With the mountains where the epicenter of the earthquake was serving as a backdrop, the first picture you see is a stark reminder of all who died January 12, 2010. In this remote and barren area north of Port-au-Prince, thousands of unknown and unidentified bodies were buried in a mass grave in the days after the quake. Naturally, the picture does not capture the true feeling of being there or the thoughts that go through your mind while standing there. The black crosses you see are not on actual gravesites but were placed there on the anniversary of the quake by those wanting to create a memorial for those who died just over a year ago. The picture also does not show the entire area of the gravesite. It is actually about 3 acres in size and is covered with white gravel. A large cross has been erected on a near by hill, overlooking the site. Standing there, thoughts of that day certainly flood your mind and the terror that came with it. There are also thoughts of thankfulness and how much those of us who made it through the day unharmed were and are blessed to even be talking about it.
Just around the corner, to the left, is camp Canaan — the promised land — a sprawling camp of five thousand and eighty one people who were left homeless by the quake. Canaan is now their home, but one where nothing is promised — not even a cool drink of water. In the days following the quake these people, not knowing where to go, came to this area, owned by the government, and staked out a small piece of land to live on. As you can see, homes consist of tarps or battered tents, donated by the government or the UN. No aid has reached this camp even though it is on the main road to the north and very reachable.
One group installed a container that would hold drinking water, had it filled, and then never came back. It would take about $300 US dollars to fill it, but with so many living there, one tankful would not last long. There are also no “sponsored” schools for the hundreds of school aged children who live in Canaan. The people there who taught in destroyed schools have tried to start two new ones, to give the kids some type of education. But they have no resources to buy school supplies or anything they need to operate one. There is not now, nor has there been any type of health care, even during the cholera peak.
In February, we spent several hours in Canaan talking with camp leaders trying to see what we can do to help. The first need is the water. They have water, but it is not water they can drink. It can be used for watering a garden (which they are in the process of starting) and it can be used for bathing or in the latrines they have built on their own. It would take about $1000 US dollars to get enough good water delivered to the area, giving each one a supply, then have enough left over for refilling the tank a couple of times. Of course we will have to maintain it once we start, but we feel that would happen.
We can use the existing “schools” to start the others, but it will cost us approximately $2500 to buy all the supplies we need to start them, build benches because now the kids are sitting on the ground and then buy books for the teachers to use. Having more would allow us to expand them allowing more children to attend.
And then there is the immediate need for medical care for everyone. We have always said you don’t see kids in Haiti that look like the ones you see in pictures from some countries in Africa. But here you do. These children and adults alike are starving to death. We must find some way to get a feeding program started here. The problem with any of this is the number of people we would be dealing with at one time and in one place.
We ask that all of you who read this please pray about these things and pray that God will provide a way for us to help the people in Canaan.
Our normal programs are operating as usual, but funds received from the time after the quake are rapidly running out and we hope to not get to the point we have to start turning people away. So we are going to ask you to pray about that need as well.
It is so very hard to visit any of these areas, such as Canaan, and wonder why no aid has ever reached them — why nothing has ever been done to help, knowing the amount of money that was given to some organizations that said they would help. The people there wonder the same things.
In our talks with them, we told them we could not promise them anything, but we will promise to try. And really that’s all anyone can do. The quote from last month’s letter comes to mind, “If there is anything you can do in a bad situation, you should at least try”.
We are always very grateful for all and anything you do to help in Haiti. What you have done has made a difference and you have been making a difference for years. The situation we face today is one we would never have dreamed and at times, to be honest, seems overwhelming. Just the number of people in need makes it that way.
As always, thank you for your prayers, your giving and for caring.
Serving HIM together,
Steve and Terry
