ABOUT THE HAITIAN PEOPLE'S SUPPORT PROJECT (HPSP)
HPSP was founded in 1990 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping the poorest segments of Haiti's population, and, in particular, the children. We began to do so by providing assistance to grass-root community based projects such as: schools, orphanages, peasant/farmers cooperatives, health clinics, etc.
The specific areas of interest that HPSP is involved with are: healthcare, nutrition, agriculture, fisheries management, sanitation, and education. Recently, HPSP has been actively promoting inter-cultural educational programs for Haitian and Dominican youth with the intention of fostering better cultural, political, and economic relations between the two people.
As HPSP is trying to make a difference in the lives of the people of Haiti, some of our local American youth have volunteered their time to work in our projects across Haiti. In so doing, they have benefited by gaining a great deal of self confidence along with a broader understanding of the world; its languages, cultures, and new ways of life.
HPSP supports projects throughout Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Furthermore, all of our funding comes from simple donations received from both interested individuals and groups mainly from the United States.
ABOUT PIERRE LEROY:
Pierre Leroy is the president and founder of the Haitian People's Support Project (HPSP). After retiring from teaching romance languages in the New York public school system in 2002, he has since devoted most of his time in developing projects to help his fellow men and women in Haiti.
Pierre left Haiti in 1961 when a whole generation of intellectuals and professionals were fleeing from the repressive era of the Duvalier regimes during the period between 1960 and 1986. Upon returning home to Haiti 26 years later in 1987, Pierre decided to return the past favor he received from his native country in the form of humanitarian projects by helping the poor, illiterate, and orphans.
For the past 16 years, with the help of his collaborators, Pierre has created a solid network of volunteers and supporters for HPSP throughout the United States.
This network has been extended to the Dominican Republic with a focus on helping schools for Haitian children of the Bateys (sugar cane plantation community). In addition, our emphasis is also to develop inter-cultural activities, which will improve relations between Dominicans and Haitians.
Please help us so that we may continue to help them.
Click here to take a look at the article about us by a major local newspaper.
PROJECT UPDATES: MAISON D'ESPOIR (HOUSE OF HOPE) ORPHANAGE:
From homelessness to the security of a group home environment, the Maison D'Espoir Orphanage provides residence and schooling to 130 children. The orphanage is located in the town of Gressier which lies about 40 minutes southwest of Port-au-Prince. This ongoing project provides shelter for children from various parts of the country. Some attend school at the orphanage and others in different nearby schools. Maison D'Espoir's current focus is to improve upon the orphanage's exit program for young adults who are close to graduating from high school.
Without HPSP's assistance in helping them, these children face daunting prospects of acquiring viable trade and other marketable skills.
In keeping with HPSP’s mission statement, which consists of promoting self-sufficiency, our immediate goal is to implement: vocational training, welding, masonry, carpentry, electricity/electronics, and agricultural training in order to equip the young adults with the means of making a decent living for themselves before exiting our orphanage.
HPSP is dedicated to preparing these young adults for the challenges that they will face in their adult life.
We are calling upon the following for help: retired teachers, engineers, and technicians of all trades to participate in this important endeavor. Specifically, we need to operate on site workshops with the help of the above named professionals in their pertinent area of expertise.
If you are interested, and feel you can be a part of this wonderful project, please contact the Haitian People’s Support Project.
LORIE POTTERY COOPERATIVE:
HPSP has been supporting a pottery cooperative for 14 years. This cooperative is located in the most historical, northern part of Haiti, at the bottom of the Citadelle Henry. This group of artisans have joined together to promote their craft and further develop their skills. Using local clay; they manufacture pots, tiles, and decorative items of all sizes.
The cooperative is currently seeking funding to build more efficient kilns in order to create more durable and esthetically pleasing potteries. The cooperative is seeking to develop foreign markets for their clay products. The proceeds will finance art & trade programs for young women and men of the village for their economic growth.
In conclusion, pottery cooperative members are delighted to lead their visitors on a 7 mile hike to the Citadelle Henry, which is known as the eighth wonder of the world.
This orphanage has been operating with minimal funding and donations since 1989. The project started when Mr. & Mrs. Beaubrun adopted 15 children into their home. Mr. Beaubrun who was an evangelical minister, died, leaving his wife and mother-in-law to care for the children. Through the years, more children have been taken in by these 2 wonderful women. They have struggled daily to meet the physical and emotional needs of these children.
To better handle the additional population of children, they extended the service by adding a shelter program that provides: food, educational assistance, and partial healthcare to neighboring, outside children.
To date, there are approximately 40 children using these services. The most urgent need of this institution continues to be additional dormitories, beds, more living space, play area, and a transportation vehicle.
Lately, HPSP has been developing an exit program so that young adults that complete the program can move on to the next stage of their lives. This will be accomplished by developing workshops and job training programs to teach the adolescents valuable working skills and trades.
Please be a sponsor by contributing towards any of the
above described projects.
To make a donation contact us:
pierre@haitainsupportproject.org
Pierre Leroy
DUVAL FOSTER HOME ORPHANAGE & SHELTER: