Stories of HOPE

His Holidays Can Be Brighter Because of YOU!!

Meet Guerlin. He has one foot. His left foot was badly burned by boiling oil in a cooking accident. Most families in Haiti don’t have kitchens. They cook outdoors in pots balanced on rocks in fires. When an unsteady pot slipped, the boiling oil splashed on Guerlin’s foot. Since his family was very poor, they had no means to seek medical attention. His mother wrapped Guerlin’s foot in cloth as best as she could and hoped it would heal. The pain was unbearable and his foot began to smell very badly. It was severely infected. The mother begged for money from everyone she knew so that she could pay for transportation to a hospital in Les Cayes. There she met a Cuban doctor who saw her son and said that they needed to amputate his foot immediately, or he would die. The cost was $300 Haitian. The mother begged the doctor to do the operation and said that she'd come back with the money as soon as possible.

The surgeon performed the amputation on Guerlin's foot. The mother never returned because she had no way to pay for the operation. She was already in debt and $300 Haitian may as well be $3,000 or $3,000,000. The nurses cared for Guerlin as he recuperated, buying him food and clothing. They called us here at Hope Village and asked us to take him in.

Guerlin cried himself to sleep for almost two months asking for his "Maman". He suffered with the emotional nightmare of losing a limb and losing his mother, at only 4 years old. This was three years ago. Today, Guerlin is doing much better. He has many friends and he is a good student. There are deep emotional scars, but under the circumstances, Guerlin is fairly well adjusted and is part of a great big family here at Hope Village.

If not for our generous supporters, we would not have been able to provide Guerlin with a loving home these past three years. Guerlin is only 7 years old, but his future is uncertain. Please help us secure his future by making a donation today. A monthly recurring donation helps us to ensure that Guerlin and others like him will have shelter, education and care for years to come.

Meet Herbie St. Fort

When he was 4 years old, Herbie's mother locked him and his brothers in their tiny shack and tried to burn it down. Thankfully, the neighbors rescued the children. Herbie's older brothers found homes with family members, but no one wanted little Herbie.

A few months after the fire incident, Herbie arrived at Hope Village. He was a silent, introverted little boy. He was unresponsive to touch. He didn't play with other children and didn't seem to care about anything. He did not know how to act excited, happy, unhappy, or express any kind of emotion whatsoever. He was emotionally numb. Having survived attempted murder by his own mother, and then being singled out for abandonment among his siblings, numb was all he could muster up. Numb was his defense mechanism.

Thanks to God, Fr. Marc and all of our wonderful supporters who make Hope Village possible, today, Herbie is thriving!! He is no longer numb. He cares about EVERYTHING! He loves to run and play with his buddies on the farm. He has become a very affectionate little fellow who initiates hugs and greets everyone with a big smile. It's amazing how far Herbie has come. Thank you generous donors for giving Herbie a life and a future!

Please help us help Herbie and others just like him!

Chase's Story

My name is Chase and I am a college student. Last summer I traveled to Haiti with my friends, Thomas and Ryan. We went there on a short mission to help Fr. Marc teach the children English at Hope Village. On a Saturday in August, we were driving back to the orphanage from an outing. As we were heading back, we had to cross a small river where the road was washed away. As a result, the car got stuck in the mud and then broke down. We were stranded until Fr. Marc would send us help.

While we were waiting for help, we noticed several children playing together on the side of the road.  They were very curious about us because a bunch of white males on the streets of Haiti is a rare sight.  At first the children were hesitant about approaching us, but eventually they encircled me and my friends. The language barrier was an immediate deterrent to our efforts at communicating. So I began to teach them English and they reciprocated with Creole lessons.  I would point to my nose, ear, and toe, and say the word in English. Then the children would say the same words in Creole.  It was very cool because we were sort of communicating while helping each other and we had a lot of fun in the process.

While we were enjoying each others' company, a Haitian man appeared and began speaking to me in Creole. Since my Creole was limited to about 6 words, I kept shrugging trying to communicate that I didn't understand Creole. Then he suddenly started to use the handful of English words that he knew. He kept saying "Pick one. Pick one." Over the next several minutes it became clear what this man was saying. He was offering to sell me one of these children. My heart broke at this shocking revelation. I heard about Haitian restaveks, which is basically a nice word for child slavery. But I never really gave it too much thought.

This experience has made me realize that the poverty is so severe here that many are willing to sell their children believing that they'll actually be better off. Many parents here can't afford to feed and clothe one child much less pay for him to go to school. Since that experience, I worry every day about all of the children who will ultimately become the property of evil people. I think about the kind of person who would actually "pick one" of these innocent children, and what kind of harm that person would be capable of inflicting. I will never again be able to hear the words "pick one," without stirring up these disturbing thoughts.

Father Marc is providing a safe Haven for hundreds of otherwise homeless children in Haiti. But there are thousands more still on the streets. If Father Marc could, he would take in thousands. Every dollar helps. Please help Father Marc rescue more children with a donation today.

Meet Kenson Jacob

In 2003, 12 year old Kenson was abandoned by his mother after she was given an ultimatum by her boyfriend. She was forced to choose between her son and her boyfriend. If she didn't throw her son out on the street, neither one of them would have a home. Her only source of support came from her boyfriend, so she chose to abandon her son and spare her "meal ticket." It's a hopeless situation when severe poverty causes such desperate behavior.

Kenson was homeless and hungry. It's impossible to understand his state of mind, having been abandoned by the only person who's ever shown him any kind of love. He saw things that no child should have to see while living in the streets. But thanks to God, Kenson learned about Hope Village and made his way there. When he arrived, he was very quiet and reserved. He couldn't trust. He had little self-respect having been rejected by his very own mother. But that would all change.

Fast forward to 2007: Kenson is a very bright 16 year old boy, attending school regularly for the first time in his life. He is very reliable and never misses a day of work which is currently a cleaning job. On weekends he works on the farm learning the agricultural trade. He has many good friends and gets along very well with his peers. Before arriving at Hope Village, the future meant later today, and possibly tomorrow. Now Kenson can look way beyond tomorrow… because with the love, education and support that he receives from the people at Hope Village, Kenson's hope for the future is very bright!

A volunteer visiting Hope Village tells this story: "I visited the farm and returned to the orphanage with mud on my sandals and feet. Kenson knelt on the ground, removed my shoes and washed my feet. He then took my shoes and gave me his. The next morning he greeted me with my shoes, sparkling clean! Being able to do this for me brought Kenson such joy. This was without doubt, the most humbling experience of my life. Imagine a boy with so little, understanding better than those with so much, that it is better to give than to receive. Kenson is truly one of God's gifts to this world."

Won't you help Kenson and others like him? Please consider giving the gift of hope today.