Orphanage Project

The earthquake took their building, which Etienne replaced with a group of donated tents so the children can stay together. If you travel to dozens of orphanages, as I have, you will notice right away that there is something quite different in the eyes of these children, ranging from 2 to 16. They have hope and a kindness that is not easily described, as it can only be explained by seeing it yourself.

Why hope when you have nothing? Why extend so much kindness when the world has been so cruel? The only explanation I can find is Etienne, who founded this orphanage. He is a father that these children either never had or perhaps had and lost. He always has a smile on his face and it is the genuine article – kids know a fake smile when they see one (especially Haitian kids).

Every time you turn around you see another need and many times that need is life or death. At one point, you have to decide what you can change and what you can’t. I have said before that education is the key to Haiti and too often the kids who most deserve it and the ones who will make the most of it, never get the chance.

We are going to change that. We are still pushing to collect laptops. Without computers, the educational impact we have is too limited and computer skills are a good basis for job opportunities, but also provide unlimited learning potential.

Alongside that worthwhile goal, we must secure the orphanage property. A beautiful, large piece of land has been donated to Etienne and we need to get these kids out of their current facility. The rain flows into the tents and until recently the bathroom situation was very bad. We had a two teams build a latrine at the orphanage.

We are working on grants and talking to larger organizations in an effort to help with the building of a new facility. First we will need to get a wall up around the property. I am asking for donations of any size to get started. Our funding has diminished over the past several months as media interest in Haiti has waned. The need is intense here, but most of the groups so active after the earthquake have left and we are struggling to save these kids.