but a donation of just $6,340 will put a family in one of these sturdy, four-room concrete houses with a solid cement foundation and strong galvanized steel roof! The impact of this gift is incredible and can elevate ROOFLINE 10' x 17' ROOM 10' x 10' ROOM FLOOR PLAN 23' 13' x 13' ROOM 13' x 14' ROOM 23' x 4' PORCH 27' 4' a family s position for many years to come. When you support this outreach, you will also be supporting Fr. Meaux s belief in community involvement. He feels every beneficiary family should participate in their home s construction. This sweat equity preserves a family s dignity and leads to homes being well-maintained as the years pass. Working alongside a skilled construction crew, the family uses supplies purchased through donations from benefactors like you, and through this hands-on process, they learn God cares about their needs both spiritual and physical. The house designs are simple, but the quality of materials is excellent and the homes become an incredible answer to prayer for the poor Haitian family blessed to receive one. Please Arise and Build! Be part of this miracle by helping to fund a safe, durable new home for a family in need. Your gift can help break a cycle of poverty that has plagued a family for generations! The typical Mission house is 23' x 26' and includes four rooms, a porch, a sturdy cement foundation, cinder block walls and a waterproof, galvanized steel roof. 14
Clean Water The typical Mission well is a manual hand pump surrounded by 8-foot walls and accessed by a metal door with a lock. About 30 families will share it. This special appeal on behalf the poor families living in the Kobonal area will also help fund the construction of three clean-water wells to serve the daily needs of about 90 families who currently face the greatest challenges to their health and well-being. The people in these villages will not only use the water for drinking and cooking, but also to sustain important gardens they depend on for food and income. The wells will make use of freestanding hand pumps, and the families in each community will choose a leader to oversee and perform maintenance on the equipment. Each well will have a cement wall around it for security and will be available daily with specific hours of operation. The water will be free, but the benefiting families will be encouraged to contribute a token amount to a community fund that can be tapped if repairs are ever needed on the wells. Contributing in this way will also give villagers a sense of ownership and pride in their community. Anticipation is building for this project, and volunteers have already stepped forward to offer their help with the construction of the wells. Now all that s needed are the funds for drilling, for purchasing pumps and a pump house to store supplies, and for training for community members to handle maintenance of the new facilities. Imagine the excitement that will sweep through the community when you and other American Catholics join these efforts and help make this long-anticipated dream a reality! Most of the funds for this project will be allocated toward the drilling of the wells. Each well reaches a depth of approximately 200 feet. 15
Catholic Formation Arise and Build is more than a call to provide material aid. There is an important spiritual side to the effort as well. In addition to addressing the needs for housing and water, the Mission will also be constructing a new chapel to serve as a center for Catholic formation. Over the years, the Kobonal Haiti Mission has developed into a vibrant Catholic community, and a new chapel will provide Fr. Meaux with a wonderful new site for celebrating Mass, baptizing babies, performing marriage ceremonies and presenting First Communion. Pictured is the latest architect s rendering of the proposed structure. COMING SOON: NEW MISSION CHAPEL Mission Strengthening The final piece of the Arise and Build campaign ties together all of its important objectives. It will help Fr. Meaux strengthen and extend his entire multifaceted outreach by providing financial support for the Christ-centered programs provided by the Mission. In addition to housing and water, the Kobonal Haiti Mission brings the love of Christ to destitute families through a set of programs focused on addressing urgent needs and advancing community development to achieve long-term prosperity. These include efforts that focus on: Education: By supporting this program, more than 1,200 primary school students will receive a quality, tuition-free Catholic education that includes daily nutritious meals. Food for the Destitute: Each month, the Mission distributes staples like corn, beans, oil and soap to 300 families. By supporting this program, you will supply a lifeline for those who can t afford a daily meal. Agriculture: Through your support, the Mission s nine farms are able to produce fresh fruits and vegetables to feed poor students at the Mission schools and improve the lives of the area s neediest families. Permaculture: By supporting this program, you will help the Mission teach villagers ethical and sustainable farming techniques that will benefit the land, increase crop harvest and utilize unused spaces. Medical Clinic: This new health care facility provides a lifeline to poor families that are desperate for the most basic medical care, while ministering to their spiritual needs as well. 16
SECTION IV HELP NOW Arise and Build! Financial Summary Give Generously! 17
Take care of brothers and sisters who are weaker the elderly, the sick, the hungry, the homeless and strangers, because we will be judged on this. POPE FRANCIS 18
