I encountered this pig on the streets of Cité Soleil, Haiti in March 2016. I’ve been thinking about him – or her – a lot lately. I am certain he is happier rummaging on this garbage-strewn beach than the millions of pigs raised on industrial farms in a space no larger than a refrigerator. I …
Category Archives: Team Guepard
Keeping the Faith
I am partial to the Book of Job in the Old Testament. Although filled with many themes and interpreted many ways through the centuries, I find it simple and direct: despite all the misfortunes that Job experiences, he never loses faith – although, at times, he struggles to maintain it. It is a lesson for …
The Faith of Job Garden
I have an idea. I call it the Faith of Job Garden… My objective is to re-ignite the direct-giving program my friends and I created in 2017 and operated through 2018 to support the Guepard Boxing Club in Cité Soleil [GBCCS]. During that time, we fed upwards of 300 Haitian children, three days each week. …
Fortuitously Serendipitous
Fortuitous and serendipitous. Two of my favorite words. The one, happening by chance; the other, occurring by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Regardless of word choice, I am fortuitously and serendipitously lucky to be living in the home that found me and Mrs. tVM across the street from the Highland Manor Park when …
Committed to Serving Others
University of South Florida (USF) soccer player Malani Lee gives us faith, hope and confidence in the future of the world community we exist in. Amid the tsunami of negative news that assaults us daily, young people like Malani stand up to be counted to let us know the world can be a better place.
Feed a Hungry Child
My friends at Guepard Boxing Club (GBCCS) in Cite Soleil, Haiti feed hundreds of hungry children each week. The men who manage the club are ordinary men who do their best to improve the lives of the children they work with. The food they prepare comes from Haiti, not from America. They rely on us …
Guepard Boxing Club: Helping People Help Themselves
Two weeks ago, we discussed ‘the Education Triangle:’ the student, the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the teacher/school. We noted that very few parents of the 20 children from Guepard Boxing Club who we send to school in Cité Soleil, Haiti have had formal education. The role of the guardian under these circumstances becomes one of encouragement because …
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Education: the Grading Scale
We fund the tuition and other school costs (uniforms, school supplies, etc.) for 20 Guepard Boxing Club (GBCCS) children. The annual cost per student for the 2017/2018 school year is $250 USD, a bargain by U.S. standards, a near impossible dream by Haitian standards where the average annual per capita income is less than $500. …
The Education Triangle
Having raised four children – five when I include my nephew who we were blessed to have in our household for five years – I have much experience with education… education in the home, education in school, and education outside of the home and school. One concept that was firmly set in my mind by …
Education: Path to a Better World
Eighteen months ago, Gail Rongen and I embarked on a direct giving program in Haiti. Direct giving is risky business and it requires trust. We accept the risk because we trust the young Haitians we work with. Our choice is valid… Within the poverty and violence of Cité Soleil, a courageous group of young men …