Campus in Les Cayes

Campus in Les Cayes
Community Complex for Child Protection

In 2020, Overture International transformed the ESPWA campus from a traditional orphanage model into a vibrant community center, dedicated to empowering families, strengthening communities and boosting the local economy in southern Haiti. Year after year, this campus of hope continue to drive meaningful change and create lasting impact for generations to come.

Click Here to read booklet's one and two of our Orphanages are NOT the Answer series to learn more about the transformation of Pwoje Espwa Sud (ESPWA).

The campus also continues to mature and evolve. At Overture, we recognize that true transformation not only requires collaboration, leadership and community, but also the ability to pivot and adapt as needed. Beginning in 2025, and in partnership with IBESR (Haiti's Child Welfare Agency) and BPM (the Judicial Arm for the Protection of Minors), our campus of hope will undergo yet another transformation into the first Community Complex for Child Protection in Southern Haiti.

While the campus will remain a vital place for programs of education, nutrition and healthcare, additional initiatives for child protection will allow the campus to be fully utilized while empowering both local child welfare agencies and Haitian families to better protect children and preserve the family unit.

Child Protection Initiatives

Initiative 1

Reunification: A Journey Back Home

At the heart of our mission is the urgent need to address the deeply entrenched issue of child institutionalization in Haiti. For too long, children have been relinquished to orphanages due to poverty and systemic neglect, rather than genuine loss. In 2025, we will continue our relentless pursuit of reunifying children with their biological families or placing them in loving foster homes. Each successful reunification is not merely a return to family; it is a beacon of hope for entire communities. Our campus serves as a sanctuary, a place of healing, where children can receive psychosocial support before reintegrating with their families. We envision a future where no child is deprived of family love and care, and we are unwavering in our commitment to make that vision a reality.

Initiative 2

Reintegration: Empowering Street Children

Street children in Haiti face unimaginable hardships, often living on the fringes of society without access to basic needs or opportunities. Our Reintegration program is designed to provide these vulnerable children and their families with the tools necessary to break free from the cycle of poverty. In 2025, we will amplify our efforts by expanding educational support, vocational training, and psychosocial counseling. Our aim is to ensure that each child finds not just a pathway out of poverty, but a sustainable future filled with possibilities. Gone are the days of lost hope; we are committed to lighting the way forward.

Initiative 3

Rejuvenation: Investing in Haiti’s Future

Haiti’s youth are its greatest asset, yet they often find themselves ensnared in cycles of violence and desperation. Our Rejuvenation program is dedicated to empowering young people at risk, particularly those emerging from gang affiliations or facing incarceration. In 2025, we will expand our mentorship programs and provide comprehensive life-skills training that paves the way for positive life choices. We believe that every young person deserves a chance to thrive, and we are prepared to invest in innovative solutions that promote their growth and development. By fostering resilience and self-efficacy, we are not just changing individual lives; we are igniting a movement toward a brighter, more peaceful future for Haiti.

More About the Campus in Les Cayes

The 7-acre campus enables us to bring the Overture Social Support Model and its foundational five pillars of service to life for communities in Les Cayes. A stronger Haiti needs reliable infrastructure equipped to host programs that empower families, communities and the economy. The 24 dome structures on the campus have proven to be a flagship model for future community centers throughout the Sud Department and beyond.

The Diri Lavi! Food Packaging Program is enabling community members to package meal bundles, each of which provides 25 servings - using rice and beans grown by Haitian farmers. Meals are used for Crisis Care and School & Community Feeding Programs.
120 acres of farmland is for our Community Farming Program providing access to farmable land and seeds to grow their own food as well as some surplus food they can sell and/or trade for other goods and services.