She first visited the impoverished country after the earthquake in 2010 after which she fell in love with it in more ways than one.

Emily married her Haitian husband Jacques a few years later and the couple has a young son named Josiah.

Together they established New Light School in September 2014 in Jacques’ hometown of Montrouis.

The school currently caters for around 70 students who attend on a consistent basis and employs eight teachers.

Emily said all of New Light’s students were living in serious poverty and finding more than one meal a day was a struggle.

"The poverty is so extreme that people were coming to us for all kinds of basic needs like medical costs or education or food and we wanted to do something that was a bit more long term," Emily said.

Jacques said they believed education was a way of fighting against poverty.

The Christian school provides pupils with one meal a day and also has a focus on feeding their students spiritually. A teacher is dedicated to Bible studies and character classes.

Emily said even if they were able to help the children find a way out of poverty, the greatest change the school could have was to help students have an understanding of who God was and a relationship with him.

"We want to teach them about Jesus but in a very authentic way because in churches in Haiti it's very religious so kids just get taught what to do, what not to do, they don't really have much of a relationship with God," she said.

Emily and Jacques are seeking to raise $13,500 to help welcome more students. The money will pay for projects including more classrooms and other school resources.

A high tea fundraiser for New Light School will be held this Saturday, June 24 from 1.30-3.30pm at Lithgow Christian Life Centre. All of the money raised will go towards the school in Haiti.

There will also be a pre-loved clothing market on the day which is seeking donations of quality clothes. 

Tickets and details: Emily Seliscar on 0490 039 729 or newlightschool.haiti@gmail.com.