COCINA 2012 Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE... PAGE

Called Back to Haiti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1About COCINA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back CoverCOCINA College Scholarship Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3New Bakery Now Open. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Hope in Haiti Central Pennsylvania Mission. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Poultry Farm Now Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Another Visionary Joins The Ranks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5What’s Happening in Vo-Ed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8COCINA Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9NEW Malnutrition Program Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

C.O.C.I.N.A. (Coalition of Children in Need Association) FALL 2012 | Vol. 16

Letter from the Director...

The poultry farm is finally open for business! After years of slowprogress, the first brood of 5,000 hens checked into their Carribbean resortat Mon Koukou in June 2012. Some of the eggs will be used for a break-fast program at Univers. Proceeds from the sale of remaining eggs willsubsidize Univers and UMC operating costs (story on page 4).

—Our Mission—

Operating from the Christian

perspective of faith, hope and love,

C.O.C.I.N.A. partners with

Institution Univers and Univers

Medical Center in Ouanaminthe,

Haiti, to provide academic and

vocational education for children

and adults, provide health care for

people in the area and jump-start

economic development projects.

Dear Friends of COCINA,

As always, it is with great humility and gratitude that I writeto you to thank you for your continuing unconditional supportand love for our children in Haiti.

Despite innumerable successes, we still struggle with manychallenges. Never before have we seen so many childrenattending school throughoutHaiti and particularly in ourInstitution. This, of course, isthanks to the generosity of somany. We will enroll 2,200students this year and ournumbers are still growing.Beginning this year, we haveadded new programs in ourvocational school including:Auto-Mechanics, ElectricalTechnology, Industrial Sewingand Industrial Mechanics.

The flip side of introducing so many new classes to such alarge student body is that we are facing tremendous financialshortfalls this year. Because we were not able to meet our regular payroll needs, we are projecting the loss of the lunchprogram, computer training programs, sports and Bible study.

A couple of second grade classes from the Toronto Frenchschool in Canada and their teachers have inspired me to remainhopeful. Through a reading marathon, they were able to raise$10,000 which they donated to us to keep our children in school.We are eternally grateful for this kind of heartfelt support.

I thank you one and all for the many blessings you bestowupon us, and particularly for you keeping us close to your heart.

In His Service,

Hugues BastienDirector of Institution Univers

Director Hugues Bastien with Institution Univers students.

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7 R E B U I L D I N G H A I T I . . . O N E L I F E A T A T I M E 8

Called Back to HaitiBy: Tony Iannetta, COCINA Board President

We first met Marylee Lewis at Christ Community Chapelwhen Jan and I were leading our first trip to Haiti in 2006.It didn’t take us long to realize that our Lord was doingwork in her life. Marylee had such a sweet spirit from thestart, and it was most evident when she was inOuanaminthe working at the school and the clinic.

One of my fondest memories of Marylee was at the UMCclinic when we were conducting an eye clinic. We had avery large group of patients in our waiting room growingvery impatient. We put Marylee in charge of the waitingarea and placing wristbands on patients and escorting themto their appointment. It wasn’t long before we heard singingcoming from the waiting area. Marylee was leading all ofthe patients in worship to make their waiting time rich.

Marylee missed only one year ofour trips to IU and UMC. Each yearwe would go Marylee would alwayssay she left a little more of her heartin Ouanaminthe. Each year she won-dered what God was doing and whatHe was directing her to do. Maryleehas been involved in her father’sinsurance business for 23 years of hercareer and customer service posi-tions prior to that. She wonderedhow any of that could translate to work in Haiti. While, forher, it was never a question of “am I willing to do more forour Lord” but more a question of, “what can I bring to theministry there?”

In January of 2012, after I agreed to be nominated for thepresident’s position on the board, I met will Bill Gibeaut,the current president. We were discussing the ministry andthe critical needs. Bill suggested that if we had someonewho could focus on student placement in post-high schooleducation (college and vocation) and job placement we cansee many more students being placed. And, since the grad-uating classes were growing so rapidly it would be impera-tive to get someone looking ahead of the students graduat-ing, for opportunities. It didn’t take me long to determinewho would be perfect in that role.

In February I began sharing this idea with Marylee andshe began to pray. She met with Hugues and Dave and PamMann and talked to many others along the way. By Marchshe was all in. Marylee believed God was calling her

“Back to Haiti” and shehas been preparing eversince.

It turns out that,through her work ininsurance, she had mademany contacts and had avery strong network ofeducators and employersin the U.S.

She quickly began tomeet with many and hasexpanded her network significantly including colleges inOhio, Florida and California. Each of these schools hasindicated that they are interested in our students and thatthere are scholarships. She will be expanding the search tomany more colleges in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.

Marylee has also met with the student guidance coun-selor at Cuyahoga Valley ChristianAcademy in the Akron area to learnhow they run their placement pro-gram. While doing that she has beentaking a crash course in Creole withour Haitian “son” Ezechiel Isaac(Zeke) since November.

Marylee arrived in Haiti this pastSeptember and will be splitting hertime between Haiti and the U.S.While in Haiti, she will be pursuing

post-high school graduate opportunities in that countryand other places in the Caribbean and helping to counselstudents in preparation for post-high school graduate life.She will spend the winter months and summer after grad-uation in the U.S. pursuing opportunities here.

