Imagine Missions in Haiti receives another grant

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

For 48 young adults in Despinos, Haiti, their lives will be forever transformed.

A bright future and a path to success is laying in wait.

Students of Imagine Missions in Haiti have received another gift from the altruistic generosity of the Alpha Delta Kappa International Honorary Organization for Women’s Educators.

Susan Jacob, a retired teacher in Charles City, is a member of the Alpha Delta Kappa. She announced the good news that the sororities’ World Understanding proposal to build dormitories so 48 students (24 men, 24 women) at the Imagine Missions orphanage can finish high school and learn a trade has been accepted by its international membership.

Fundraising has begun to raise $50,000 to help construct the transitional housing dormitories in Despinos — a northern suburb of Port–au–Prince. The application and proposal is for a project called TEACH — ”Training, Educating, and Affirming the Children of Haiti.”

“This is the first time that we’ve ever had the same non–profit – the Imagine Missions Orphanage – receive one of these grants,” said Jacob.

The proposal beat out 17 different projects submitted, which was narrowed down to five. One winner was picked after that from a remaining pool of three finalists. The two other finalists were projects located in India and Tanzania.

Eight classrooms were built in Despinos from another previous international project that was selected and helped funded Alpha Delta Kappa.

By law, once an orphan reaches the age of 18, he or she can no longer live in the orphanage. That’s where the transitional homes come into play. Some of the students may not have completed their degree by the age of 18, and orphanage director Melissa Young wants to make sure there is an opportunity to complete their education to be able to learn a trade and support themselves.  

There are about 85 to 100 children at the orphanage and about 300 children at the Christian school, including children from the community who are also allowed to attend.

Jacob’s involvement in Imagine Missions began after she heard a presentation by Susan Ayers, who is also from Charles City and is the director for 9th Street Chautauqua. Ayers started Homes for Haiti to raise money in 2012 to help with the devastation in the area caused by the earthquake and hurricanes.

Ten Safe–T–Homes will be constructed on the site – four for women, four for men. There will also be a home that will be a kitchen/bath unit as well a community home where students can congregate and socialize. The Safe–T-Homes are a product from Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield. The buildings are essentially converted new metal grain bins, turned into spacious and comfortable hurricane–proof homes. They are transported overseas as kits in shipping containers and then built on site. Lofts are built in the 13.5–feet tall homes for added space. The sidewalls are eight–feet tall.

The students that are selected to live in the homes can work toward completing trade programs in various occupations like barber, auto repair, masonry, information technology, electrician and sandal making.

Jacob, a member of the local Phi Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa, is hosting a garage sale on Aug. 24-25 at her house on 411 Meadow Lane in Charles City. All proceeds will go toward the TEACH program. Jacob can be reached at 641-330-9876 if anyone is interested in donating for the worthy cause.