ESPWA
child development center
the evolution of ESPWA
Pwoje Espwa Sud (ESPWA) was founded in 1998 as a traditional orphanage in Southern Haiti. After 20-years, upon assuming the financial sponsorship of ESPWA in June 2020, Overture International successfully transitioned ESPWA from an orphanage to a child development and family strengthening center, reunifying more than 250 children with their families...because orphanages are NOT the answer. We believe that children who remain in their homes, regardless of extreme poverty, have the best chance of a sustainable future.
June 2021 marked the one-year anniversary of ESPWA’s official transition from orphanage to child development center. It is now the largest child development center in Southern Haiti, providing vital programs and support to both children and their families with the ultimate goal of keeping the family unit together.
"Children develop best in caring families. Families grow stronger in vibrant communities. And communities secure the future through their children."
the ESPWA campus is a place of HOPE
Our 7-acre campus and 120 acres of farmland was once reserved strictly for housing and schooling of ESPWA's orphans has now been repurposed with a broader reach in mind. Today, children, families and community members alike are all welcomed on campus and encouraged to benefit from the many programs we offer.
The ESPWA campus enables us to bring the Overture Social Support Model and its foundational five pillars of service to life for communities in Les Cayes. A stronger Haiti needs reliable infrastructure equipped to host programs that empower families, communities and the economy. The 24 dome structures at the ESPWA campus have proven to be a flagship model for future community centers throughout the Sud Department and beyond.
240
parents attend
family empowerment workshops
1,127
students attend ESPWA schools
97
families benefiting from community farm program
300+
patients treated monthly in clinic
24
disaster-proof dome structures for emergency shelter
information from 2021 CY
our 5 pillars of service at ESPWA
Empowerment
Family Strengthening workshops focus on developing parents as good role models in the home and providers for their families by training and offering them resources for personal skill development and vocational development. Additional workshops focused on child protection and children’s rights training as well as business training are also offered.
Education
Classes are offered for Pre-K through University Prep to vulnerable children at a reduced tuition rate or full scholarship. Religious education is also offered during the school day, which develops the spiritual, moral, ethical and service culture of the students.
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ESPWA's After School Programs include physical, social and community activities that are focused on developing life skills, enabling children to reach their highest potential. Enrichment activities include job exploration and professional development through internships with key partners.
Nutrition
Community meals and hot school lunches prepared at the ESPWA kitchen provide daily nutritious packaged meals with rice, beans, spices, and vitamins.
ESPWA owns 120 acres of land it utilizes for community farming. Our community farming and crop share program at ESPWA, provides access to farmable land, seed and other supplies to grow their own food as well as some surplus food they can sell and/or trade for other goods and services.
Healthcare
The clinic at ESPWA is a center for many of Overture’s healthcare initiatives. Our partnerships with local healthcare providers keep the clinic at ESPWA operational for community members and critical cases identified during our mobile clinics.
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In most of the rural communities we serve, families are unable to access even the most basic healthcare due to lack of finances, transportation or access to services. Through both our mobile clinics and our clinic at ESPWA, we are able to provide access to quality medical care, public health education and mental health counseling.
Housing
One of the most significant ways your support has made an impact is through your investment in the ESPWA campus. The 24 dome structures are a place of safety and refuge for our friends in southern Haiti during times of crisis and natural disasters.
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For example, more than 700 community members sought shelter at the campus when the 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Southern Haiti in August of 2021. Adults and children were met with open arms, shelter, food, medical care and counseling.
we see the face of CHRIST in everyone we serve
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
–1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, 13
This quote from Scripture defines the core values of our mission in Haiti…
Faith, Hope and Love