About

Who We Are

Our ongoing commitment includes funding for teacher salaries, books, uniforms and other school supplies, and food and drinking water for the orphanage children. We also supply nutritious snacks for the neighborhood students.

We have been blessed to be able to raise funds for special projects to accommodate the stunning growth since 2015, including new septic systems, additional classrooms, cisterns for drinking water, building improvements, a fourth school, and emergency funds in response to natural disasters, health crises, or inflation of food prices during political upheavals.

The schools have gained an excellent reputation in their communities and are a base for Lutheran neighborhood congregations as they hold weekly church services with an average attendance of 400+ people. We pray these students will become community leaders who carry the gospel torch in Haiti!

"The children at my school are all memorizing the 10 commandments, Bible verses, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Creed. We have church every Sunday at the orphanage, open to everyone. The parents of the poor children of the neighborhood thank us for bringing this learning to their children."
--Boursiquot, Director at Carrefour

OUR MISSION:
Our vision for this ministry centers on the concept of "make disciples who make disciples" and includes four goals:

Provide Lutheran education and nutrition for orphans and other under-served children in Haiti.
Identify children with potential to serve in ministry to be trained by Pastor Rona Abraham.
Assist with vocational training to prepare and protect children who must leave the orphanage at age 18.
Grow Lutheran mission congregations at the schools that can expand into the neighborhoods.

OUR STATEMENT OF BELIEF:
We are a Bible-based community of international churches known collectively as Confessional Lutherans. This community includes the WELS and ELS synods in the United States, the Haitian National Lutheran Church in Haiti, and other international synods that share this confession:

Statement of Belief

"My school is known for the quality of education. Every student receives a copy of Luther’s Simplified Catechism. If we did not have my school, all of my orphans would not learn to read and write – I could not afford to send them to a public school because of the costs. I would have to choose from among my children."
--Jeanot, Director at Leogane

WELS Affiliate Status

In fall 2020, Branch Schools became a WELS affiliate, joining other organizations such as Kingdom Workers and the Lutheran Women's Missionary Society to stand in official doctrinal fellowship with the WELS. We thank God for the exciting opportunities that lie ahead!
You can find Branch Schools on the WELS Yearbook or learn more about the WELS through the links below.

WELS Yearbook

WELS Website

"Many of my children would not learn to read and write if we didn’t have this orphanage school. Our children receive a religion class every day at school. These children are a light to everyone in the neighborhood."
--Yvette, Director at Smyrne

"For me, school is the best path to success tomorrow.”

--Dorcens, 6th-grader at Carrefour

Schools

Teachers

Monthly Funding

Special Projects

les palmes First Year

Goal: $7,200
Branch Schools is opening a 5th school...[etc].

12%

New Classrooms

End of Year Party

Frequently Asked Questions

How many children are at each school?

Enrollment at our Port-au-Prince elementary schools and Pilate middle school:

Yvette's school - 595
Boursiquot's school - 167
Jeanot's school - 230
Pilate middle school - 30

Total - 1,022

How many staff are at the Schools?

36 teachers and 4 school directors.

What happens when students graduate?

Branch Schools offers education to the orphanage children and neighborhood students through 6th grade. Following completion of 6th grade, the students are lovingly encouraged to become members of the congregations established at each school. The students receive ongoing Christian support and help from these congregations. The orphanage children are welcome to stay at the orphanages even after graduating from classes.

What are conditions like in Haiti for the Branch Schools students?

There are many challenges in Haiti that impact these children every day. The corruption and division in Haiti's government system have caused frequent rioting and protesting and allowed violent gangs to go unchecked throughout the country. As these bandits take more and more control, it is becoming extremely dangerous for many people to travel, especially when carrying anything valuable. Food prices are rising dramatically as a result of the inability for food trucks to make deliveries.

In late 2020, a gang came through Carrefour, where Director Boursiquot's school is, and shot at the steel gate in an attempt to break in. We thank God that they were not successful and no one was harmed.

This is the reality for all of the children across Haiti. Food is growing more inaccessible, jobs are disappearing, schools are closing, and the danger is rising every day. Please continue to pray for Haiti, that peace will come over the country and the children will be safe and able to attend school to continue learning God's comforting and precious Word.