In recent years, Haiti is suffering from devastating earthquakes, hurricanes, and extreme poverty. But the people of this island in the Caribbean sea do not intend to give up. Moreover, in Haiti there is one Ministry that gives hope.
Lush green pastures and trees. Extreme poverty and desolation. Haiti is a mixture of pain and potential. This country is the poorest in the Western hemisphere, with more than half of the population lives on less than one dollar a day. Here also there are hundreds of thousands of children deprived of parental care. But one service called “Cross Catholic” changing the lives of local orphans.
After a three-hour drive from the capital of Haiti, Port-AU-Prince, we arrived at camp Project Hope, or as it is called in Creole, “Espaa”. It is a large Catholic school and orphanage sponsored by the “Catholic Cross”, where more than 450 children-orphans and destitute boys and girls.
Most of the orphans in Haiti — the so-called “economic” orphans. Their parents are alive but just not able to have children. So bring them to Project Hope, where they receive three meals a day, education and knowledge that Jesus loves them and has a plan for their lives.
“When I look at all these children who live in “Espa”, as well as those who have gathered here from miles around for the event, think about the future, they have this excellent service. Children get here faithful and loving family, and most importantly — an excellent opportunity for education, vocational training to out of here, they were able to earn a living,” says the Director of the organization “Catholic Cross” James Cavnar.
Today is a special day. “Cross Catholic” orphans distributes Shoe boxes filled with gifts. His Ministry they called “Box of Joy”. These boxes were collected and sent to families from the United States. They can find everything from toys to toothpaste. While the main aim of the campaign is to fill with joy the heart of a child from Haiti.
“You know, in Haiti happened so many troubles in recent years. This earthquake two thousand and ten, and hurricanes that sweep over the island almost every two years. And always affects children. Therefore, we want to show them that they are loved, cared for, and just let them be children,” — says the Director of service “Box of Joy” Steve Bostian.
For hundreds of Haitian children camp “Espwa” is their only hope for escape from poverty. So it was with 23-year-old Lippiano Delisa. He arrived here as a child, because the mother who had six children, couldn’t feed him after her husband left the family. Deliz remembers how it was the day of his arrival.
“When I came to “Espa”, I immediately saw the changes in my life, says Lipian Deliz. — I saw a lot of unfamiliar people. They were not my neither friends nor relatives, but I was dragging and was able to get along with them. I saw the love. I found love. They treated me with love. I then, even to school did not go. They took me to kindergarten, where I began to learn. I learned English and French.”
Today Deliz is studying tourism and hotel business, and serves as a volunteer in the “Espa” when it can.
After the devastating hurricane of 2016, many Haitians, like Jean-Claude, his wife of Orlin and a daughter, Frances, live in makeshift houses where there is no electricity, no running water. They eat mostly rice, beans and wild chickens, of which there seems to be a great many. But the main thing for them — that the daughter was in school.
“From a conversation with eagle, girl’s, we learned that she every day have to send his daughter to school on a motorcycle taxi. And sometimes, when she had no money for a taxi, she determined that she goes to school-sponsored service “Cross Catholic” by bringing your daughter to the back. So she spends an hour on the way to school and back,” tells them Steve Bostian.
In addition to providing children with food and education, the Ministry of the “Cross Catholic” seeks to assist the many Haitians to return to normal life after the hurricane “Matthew” has damaged or destroyed thousands of homes, leaving many homeless.
“It’s hard to hold back emotions when I see such pictures, like the one behind us. This house collapsed because of the hurricane, and now 13 people living in very cramped conditions. Heart just cries when you meet people who are in such a difficult situation,” says James Cavnar.
This is a long term investment in the lives of families, children and especially orphans, who through the Ministry of “Cross Catholic” now I have hope for a better future.