Fall 2023 newsletter
We are trusting that this newsletter reaches you in good health. We are glad to report that all our children and their caregivers are doing relatively well; this in spite of all the instability and unsafe conditions across Haiti. There is still no de-facto government in the country, just a quasi-prime minister with no real cabinet and no power. The gangs are still running amuck at will - terrorizing people and inflicting fear on their fellow citizens. Kidnappings seem to have subsided but still happening, reports of rape has not stopped, several people have fled their home for the banana groves and the mountains to hide. Commodities are still very scarce and very expensive.
As we start the second week of October, our kids have just now been able to start this new school year because of road blockages in our area. However, many essential services are still lacking. For example, our solar power system which has been malfunctioning for a while now, need servicing but can not be serviced because our area has been cut off from the capital, Port Au Prince, where the service techs reside. Travel is still very restricted and very dangerous. There is what seems to be a serious consideration by the UN to deploy a multi-national force into Haiti to try to quelch this unrest and restore some normalcy. We are trusting God that this will indeed happen and soon.
It’s not all doom and gloom. We have “good news”.
Figure 1: First Day of School this Year
Even though many orphanages have been literally ravaged, and kids and their caregivers sexually assaulted and sometimes murdered, no such thing has ever come close to happening to our home (Palm 91:7). Thank God. It has really been a very hard three-and-half-year period for our kids being confined in our 1-3/4 acres compound surrounded by 8 feet walls capped with barbed wires. They live, eat, play and sleep in this space, like prisoners. The toll on their mental health has been immeasurable but they have really been very resilient coping! The only time these kids leave the compound has been to go to school when school was open or to go to church when it’s been safe to do so. To keep themselves occupied, they make up different kinds of games to play within the compound and sometimes watch DVD’s and YouTube videos when internet is available. We are very grateful to God for each one of these kids that, in spite of these hardships, they have learned to cope and none of them have been seriously ill or sick in any way out the ordinary.
We are also very grateful that, as an organization, Welcome Home Children’s Centre Inc. has continued to be able to keep the orphanage operational – taking care of all our kids’ needs (school -fees, uniforms and supplies, feeding, clothing and healthcare), payroll for their caregivers and for general maintenance of our property. We thank all of you who have not forgotten us and have continued to donate toward our work in Haiti. Thanks for your steadfastness because without your prayers, donations and the Lord’s help, this work will not be viable. We appreciate your generosity; please continue to give.
Funding for nonprofits and particularly charities like ours, has significantly slumped since covid and we have really continued to be good stewards of the funds that are entrusted to us, stretching every dollar to its breaking point. Things remain tough at all fronts and to make matters worse, commodities are priced in Haiti using the US dollar which means that for every Canadian dollar we receive, we lose 27 cents right off the bat. Please keep in mind that all of the officers of the WHCC board remain volunteers and none receive any form of remuneration but in fact are donors themselves. We are pleading to those of you who had taken a holiday in your giving to please return to help us carry on with this important work.
Annual Christmas Fundraising Dinner
We are restarting our annual Christmas fundraising dinner since the pandemic and we invite you all together with family and friends to join us for a fun evening of Christmas songs and music and of course turkey and ham dinner.
Date: November 25
Location: Gellert Community Centre
10241 8th Line, Georgetown, ON. L7G 4S5
More info about the dinner to follow.
Please reach us by phone: 416-648-0040 by email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
.
