This story was originally written in June 2022. An update is included at the end of the post.
Things have never been easy in Haiti, and Child Hope is no stranger to overcoming adversity, but lately, things seem even more difficult than usual.
Staggering inflation, food and fuel shortages, and the increasing threat of violence are just a few of the daily realities of life in Haiti. Here’s a quick example of how far our team is willing to go to reunite the children in our care with their families.
We recently discovered that four of the children in the orphanage have families with the potential to provide safe, loving homes for them in the town of Jeremie – about 200 miles west of Port Au Prince.
Before reuniting the children with their families, our team needed to visit Jeremie to ensure the homes, schools, medical clinics, and other community resources were adequate to support the children.
Unfortunately, there is nothing simple or easy about a trip to Jeremie.
The roads are not safe. Gangs control the only routes out of Port au Prince, so our staff needed to fly. After making plans, there was another delay – fuel was unavailable, and flights were canceled.
Even in the face of roadblocks around every corner, Child Hope is unwavering in our commitment to see children from orphanages placed back into loving families.
Our staff is not easily deterred. They were eventually able to make the trip. They were very encouraged by what they found! All four children have a promising path to family reunification.
Jesus told his disciples he would not leave them as orphans (John 14:18).
The work of Child Hope has never been easy, but we’re not leaving. We’re not backing down from this crisis. Even in the face of so much uncertainty, we’re boldly marching forward.
***************Update***************
In August 2022 we were able to safely place the four children in the homes of their families! We continue to monitor the placements and provide extra support as needed.