Stories of Change


Ronalson with his new sheep (behind him is the newly-reconstructed Public School of Cassavon).

A wooly new chapter for a community in Haiti

CWS has partnered with the community of Cassavon in Haiti for years. It was among the parts of the country that Hurricane Matthew hit hard in 2016, and our team helped the community rebuild their public school

The newest chapter of this partnership involves sheep! With support from Latter-day Saint Charities, our team provided sheep to many of the students and their families. Raising livestock is an important source of income and stability, but the hurricane killed many families’ animals. This program is the latest step towards normalcy for these children.

We talked to several students about their new companions, and here’s what they had to say:

Ronalson Jean-Baptiste: “I am 17 years old and I am in 6th grade. I live in Sitadèl. I have seven brothers and six sisters. My father is a fisherman and carpenter, and he also has animals. Hurricane Matthew killed many animals in our community, which reduced our hope. I am really happy that this animal breeding program came to the school of Cassavon. I received two sheep, and my father participated in a training session…My father and I built a shelter for the animals, and we feed them well. I feel very happy when I look at my two sheep. I will keep my promise and return the first newborn lambs to the committee managing the program so that they can pass them on to other children. Many thanks to all those who contributed to make this program possible.”

Anounce Jean Christin: “I am very happy with these sheep that I received.”

Semerzie Djoulie: “When I look at the two beautiful sheep I received, I feel joy.”

Gilles Tacise: “Thank you very much to all those who contributed so that I could receive these sheep.”