Moving day for the families in Haiti we help, is different than here in the US. No moving van pulls up to move furniture and stacks of boxes. Most of our families have very few possessions and no furniture to speak of. With the help of their family and friends, they carry the few possessions they have by walking back and forth between their old and new homes.
When families are welcomed into their new home on moving day, there are items waiting for them. Along with building the home, Hope for Haitians ensures families receive furniture so that their new life of hope and dignity is supported with the basics. A wonderful thing about watching a family move into their Hope for Haitians provided home, is seeing them react to all the positive changes the new home provides. Where they sleep, how they can cook and eat, and basic sanitation like; using a real bathroom instead of the outdoors are all vast improvements over their prior living conditions.
This knowledge helps us understand the importance of this picture of a woman making a bed. This may be the first “real” bed she has ever had. That bed is inside a private room, in a home with sturdy walls, and behind a door that can be secured. That bed is under a waterproof roof so when it rains, she can stay sleeping, no longer having to stand with her children in the corner of her old home avoiding the water leaking through the holes in the roof.
Move-in day is a transformative moment for the families we help. It is the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Secure shelter changes day-to-day life and provides the opportunity for new endeavors. The solar powered light means work and study can continue after dark. A door that locks, provides personal safety and security to begin small enterprises knowing their tools, materials and products can be kept secure. The poured concrete floor offers protection from many types of disease. Diarrhea, a leading killer of children in the developing world, spreads more easily in homes with dirt floors, as well as respiratory and parasitic diseases.
In July of 2022, thirty additional families moved into their new homes. Many hung a curtain to allow for privacy while the front door is open for ventilation. The families: made their beds, set their table, brought their possessions into their new home, and made it a space of their own. With grateful hearts, many residents express their gratitude for God’s providence and the generosity of donors who turned their dream of a secure home into a reality.
A large share of the funds to build these homes, and the 20 more currently under construction, was raised at two events: Evening in the Tropics, held in Rockford, IL, and Bay Lavi, held in Geneva, IL. Join us at the event nearest you to help us continue our work transforming lives, bringing hope and dignity one village at a time.
