Update from Haiti

 Thanks to the Wilsons for this report and to Nellie Gopaul for the photos.

The Wilsons and the Executive Committee (EC) were pleased that they were able to give out 293 Christmas bags to the HAFF Haitian staff this year (see Dec 31, 2012 post). They were also able to organize 51 others for the volunteer facilitators of Project Healthy Family. All the bags included crayons, coloring books and 10 copies of Kolore M Kontan (Color Me Happy) in Haitian Creole. Each family also received a copy of John and Romans in Creole.

The EC also cleaned old cardboard boxes out of a storeroom. Old cardboard boxes are valuable for those who only have thin mattresses or even just piles of cloth on slat beds, or for those who have no beds and must sleep on a mat (or even without a mat) on the floor. Most of the boxes were given out to people with these needs – the boxes help soften the slats under the mattresses and protect sleepers from the cold floor.

The EC was also encouraged when the government announced they would be coming to help all the HAFF employees get registered for the government retirement program. This was a dream for many years. But getting appointments for many employees and then to get them and their documentation to Cap Haitian was a daunting task. Having a government representative come to take pictures of the employees so their paperwork would qualify them to receive their old age pensions was an enormous blessing. Prayers were answered as people in the various branches worked together cheerfully to get documents photocopied and forms filled out for those who can’t write. These can be very frustrating tasks. Now, all but 5 of the HAFF employees are covered and everyone feels more secure that when they die, their families will receive the money they paid into the system.



 

Some of the HAFF Families: Top left to right: Mikerlande
Docteur Charles and her husband Lesly; Lucner Pierre and his
daughters; Angeline (Mme Raisius) Jean (center), her husband
and children. Bottom left: Jacob Mompremier (second from left)
and his wife and sons. Bottom right: Genius Azeme (center)
and his wife and children.