UPDATED: June 30, 2010 at 1:45 p.m. (MT) – Out of more than 22,000 children affected by the earthquake we are still in the process of locating around 350 children. We are continuing to contact sponsors whose children we do have specific information on.
Our church partners continue to search the tent cities daily to locate the rest of the children. In addition, regionally based partnership facilitators continue to search the countryside to find children who may have relocated outside of the city after the quake.
Classes have resumed in nine of the eleven universities where our Leadership Development Program students are enrolled, 62 students are attending class again. However, 26 of our students for various reasons (sickness linked to the earthquake, stress, trauma, formal interdiction from some parents, etc.) have not returned to school.
Our leadership team is proceeding with the repairs of our three-level office building in Port-au-Prince. Repair work is expected to go until the end of July. A local firm is responsible for the repair but an expert from Engineering Ministries International is in the field for the work supervision.
Two psychologists have been hired for a six-month contract to design a plan to help meet the psychological needs of our registered children, siblings, relatives and church staff members.
Our initial objective for addressing the temporary and transitional shelter needs of our beneficiaries was to provide tarps to 4,000 families in the urban areas, and corrugated metal sheets, wood frames and nails to 2,000 families located in the rural areas.
So far, we have distributed 4,237 tarps to complete the tarp distribution activity. Some families were given two tarps based on need. Also, more than 1,300 families received corrugated metal sheets and wood frames in rural areas. Another 700 will be served as soon as possible.
About 8,000 registered children and 7,000 siblings and parents were seen through our mobile medical clinics. Malaria and typhoid tests have been given to patients who also received medicine, if needed, or are referred to the hospital or a health center for follow-up.
As most of our child development centers also have a school where many of the children attend, our plan to provide transitional meeting places until the damaged centers can be rebuilt is providing school equipment to replace some of what has been lost.
The Haitian government has reopened schools and extended the school term by through August. Most of the schools are allowing children to go home at noon because of the extreme heat, to minimize the amount of time the children are kept under the tarps and canopies.
We are processing letters and gifts for all child development centers in Haiti. If you send a gift, please do not specify how it should be used. It is very difficult for our Haiti staff to follow through with the request.
Until further notice we are not conducting any travel to Haiti (e.g., sponsor visits, individual relief efforts, tours, vision trips, etc.).
All of the affected child development centers have resumed activities, meeting under tarps or tin roofs. All of the significantly affected centers are meeting three times a week.
Although the full scope of regular activities is not currently taking place at child development centers and child survival programs significantly affected by the earthquake, affected church partners are continuing to conduct camps to help address the psychological, physical, nutritional, and cognitive needs of our registered children, as well as the mothers and the babies participating in our Child Survival Program (CSP).
In general, our church partners will host these camps until the development centers are rebuilt or activities can be relocated to a safe indoor location.
Camp activities focus on five areas:
- occupational therapy including art, sports and games
- cognitive therapy including earthquake and natural disaster education
- group therapy for children under 8 years old
- individual therapy for children over 8 years old
- immunization against polio, measles, tetanus and hepatitis A
For the CSP camps, two to three Child Survival Programs are grouped together for efficiency, depending on their geographic location.
- Download a PDF listing all the child development centers and child survival programs in Haiti and categorizing each center and program as: not directly affected, moderately affected or significantly affected.
- Was My Sponsored Child Affected by That Crisis? – A blog post that explains our crisis reporting process
- Pictures from Haiti taken by Compassion staff and contractors
- Images showing the approximate location for the earthquake’s epicenter in relation to our child development centers in Haiti
- Heart for Haiti, a group to connect and pray with people who sponsor children in Haiti
- See what is typically inside a disaster relief kit
- Subscribe to country-specific crisis updates, prayer requests and stories for each country where you sponsor a child
- Purchase a Compassion Help Haiti t-shirt
I think it is awesome that you are keeping up with the updates on Haiti, it is nice to see that it is not a one time deal. People who are aware and care about it for a little while then just brush it off their shoulders. Thanks for your concern and keep up the good work!
My child attended ha 806, they have not found him yet. Has anyone heard anything about this project?
I was thrilled to hear from my teenaged boy in Haiti yesterday — especially since I used to sponsor his older brother, and assumed he was in the Port-au-Prince area. As it turns out, the entire family came through without injury, although 3 brothers were in Port-au-Prince. However, their church/project (on the island of La Gonave) was destroyed. Enold said this: “Nothing wrong happened to us. God atones for our life. We aren’t better than those who died in Port-au-Prince. It’s God’s plan for our life…I had three brothers in Port-au-Prince. God watched over them.” I thought that was pretty awesome.
