Working and training
for a bright future.
BAKERY & WATER
TRAINING
SOLAR
SCHOLARSHIPS
As many people are aware, Haiti is currently in the midst of extreme difficulty. The St. Julie Haiti project is located in the south of the country in Les Cayes, so we have some measure of safety from the dangers in the capital, Port au Prince, however, the price of ingredients for our bread, and our ability to maintain our equipment is greatly impacted by national events.
Your financial contributions help us to continue to make bread and to provide safe drinking water. Please contribute here to help now.
Click here for an overview of our work; this video features the leadership of Sr. Katherine (Sissy) Corr, SNDdeN. It was created by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Ohio - and showcases one of our many partnerships.
Click here to learn more about what’s happening in Haiti’s capital, Port au Prince.
This 2 minute video gives a brief overview of the most recent events in which the St. Julie Haiti Project has been operating: including the assassination of the President (July 2021); the earthquake (August 2021); ongoing civil unrest; and enormous economic uncertainty and hyper-inflation.
We continue through it all, with determination, hard work, Haitian spirit - and the support of our partners!
The St. Julie Haiti Project includes five primary areas:
1). Community Led Bakery/Boulangerie Notre Dame
2). Community Led Safe Water Project/DLO Haiti
3). Solar Power to Water Business & for Sale to the Community for Electric Charging Needs
4). Training Institute for our workers and sellers (Computer Skills, Basic Business Math and English).
5). Scholarships are available to our workers and sellers for themselves or a family member.
Community Is The Heart
Community is at the heart of all we do. It was community members who first said they wanted “jobs.”
Training for Workers & Sellers
We created continuing education programs to address the needs of workers in our bakery and water projects, and the sellers who distribute the bread and water. From basic business math, to training on the latest technology, and learning English skills we help workers and sellers learn and enhance their skills for work at the St. Julie Haiti Project and beyond.
Entrepeneurship Partners
Our partners make all the difference. We receive generous financial support from individual donors, as well as from the following:
The Kellogg Foundation
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (East/West, Base Communities and the Ohio Province)
The Dunn Family Foundation
Isabel & Larry Smith Family Foundation
“For me, work means freedom, you feel independent when you are working.”
When I receive my salary, my family is the one who directly benefits from my income. And sometimes I am able to help other people in my neighborhood too.
In my community The St. Julie Project Notre Dame Bakery is the best form of employment. Many families can have jobs as sellers because of the bakery.
In Haiti the biggest challenge for a parent is to provide children what they need. A job allows you to do that. Work means a lot for the Haitian people.
— Peterson Jean Evens
Who Is St. Julie?
St. Julie Billiart was born Marie-Rose Julie in 1751, in the small village of Cuvilly, north of Paris, France. She suffered illness as a child, resulting in the paralysis of her legs. As a child, she heard a call in the whisperings of God within her, and she shared her beliefs and deep love of God by teaching other children in the village. During her early adulthood, many of the women in her area recognized Julie’s spiritual gifts and often sought her insights and inspiration around her bed!
In 1804, she was entrusted with the care of some young orphans girls and asked to find others to help. On February 2, 1804, three women, Julie Billiart, Françoise Blin de Bourdon and Catherine Duchâtel committed themselves to God, and to the care and education of young girls. This was the founding day of the Sisters of Notre Dame. Shortly after the founding of the order, Julie experienced a miracle. After 22 years without the use of her legs, Julie miraculously regained her power to walk on June 1, 1804, after saying special prayers.
Throughout her life, Julie recognized the need for basic human rights of life, liberty and equality of persons. She demonstrates the power and presence of a caring, loving God in her person and in the women who have followed her as Sisters. In spite of her many challenges in life, she took action in confronting the inequalities of her time, through education. On June 22, 1969, the Church recognized her as St. Julie Billiart, Foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
St. Julie saw education for everyone as a basic human right, and teaching as the “greatest work on earth.” She brought the Good News and hope in the goodness of God by establishing schools for children living in poverty.
Julie sent her Sisters to reach out to people “in the most abandoned places,” to give them tools for life, to dismantle unjust systems and to alleviate poverty through education. St. Julie’s charism is expressed through her Sisters and their belief, like Julie, in the goodness of God. The Sisters of her religious Congregation serve today in a variety of justice and peace ministries, with a priority for education, in 16 countries on five continents.
Adapted from “St. Julie Billiart Speaks to the 21st Century” by Sr. Anne Stevenson, SNDdeN.
“Shortly after the founding of the Sisters of Notre Dame, St. Julie experienced a miracle. After 22 years without the use of her legs, St. Julie miraculously regained her power to walk.”
In Haiti
Feel free to contact us with any questions, using the form to the right.
Address
Route Nationale 2,
Pont Salomon, Les Cayes, Haiti
Phone
+509 34 01 4462
In the United States & From Other Countries
Feel free to contact us with any questions using the form to the right.
Our mailing address is:
305 Cable Street
Baltimore, MD 21210