Before last March the word Haiti wouldn’t have brought much to my mind. In fact, I barely knew that it existed. Now, when I think of Haiti, many things come to mind. I think of all the beautiful kids that I met at the BRESMA orphanages, the devoted nannies who took care of the kids, the bumpy roads, the piles of garbage everywhere, the book “Mountains Beyond Mountains” about Paul Farmer and what he has done in Haiti and much, much more. Some say ignorance is bliss; maybe for us that is so, but not for the people we could have helped had we been informed.
Haiti is the poorest country on our side of the world; 80 percent of the people in Haiti live below the World Bank’s definition of poverty. Most Haitians are living on a dollar or less a day.
Haiti has excellent soil for growing food, but there are limited resources. Nearly all the food is coming in from other countries. Lately, because of the economic situation, food prices have risen drastically. The majority of the Haitian people can no longer afford it. So they make mud cookies from dirt, salt and vegetable oil. That and a glass of water will fill you up enough to kill the hunger, but now, even cookies made from dirt are getting too expensive.
Four tropical storms and hurricanes have hit Haiti in the last three months. In Port au Prince, the main city, many houses no longer have roofs, trees are uprooted, and light poles with electrical wires are down. Yet all that is nothing compared to what has happened in other communities throughout the country. More than 55,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged. About 90 percent of crops have been ruined in some key areas. Access to clean water is very limited because most local sources of water were contaminated as a result of the flooding. Food is very scarce. People are going for days without eating anything. They need our help.
Some people on Vashon have had personal experience with the organization Three Angels Children’s Relief. Every day, Three Angels Children’s Relief strives to impact the lives of the most impoverished children of Haiti. The group is currently focusing on the continued development of three specific programs: the Angel House Orphanage, the Three Angels Christian Academy and the Halos Medical Mission. Its goal is to enrich the people’s bodies with food, empower their minds through education and enlarge their spirits with love and compassion. Members of the organizations want to try to save these people from death and give them hope for their future.
Some of us on Vashon have decided to try to help them help the Haitian people. Our goal is to raise $15,000 for a food container to be brought in. There will be collection containers in some stores and other various fundraisers. Please help us reach our goal.
To learn more about Three Angels Relief, you can go to their Web site at www.threeangelshaiti.org.
— Micaela Beytebiere
