STEP ONE: THRIVING COMMUNITIES:
COMMUNITY EDUCATION

"Education is the one thing that no one can take away from you." (B.B. King)

These 5 programs provide the impoverished with basic necessities for survival. The programs provide for urgent needs, especially for the vulnerable – children, pregnant and nursing mothers, and at-risk individuals. They are not handouts that create dependencies on the organization. These programs are designed to assist the extremely poor without stripping them of their dignity.

COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMS

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HEART FOR CHILDREN: The Heart for Children program (also known by its name by the same meaning in Haitian Creole, Kè Pou Timoun) is all about - sharing our hearts and the love of Jesus with at-risk children in our community.

The Heart for Children program is made up of three sub-programs: the LiveBeyond School, Johnny's Kids, and Child Nutrition.

LIVEBEYOND SCHOOL: Education standards in Haiti are abysmal. Close to 60% of children drop out before they finish primary school. Schools are understaffed, under-equipped, and often unqualified to provide education services to children.

At LiveBeyond we realize that another average Haitian school is insufficient to act as an agent of change within the education system in Haiti. We have hired highly qualified teachers to teach in large, comfortable classrooms with student to teacher ratios that do not exceed 16:1. The students study in Haitian Creole, French, and English. We use the best curriculum plan available. We believe that the children who attend our school will be the future leaders of not just Thomazeau, but all of Haiti. We can't continue this work without your support. Sponsor a child in the LiveBeyond school and change the life of a child in Haiti forever. And for those who are not attending our school but are still monitored by LiveBeyond, we offer an after-school program so that these students can receive extra tutoring, English instruction, nutritional support, and love.

JOHNNY'S KIDS: In Haiti, children with disabilities are often treated as outcasts. Whether it’s a physical or mental disability, individuals with special needs are neglected by their families, bullied by the community, and excluded from social activities. The Johnny's Kids program exists to care for the “forgotten ones" as a way to show them Jesus Christ’s abounding love for them. It's our mission to show the community that "none are worthless," especially in the eyes of God.

Children enrolled in Johnny’s Kids receive physical and occupational therapy, education, nutritious meals, and play therapy from our staff and mission teams. "Johnny's House" is a facility that will serve as a learning and therapy center for kids with disabilities. Through this program, we hope these children are better cared for and loved by their family and community.

You can transform the life of a child with disabilities. Sponsor a child in the Johnny's Kids program.

The Heart Beyond Johnny's Kids: Individuals with disabilities in Thomazeau, Haiti, are very near and dear to the heart of Laurie Vanderpool, co-founder of LiveBeyond. Her brother, John Mark “Johnny” Stallings, was born with Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect. Despite having a disability, Johnny was described as, “a champion in heart, in spirit, and in character.” He always had a smile on his face and touched the lives of everyone that he came into contact with during his 46 years of life.

Johnny’s legacy continues to live on every day in Haiti. A group of children with various types of disabilities in Thomazeau is lovingly known as “Johnny’s Kids.” They receive nutritional support, physical and occupational therapy, education, and friendship. Although many of these kids have been labeled as outcasts in society, we believe and know that each of these kids can make a difference in the world just like Johnny did.

CHILD NUTRITION: More than one in every three child deaths in the developing world are linked to malnutrition. Those who do survive the effects of malnutrition and starvation suffer from stunted mental and physical growth, leading to poor educational and vocational achievement.

LiveBeyond strives to offer a hand up not a hand out when it is appropriate. But children are a different matter. They need adequate nutrition at this critical time of development in their lives. Through a partnership with Convoy of Hope, we distribute food to over 3,000 school children each school day - giving them a chance to fully realize their maximum potential. In return, we monitor growth progress of the students so that we can continue to provide top-notch nutritional support to these children.

We are constantly seeking out more schools where we can feed more children. Give food to children in Haiti by donating to the Kè Pou Timoun program today!

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FINANCE CLASSES & HOUSE BUILDING: Due to a lack of educational opportunities on finances, many Haitians live hand-to-mouth. Some even operate out of an endless cycle of debt, never quite able to pay their creditors.

Unlike in the US where credit is the norm, Haitians in debt face starvation, eviction, and even death. Thanks to the ability to teleconference, American businessmen are training employees of LiveBeyond basic financial concepts that are built on throughout the course.

The finance class offers training on:

  • Personal Responsibility
  • Planning
  • Saving
  • Possibilities for investment
  • Paying for a house

For those that finish the financial freedom program, LiveBeyond offers the opportunity to build a reliable home for the employee's family. We have about 10 people that are in the process to construct a home.

A Haitian construction team does most of the building, but they welcome any Americans to work alongside them to finish these projects and offer high-quality construction education opportunities.

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AGRICULTURE: Approximately 60 percent of Haitians work in agriculture, but do not know proper techniques to produce quality products with enough output in food to support themselves. One of our primary focuses is working with local farmers to teach improved and appropriate methods to increase agricultural productivity and strengthen agricultural markets.

LiveBeyond built an agriculture demonstration farm to educate farmers on better growing methods and to test 140+ variants of grains, herbs, fruits, and vegetables to identify crops that thrive in Haiti’s dry, rugged terrain. When farmers can increase their output and quality, they can sell more products to provide their family with a better income.

Partners are essential to LiveBeyond in finding best practices, exchanging information, and implementing projects that can be shared and eventually owned by local Haitians. Today, our partners include the Haitian Ministry of Agriculture and its Agrinoms and two prestigious US Universities—Texas A&M (TAMU) and Prairie View A&M (PVAM).

LiveBeyond offers classes on:

  • + Agriculture demonstration farm
  • + Soil science
  • + Food science (food preservation, post-harvest produce loss mitigation)
  • + Integrated pest management
  • + Irrigation
  • + Agriculture education
  • + Value-added micro-business enterprises
  • + Agronomics (co-ops, marketing, export)
  • + Appropriate agricultural technology and engineering
  • + Tropical veterinary medicine
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CHRISTIAN MINISTRY: Haitian Vodou is the dominant religion in Haiti and is ingrained into the culture of the Thomazeau community. The practice and acceptance of the satanic religion negatively affects all aspects of Vodou followers' lives.

In Matthew 28, God commands us to go into all the world, baptize people, and teach them to be obedient followers of Jesus. LiveBeyond entails a variety of programs to care for people's needs, but our central focus is to make disciples by reflecting God's love and teaching the mighty works of God through His word.

We believe God has equipped us to share the Gospel and develop faithful believers in Jesus Christ, so we established the LiveBeyond church in 2015. Through the Spirit of God, gospel-centered community, and discipleship we are witness to how God's love is transforming the people of Thomazeau and they are living in His abundant life.

LiveBeyond is a registered 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization