As Regine Orange examined her new neighborhood in Haiti, she saw children walking around with nowhere to play. There were no sports leagues, no playgrounds, and no supervision.
But Regine took a step to bring change.
One Sunday afternoon, Regine invited eight children into her backyard and led them in games and songs. Seeing the children laugh, play, and learn made Regine realize her potential to be a positive influence on young people in Haiti. But she wanted to do more.
In efforts to develop her outreach, Regine met with Larry Luth, a missionary with Christian Reformed World Missions in Haiti.
It’s Larry’s mission to enable young people like Regine to become agents of change in their community.
“The role of youth as agents of change takes on greater significance in places where violence and poverty rob young people of the opportunity to be kids,” said Larry. “In places where there’s violence, kids can’t just play on the streets.”
To develop her leadership skills, Regine made the commitment to join a three-year leadership training program with Larry. Through that program, she discovered new ways to reach out to young people in her community using a biblical worldview.
“It’s amazing to see transformation take place over the course of the program,” said Luth. “Changed hearts learning to love more deeply and changed minds finding new ways of expressing Christ’s love. It is the beginning of community transformation.”
During the summer of 2014, Regine was one of three people to begin leading after-school clubs in Haiti. At the clubs, Regine works to empower about 30 students to find creative solutions to problems in their own communities.
Although her parents moved to the United States several years ago, Regine’s passion for leadership development in Haiti kept her in her home country. “She sees herself as a missionary in Haiti,” said Luth.
About the Author
Brian Clark, ReFrame Ministries
