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"And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." Acts 4:31
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HOME
History of IAM
CURRENT PROJECTS Starfish Project
Rebuilding Haiti
Kenscoff Hospital
Churches
Keep track of our fundraising efforts here! 2010-2011 School Year
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The Miracle of Starfish
It's hard to describe what Starfish is. The easy answer is that it's a school lunch program in a very poor mountainous region of Haiti called Monthiere. But the truth is it's so much more than that. The truth is, it's a miracle.
Through IAM, a group went to Monthiere on a medical mission trip in January, 2007. We went with servant hearts and hopes of making a difference, but I don't think any of us were prepared for the malnourishment we would see. There were children, six and seven years old, who looked like toddlers. A ten-month old infant was brought in who didn't have the strength to lift her arms. Extended abdomens and red-tinted hair were the norm. These children were very, very sick.
We spoke with the leader of Spirit of Truth Ministries, Jean Alix Paul. He told us most of these children were lucky to eat once a day. Their diet consisted of corn husks, coffee, and rice. The ministry was hoping to start a lunch program for the students at the elementary school there, but didn't have the funds. He told us the cost which seemed tough, but doable.
When we came back to the United States, Dr. Clif Sheets sent an e-mail about a new program to raise money for this lunch. He called the program Starfish. Some collected their quarters, some sponsored a student or two for the year, others sent in monthly checks to IAM. We held a fundraiser to help, and by the end of October, we'd raised enough for the first year of the program.
Many of us from that original group went back to Monthiere a year later in January, 2008. The principal told us that before the lunch program, students fainted when they stood, they found it hard to concentrate, they missed school because they were too weak to walk the hour or two to get there. But with this lunch, students don't miss school, their grades are up, and they actually have the energy to play at recess. The doctors we went with examined the students. They told us that nearly all of them were significantly malnourished before receiving the lunches. With the lunch program in place, only two students showed those same signs of severe malnourishment.
That's the miracle of Starfish.
Click here to read Dr. Clif Sheets' e-mail that started the Starfish Program.
Click here to read Dr. Clif Sheets' follow-up letter one year later.
Click here to watch videos of the Starfish program in action. |
Starfish Basics
What is Starfish? Starfish is a school lunch program in a very poor mountainous region of Haiti called Monthiere.
Who gets this lunch? The 250 students at the Spirit of Truth Elementary School in Monthiere receive lunch each day. The school includes Pre-K through 6th grades.
What do they get for lunch? Lunch is different each day, but always consists of some sort of protein and carbohydrate as well as juice.
Why do they need this lunch? Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The typical child in this area of Haiti eats only once a day. Their diet consists of corn husks, coffee, and rice. Malnourishment is one of the top causes of childhood death in Haiti. |
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How much does this lunch cost? The cost of a lunch is 50 cents. A student can eat for the entire school year for only $110.00. The cost for the entire school is $23,000.00 each year.
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