I am always amazed how God takes ordinary people withwilling hearts and begins to do extraordinary thingsthrough them. Marylee is an example of this. She is a hum-ble and willing servant willing to do whatever God calls herto do. And His callings are always perfect!

Please place Marylee on your prayer list and watch howGod uses her in the life of these students! Marylee is alsoraising her support to do this most valuable work throughour church, Christ Community Chapel. If anyone is led tobe part of her support team, please contact her directly [email protected], U.S. 440-343-2532, orwww.calledbacktohaiti.blogspot.com

...for her, it was never a questionof “am I willing to do more for ourLord”, but more a question of,“what can I bring to the ministrythere?”

MaryLee Lewis, picture at right.


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Bakery Micah To Open Soon!By: Rick Sands

Hi, my name is Rick Sands and I was asked to tell mystory for the COCINA newsletter. As it turns out, it is notmy story at all, but God’s story and how He will use you ifyou just submit to Him. God has always given me a heartfor world hunger. I believe He has been preparing me forthis effort since before I knew Him as my Lord and Savior.Fifteen years ago I had never baked a day in my life, butfor some reason God decided to make me a baker. Mywife Debbi and I have owned our bakery, Great HarvestBread Co. in Stow, Ohio, for the last 14 years and havetried to make it a ministry that is glorifying to God.During this time, God has given me the opportunity to beinvolved in 37 new bakery start-ups, as well as being ahost trainer for new bakery owners in the Great HarvestBread Co. system. God has blessed me with so muchthroughout life.

He has given me an amazing wife of 33 years, two won-derful children, and has always provided for my everyneed. I believe in November 2010, as I offered myself to beused by the Lord, He called me to put a bakery in a thirdworld country… that was all I knew at the time, but I wasall in. Soon after that, my wife had a meeting at our homechurch about counseling others, as Debbi is also aChristian counselor. During her meeting with Pastor PaulWides, she learned of a school in Haiti that might be agood fit for God’s bakery project.

Later we met with Hughes Bastien and were invited toOuanaminthe to see Institution Univers and make surethe resources needed for the bakery would be available(water, power etc.). I think Debbi and I knew upon ourarrival in Haiti that this was where God wanted the bak-ery to be. It is hard to believe it has been almost two years,but God has done some amazing things. Mostly He hastaught me patience…I remember talking with Pastor Pauland him saying “Just enjoy the journey.” I would love toshare everything God has done in the last year and a half,but I’ll try to keep it brief.

God has provided an A/C unit for the bakery, a ham-mer mill, three tons of flour, the exact number of bakingpans needed, and almost $70,000 of donations for theproject. All of this totals around $90,000, which meanswe are getting close to the $135,000 that is needed to coverthe cost of the building, the equipment, and one year ofingredients for the bakery. I see the bakery as not only atraining facility, but a way to provide nutritious bread aspart of a new breakfast program. Most of all I would like

this project to glorify our Lord and win hearts for Hiskingdom. The name of this facility will be Bakery Micah6:8. (To act justly and love mercy and to walk humbly withyour God). I know this will happen in God’s perfect tim-ing, but my hope is to start the building in the Fall of 2012with a Spring 2013 opening.

Give a Blessing to Students in Institution Univers and toPatients in Univers Medical Center Please consider and pray about providing a contribution to support thesesuccessful ministries in Ouanaminthe.

By: Bill Gibeaut, V.P. of Development

This newsletter and several fundraising letters mailed to Friends of COCINA this past year reportmany of the blessings that are abundantly evident in lives touched by the ministries that COCINAsupports in Ouanaminthe, Haiti–all under the direction of Hugues Bastien and the Haitian charita-ble non-government organization he leads called Institution Univers Chrétien d’Haiti (IUCH). But, theCOCINA funding provided for the operations of the school and clinic in the fiscal year that endedAugust 31, 2012 was about $100,000 less than the Board had approved and less than Hugues need-ed for all essential operating expenses. So, Hugues had to reduce and eliminate expenditures forsome very important budgeted items–such as replacing a large quantity of textbooks due to dete-rioration, loss and needing modern books.

The budgeted COCINA subsidies for the new fiscal year that started September 1 (shown else-where in this newsletter) are essential to support the operations of Institution Univers and UniversMedical Center in this new fiscal year. These indicated essential operating subsidies are neededbecause: 1) Univers Medical Center (UMC) continues to be open and busy 24 hours per day, 7 daysa week because of increased local demand for clinic services and expansion of services (e.g. x-raymachine is in service and in demand), 2) The clinic has a 35-person Haitian staff to satisfy the vari-ous needs for patient services, 3) Increased school salary expenses and needing more teaching staff(compared to two years ago)–related partially to several hundred students that migrated toOuanaminthe after the January 2010 earthquake and enrolled in I.U. (school enrollment is current-ly close to 2200 students), 4) Major move to replace worn-out and outdated textbooks. 5) Theexpanded vocational education program that was jump-started early in 2012 requires an operatingsubsidy from COCINA, because tuition and lab fees can’t totally support all the programs’ expensesStudents’ parents provide only one-fourth of the operating costs of Institution Univers. Patient feesprovide 60% of the operating expenses of Univers Medical Center. Because of the poverty level ofmost of the residents in the area, that’s all the students and clinic patients can afford to pay. The resthas to come from other sources–direct grants to Institution Univers Chrétien d’Haiti and mostlyfrom COCINA.

