Emergency Relief For Haiti
The News
On March 31st two of the largest and most deadly gangs in Haiti invaded Espwa Demen's home base of Mirebalais. Our friends, family, neighbors, and most of the families in our mission network had to flee, leaving behind everything.
Within a few hours the local prison had been broken in to releasing more than 500 criminals onto the streets. This was only the beginning of the horrible events that unfolded following the initial attack.
These gangs continued terrorizing the area. Burning cars, houses, businesses, schools, markets, and clinics. And shooting anyone they could as people were still trying to flee. The death toll has not yet been counted officially but local police estimate over 60 innocents lost their lives in the crossfire.
Many thousands of people from our village of 200,000 have left their homes and are holding out in surrounding villages. Including several hundred across the Latibonet river in the Chevry and Boukan Kare areas. Most have no real shelter, little food, scarce drinking water, and only the clothes on their backs.
The Plan
We feel so helpless and the need is so great, but we cannot stand by and watch those we love die of hunger and disease because of these living conditions. If we can make a difference for just one family, if we can save just one life then it is worth the effort.
Espwa Demen has been donating funds for food, tarps, and water and having some of our volunteers distribute these supplies to a displaced community in the countryside. We have temporarily relocated some of the families of our sponsor students from the area to housing in the next citiy over.
In the month of May, my (Rachel's) husband will be heading down to Haiti and assembling a team of Espwa Demen's local volunteers. They will be flying in with waterproof tents and assembling hygiene, medical, and food kits in country to distribute to more families who have lost the most.
Before distribution takes place they will meet with locals and our volunteers to receive help in selecting the most vulnerable candidates to receive this aid. They will also meet with our partner church in Chevry Haiti and make them a distribution hub for those in the countryside.
The Needs
How can you help? There are many ways that you can get involved. No matter who you are or where you live, I assure you that you have something to offer to the cause!
PRAY - Plead on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Plead for lasting change and help for the country. Lead prayer times or services with your circle of friends and acquaintances where you are!
HOST A FUNDRAISER - Maybe you don't personally have finances to offer to the cause but you have a gift for hosting events and spreading the word. Whether it be a charity dinner, bingo or trivia night, or even a yard sale. We'd love to supply flyers and materials for you do this!
SPREAD THE WORD - The more people who know about the tragedy unfolding in Haiti. And the more people who hear about the work Espwa Demen is doing there. The greater our impact can be. Share. Post. Talk. Make Mirebalais, Haiti and the Haitian people a regular part of your everyday conversation.
PHYSICAL DONATION - If you are connected to a business and would like to solicit material donations, you may do so. However, at this time because of the difficulty of making large shipments to Haiti we will only be collecting physical donations of waterproof tents and tarps that are still in a compact bag/package.
DONATE FUNDS - Below is a chart of what your monetary donations can go towards. Every dollar helps!
The Method
As many of you know, Espwa Demen is a small taxed non-profit. However, we have been blessed to become aquatinted with a larger non-profit working in Haiti that is coming together with us on this project. Hill's of His Grace, is a 501c3 non-profit working in Centre Haiti just 40 minutes North East from Espwa Demen's home base of Mirebalais.
For logistic purposes donations can be made to Hills of His Grace directly. They have set up an Emergency Relief Fund to ensure your funds are directed to us.
Additionally around $800 is needed to cover flight and travel cost for the upcoming emergency trip. This need will be kept separate from our donations towards aid. So, if you would like to contribute towards this shoot us a message or email and we will direct you to where you can send those funds.
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." - Matthew 25:36-36