Silentor Esthil-Henderson, ISU alumnus, first came to the United States from Haiti at 9 years old. Handicapped and malnourished, Tommy Henderson adopted Silentor in order to save his life.

“Silentor came to my clinic in LaCroix, Haiti as a frightened, malnourished, handicapped child with a warm and friendly smile and eyes that … spoke volumes about past suffering,” Henderson said.

Silentor had never been to school before he came to the United States. Though he started out in public school, being older than the other students and not knowing English made it difficult to keep up.

“Local Catholic schools stepped in and allowed me to put him in private school for $10 a semester,” Henderson said.

Silentor’s biological parents had given him up for adoption in order to give him better healthcare and more opportunity. Determined to help Silentor understand this, Henderson frequently stressed his son’s roots to him throughout his childhood.

“He always told me, ‘I took you out of Haiti, I never meant to take Haiti out of you,'” Silentor said.

Henderson was eventually able to get Silentor the healthcare the sickly child needed.  

“After overcoming illness, I went to high school and then to ISU,” Silentor said. “While I was at ISU, I wanted to become a teacher.”

After graduating in 2010, Silentor made plans to return to Haiti.

“Not a lot of people wanted to share the knowledge they learn in America back in their home country,” Silentor said. “I wanted to help people, especially my family.”  

He decided to do the opposite and provide other children from Haiti with the opportunity that had not been available to him as a child.

“I was shocked but secretly elated when he called me to tell me he felt he needed to return to his family,” Henderson said. 

As a stepping stone, he applied for a teaching job in Florida in 2011.

“I got accepted into ‘Teach for America,’ which sends people all over the U.S.  I put Miami as one of my requests,” Silentor said.

Silentor soon after quit his job in Miami and moved back to Haiti to start an after-school program where he got involved with the school and the community.

“Many people asked me, ‘why don’t you build a school?'” Silentor said.

That idea soon became reality when his after-school program evolved into a full school in 2012.

The Starfish School, which teaches children ages 3 to 10, has been in operation for three years now and currently provides an education for 288 kids.

Mission Starfish Haiti aims to “create sustainable schools that have quality educators that will be able to move the kids to a better way of life through empowerment,” Silentor said.

Each year, one grade is added to the school to accommodate for the oldest kids requiring more schooling. This year, fifth grade was added.

The Christian-based school teaches the gospel to its members and has 24 employees paid every month.

Silentor eventually hopes to build a separate high school and a small vocational school to make it possible for students to go to school while learning trade skills, allowing them to work once they graduate.

“He is a fantastic son and a great blessing to me,” Henderson said.

In addition to the school, Silentor also contributes to a women’s empowerment program that teaches women to sew over the course of 10 months, allowing them to find jobs.

Though the Starfish School experiences record enrollment numbers each year, running a school in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere is no easy task.

According to the CIA website, Haiti has experienced political unrest for most of its history, and 43 percent of Haitians are unable to read or write.

“It’s very difficult to get state cooperation,” Silentor said. “The school is a private school, but we need to go into it with the support of the Haitian government. With the structure they have, it’s very difficult.”

Making sure to raise enough money every year with minimal government aid is a constant adversity for the starfish school.

Silentor hopes to pair with different organizations to raise money for his cause.  

“Within the next two to three years, if i can find partnerships, that would be good,” Silentor said.

Mission Starfish Haiti is currently partnered with Overflow Thrift Store on Duff Avenue.  The community is encouraged to donate old electronics, which will be sent to help Haiti schools.

Mission trips have also sent American students to help with Mission Starfish Haiti. Peyton Dugger, a high school senior from Nevada, Iowa, got involved through her church during her freshman year.

“We ran a vacation bible school down there,” Dugger said. “I went back the next summer of 2012 to help. He’s just a great guy and host, so it’s easy to want to be involved.”

Despite the everyday challenges that Haiti poses and the constant need for support, seeing Haitian children with a teacher in front of them and one guaranteed meal every day makes it worth it for Silentor.

“It’s so rewarding to see that service being provided. Any kid should have the opportunity to get educated,” Silentor said.