The administrators and staff of the school and clinic are able to do miracles with their talentsand limited resources to “help rebuild Haiti…one life at a time.” But, in this poor country and in thenortheastern region, all excellent quality education and health care requires substantial outsideresources. Write on the memo line of your check if you want to direct your contribution to either theschool or clinic or to a particular program. Otherwise it will be treated as a general contribution andused where it is most needed. Make your check payable to C.O.C.I.N.A. and mail to P.O. Box 12695,Columbus, Ohio 43212.

• $3,800 contribution would provide COCINA’s operating subsidy for an elementary classroom of30-35 students; the donor would, in effect, be “sponsoring” a selected class of students

• $1700 contribution would pay one month’s salary for one of the clinic’s physicians• $550 would pay the monthly salary of a nurse• $95 would provide a full tuition scholarship (for one year) for an elementary student whose

family is unable to pay the required tuition. ($180 is tuition for a 13th grade student)• $40 would provide COCINA’s subsidy for a daily hot lunch for one student for a whole school year.

Students pay $13 per school year, which is all most students’ families can afford.• $10-$20 would buy a textbook. Many students lack textbooks.

Contact Hugues Bastien ([email protected]) or Pastor Dave Mann ([email protected])in Ouanaminthe if you or your church would consider providing a full scholarship for an I.U. graduate to attend college either in the U.S. or Haiti or another Caribbean country.


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COCINA College ScholarshipFundBy: Tony Iannetta, COCINA Board President

Our mission trip to Haiti in 2009 started out very well.We had now been doing the eye clinic for a few years andwe were getting quite proficient at running the clinic. Wehad great student translators in Ezechiel Isaac and FrandyCador. These two students were consistently number oneand two in their class which would be the first graduatingclass of Institution Univers. Little did I know that God wasplanning to send these two students to college in ourhometown of Akron, Ohio.

One day as I was walking through the school, PamMann stopped me and said she had heard that Jan and Iwere considering sponsoring a student for college. I wastaken aback because this was news tome. I later found out from my wife,Jan that she had asked Hugues whatwould be involved in sponsoring astudent for college in the UnitedStates. Hugues saw God working sohe jumped in with both feet and saidTony and Jan are “considering” sponsoring a student. Over the nextseveral weeks we prayed and considered the cost and thecommitment and believed God was, in fact calling us tosponsor a student. At the same time our friends, Bill andSandy Currier, who were also on the same trip also sensedthe same call. So Zeke (our “son”) and Frandy (theCurrier’s “son”) became a part of our families and studentsat the University of Akron. As usual, God has out-given uswith the blessing of having Zeke here. Our family quicklymade him their “brother” and he has excelled far beyondour expectations.

In the three years that followed, an additional four stu-dents came to our area and we now have our own littleHaiti in Akron. Their lives have touched so many lives inour community and church; the blessings just keep coming.

One of the challenges we faced financially is there was noobvious way to obtain a tax deduction for our efforts. Whilewe have always been willing to accept this and provide thefunding anyway, we know that others may find this a moredifficult decision and it seemed appropriate that if one waswilling to make this sacrifice, receiving a tax deduction forthis gift made total sense. As my long-time missionaryfriend Bruce Britton would tell me, tax deductions are justnew opportunities to give more to God’s work!

A few months ago we recommended to the ExecutiveCommittee of the COCINA Board to adopt a new schol-arship fund policy. This policy follows IRS code and allowsan individual to make a tax deductible contribution to theCOCINA Scholarship Fund which will be managed by ournew Student Placement Director, Marylee Lewis (see“Called Back to Haiti”). When one makes the donation,they may attach a letter or a note and suggest which stu-dent should receive this funding. The Institution Universadministration, acting as an agent of COCINA will makefinal decisions on where the funding goes. So as long as thestudent is one of the students eligible for the scholarshipbased on the school’s criteria for selection, the suggestedindividual will be the beneficiary of the donation, and itwill be tax deductible.

We think this is an exciting opportunity for more people to get involved with the education of these students

in the U.S., Haiti and other parts ofthe world. And if you sense the Lordtugging at your heart in relationshipto these deserving students, get readyto be blessed beyond measure. Weare also finding out that it takes ateam to help these students throughtheir college years. Some can helpfinancially, some can house the stu-

dents, and some can do both. If you have any questions about what is involved

in being a part of one of these student’s post-high school education please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or (440) 725-4075 or contactMarylee Lewis, Student Placement Director [email protected] or 440-343-2532.

If you simply would like to give to the COCINAScholarship Fund please feel free to indicate that on yourdonation.

And if you sense the Lord tugging

at your heart in relationship to these

deserving students, get ready to be

blessed beyond measure.

The school lunch program provides meals for 2200 students each day.


