November 2021 News

Aloha everyone!

It’s been over three months since the 2021 earthquake in Haiti. And so many of you responded wonderfully with donations to help us get our orphanage children back in a home again and to support the needs in the community of Jeremie. Now, I can finally report on what’s been happening with Praises to God for his blessings !

First, and most important, the children are in a new home ! Thank God for that !! Although the house is very small and rudimentary, it’s their own place and on their own land.

When we first sent my young Haitian friend, Marcule, to help after the earthquake we wanted to rebuild the home that had collapsed. But that home was on government land and they decided we could not go back to the property – so we began to look elsewhere. Darlene (the orphanage director) got permission to build a small house on another piece of property close by. But after we started building the new home structure, the land owner changed their mind and said to get off his land ! Disappointing & frustrating !!! So……….. we tore down what we started, put all the lumber in storage and went looking for another property. After a week of searching we found a small, not too expensive, piece of land for sale outside Jeremie and began the paperwork to buy it. We paid some and still have two more payments to make. We still owe about $2,000 (The total land is a little less than ¼ acre). The children, along with other helpers, cleared the land enough to build a small house. But when we went to get the stored lumber, much of it had been stolen, so we had to buy it again !! Finally, after all those difficulties, God opened the door and we were able to get the building going – and on land that we would actually own for the children We hope to have the final land paperwork next month.

Just a few weeks ago, the house was finished enough for the children to move in and about half of them are in the house now (all the youngest children). We are also making another small “temporary” house with poles and tarps for the older children. Yes, it’s small and very “rough”. But it’s their land and their house and no one can kick them out again. And as time goes on, we can improve and enlarge the home so they will be more comfortable and able to live a decent life. We have an outside toilet (latrine), one building and one partially done pole/tarp building. We’ve also moved our water tank on the new land so they can have water and also built a small tarp covered area for kitchen.

But then – after all that – Darlene, the orphanage director, was taken to the hospital last Wednesday morning !! Marcule, who just come back from Jeremie a couple weeks ago, returned to Jeremie on the bus that Wednesday afternoon. We are assessing the situation and may have to make some additional changes to keep the orphans safe and properly cared for.
So…… although some of the orphanage problems are behind us, the children are still going through some very tough times. And besides all that, we also have problems in the town of Jeremie (as well as much of the country). There is little or no fuel in most communities (especially Jeremie). In Port-au-Prince they are selling gasoline in plastic gallons on the street for more than $ 20 US per gallon. In addition, rioters in Jeremie burned down the Digicel building (cell phone company) so phone service is not good. And there are continuous protests that make it dangerous to travel almost anywhere. Friday there was another earthquake in Jeremie. Although not large, it made a few fragile buildings collapse, but thankfully our orphanage building and the children are all fine.

Big Decisions !! –

After much prayer, and discussion with friends and supporters, Hawaii to Haiti has decided to take on the orphanage and support them for at least the next year through the end of 2022. In 2016 a hurricane destroyed their “first” orphanage that I participated in building in 2011. Since then, they’ve been in the government building, but with almost no outside support. We have decided to fill that gap as God provides. Food costs about $ 500 per month for the 70 children, plus other expenses such as medical, school, clothing, etc. And we still have to finish the buildings and slowly improving their living conditions. If you are interested in supporting our efforts, please contact us. To donate;

You can mail a check to Hawaii to Haiti, 11220 Sheffield Abbot Court, Las Vegas, NV 89138 and mark it “Earthquake / Jeremie Orphanage”.
Or you can donate through our website at HawaiitoHaiti.org. under “Haiti 2021 August Earthquake Emergency Relief Fund”. Monthly donations would also be greatly appreciated, as God puts that on your heart.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support of our work with the Haitian people.

See the attached photos of the work on the orphanage over the past couple months.

Mark Olson
President – Hawaii to Haiti