Meet the House of Hope Recipients

Virgina and her four children

Virgina is a mother of four children, ages 8?19. She is an active member of the Babay development committee and was instrumental in organizing the delivery of Hope Force relief goods to her community after Hurricane Isaac.

She and her husband grow manioc, sweet potatoes and beans to sell on the market, but sometimes it?s hard to find the funds for new seed. Their three-room home collapsed in the earthquake and they rebuilt a shack with wood and tarps as best as they could.

Virgina is a believer but since there is no church in Babay the family attends another congregation in the area. Her son remarked one time that Babay really needs a church!

Virgina would like to restart the literacy classes she was involved in, both for adults and children who have fallen behind in school. All of Virgina?s children go to school in nearby villages and secondary school in Leogane.  

Islande and Mavensley

Islande lives in the beautiful green hilly countryside of Babay. Despite these surroundings, Islande, her partner Robenson, along with their son Mavensley still live in a tent, three years after the earthquake. Islande used to live in a small traditional Haitian house, which collapsed in the earthquake.

One organization provided tents and she still lives in one. Although some people in the village have received a wooden transitional house, Islande did not benefit (there is one next to her tent). Before the quake, Islande used to sell food items in the market, but lack of finances has made it difficult for her to continue with her business. Her partner Robenson farms land nearby and takes care of goats, donkeys, horses and cows. Their three-year-old son Mavensley plays around the tent. The Babay community leaders, including Joseph from Sous Savanne, recommended Islande for a ?House of Hope? as a safe, durable house will greatly benefit her family. 

Monique, Rubens, Coby-Jean and others

Monique has two children in the Child Sponsorship Program: Rubens and Coby-Jean, who are in 6th and 5th grade. Three older siblings are in secondary school. The family found their lives turned upside down when their block home collapsed in the earthquake. At first they made small shelters under the trees; next they had a Hope Force tent. Now they live in two makeshift shacks. Monique tries to make a living selling pots and pans at the Darbonne market. Six extended family members live next door in a Red Cross house. HFI community leaders support this family as candidates for a ?House of Hope?. They are ready to participate in the qualifying program. A new, durable and safe house would be a huge step forward in the lives of this family.   

Widelyne and her three children

Widelyne is a 27-year-old single mom with three young children, aged two, four and eight. Pregnant with her second child during the earthquake in January of 2010, she traveled to the Dominican Republic to deliver her baby, since many health facilities in Haiti had collapsed. When she returned to Haiti, she had no place to live. After staying in temporary shelters, the family now lives in a Hope Force tent, which was donated to Widelyne by another relative. She is a half-sister to Osnel and Loveman, who received the first block ?House of Hope?.

Because of financial pressure, Widelyne?s children are currently not in school. Widelyne struggles to survive and depends on nearby family for help. When HFI visited her recently, Joseph and Badin, the community leaders in Sous Savanne, wholeheartedly endorsed this young family for a ?House of Hope?. Widelyne is ready to participate and work to improve the living situation for her children.