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The Poultry Farm is Finally Openfor Business By: Jillian Forbes, V.P. of Communications

About six miles outside of Ouanaminthe, lies the ruralvillage of Mon Koukou, meaning “mountain of the fire-flies”. It is here that Univers Executive Director HuguesBastien decided to invest in a little piece of land for him-self, and surrounding acres for an orchard, poultry farm,and tilapia pond. In 2008 the only infrastructure on hisacreage was a small well and coconut saplings lining thefuture driveway. However, things have changed drasticallyin those four years with the most significant developmentoccurring this summer. Now the land is host to not onlyBastien’s humble three-room home, several domesticatedrabbits, a few cattle, goats, 300,000 honeybees, Boopie 1,Boopie 2, Boopie 3 (Bastien’s three Rottweilers), plantsbearing mangos, pineapples, cashews, papayas, calabash,peanuts, sweet potatoes, bananas and plantains, but also to5,000 chickens!

In the summer of 2011, construction was complete ontwo chicken houses. In late spring of 2012, the funds forthe chicks and the equipment needed to feed and waterthem were donated. Soon the first 5000 chickens began toarrive.

Tony Omojiuanfo, Tom and Karen Norton’s nephewfrom Nigeria, who not only had run successful chickenfarms in the past, but also has a PhD in GeneticEngineering, volunteered to come to Haiti to help with thefirst critical weeks of accumulating the chicks and gettingthe equipment up and running. He also brought his oldestson Erimo with him to help and provide his expertise.

The chickens need a couple months to mature but inlate July, a few small eggs began to appear; then more andmore and more to where there are over 4000 eggs a daybeing produced and SOLD!

It is important to keep in mind that the main purposeof this project is to make a profit that in the future willhelp support the schools and clinic. Once the full poten-tial of this enterprise is reached, it could contribute asmuch as $100,000 per year to the whole Universe opera-tions, a sustainable enterprise.

One of the plans for the 5,000 eggs a day is to begin abreakfast program at Univers. A hot lunch of rice, beansand vegetables isalready served eachschool day, but abreakfast programwould help improvestudent nutrition andconcentration inschool while also tak-ing some financialpressure off of strug-gling families to pro-vide something fortheir children to eat in the morning. Today the free schoollunch is the only meal of the day for many Univers stu-dents. It is also common for students to be sent off toschool with only a cup of coffee or hot chocolate to fueltheir morning.

The eggs that are not eaten at Univers will be sold inOuanaminthe to help generate homegrown funds to sub-sidize Univers and UMC operating costs. The poultryfarm is a step towards sustainability for COCINA projectsand also a step for improved lives for Haitians. EachMonday and Friday, when the border between the DR andHaiti is open for a huge market, a quarter million eggs arepurchased in the DR, then cross the border into Haiti.Market day is a dangerous necessity for thousands of

(cont’d. on page 5) Hugues Bastien shows a visiting mission team the well and site of the future poultryfarm, 2008.

First brood of hens arrive, 2012. From left to right: Erimo and Anthony Omoijuanfo,Hugues Bastien, and Gerald Legitime.


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tionally, his dedication earning him the title of partner inthe handicraft company. Gerald also was in charge of alarge food program tasked at feeding 400 workers daily,owned his own restaurant and convenience market, andeven lived in California for a short time.

Legitime is excited to be a part of the COCINA projectsthat serve as catalysts for economic development inNortheast Haiti, but he has frustrations too.

(cont’d. on page 6)

Another Visionary Joins theRanks

By: Jillian Forbes, V.P. of Communications

It’s no secret that overseeing the sprawling COCINAconsortium (a hospital, poultry farm, vocational school,and K-13th grade school) requires countless hours ofattention and rock-hard resolve. Univers’ administratorsand founders, Joe Dumay, Jaccin Bernard and HuguesBastien, can be found daily buzzing about the school hall-ways, coaching sports practice, dealing with budget crises,or buried under piles of paperwork at their desks. Thesemen are the model of devotion to change within theircountry and devotion to their students.

Thankfully, the men bearing the brunt of the workloadhave finally gotten some well-deserved help. Coming tothe rescue, like a knight in shining armor, with his glitter-ing smile, brisk pace and flawless posture, GeraldLegitime, has become the latest addition to the InstitutionUnivers administrative team.

Gerald has been a long-timefriend of Univers and has hadthe pleasure of witnessing theschool’s growth year after year.Gerald often spent his vacationtime traveling to Ouanaminthewith his wife Chantal Dumay(sister of Joe Dumay) andalways believed the little city onthe border was ripe for an eco-nomic overhaul. Until recentlyhis support was limited to ahands-off role.

Originally, Legitime’s rolewas to be the FacilitiesAdministrator, but shortly after

beginning work at Univers his title grew to Director ofGeneral Services. Now his job not only encompasses car-ing for the material resources for Univers (tools, vehicles,buildings, etc.), but also overseeing the newly-establishedchicken farm and chaperoning American mission teams.

Born outside of Port-Au-Prince, Legitime attendedschool until 11th grade then started working…and hasn’tstopped. He learned accounting and electricity, and hasbeen trained in refrigeration and air conditioningmechanics. Sixteen years of his working life were com-mitted to a company that shipped handicrafts interna-

Poultry Farm (cont’d. from page 4)

Haitians in the northeast. It is necessary because it isthe only way for average families and business owners to purchase things they need, from food tobuilding supplies, and electronics to clothing. It’s dangerous because Haitians, whether they are buyingor selling, must cross into hostile territory where thethreat of abuse looms.

Bastien still hopes his land, which he calls “my ownLittle House on the Prairie” will soon be home to5,000 more chickens and a hatchery. He even dreamsone day his farm will be able to meet the total demandfor eggs in the northeast so that an egg never has tojourney from the other side of the Massacre Riveragain, his students and staff will never want for break-fast, and his school and hospital will have more of thefunds it so desperately needs.

Mission team members explore developing chicken houses, 2011.

Eggs packed for market!


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Another Visionary (cont’d. from page 5)

“One of the biggest problems we have is disrespect”,sighs Legitime, as he refers to the actions and attitudessome staff members show towards Univers’ materialresources. Visiting mission teams often comment on thisshortfall as well. No one likes to see items they havedonated or raised money to fund be mistreated or usedimproperly. His first step to combat the misuse of schoolproperty is taking a vast inventory. “We need an invento-ry of everything, then [we] need a location for central dis-tribution.” His idea is that everything from toolboxes toflooring tiles, extra classroom chairs to desks in need ofrepair, would be kept at one central location. Once itemsare needed from the distribution center a work orderwould be presented to the director of the storage facilityand the item could be checked out. This method wouldensure the schools material resources could be storedproperly, accessed when needed, and borrowersheld accountable for their treatment.

Maintenance schedules for the schoolvehicles already decorate Gerald’s newoffice—he has wasted no time pioneering hisnew career. The once labyrinth-like storagearea, below the residence for visiting mission teams,has been whipped into shape. Buckets, broom handles,and ladders finally have a designated location to callhome within the cavernous space. Room for a large deskand office chair has also been hollowed out to create aworkspace. Head custodian, Guips Dorsainvil, unfailinglybeams each time a disbelieving teacher, student or visitorpeeks their head into the rehabilitated space to see hisoffice for themselves.

Like his fellow administrators, Gerald’s phone ringsfrequently as he unfailing rushes to complete an infiniteto-do list. “Always working, always working” he sighs. Forthe dedicated employees of Univers there will never beenough hours in the day. Gerald’s organizational dogmaand propensity for planning are uncharacteristic ofHaitian culture, and therefore, have caused him sometrouble in getting the employees who work beneath himonboard with his unfamiliar management philosophy.Unlike in previous years the security officers and custodi-ans now have a schedule to keep. Students are no longerpermitted to weather nights in vacant classrooms wherethey use the generated light for studying. Only trustedstudents who ask permission are afforded such freedomunder Gerald’s new rules.

It wasn’t easy for Gerald to enter into a position wherehe now had an entire crew of security officers and custo-

dians working under him for years without direct super-vision. Gerald explains that his task of gaining the respectof Univers employees was not easy. “I worked all day,every day when I started. I wanted to show them I waswilling to do any job.” Gerald believed that by showingUnivers employees he thought no task was beneath him,he could gain their trust and respect early.

Due to his extensive background in business, Legitimesees a need for the school to begin funding more andmore of its own operational costs. “[There is] so much todo and so little money to do it with.” he laments. One ofGerald’s ideas is to use Univers’ spacious auditoriumwhen the school day is over by renting it to communitygroups or transforming it into an evening cinema. Geraldalso wants to work with the graduates of Univers thatwere not able to pursue higher education. He has alreadycalled a meeting of these young minds to brainstorm

ideas on how they can use the quality educationthey received from Univers to become entre-

preneurs or school employees themselves.Legitime also has immense visions beyond

the current scope of his role at Univers. Hewants to bring coffee and chocolate cultivation

to Northeast Haiti and maybe even build a resortaround beautiful Lake Gabriel (20 minutes outside of

Ouanaminthe). But these visions will not distract himfrom the task at hand. When asked how long he plannedon remaining a Univers employee Gerald expressed hiscommitment to COCINA ministries by responding:“They can count on me. I will be here for a long time.”

“They can count on me. I will be here for

a long time.”

Vo-Ed electrician and auto mechanics classes (see story on page 8).

Vo-Ed Sewing mechanics student,Fritzco Harrison.

Sewing instructor Arold Jules beginsstudents on simple projects.


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Hope in Haiti: A Mission inCentral Pennsylvania By: Jillian Forbes, V.P. of Communications

It had been years since Brian Torbeck, a member of St.Peter Lutheran in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, had wan-dered over the Massacre River border into Ouanaminthe,Haiti. Brian was serving in the Peace Corps in theDominican Republic when he was encouraged by a fellowPeace Corps volunteer, to travel into Haiti and meet a fewlocal men who recently began a little preschool, but hadbig dreams of improving their country. If this story soundsfamiliar, it’s because the local men were the founders ofInstitution Univers!

After returning to Pennsylvania, Brian shared the tale ofthese Haitian visionaries with his congregation. The mem-bers of St. Peter were enthused by the proposition of visiting this school and cultivating a relationship with acommunity in need. With some nudging from the HolySpirit, a brave group of short-term missionaries sojournedto the border town Brian shared with them. After a coupleyears St. Peter still continued to send financial support toCOCINA, and a few people who had been touched bytheir mission experience continued to keep in touch withthe happenings at Univers despite the fact congregatesceased summer travels to Haiti.

Years later, in 2005, two members of St. Peter, feeling anurge to serve, and a yearning to rekindle their congrega-tions relationship in Haiti, set out on an adventure thatwould change not only change their lives, but the lives ofhundreds of Central Pennsylvanians.

