Progressive Leadership

The OFCB School and community is an oasis of relative success in this sea of despair. Education is one of the most treasured aspirations of the Haitian People. After completing his studies abroad, Actionnel Fleurisma returned to his hometown of Bayonnais, Haiti, married his sweetheart, and began a family. He felt called to start a school and in late 1993, with Dimilsaint Mondelus, Firmin Saint-Louis, Lucner Saint-Louis and Saint-Victor Sejour co-founded a school in their childhood neighborhood of Bayonnais. At first they had 105 students and 3 teachers. There was no building, so they used a vacant Roman Catholic building the first year. During the second year they sat on banana leaf mats in a shady area beneath a mango tree. Each year the number of students grew. The following year they identified a Canadian organization in Port-au-Prince to help them build the school. The organization gave half the money promised and the building was begun. After ascertaining that the money was being spent correctly the Candadian Organization gave the other half of the budget, and a five-classroom school building was born.

The Early Days

During the early days, Actionnel attended seminary in Limbé and was ordained as a minister. From left over school building materials, they built a small cinder block church. A new and larger church building was erected and completed in 2001-2003. Major support was provided by First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, SMPC and First Baptist Church of Huntersville. It is also used for education classes during the week and for community meetings. The smaller church building houses classes as well.

They still are using the small school and church buildings as the mission continues to grow. The student body in the Fall of 2006 numbered 1,450 students with three kindergarten sections plus grades 1-13. In addition, the Professional Women’s School has 10 adults enrolled and there is an Adult School with 50 enrolled (for those who were unable to go to school as children). The school has 50 teachers and another 10 of other school staff. Over the years SMPC started and maintained a sponsorship program, funded a multipurpose building with 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, dining area and a large classroom. The building is used for retreats, mission work groups, and will be used for computer classes soon.

Two churches in Gastonia and Boone provided a large electrical generator since there is no power within miles of the Bayonnais. Engineers Without Borders added a solar power system to keep electricity costs as low as possible. EWB also is assisting OFCB and the community with a bridge over a nearby river. Internet via satellite was added in mid-2006.

Long range plan for a medical clinic

In 1999, OFCB dared to plan to bring medical treatment to Bayonnais. They sent a promising young man to medical school, and bought a piece of land on which eventually to build a clinic. That long-range plan will come to fruition in 2-3 years at the end of his medical education. At that time, they hope to build a clinic to give medical help, which is now only available some 17 miles away across mountain terrain.

Results!

The quality of the school can be judged from the substantially above average performance of students in the mandatory national exams at the end of 6th, 9th, 12th and 13th grades. In 2003, all nine of the first graduating classes were sent off to Haitian colleges. One of them will be the second doctor. Others will be agronomists, high school teachers and other vital functions.

In 2004, a local bank was started, and a small business loan facility began to help capital-poor single person businesses grow. It has been very successful.

Ten students from the 2005 high school graduating class joined those in college. Career intentions of these people include: teaching high school science, language and kindergarten, dentistry, nursing and lab technician. An assistant minister for the church is in seminary. All of the college students are under written contract to return and work for OFCB (15 years for the doctors, 10 years for all others).
(© 2007 SMPC)

This strong leadership, and vision of a better life for his community is evident through:

-Emphasizes education
-Creation of a community bank
-Proactively plans for the future

Community buy in
-Face to face community meetings
-Open door policy
-Shared sense of mission

Solve specific needs
-Inferior lighting
-Lack of clean power
-No enterprise or employment opportunities