Before the Earthquake: Ministry Delivered “Hope” to Haiti

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Jan. 13, 2010—In Port-au-Prince, Bolosse, Haiti, gang life runs amuck, people live in fear, poverty and hunger.  But in the middle of this community stands a Baptist seminary and primary school that serves as a refuge.  This is where OneHope founder, Bob Hoskins, met Ruth Sara Monteau, age 13-the 600 millionth child to receive a personal copy of the Book of Hope.

"By making Scripture available in heart languages and addressing the unique cultural challenges children and youth face in Haiti, we hope to positively transform lives," said Hoskins.

In collaboration with local missionaries and the Haiti Dominican Dialogue Group (a network of 12 denominations, more than 2,000 churches and 3,000 schools), OneHope is working to impact some of the 4.2 million children and youth in Haiti.

Translated in French and Creole, OneHope distributed some 1.4 million copies of the Book of Hope in 2009.  In preparation for the initiative, OneHope conducted discovery quantitative and qualitative research to learn more about the daily lives and behaviors of Haitian youth.

Launched in 2006 and publically released on International Youth Day in August 2009, OneHope is conducting a 60-country research initiative to learn more about the unique needs, experiences and social traditions of youth in various cultures and countries.  This quantitative and qualitative research, Spiritual State of the World's Children, has enabled OneHope to more effectively customize its program and materials-and more strategically position local partners to meet the needs of the youth in their region. 

Offering insights about children's and youth's daily lives and cultural beliefs, the research provides information about children regarding:

• Perceptions about their relationships with families
• Behaviors and morals influencing their relationships with peers of the opposite sex
• Daily pastimes, social influences and future goals
• Worldviews, beliefs and religious affiliations

The Haitian research will be released in the next six months.

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