Sarah Person (far left) with parents Pastor Jim and Marian Person (center), andUnivers students Louvlie Casseus and Henry Claude Zephir during their 2010 Englishimmersion trip.

Michaela Roland holds a Christmas card she and Laura Hill (not pictured) designed tosend to Univers. The shoebox is filled with handmade paper clip angels, a Christmastrinket for each of Univers students.

The travelers were loaded down with supplies theyheard the school needed, not knowing what their jobswould be or what adventures awaited them. Upon arrivalthey were given their assignment: teach summer camp. Totheir delight the children were sweet and welcoming, butto their horror, they had nothing planned for the excitedmasses!

Luckily a seasoned summer camp team from Florida,prepared to teach summer camp, took the novices underthere wing and they pulled together a week’s worth ofcrafts and entertainment. That week, 15 missionaries con-ducted summer camp for 250 students, with very littlesupplies!

As those who have traveled to Ouanaminthe and havehad the privilege to serve at Univers know, the experienceis impossible to keep to yourself! Upon returning to theU.S., the Pennsylvania travelers spoke with the local synodyouth director who encouraged them to share their faithjourney in Haiti with others. Faster than the blink of aneye, these two were asked to speak at events, conferencesand churches.

The coming year of 2013 marks the eighth year sincethis convoy of two ventured into the unknown andbrought back a story of hope within Haiti. Sharing the taleof “a little preschool that could” created a flood of enthusi-asm among the central Pennsylvanians who heard it andHope in Haiti was born. HiH’s original goals were simple:provide support for COCINA ministries. By creating anew volunteer organization, HiH leaders felt they couldstrengthen the communication between COCINA and theapproximately 300 churches within the LowerSusquehanna Synod, giving others in their area an outletfor giving to a worthy cause.

Since 2005 the list of HiH members continues to multi-ply each year. Some members make direct contributions to

(cont’d. on page 8)


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Hope in Haiti (cont’d. from page 7)

COCINA, while others donate to special to HiH projectsincluding: • Univers summer camp mission trips• A scholarship fund for a Univers graduates (Marie-Claire Charles is the current recipient)

• The annual immersion program where selectedUnivers students travel to the United States for amonth of American culture and English instruction.

• The fledgling mental health program at UMC underDr. Jim Druckenbrod and Donna Roland.

Hope in Haiti also believes that the story of COCINAshould be shared year-round. Monthly, HiH membersspeak at conferences, civic clubs meetings, churches andschools. Fundraising events have ranged from high schoolbadminton tournaments to profit-sharing events at localrestaurants. Through many conversations and visionarymeetings HiH decided they wanted to be more then just agroup who serves at summer camp once a year, they want-ed to remain a group of friends, connected through theirexperiences, cheering on a cause they believed in.

It’s HiH’s goal to also cultivate a year-round relation-ships with Univers students, faculty and graduates. HiHcontacts Univers grads studying in the U.S. quarterly bysending care packages or cards. At the annual Christmasparty HiH members create holiday gifts for Univers students and sign cards for Univers employees. Theybelieve the old adage of “People don’t care what you know until they know you care” rings true throughout allCOCINA projects.

Over the years HiH has even turned into a sort of fanclub for Haiti. At social and fundraising events, konmpa (apopular Haitian music genre) reverberates while bookswith Haitian subject matter and Haitian recipes are fluidlyborrowed and returned among interested parties. TheHiH Facebook page buzzes with upcoming eventannouncements, memories from past trips and news articles about the changing Caribbean nation.

Hundreds of Pennsylvanians and over 50 churches havecontributed toward HiH efforts. Whether packing adonated school bus with supplies, contributing monthly tothe Higher Education Scholarship Fund or raising moneyfor 350 French picture books for the Kindergarten library,COCINA’s story is one people can believe in and want tobe a part of.

If you are interested in learning more visit Hope in Haitivisit www.hopeinhaiti.us or find us on Facebook.

What’s Happening in the Vo-Ed Building?

By: Pam Mann

The newest building on IU property is alreadybustling with activity. The building, designed byOhio architect and regular IU volunteer, BobBruce, boasts multiple names: UTEC, the Vo-Edbuilding, the technical school. Whatever you callit, it’s a happening place.

On the ground floor, mechanic students aretraining under Terrier Rouge instructor, JosephMarcece. This is their first of three years inlearning auto mechanics. In the photo (on page6) for an exam, each student was required to dis-assemble and then reassemble a truck motor.This initial class boasts twelve students with upto twenty-five students being accepted for the2012-2013 class.

On the second floor, a one-time four-monthelectrical training program sponsored by Aide etAction is being led by a local electrician/teacher.Univers Technical School has provided the spacefor this short-term intensive training.

In another section of the second floor, a begin-ning class of five sewing students and threesewing mechanic students works at industrialsewing machines. The instructor for bothdomains, Jules Arnold, organized some of thestudents to sew forty dresses and twenty-twomen’s ties for thirteenth-grade grads in the recentIU graduation. Students first sew small projectsto master zippers and buttonholes, and thenmove on to full-size clothing.

Finally, on the second floor, 2012 IU gradswork together in a fledging t-shirt businesswhich printed the 2012 camp t-shirts and willprint the uniform t-shirts for the school year, anorder for about 2,000. Enterprising business peo-ple from FL, friends of Univers, have providedthe expert support for that endeavor.

