Things continue to be very difficult and unsettled in Haiti.  But we are so grateful to report that all of the children and staff at the children’s home are healthy and safe. 

All around the country, protesters in the streets are demanding that the President resign, while gangs take advantage of the chaos to loot and riot.  Sadly, it is not safe or feasible to re-open our school yet.  Many of our teachers are not able to get to the school due to roadblocks and many parents are either unable to get their children to school or too fearful to send them through the street protests. 

Every day we are praying for peace for the country, for wisdom for Luckner who is running our operation in Haiti, for our staff who continue to care for our children on site, for our full time children in care and for every one of our children and young adults who are unable to be in school at this time.  We are determined to re-open the school as soon as it is safe to do so and will do whatever it takes to help our students succeed their school year. 

I asked J.J. from our children’s home to share his perspective with us.  Here is what he had to say:

“Things are not so good in Haiti right now.  Every day things are more difficult because food get to market because of the blockades.  For example, the food grown in the Artibonite can’t get to market in Port-au-Prince and other goods and food from the capital can’t get to the Artibonite.  Sometimes, the roadblocks come down for a day to allow people to travel.  Last Friday afternoon, they opened the roadblocks until Sunday afternoon so that people who needed to get through were able to. 
As for us in the children’s home, we are very well.  We are comfortable and are happy.
Sadly, people who live in our area are suffering.  Children and families are having a hard time because of the road blocks as the parents can’t get to work and the children can’t go to school.”

As an organization committed to supporting children and families in Haiti through education, we are heartbroken by the events in the country right now.  We are committed to continuing to offer the best education possible in our school as soon as we are safely able. And in the meantime, we are supporting our children in full-time care and our staff on the ground in Haiti. 

Thank you for your continued support for these beautiful kids who are healthy, happy and safe and for your continued prayers and support for our school kids and staff.