Voice of Jean Rabel

Jean Rabel is a small area in the North West section of Haiti about 150 miles north of Port-au-Prince. Because it is somewhat far from the capital and Cap-Haitian, not as many travelers and missionaries pass through. However, Jean Rabel is in great need: there are orphans with no orphanage, and sick without any care. At VOJR, we want to expand network of Jean Rabel by guiding givers' contributions toward educating more of the town's children, thus building Haiti's future.

The co-founders of VOJR, Garry Guillaume and Rio Tasia Smith, met on the mission field in 2010. From the Port-au-Prince, Haiti area, Guillaume writes and recordes his own music, as well as translates for various mission groups coming abroad. Smith, from New York City, began working in Haiti December 2008, including founding a summer dance program under Restavek Freedom Foundation, co-directing a children's summer camp mission team, and volunteering for various other missions. After they met in 2010, they joined with Selvandier "Guy" Jean-Jacques and Lasser International, Inc. to begin planting the seeds of their shared vision toward building a better Jean Rabel!

Lasser International, Inc. was founded in 2003 by Rev. Rochenel Jean Jacques, and embodies a primary school of at least 150 children and 5 teachers located in Jean Rabel. Classes are now held in the Praise Tabernacle Ministry one-roomed church or at volunteers' homes. Rochenel's next goal, God willing, is to build a school for 2,000+ children.