One of the great tragedies of recent times is the demand for orphanages across the island of Haiti. It is this that has led to the forming of a small Irish NGO, Haiti Orphanage Project Espwa. Our third trip as a group takes us back to Ille A Vache, an island that lies off the south cost of Haiti.
Arriving on site we meet our local Haitian team and our Soul of Haiti partner. As we discuss the project tasks the children are making their way from the orphanage to the school. We noticed that many were being carried down the rocky path that linked the orphanage to the school. Making enquiries we found out that these children were wheelchair users who couldn’t negotiate the uneven ground and had to be carried to and from school each day. As we looked at the rocky ground, with its bumps, lumps and holes, we decided on our first task – we would have to build these children a path.
In the relentless heat we dug and leveled, carried and poured, until in one day, a smooth, flat promenade linked the little orphanage and school. Sr. Flora, the nun running the local orphanage, smiled and told us how this simple stretch of concrete would change the lives of staff and children alike. Though small in scope, the path illustrated the nature of the relief task at hand. Every brick that’s laid, every drain that’s cleaned immediately improves the quality of life at the orphanage.
Whether a small, immediate impact project like the path or a larger construction of a new building, we never forget that it is the dedication of our volunteers and the generosity of the general public that make it all possible. If you would like to help us change children’s lives, you can securely donate online today.
Warm blankets for cold nights
Barry
October 20, 2020
As a charity, we focus on improving the lives of Haiti’s most vulnerable children. Firstly, there’s our work on the
