New Beginnings

Easter; a time of new hope, new life, new possibilities.  As Hope Force completes another deployment to Haiti, this has become even more evident than before as the village of Sous Savanne starts to reach a new level of restoration following the country's horrible earthquake of January 2010. 

"We were moved beyond words to arrive and see the unprecedented level of activity in the village," explains Jack Minton, President/CEO of Hope Force International. "Our collaboration with World Relief has resulted in many new homes being built for those who lost theirs in the earthquake. The rubble is being cleared from the home sites and put into the roadways to provide a solid surface to replace the mud and water that is prevalent during the rainy season. One of the churches which was completely leveled in the earthquake has now had the old foundation cleared away in preparation for a new church and community building. Many of our hopes and dreams for Sous Savanne are coming to fruition."  

The Child Sponsorship Program is now providing food for 78 families, benefitting almost 400 people a month. As hard as it is to believe, maintaining a family in Sous Savanne is so challenging often the only option parents have is to find an alternative living arrangement for one, or several, of the children. Angeline is an example; she lives in a family of nine people.  When the Hope Force January team visited her home, she and one of her sisters had just returned from an orphanage. The family did not have the means to support the two girls, so was forced to seek provision for them through the orphanage. Angeline now has a sponsor through the Hope Force program, giving her family the confidence they need that she will be provided for.

"When you meet a young mother,  Donia Cambri, for example, who has lost her husband in the earthquake it touches your heart deeply," recalls Hope Force Reservist, David O'Connor. "She is 22 years old, living in a tent and struggling to raise her little five-year-old Manaell. They are living with a relative who is a single mom, with seven children of her own, three of whom are younger than ten. Another single mom with a baby also lives with them. Their resilience and determination to keep their families together is very evident. These young children are now in the Hope Force program waiting for a sponsor."

The April deployment team also provided the first medical clinic the village has seen since the earthquake. Veteran aid worker, Marianne Lako, assembled a very effective team of Americans plus Haitians to provide healthcare and community health education during the week-long program. Cholera continues to be a concern in Haiti so the educational aspect of the program was a high priority. For many of the children, this would have been their first opportunity to have ever been able to visit a doctor.

The children of Sous Savanne received another blessing through the Hygiene Gift Bags delivered by the April deployment. The bags were compiled by sponsors and included such items as a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and a wash cloth. The Kingsfield Church in California added several special touches to make their gift bags more personal. Participants at the church's monthly girls' night in March each chose a child and decorated a card for them with a Creole phrase. They also picked out other fun items for the bags and included a Creole translation of "The Most Important Story Ever Told" gospel booklet and a picture of the girl who personalized the package.

"Mark chapter six chronicles the feeding of the 5,000 under the guidance of Jesus and through the work of the 12 disciples," Jack Minton points out. "The same God of the New Testament is prepared to do miracles today. Sometimes what we have in our hand, such as some bread and fish, doesn't seem very great in the face of insurmountable need. The church in Haiti has a tremendous challenge, even with support of Christians from other nations. The task ahead to rebuild and develop the country seems beyond our capacity. And yet God urges us to look at what we have in our hands, give it up to Him, and watch others be blessed through what He will do."