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Following Haiti's earthquake in 2010, several organizations in the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) responded with disaster relief and gospel outreach. These efforts included nutrition programs and health care for twelve orphanages. Lutheran elementary schools were established at three of the orphanages. In 2015, responsibility for ongoing operations of the schools was transferred to Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti, Inc. (Branch Schools), a non-profit organization. The group has funded the schools since October 2015 and is committed to faithfully continuing and expanding the work in Haiti.
Today, Branch Schools funds three Lutheran elementary schools based in orphanages in the Port-au-Prince area and one Lutheran middle school in Pilate. These schools provide education to orphans and other underserved children in Haiti. In just five years, Branch Schools has grown from 117 students to over 1,000 students. |
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Our ongoing commitment includes funding for teacher salaries, books and uniforms for the orphanage children, and other school supplies, and we also provide food and drinking water for the orphanage children. We raised funds for projects to accommodate the stunning growth – 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. Recently WELS delivered over 20 treadle sewing machines to Haiti to assist with vocational training to prepare and protect children who must leave the orphanage at age 18.
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 100 people. We pray these students will become community leaders who carry the gospel torch in Haiti!
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 100 people. We pray these students will become community leaders who carry the gospel torch in Haiti!
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“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, Orphanage Director in Smyrne |
“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, Orphanage Director in Carrefour |
“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, Orphanage Director in Leogane |
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OUR MISSION: Our vision for this ministry centers on the concept of "make disciples who make disciples" and includes four goals:
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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: |
