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Almost a decade ago, members from Church of the Saviour started the North Coast Haiti Mission (NCHM), a ministry to empower the Eglise Methodiste d’Ayiti (The Methodist Church of Haiti) in the Cap Haitian Circuit. The Circuit includes 9 churches, 5 schools, and 2 clinics. The district superintendent asked the team to begin work in a village called Dondon, located about 20 miles from Cap Haitian. The school and church in Dondon were the most remote location in the circuit. Travel at that time took over 3 hours one way!

Today, the NCHM has expanded to become a ministry of the East Ohio Conference UMC, seeking to connect local congregations with churches, clinics, and classrooms within the Cap Haitian Circuit. Church of the Saviour continues its relationship with the people of Dondon through a variety of ministries, including yearly mission trips.

Each year, at least one trip is made by a mission team of no more than 8 people to Dondon. The objectives for each trip vary, but all primarily focus on building relationships for long-term mission and ministry. Is God calling you to join us in ministry to Dondon, Haiti?

NORTH COAST HAITI MISSION STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
A mission of the East Ohio Conference, United Methodist Church

MISSION
Improve the lives of the people of the Cap Haitien Circuit of Eglise Methodiste du Haiti, with a primary focus on the Methodist School and Church in Dondon, through active application of the Gospel message and coordinated investment in development of collective human capital.

VISION
Every child who first attends a Methodist School in the Cap Haitien Circuit will have the opportunity to know Jesus Christ, successfully complete high school, achieve literacy in English, and gain entrance to a Haitian university.

OBJECTIVES
These measurable outcomes will mark our progress towards our vision.
1. Every teacher at the Dondon school will be paid their salary, in full, on time.
2. No child who attends the Dondon school will be malnourished at any time during the year.
3. The Dondon school will have access to clean drinking water  year ‘round.
4. Any child who first attends the Dondon school will be not be denied continued attendance at the Dondon school due to a family’s inability to pay tuition.
5. Every child who attends the Dondon school will wear a complete school uniform to school.
6. Every class at the Dondon school will have the basic educational resources determined necessary to the curriculum, and each child in that class will have the necessary student supplies to complete that curriculum.
7. The physical plant at the Dondon school will provide a clean, safe learning environment.
8. Every child that successfully completes the curriculum at Dondon will not be denied attendance at the Methodist High School at Cap Haitien due to a family’s inability to pay tuition.
9. English teachers at the Cap Haitien school will achieve [some standard] competency in English instruction and will have access to the educational resources determined necessary to the curriculum.

OPERATING PRINCIPLES
1. With God, all things are possible.
2. Within the objective statements, targets such as “clean,”  “safe,”  “necessary,” and “successfully” are relative to Haitian social norms. Our mission is to enable the achievement of full human potential within the existing norms, and encourage those we lift up to work towards the alignment of those norms to Christian principles.
3. Our mission is executed primarily through the Cap Haitien District of the Methodist Church of Haiti, and secondarily through periodic mission teams that operate under the UMBGM VIM (Volunteers in Mission) program.
4. Active, frequent, and informed visits by members of the North Coast District to the Cap Haitien District and to the village of Dondon are the primary means for ensuring local accountability for proper use of resources provided and for measuring progress towards objectives.
5. The curriculum of the Dondon School will incorporate the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Bible and the Methodist Church.

GOVERNANCE
A Mission Leader(s), approved by the North Coast District Missions Committee, will be responsible for advancing the goals the mission, raising funds for the mission, managing the mission’s relationship with the Cap Haitien District of Eglise Metodiste d’Haiti (Methodist Church of Haiti), and reporting all mission activity back the North Cost District Missions Committee. The NCD established a named fund for North Coast District Haiti Mission and provides administrative support to receive and disburse funds in support of the mission. Funds raised for the North Coast Haiti Mission will be used only for purposes of the Mission as described in this document, only as requested by the Mission Leader(s) and approved of the District’s then-authorized fiduciary agents.