One of the biggest challenges in the life of a rural Haitian family is finding the money to pay for their children to go to school. It’s one of the reasons why Friends for Health in Haiti started our Livelihood Programs, with a goal of making families stronger financially. Our Goat Program gives families the resources they need to pay school tuition and purchase the uniforms and books children need to get the education they deserve. And, through our Education Fund, Friends for Health in Haiti has helped even more primary, secondary and university students achieve their educational goals. Every once in a while, we are able to help a student we feel has potential to return to help us. Such was the case with the two young men we put through medical school, Guy-Johns Chevalier and Jameson Delice. Guy-Johns grew up in Gatineau, just down the road from the clinic and worked in our pharmacy for several years after he finished high school. We saw his potential for learning and were thrilled to be able to support him in his desire to pursue a career in medicine.

Jameson was one of our best Community Promoters, teaching people in his community, located just up the mountain from our clinic, about water, sanitation and hygiene as he juggled the demands of high school and home chores. We were impressed by his intelligence and grasp of the WASH training curriculum and we suggested that we help him go to school to learn agronomy. But, he was determined to pursue medicine, something he felt drawn to.

After 8 long years, interrupted by a pandemic and gang violence, both of them graduated from medical school this summer. They have a year of service to the Haitian government called Social Service before they are completely finished with their education but Guy-Johns has already started working with us part-time as he awaits his Social Service assignment. We’re excited about the potential for both of these young men as they return to work with us, helping assure sustainability for the future and bringing a new perspective to our work at Gatineau Health Center.