LiveBeyond: Our Impact in 2022

As the year comes to an end, we want to give you an overview of each of LiveBeyond’s programs and the amazing impact you have helped us make in 2022. This year has been the most impactful for LiveBeyond, and we want to share this great news with you. The Lord continues to bless LiveBeyond and the work we are doing through you and your generosity!

Maternal Health Program

The Maternal Health Program exists to serve expecting mothers & infants throughout pregnancy and to the child’s first 1,000 days of life. Pregnant mothers visit the clinic weekly for check-ups, medical attention, maternal health education, and nutritious food supplies. 

In 2022 the Maternal Health Program has served 650 new mothers and assisted in 178 births. 48 of these births have taken place at the LiveBeyond Clinic. In 10 years, the rate of maternal mortality has decreased by 73% in Thomazeau, Haiti, through these efforts. There has also been an increase in babies’ birth weight and 100% breastfeeding compliance. In the past ten years, we have seen a 50% decrease in infant mortality. We have also seen a 54% decrease in neonatal mortality in our target area.

These numbers are to be celebrated because they represent women and children experiencing better health outcomes and overall improved quality of life.

Providing maternal healthcare to underserved regions is proven to positively impact communities for generations to come. Healthier mothers, infants, children, and families, lead to more sustainable social, economic, and health-related outcomes over the long term. Women who become healthy and educated mothers are better prepared to care for and raise their children.

LiveBeyond School

Providing quality education for a child may not be the answer to all of the struggles they face due to poverty, but it is a start in creating momentum for positive change. With a high-quality education, the LiveBeyond School wants to give all children in Thomazeau a better chance at a thriving future. This is why the LiveBeyond School has free tuition, free school supplies, free uniforms, daily meals, regular medical check-ups, and a rigorous curriculum. The children who attend the LiveBeyond School also learn about the love of Jesus Christ and develop their hope in Him. 

Currently, the LiveBeyond school has its largest student body to date, 175 students! That is 175 children who receive better preparation for their future. The school can open its doors because of the hard work & dedication of the LiveBeyond staff & your generous support. This year the LiveBeyond School was able to hire 6 new teachers. There are now a total of 29 teachers, aids, and administration staff. The staff is doing exceptional work bringing about overwhelmingly positive change to the students and the community overall.

The caliber of the education students at the LiveBeyond School receive is of the highest in Haiti. The unfortunate truth of education in Haiti is that education is often expensive, and many families are unable to afford the cost of school for their children. A LiveBeyond School education greatly increases a child’s potential for success. Our school’s impact on our students is seen in students’ performance on national exams. LiveBeyond students are making high marks on national exams, with a 100% pass rate on national exams this Summer. 

The long-term impact of a child receiving quality education ripples throughout the child’s life into adulthood and throughout their families and community. Increasing access to and quality of education in rural Haiti is exponentially increasing opportunities for the youth in our region. This next generation will have greater job opportunities and the ability to change the trajectory of their family tree. These students will be confident, capable, and courageous as they attain their educational degrees and pursue professional careers, a historic rarity for Thomazeau residents. 

Johnny’s Kids

The Johnny’s Kids program provides children with disabilities in the Thomazeau area the ability to attend school. Children of all abilities deserve the opportunity to learn and increase their potential to thrive. At Johnny’s Kids, children with disabilities receive a high-quality education in a nurturing environment. Johnny’s Kids is helping provide a brighter future for its students.

Johnny’s Kids has the largest enrollment number this year. Currently, 30 students are attending Johnn’s Kids. We have 5 wonderful staff members who excel in their roles for the students. These teachers and support staff create a safe and welcoming space for children with disabilities to learn and grow.

In Haiti, the majority of children with disabilities do not attend school. They do not get a chance to learn because no inclusive or adapted schools or classes exist. Because of the great work in our Johnny’s Kids program, 5 students have been able to mainstream into LiveBeyond school. LiveBeyond teachers, staff, and students are learning to love, support, and protect the most vulnerable in their communities. This is a cultural and societal transformation in rural Haiti.   

Through this special needs program, children with disabilities are receiving value and love more than ever before in areas of need. We aim to empower families affected by disability in Haiti and Israel and support them with education, nutrition, Biblical encouragement, and physical and occupational therapies.

Nutrition Program

LiveBeyond is dedicated to ensuring people in the areas it serves do not suffer from hunger. We will do everything in our power so that women, children, and their families do not go hungry. In order for children, mothers, families, and communities to be healthy, their nutritional needs must be met. LiveBeyond is helping decrease hunger in Haiti and Israel by providing nutritious meals and clean water.

This year LiveBeyond has provided more than 7,000 meals each weekday to students at the LiveBeyond School, the maternal health program, and in other area schools. Also, each weekday all 115 LiveBeyond employees are fed breakfast & lunch & are sent home with nutritious food for their families. In Israel, LiveBeyond is providing 60 families with nutritional support. LiveBeyond has also improved and increased access to clean water for the Thomazeau community. Because of the LiveBeyond water effort, 100% of the population has access to clean water. The Thomazeau community has access to over 900,000 gallons of clean water each day.

Through our nutrition and water efforts, we are helping communities become sustainable. In Thomazeau, the agriculture farm produces crops that provide healthy and nutritious food for the meals provided to LiveBeyond employees and school students. The meals for mothers in the Maternal Health Program improve their health, weight, and overall health of their infants and children. The micro- and macronutrients in the meals provided to employees, students, and their families are leading to improved health outcomes, increased weight gain, improved cognition, and overall reducing the number of malnourished people in our target areas.

The nutrition program provides nutritious food to undernourished individuals leading to improved growth and development, prevention and reversal of disease caused by malnutrition, and economic growth through the purchase of locally grown rice, beans, and other foods. Access to adequate food and nutrition is improving the overall health, well-being, and social structures of the communities we serve.

LiveBeyond Church

We are happy to share that there are currently 15 deacons serving the church family and the community. The church is a place where people in the community come for prayer, encouragement, & sharing during good times & hard times. People who attend church will hear teachings from the Bible. Also, church members are learning how to love and care for those around them, like Jesus. The LiveBeyond Church is serving the community by providing the vulnerable with food, clothing, hygiene kits, and other gifts that improve the quality of life.

The LiveBeyond Church is developing followers of Jesus who are serving their community. The positive impact that the deacons have can be seen in the numbers. Most of the students in the Johnny’s Kids Program and many new mothers in the Maternal Health Program are found and receive an invitation to our programs from the deacons. The deacons are a positive influence in the lives of these women, children, and their families. 

The deacons program trains individuals to be leaders in the church and their community. They are actively looking for vulnerable individuals in their communities and bringing them to LiveBeyond programs to receive healthcare, education, and nutrition. Our goal is to create a “trickle-down effect” from the church deacon program and continue to see non-deacon leaders care for their neighbors just as Jesus did.

Thank you for your support!

Jesus Christ gives us the best example to follow. While on earth, Jesus loved people well by speaking the Gospel and meeting their physical needs. LiveBeyond has the dedication to do the same. This year we have shared the hope and truth of the Gospel and provided healthcare, education, and nutrition to more individuals and families than any year prior!

So, thank you for your generosity, support, prayers, and encouragement. These remarkably impactful efforts would not be possible without our donors and supporters! Thank you for helping LiveBeyond improve the quality of life for those who need it most in 2022.