Remember when I went to Haiti last month with Help One Now? It was such an amazing trip with a great group of people – a group of movers and shakers and dreamers. The trip was full of passionate talk about social justice and how we were going to change the world. And yes, the reality is that the dozen of us on that trip probably won’t change the whole entire world. But we found our “field” to work, so to speak. We had an amazing experience but all of us felt this nagging to do a bit more than advocacy – to leave some kind of “legacy” from our journey there. We talked quite a bit about what that would look like, and one day it became abundantly clear. We were visiting an orphanage in a remote village that house 30 orphans. In addition to these kids, the pastor over the orphanage also ran a school for 120 of the vulnerable kids in the local village. There was land next to the orphanage where a foundation had been built for a school building, but the students were meeting in tents. 
My friend Jen explains their situation so well:
Another tent in a nation of temporary solutions. It is open, exposed to every gust of wind, every sheet of rain, every swirl of dust, every decibel of Haitian noise. The children outgrew the space ages ago. A few desks, one chalkboard, a thin partition of canvas between grades…I am awed by their resourcefulness. No shelves, no books, no other learning materials. Where would they put them? As is, it is simply a rudimentary roof over their heads where they are receiving the basic building blocks of a future.
After our visit, the seeds of an idea began to blossom, and we unanomously decided: WE WANTED TO FUND THIS SCHOOL BUILDING. The space is there. The foundation is there. The kids and teachers are there. They money is not. Please take a minute to watch this video that explains our project.: We will be using Pure Charity to help fund the project. (If you aren’t familiar with Pure Charity, check out the video in this post.) The total cost of the school will be about $90,000 dollars, and we’re daring to believe we can raise that by Christmas. Would you be willing to be a part of this?
Here’s how.
- If you haven’t already, sign up for Pure Charity. “Follow” me through that link, and that is your ticket in the door. Then create your own account. (Missed that part? Read Jen’s post about it.)
- Go to the Legacy site here, or use the handy widget below.
- Click on the “Back this Project” button.
- Donate to this projecthttp://www.purecharity.com/legacyphase2?aff=cwqqq. We’re doing it in phases, starting with a brick for $35 bucks. The first phase ($3000) was funded yesterday! So we’re already on phase 2.
- Continue to funnel your regular spending through Pure Charity partners online and in-stores, and your personal giving account will continue to grow. You can then use those rewards (earned through passive shopping) to donate more!
- Put the school on your Christmas list. Consider making a donation in someone’s name as their Christmas gift, or even making the gift of a brick something your family buys together.
Buying a school in Haiti this Christmas – I can’t think of a better gift to give. 150 students will have a place go to go school, with new students able to join every year. 12 teachers will have a steady income. At least 30 jobs will be created for Haitians in the construction. Building materials bought locally will boost the economy. Kids will get an education to help lift them out of extreme poverty. It’s exactly the kind of help that can effect long-term results for this community. I hope you will join us! 
