Building human services and rebuilding Haiti

Functional Literacy Ministry of Haiti is a Pittsburgh-based organization that has been working in Haiti since 1983.  FLM-Haiti develops and funds its ministry of Christian action in a close partnership with its sister organization l’Alliance d’Action Chrétienne, which operates and staffs the ministry in Haiti.   

For 28 years, we’ve directed resources from hundreds of donors, motivated by a deep spirit of Christian faith, hope, and love, to ease the burdens of impoverishment and enflame the spirit of hope and hard work in Haitian communities. 

Our challenge increased substantially in the wake of the January 2010 earthquakes, which destroyed so much of Haiti’s housing and public infrastructure and laid bare the complete incapacity of the country to deal alone with such a catastrophe. Human services were minimal for the vast majority of Haitians prior to the catastrophe.  Now, even greater numbers of people in the hardest-hit regions, including our highland communities, live as refugees within a society still absorbing the traumas of the earthquakes. 

Fortunately, our facilities suffered only slight damage, and we responded quickly.  With new circumstances facing our ministry, we increased our level of daily services while also incurring new commitments to train skilled workers for Haiti’s reconstruction.  Within a modest annual budget for the services provided, we are seeing our costs for continuing operations rise by $2,000 a month.

If you can, please help us to make up the gap in funding for these vital works.   You can also help us to be a strong partner in Haiti’s reconstruction.



Skills for Rebuilding Haiti

Our partner in reconstruction efforts – Building Goodness Foundation (BGF) has built 7 houses for earthquake victims and plans to build 50 more in the near future.  BGF and FLM-Haiti will also build the Excelsior Technical School to train skilled workers.

Imminent construction of the Excelsior Technical Institute, where young Haitians will be trained in skills needed for Haiti’s reconstruction, places FLM-Haiti on an immediate deadline to close a gap of $75,000 in capital funds within the next two months. 

That amount must be committed no later than May 31 to match the full $265,000 challenge grant of The Bamaworks Fund of the Dave Matthews Band.  We are very pleased to have found so much support for the $1-million project. We are now very close to the amount we need in this first year of a two-year capital campaign. 

Our highest priority is to reach the total goal for financing this very vital project.  As the trigger for a matching gift, $75,000 in donations will total $150,000 for building Excelsior Technical Institute.