Arise and Build! For more than two decades, God has worked through Fr. Glenn Meaux to help the village of Kobonal, and the area has been blessed with a wondrous conversion as a result. An area of Haiti once described as the darkest corner of the country is now a beacon of Christ s light that shines out and influences other rural areas nearby. As Fr. Meaux embarks on his most ambitious project ever, he intends to shine that light even further throughout the Diocese of Hinche and beyond. You can be a part of this incredible mission! You can help this dedicated priest by answering his call to arise and build! Here s how you can participate: Help build 80 hurricane-proof concrete houses, at a cost of $6,340 each, to benefit families currently living in makeshift shanties that leak when it rains, buckle under strong winds and require frequent repairs. Fund three community water wells to serve the daily needs of about 90 families. Each well station serves an abundant supply of clean water, and is protected and maintained by a committee of local villagers. Make the Kobonal Haiti Mission an even more vibrant Catholic community through the construction of a new chapel. Help Fr. Meaux expand his vision beyond the boundaries of the village of Kobonal by supporting the Mission s many ministries. 19
Financial Summary HOUSING Labor $65,623 Cement $99,600 Sand $53,280 Gravel $12,000 Cement Blocks $60,000 Rebar $19,920 Flooring Material $4,800 Wood $95,093 Fuel $10,560 Latrines $1,200 Miscellaneous $39,021 SUBTOTAL $461,097 Cross Project Management $46,110 TOTAL $507,207 Note: Roofing material is donated, so is not a budgeted item. WATER Training/Salaries $750 Drilling $26,250 Fuel $495 Water Pump $7,500 Housing Structure $4,800 SUBTOTAL $39,795 Cross Project Management $3,980 TOTAL $43,775 CHAPEL CONSTRUCTION Labor $15,516 Cement $6,240 Sand $3,220 Gravel $2,000 Cement Blocks $2,250 Roofing Material $16,790 Rebar $5,000 Electricity $2,925 Tiles $6,525 Paint $3,250 Supervision $11,284 SUBTOTAL $75,000 Cross Project Management $7,500 TOTAL $82,500 MISSION STRENGTHENING Operations $223,328 Education $192,400 Food for the Destitute $75,076 Agriculture $29,657 Permaculture $34,000 Medical Clinic $6,000 Miscellaneous $30,000 SUBTOTAL $590,460 Cross Project Management $59,046 TOTAL $649,506 TOTALS HOUSING $507,207 WATER $43,775 CHAPEL CONSTRUCTION $82,500 MISSION STRENGTHENING $649,506 GRAND TOTAL $1,282,988 20
We hope and pray you have been inspired by the vision and passion of Fr. Glenn Meaux and that you will wholeheartedly support his incredible efforts to extend Christ s mercy to Haiti s neediest families. While his Mission has been blessed with incredible success, there are many families in Haiti s Central Plateau who still live in shanty houses built with scrap material and dried mud. Remember little Amonise and Venise Laurent? Their tragic stories are far too common but you can intervene in their lives and change their fate forever. Please give generously to Arise and Build and help Fr. Meaux supply new homes and clean water facilities to these families in desperate need. Please help strengthen the Church s presence among the poor. The following sponsorship levels will be instrumental to this ambitious project s success. Choose one of these levels as your goal or indicate a different amount if you feel so led, and know that whatever amount you give, your support and prayers will be deeply appreciated. We promise to honor your generosity by being good stewards of your gift. Give Generously! Total Amount Needed: $1,282,988 LEVELS OF GIVING $25,360 can build 4 homes $19,020 can build 3 homes $6,340 can build 1 home $9,720 can provide water for 20 families $4,860 can provide water for 10 families $2,430 can provide water for 5 families Our Promise to You! Proceeds from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures for this project incurred through June 30, 2019, the close of our ministry s fiscal year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry. 21
Our Mission We mobilize the global Catholic Church to transform the poor and their communities materially and spiritually for the glory of Jesus Christ. How We Serve Rather than create new institutions to distribute aid, we support existing ministries and churches already serving the poor. In addition to being the most cost-effective way of helping the poor, empowering these ministries allows us to support the Church s spiritual mission and its important position of leadership in poor communities. Good Stewardship We consider every gift we receive as a precious resource from God. We direct every donation to its intended project, provide honest and accurate reports to our donors, and keep overhead costs to an industry low. We handle funds with utmost integrity and hold our ministry partners in the field to the same high standards by asking them to document costs and the impact of their outreach. These detailed accountability measures have earned us ongoing accreditation by the following organizations: INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL For detailed info about the impact of Cross Catholic Outreach s global mission for the poor, go to CrossCatholic.org/Impact. 2700 N. Military Trail Suite 240 PO Box 273908 Boca Raton, Florida 33427-3908 800-914-2420 ext. 300 CrossCatholic.org/Arise @CrossCatholic @CrossCatholic @CrossCatholic /CrossCatholic CrossCatholicBlog.com Copyright Cross Catholic Outreach. Cost-effectively written and designed in-house, and mailing facilitated by volunteers. [cmc1808]