Joy and Hope of Haiti

Our project for 2003 was to complete and finish the Fougerole orphanage. This entailed tiling all of the floors inside the orphanage, completing the cement slabs outside the orphanage to allow proper run-off of the rain water, installation of a solar panel system to provide electricity to the orphanage, installation of rain barrels and a pump system to provide running water for the toilets, showers and sinks, painting of the orphanage both inside and out as well as the building of the bunkbeds, and dining room tables. From March 15th, 2003 - April 26th, 2003 - men, women and students from the greater Hamilton area travelled back down to Cap Haitien, Haiti to tackle this mission. All the work that we hoped to accomplish has been accomplished! Praise God.

The solar system sent in the container was installed and is working and much painting at the orphanage was completed, both in the first two weeks of teams coming and going. Then there was a one-week break without a team in Haiti.

The third and fourth work teams toiled very hard on their knees and completed the tiling in the orphanage as well as all the classrooms on the main floor, the hallway and the entranceway to the church/ school. In all, we figure about 6,000 square feet of tile were laid.

The last work team concentrated on second coats of paint at the orphanage, painting the kitchen at the church/school for the first time, the hallway and the sanctuary.

While all this was going on with our work teams, the Haitians were working with us, beside us, over us, and all around us, paving the courtyard of the orphanage, installing water tanks, tiling and painting. It is astounding to think that these hard-working friends of ours in Haiti cannot find employment (Haiti is averaging a 90% unemployment rate at the moment). There were stories after stories about the hardships experienced and just when we thought our hearts couldnt break any more, another story would be told.

No words can describe the experience of going to Haiti - emotionally exhilarating, exhausting and heart-breaking all at the same time! And then on a Sunday morning we see our friends dressed in their Sunday best (we can't figure out how clean and white these clothes are kept in all the dirt and grime our friends contend with day in and day out), with huge smiles on their faces, bibles in their hands heading off to spend most of the day in church worshipping the same God we worship at home. We can't help but know in our hearts that what we little we are doing in Haiti is making a difference, not only for the conditions of some of the children there but also a huge difference in our lives back here in Canada.

We have taken on a lot more than we can handle ourselves but we know God is faithful. The goal is to find 100 people to sponsor the programme at $300.00 per year. At the moment we are thankful that 51 people have stepped up to the plate with their $300.00. We only have 49 more to go. For those of us who have been in Haiti, we know that we leave our friends in Haiti behind but not the determination to make things a little better and give hope to these orphan children to have a bed to sleep in, meals at regular meal times, school to go to, clothes to wear, shoes on their feet and adults to care for them - all the thing we take for granted here.

The money raised at the auction on May 29th, 2003 is earmarked to finish the orphanage and playground projects that Pastor Mano had envisioned and through which that vision continues in the care of his church and family.

See more pictures of the Fougerole orphanage.


	Welcome to the Joy and Hope of Haiti Website

Home Who We Are Background Our History Future Vision Community Connections Projects 2000 2002 2003 2004 Fougerole Orphanage Fundraisers Charity Auction Road2Hope Watch a short video of 2009 Road2Hope Event 100 Holes For Haiti Help A Child Orphanage Sponsorship Birthing Kits H.E.A.R.T.S Healthy Smiles for Haiti Work Trips Our Stories Why Stories Esther's Story Georgina's Story Fred's Story Russell's Story As told to the Beacon Magazine Action Magazine Story Heart to Help (The Journal, Spectator) Another World (Spectator) Building a Dream on a Garbage Dump Photo Journal Contact Us Wish List	2003 Our project for 2003 was to complete and finish the Fougerole orphanage. This entailed tiling all of the floors inside the orphanage, completing the cement slabs outside the orphanage to allow proper run-off of the rain water, installation of a solar panel system to provide electricity to the orphanage, installation of rain barrels and a pump system to provide running water for the toilets, showers and sinks, painting of the orphanage both inside and out as well as the building of the bunkbeds, and dining room tables. From March 15th, 2003 - April 26th, 2003 - men, women and students from the greater Hamilton area travelled back down to Cap Haitien, Haiti to tackle this mission. All the work that we hoped to accomplish has been accomplished! Praise God. The solar system sent in the container was installed and is working and much painting at the orphanage was completed, both in the first two weeks of teams coming and going. Then there was a one-week break without a team in Haiti. The third and fourth work teams toiled very hard on their knees and completed the tiling in the orphanage as well as all the classrooms on the main floor, the hallway and the entranceway to the church/ school. In all, we figure about 6,000 square feet of tile were laid. The last work team concentrated on second coats of paint at the orphanage, painting the kitchen at the church/school for the first time, the hallway and the sanctuary. While all this was going on with our work teams, the Haitians were working with us, beside us, over us, and all around us, paving the courtyard of the orphanage, installing water tanks, tiling and painting. It is astounding to think that these hard-working friends of ours in Haiti cannot find employment (Haiti is averaging a 90% unemployment rate at the moment). There were stories after stories about the hardships experienced and just when we thought our hearts couldnt break any more, another story would be told. No words can describe the experience of going to Haiti - emotionally exhilarating, exhausting and heart-breaking all at the same time! And then on a Sunday morning we see our friends dressed in their Sunday best (we can't figure out how clean and white these clothes are kept in all the dirt and grime our friends contend with day in and day out), with huge smiles on their faces, bibles in their hands heading off to spend most of the day in church worshipping the same God we worship at home. We can't help but know in our hearts that what we little we are doing in Haiti is making a difference, not only for the conditions of some of the children there but also a huge difference in our lives back here in Canada. We have taken on a lot more than we can handle ourselves but we know God is faithful. The goal is to find 100 people to sponsor the programme at $300.00 per year. At the moment we are thankful that 51 people have stepped up to the plate with their $300.00. We only have 49 more to go. For those of us who have been in Haiti, we know that we leave our friends in Haiti behind but not the determination to make things a little better and give hope to these orphan children to have a bed to sleep in, meals at regular meal times, school to go to, clothes to wear, shoes on their feet and adults to care for them - all the thing we take for granted here. The money raised at the auction on May 29th, 2003 is earmarked to finish the orphanage and playground projects that Pastor Mano had envisioned and through which that vision continues in the care of his church and family. See more pictures of the Fougerole orphanage.
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