Awsome! praise our Lord.
Thank you so very much for this update! We have two sponsored boys in Port-au-Prince. Thankfully, both survived the quake, with one losing his home and the other having damage to his. It encourages us so much, as we continue to pray, to know of the help they are receiving right now! What a blessing you are, Compassion!
In response to Jennifer
My child was in HA-806, and I have not heard anything about her either. If anyone has any information it would be appreciated!!
I just received word today that my little girl in HA-779 is alive and well!! Her whole family was found and is uninjured! Unfortunately, there was damage” to their home.
Praise God that they are alive!!!! I am so thankful!!!
It’s amazing how God can bring so many wonderful people together to bless those in need. There is still a lot of supplies and help needed in Haiti and through our prayer and believing in our Lord Jesus Christ,we can all make a difference. The Hands of God Ministry is leaving in August to bring much needed medical supplies, food, rebuilding of homes, and most importantly Salvation. A Cup of Organic has partnered with Hands of God Ministries to help fund this mission. Read more about how you can help at http://www.acupoforganic.com
God Bless!
Please keep praying for the children who have not been accounted for, especially Martine. We are longing to hear any news regarding her or her family. Thank you in Jesus name
Greetings
We have participated in the Partners with Haiti Bethany Program since 1992. Our first student was Wilmy Etienne who we sponsored for 13.5 years. We last heard from Wilmy in April, 2005. Since 2006 we have sponsored Jeff Pompouski Baptiste a student at BTA SP 317. Wilmy is now a young man, 25 years old. We would very much like to hear an update on both Wilmy and Jeff, either from Partners or, more directly, from them. We are strong proponents of the Bethany Project.
Thank you for any information you can share with us.
Ruth and Paul Pratt
What, are u still playing and wasting time and money over there? Don’t u think you have tried to look good enough? What about all the people hurting here in the U.S.A? Want to look good? Then help in your own back yard. Christians, who helps your own? How many of the Haitians would come to our countrys aid?
Ray,
I am sorry that you feel that way. I don’t know what you think this page is, all of the people here sponser a child in Haiti and the earthquake affected most of them. Most people don’t advertise that they sponser a child, for me it is between me and my child. We don’t do it to ‘look good’, we do it because it is what God calls us to do. Love one another. Now I am sure that most people on this site have given money to the red cross or other organizations that are helping with the recovery for the flooding in Tenn. I don’t know if that is what you are talking about. But I have given money multiple times to help with relief efforts in our own country. If that is not enough I am sorry.
I don’t think that sponsering a child is ‘wasting time and money’. It is never a waste to invest in a childs future. It is not about what country they are in, it shouldn’t be focused on that, it is about people helping people.
I have been in contact with the family of my sponsered child, and they tell me that they were praying for our country while there was flooding in calafornia, and even though the couldn’t give money, I don’t know what is better than praying for safety. They did what they could. I am sure that if they could give money they would have. I will be praying for you Ray, God Bless.
Elizabeth,
I would ignore Ray as he has made these same comments three months ago. There can’t be two Rays with his attitude on this blog. Prayer might help him as it seems only God can reach someone like this.He upset me the first too and I have prayed for him when God brought him to my mind but he evidently needs much more.
As Compassion sponsors of a child in Haiti, I would like to know how we can help rebuild the schools. Our child really misses his school. Our friends are itnerested in helping his center get new school supplies and more.
I have a sponsored child in Haiti and I thank God for Compassion International because of the compassionate (like Christ) work they do and I am a part of that. It is a privilege to support CI.
Shirley Thomas
I hope fiona is alright in kayna and that she is alright. Tell her thati i am very sorry for not writing to her. Let her know that my birthday is the day after hers the 20 of december. I am praying for her.
Linda, this blog cannot send messages to your sponsored child for you. However, in about 60 seconds you could log-in to your Compassion.com account and email your Fiona the message you stated above. I’m sure she would be very happy to hear from you!!
[...] Click here to see Compassion International’s Blog that has wonderful information on the earthquake and updates on what is going on in Haiti. There are pictures that you may show your children as well. [...]
Great to see your helping Haiti! Loved the post!
http://www.mannaforhaiti.com
http://www.mfhcm.org