All the activities have their ups and downs but it is the undercurrent of can-do that inspiresparticipants and visitors alike.

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C.O.C.I.N.A. Board-Approved Budget for Support of Essential Operating Expenses ofInstitution Univers, Univers Medical Center, and UTEC Vo-Ed Program

(Fiscal Year September 1, 2012 through August 31, 2013)

By: Eric Spires, V.P. of Finance

These items are essential to be funded, to assure the effective and efficient operation of ongoing programs. Amt U.S. $

School lunch program for all 2200 students (students pay 25% of actual lunch costs) 80,000

School operations and security 37,920

Administrator salaries (4 administrators in Ouanaminthe) 91,000

All-Student Tuition Support, so that tuition paid by students is affordable (student tuition and feespay only one-third of staff salaries and other school operating costs) 170,625

Purchase new and replacement textbooks for secondary grades 20,000

Purchase new textbooks for primary grades (new textbook allocation program) 2,000

Select Student Scholarships – to pay some or all of the tuition for poorest students and students fromfamilies that have multiple students enrolled 15,000

Purchase student academic records computer software (to replace manually written records process) 3,000

Ship one container of equipment and supplies to Ouanaminthe, and pay customs duty on contents 12,000

COCINA’S U.S.-based fundraising and communications 36,000

U.S. bank fees 600

Subsidy to support the salaries of the 35 Haitian staff members of Univers Medical Center plusother UMC operating expenses. Patient fees provide 60% of clinic’s operating costs.COCINA’s subsidy provides the other 40%. 150,000

Newly hired UMC “Medical Director” salary for 12 months. This Medical Director will be the topmedical and operating administrator of Univers Medical Center. The recruiting process is 66,000active during 2012.

Purchase of UMC medical, dental, optical clinic equipment 10,000

Operating subsidy for Univers Technique et Commercial Vocation Education Programs 51,000

TOTAL FOR FISCAL YEAR $745,145

Please make all checks payable to COCINA. If you want your contribution directed to a par-ticular project, note the project on your checkmemo line. Mail checks to:COCINAP.O. Box 12695Columbus, OH 43212

Board InformationFor information about Board meetings, membership and transactions, contact:Tony Ianetta | [email protected]

Financial Donations & Board InformationFor information about COCINA finances, contact:Eric Spires | V.P. of [email protected] Vickie Andres | [email protected]

For information about communications, contact:Jillian Forbes | V.P. of [email protected] information or support of fundraising activities, contact:Bill Gibeaut | COCINA V.P. of [email protected]

For roster of Board members:Visit COCINA website: www.haiticocina.org

HaitiNetwork Information:Jillian Forbes | [email protected] Kingsley | In House [email protected]


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Univers Medical Centre By: Michele Benson

The Univers Medical Centre has had some exciting newdevelopments this year! One development is the additionof a Malnutrition program using Medika Mamba—orpeanut butter medicine. UMC purchased the medikamamba and recieved training from Meds and Food forKids (MFK) from Cap Haitian, Haiti.

Medika Mamba (MM) is a high-calorie, high-proteinfood that contains mostly peanuts with sugar, oil, vitaminsand minerals. A large portion of the peanuts are boughtfrom local Haitian farmers. MFK is working with the farm-ers to help them grow peanuts without fungus and toxins.MFK is introducing tools and machinery to the farmers tomake their jobs easier and to increase their harvests.

I traveled with two of our UMC nurses and Robenson,the clinic administrator, to Cap Haitian to be trained onhow to administer the program to children with malnutri-tion. Admission to the program is based on length andweight of the child. Once admitted to the program, themothers get specific instructions on how to administer theMM to the child. The mothers are also told that the childin the program is the only child who is to eat the MM.There is usually only one malnourished child in a family.When a new baby comes along the child who is replacedas the youngest child and no longer gets the breast milk, itinstead, goes to the new baby. The older child then doesnot get enough calories or nutrients and becomes mal-nourished. If there are older children in the family theytend to be able to get the food that they need and do notbecome malnourished.

Once in the program the mother needs to bring thechild in weekly to be weighed. If the child does not gainweight each week that either means that he or she isn’t get-ting the MM or there is another serious problem with thechild like TB or HIV. If we figure out that the other chil-dren in the family are eating the MM the malnourishedchild cannot stay in the program.

The week we started our program we had three mothersand babies come to the clinic. We measured the childrenand they all fell into the malnutrition category. The program was explained to the mothers and they were toldthat if they did not adhere to the rules that they would notbe allowed to continue in the program.

We gave them each the correct number of packetsaccording to the guidelines and sent them home tellingthem to return the next week with the child. Sadly, onlyone mother and child returned.

We have a medicine that will help these children thrivebut because of lack of education and resources the moth-ers just don’t understand! We will continue to educate ourpatients and pray for guidance as we strive to provideexcellent care to the community. (The malnutrition pro-gram is free for participants thanks to generous donors.)

The second development at the clinic is the use of the X-ray machine that has been sitting at the clinic for severalyears. Thanks to a couple of teams that came down twicethis year the X-ray machine is now operational! What anexciting day when the first picture was taken!

The teams trained some of the clinic staff on how to setup the X-rays and to take a picture! It didn’t take long forthe word to get out that UMC is taking X-rays. Even beforethe staff was finished training someone came from anoth-er clinic in town to have an X-ray taken.

