Serving Chronic Need: Haiti

Meeting multiple needs in a beautiful, broken country

January 2010 brought a devastating 7.0 earthquake to the country of Haiti and an estimated 3 million people were directly affected. Hope Force had volunteers on the ground within days providing medical assistance. The need was so overwhelming that our HFI staff knew that they would need to continue to be committed to helping those affected by this disaster.

Hope Force came alongside a village that was overwhelmed and overlooked by disaster response agencies. It was estimated that more than 90% of the dwellings were destroyed. By providing for their needs amidst overwhelming loss, we let them know that they were not forgotten and helped provide hope and a pathway to recovery.

Hope Force continues to have two full time staff members serving Haiti.

We have cared for the village in many ways:

Building permanent homes
Building latrines
Developing a child sponsorship program
Providing assistance with food insecurity
Providing school supplies
Hosting mission teams

Haiti Programs

Below you will find our current Haiti programs that you can get involved with in many unique ways.

Child Sponsorships: Sponsorship is a great way for individuals, families and church groups to get involved in making a difference in rebuilding communities. Learn more below.
Latrines for Health & Houses of Hope: “Houses of Hope” is a vital step in meeting the dire housing needs. Another objective is to build latrines to improve living conditions. Learn more below.
Outreach Teams: Hope Force has sent several outreach teams to Haiti over the years that we have served in the country.

Sponsor a Child

The greatest hope for the future of Haiti is their children.

Education is the key to a better future for the children but also for Haiti. Within a year after the devastating earthquake, Hope Force worked to provide a child sponsorship program helping families with immediate needs, including food, healthcare, and temporary housing. As the village recovered, the efforts turned to offering education to the children.

Sponsorship is a great way for individuals, families, and church groups to provide school fees, books, new uniforms, and necessary school supplies.

The family of the sponsored children receives a monthly food distribution that helps to reduce food scarcity issues. It is amazing what just $34 USD/month can do for a child in need.

Latrines for Health & Houses of Hope

Many communities in Haiti still struggle with long-term housing and sanitation as they recover from past and current disasters. Latrines for Health and Houses of Hope are Hope Force International’s answers to these major crises.

Latrines are vitally important for the quality of life of villagers in Haiti. Latrines help keep water sources free from diseases and parasites, preventing sometimes deadly gastrointestinal diseases. These latrines can truly help save lives.

In the “Houses of Hope” project, Hope Force works with villagers to build durable, permanent homes constructed of high-quality blocks, a concrete foundation, and quality trusses and roofing from a local contractor. Even more than a decade after the earthquake, many people still live in post-earthquake “shelters.” As of 2021, HFI has built 83 Houses of Hope in the South.

Outreach Teams

Outreach teams to Haiti have been a significant part of Hope Force International, with several short-term trips planned each year to continue serving chronic need.

Sadly, the current political unrest, instability, and general insecurity in Haiti has made Hope Force pause all outreach teams for the time being. Although we feel safe in our region in the South, parts of the road from the airport to the South area are dangerous, mostly because of gang related violence. If and when security conditions improve, we will carefully assess the possibilities to receive volunteers.

While you may not be able to visit Haiti with us, please consider sponsoring one of our ongoing projects, such as the Child Sponsorship Program or the Houses of Hope/Latrines 4 Health projects. You can still be engaged!

Meet Our Team

We have two staff members devoted to our work in Haiti.

Rene Lako – Staff

Marianne Lako – Staff

Make a Difference

Come join us and make a world of difference!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If you don’t find what you’re looking for, email us at info@hopeforce.org.

What are the goals of the Child Sponsorship Program?

Education is a top priority of the program. Education is not free in Haiti. This presents a great dilemma for many families when they need to choose between feeding their family or sending their child to school. School usually loses in those situations. By providing the funds for the annual school fees, books, uniform and supplies, a family does not have to make those difficult decisions. Many families have multiple children and helping to cover one child increases the chances that others in the family will be able to attend school.

How many families are you helping?

Currently, we have 212 children in the program. Our waiting list for sponsors is never-ending with daily requests for a child to be added.

What does the sponsorship pledge of $34/month cover?

Education: School fees, uniforms, and supplies.
A Monthly Food Distribution: Rice, “manna packs”, oil and other basic items benefiting the whole family.
Educational and Health Programing: community health clinic, vacation bible school, caregivers’ programs and much more provided by visiting teams.
Program execution: communications, transportation, translation, and administration.

Stories From the Field

Here are stories about what’s currently happening and your best way to stay in-the-know of our efforts to help those in need.

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