Mission
Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, and by his model of compassionate servanthood, Starfysh exists to demonstrate Christian love and compassion through alleviating physical suffering and addressing social injustice on the island of La Gonave, Haiti. Starfysh’s mission is to bring sustainable transformation to an island.  With God’s help, we will work alongside the people of La Gonave to bring the vicious cycle of their desperate poverty to a screeching halt.

The Benchmark: Sustainability
Bold and gutsy claims must be backed by bold and gutsy plans. We must be smart, inventive, innovate. It is a new day. We cannot afford to revisit failed methodologies (i.e. those that have yielded short-lived, unsustainable outcomes.) Sustainability must be the benchmark by which success in our mission (true transformation) is measured. Sustainability must, therefore, be the measure by which all of our methods (policies, projects, budgets, etc.) are assessed. We will make honest, even painful decisions to let go of things that don’t yield permanent outcomes. We must pour our energies into outcomes that will outlive Starfysh, surviving and thriving on their own.

Vision
Our vision is to reverse the vicious cycle of poverty on the island of La Gonave, Haiti. We’ll know our vision has been realized when drinking water is clean, food is abundant, and people are able to provide for themselves, thus building dignity and hope for every person, every family, and every village on the island.

Core Values
Driven and guided by the following core values, Starfysh is resolutely committed to implementing long-term, sustainable, and assets-based initiatives to communities on La Gonave. These values frame all of our planning and are central considerations to each project we implement.

• Collaboration:  We celebrate the fact that we are but one of many in a world of compassionate people and organizations working to relieve suffering and improve life for the desperately poor. We value the importance of partnerships in our efforts to bring about significant, sustainable change, and welcome the expertise and skills that others can bring to the table.
• Empowerment:  In all we do, we desire that the recipients of our compassion would be encouraged, equipped, strengthened toward greater levels of self-sufficiency.
• Dignity:  We recognize that the dignity of individuals and communities can be diminished by indiscriminate and careless charity. In all we do, we demand of ourselves that we build up the worth of those we serve.
• Holistic Focus:  We choose to pour all our energies into one place, the island of La Gonave, Haiti, and to address as many of the root causes of her poverty that we can. We are convinced that nothing short of such a focused and holistic approach can reverse the cycle of poverty in any one place.
• Sustainability:  We regard our efforts as successful only to the point that we can see and measure progressively higher levels of independence.
  
• Measurability:  We regard seriously our work and so will not let the outcomes of our efforts to go unmeasured. The stakes are too high. Measurements of project impact and effectiveness will be essential learning tools that will sharpen and refine us as we move forward toward our vision.
  

Guiding Principles
It is possible for development agencies and charities to have harmful consequences in the wake of their well-meant efforts. Indeed, charity efforts in Haiti have demonstrated abundant examples of this truth. Starfysh is always mindful of the harmful consequences that might arise out of the way we conduct ourselves in Haiti and strive hard to avoid the easy fixes and shortcuts that so often characterize the standard operating procedures of relief efforts.

In Starfysh’s determination to “do no harm,” we abide by the following principles…

• Buy Local:  When possible we will support the local economy through procuring the supplies needed for our projects in Haiti, preferably right here on La Gonave, even at times when the cost of supplies locally is more expensive than if purchased and shipped in from elsewhere.
• No Bribes:  We reject the practice of paying money for illegal favors.
• Assets-Based (i.e. not needs-based) Approach:  Our approach in finding strategic solutions in a community gives priority to that village’s assets and strengths over its problems and needs.
• Non-Political:  We do not take positions on Haitian politics nor do we attempt to influence political discourse.
• Christ-Centered Ethos:  In all we do (in governance and strategic planning, in how we relate to people, and in our work on the ground in Haiti), our desire is that the love of God, in Jesus, will shine brightly for all to see and that people will be drawn toward a personal relationship with Him.