Since he was 12 years old, Pastor Kelvin has lived in Jalong Batey, a poor shanty town for sugar cane workers that was built around a sugar cane plantation. In Jalong, living conditions are rough, with many houses made from metal sheets, unpaved roads, a lack of drinking water, and unreliable electrical service. 

After his family moved to Jalong, Kelvin was drawn to the church. He felt the call of God "burning" within and accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and savior. Inspired by the parable of the Good Samaritan, Kelvin began to serve his neighbors in need. As a teenager, he joined a group of youth who took charge of prevention and education against HIV and tuberculosis in their community. 

In 2003, Kelvin and others became concerned about the educational needs around them. In Jalong, 95% of the adults were illiterate, very few went to secondary school, and many people in Kelvin's church could not read the Bible. Kelvin and his friends began teaching adults in their community how to read and write. Eventually, they launched an elementary school, a secondary school called Good Samaritan High School, and an adult education program. Good Samaritan went on to become one of the most respected and well-known high schools in the region and even in the country, winning multiple awards. 

A few years ago, Kelvin left his job directing the educational institution and was installed as Pastor of the El Renacer Church in the province of Hato Mayor. It was in this role that he first began to collaborate with Mission Hope Dominica (MHD) on community projects.

According to Pastor Kelvin, MHD and his church worked together to help community members graduate from technical courses, establish small gardens, improve their health, and learn how to serve their communities better. "We have made a very successful alliance with Mission Hope Dominica," he said. "We can say that the work we have been able to do together has been led by God." 

In 2021, Pastor Kelvin partnered with MHD to help distribute Sunday school materials to churches in more than 15 communities. He has helped bring meals to homes affected by natural disasters. His churches have developed alliances to support MHD's efforts to provide Bible training and vocational training to children and youth. Additionally, he has supported MHD's Infotep Program, which provides technical training to young people and single mothers to help them generate income or start their own businesses. 

We could not be more grateful to partner with local leaders like Pastor Kelvin. 

Help us continue to equip more indigenous leaders like Pastor Kelvin to be agents of positive change in their communities by joining Compass, our community of monthly givers dedicated to helping us bring holistic, life-changing impact to families in remote villages across the globe.