Without an X-ray machine in Ouanaminthe patientshave to cross the border to the Dominican Republic ortravel all the way to Cap Haitian. What a great serviceUMC is providing for the people of Ouanaminthe and thesurrounding communities!

The other big development at UMC this year has beenthe addition of a Medical Director. Dr. Francour was hiredin May of this year. He is working with each department to bring everyone at the clinic together as a team. Dr. Francour is well liked by the staff and members of thecommunity.

Michele Benson (far left) consults with visiting nurses about accepting three-year oldRobert into UMC’s new maltruition program.

About C.O.C.I.N.A.And the Programs it Supports in Northeast Haiti

By: Bill Gibeaut

Hugues Bastien, born in Haiti, came to New York Cityin 1976 to join his family and to be educated up throughcollege. While in the United States, Hugues kept close tieswith his impoverished native area of northeast Haiti. As achurch youth leader in a Brooklyn church, Hugues pro-moted missions activities, and then received a strongnudge from God to serve as a mis-sionary. Hugues later discerned thathe was to return to his hometown ofOuanaminthe, Haiti to start a privateChristian school.

With the help of friends, Huguesfounded Coalition of Children inNeed Association (COCINA) in 1990as a U.S.-based 501 (c) (3) charitableorganization to support educationaland spiritual needs of children inOuanaminthe—a community of100,000 people in northeast Haiti.Hugues moved back to his home-town and led a team to establish Institution Univers (i.e.school of the world), in 1994, to provide a program forchildren that would be much better than is available inlocal public schools. The school was started with 84kindergarten students and three teachers. Each year agrade level was added, and school facilities were con-structed to keep up with the additions of students andgrade levels. All class levels have a daily Bible period. Theentire school had 2200 students in the spring of 2012,with about 150 of them being “earthquake refugees” whohad moved from Port-au-Prince to Ouanaminthe in 2010after the January 12th earthquake. The school is on theFrench system, having 13 grades. June 2009 was the firsthigh school graduation, with 15 thirteenth graders grad-uating. The June 2010 thirteenth grade had 43 graduates.The June 2011 graduating class had 34 thirteenth graders,with 17 of them originating from Port-au-Prince. TheJune 2012 graduation class had 98 thirteenth graders. Theschool employs 140 full-time and part-time local people.In 2009, Institution Univers was named “one of the topten schools in the nation” by the Haiti Ministry ofEducation.

Healthcare is also a critical community need inOuanaminthe. In 2001-04, Hugues Bastien collaboratedwith the Board of Directors of COCINA and an architec-tural designer to obtain funding and a design for a three-story medical clinic. Univers Centre Medical was built in2005-06. This clinic was designed to provide variousmedical, surgical, dental and eye-care services to all peo-ple in the Ouanaminthe area. The building includesrooms for pharmacy, medical examination and treatment,

laboratory tests, x-rays, dental services and eye services,plus a surgery center, emergency/recovery room withbeds and birthing area. The Univers Centre Medicalbegan meeting medical needs soon after its constructionwas completed in 2006. Mission teams came from the U.S.for several weeks per year to perform services in the clin-ic. In 2008, COCINA obtained funding to hire a Haitianstaff of 24 professional and support personal. The staffnow has 40 Haitians that include three primary-carephysicians, a medical director a dentist, pharmacist,optometrist, lab technicians, nurses, physician and nurse

“residents in training” and essentialsupport personnel. In the fall of 2010,the demands for the clinic’s serviceswere so great that the clinic switchedfrom being open 45 hours per weekto being open 24 hours per day and 7days per week. UMC annually pro-vides 15,000 physician-patient con-sultations, 14,000 pharmacy pre-scriptions filled in the clinic pharma-cy, 10,000 laboratory tests, 2,100 hos-pitalization patient stays, 1,100 dentalclinic visits and 250 surgeries (per-formed by U.S. mission teams).

The COCINA Board of Directors has 25 membersfrom across the United States and Haiti.

The vocational education program of Univers is calledUnivers Technique et Commercial. In 2011-12, COCINAis supporting Director Hugues Bastien in the expansion ofvocational education from what has been just classroom-based courses (e.g. computer operations, businessaccounting, English) to comprehensive laboratory cours-es in commercial/industrial sewing, repair of sewingequipment and auto/vehicle mechanics. The building forthese three new hands-on vo-ed programs was completedin May 2011 at a cost of $250,000. Funding was providedfrom three foundations to build the new building forthese three new programs, purchase the startup equip-ment/supplies and to support several instructor salarieswhen classes started early in 2012.

In 2010, COCINA added “economic development” toits mission statement, knowing how critical it is to pro-vide jobs and job training for Haitians in order to build upthe economy. COCINA has received about 75% of theneeded money to jump-start a chicken-egg farm outsideOuanaminthe and carry it through the first 18 months ofoperation—when it is expected to become self-sustainingfrom the sale of eggs and chickens. Farm buildings andneeded equipment are mostly in place. The farm pur-chased 5,000 ready-to-lay pullet chickens in June of 2012,and has a farm manager and workers to carry out this newagricultural development project. Some of the profit willstart being donated to the school and clinic after a coupleyears of operational and financial success.

Documents

COCINA 2012 Newsletter