Vendors

This lady vendor heads home after spending the day hawking her wares.  These vendors sell fresh fruit and vegetables, personal hygiene stuff, clothing or shoes.  They spend the day walking all over and consider themselves lucky to make enough money to buy food for their families' evening meal.  It's a tough life.  One question: who is taking care of her children while she's out and about?

Titid

This is Titid.  He was extremely malnourished when he first came to us but is doing really well these days.  Wish I could say the same for his older brother but, sadly, he has not bounced back from the protein deprivation.

Teens

Charolin

Pierre-Michel

Fery (aka Trey)

Small projects

Above is a human and vegetable waste composting system that has four submerged septic/holding tanks.  This composting project is spearheaded by Terre des Hommes, a Swiss non-profit.  Keep your fingers crossed that this works out as it will produce fantastic fertilizer.  Terre des Hommes needed a place to try out their system and we had land so... 

It was painted chocolate brown.  How appropriate!

Here's a photo of the guard station placed right next to the children's village.  We're waiting on the grilled metal doors and then it will just need paint.

TiJean

TiJean is a neighborhood boy who usually eats with us every day but today he borrowed his uncle's horse and took his bounty home with him. 

TS Irene

They've just announced a tropical storm watch for Haiti.  Tropical storm Irene is heading our way and promises much rain and wind, not good for this deforested country.  Say a prayer that Haiti be spared more tragedy.

Primer for the pharmacy

Mary painting the future pharmacy.

Brook, Jesmari, Bailey and Jaime

Clinic Update

Primer coat of white, water-based paint plus doors (made by our boys) and windows installed on the first phase of our clinic.  Looking good, non?

Food arrives

A container of LifeLine food arrived in Cayes yesterday.  Berthony, Renold, myself, a few security personnel and a bunch of older boys went there to meet the truck and to transfer the food into our old Mack truck.  Once home we unloaded the contents into our warehouse.

A few, curious younger boys watched the unloading and were glad to hear that it was their favorite food.

Espwa staff team

Apart from the children's sport's program, our staff plays other organizations.  We played the Department of Human Services yesterday and won with a score of 3 to 0.  Number 17 in the center is Berthony, our director, surrounded by electricians, agronomists, security personnel, mechanic, masons and one of our older boys, Jean-Robert who was the goalie for half the game.

Visitors from CA

This is a photo of the current group of visitors.  One of them asked me to make sure I posted that the group had safely arrived so that her family would not worry.  Mission accomplished.  Above are:  Mary, Brooke and Bailey Brannon, Jaime Cueto, Jesmari Julian, Sean Goodman, Patricia Butler and Josh Butler-Peck, Teirney Lynch, Clara Kearney and Erika Hoopes.  They were escorted down here by Dee Orlowski who is not in the photo.  That's Mimi, the Guest House cat, on the bottom right.

Biondy

I asked Biondy to take a few photos of some children in our care yesterday afternoon.  His photos follow.

Free time

Michael had surgery two weeks ago and is taking things slowly.  Prognosis: excellent.

Wilfrid Cadet is an aspiring artist.  Here he's putting the finishing touches on a painting of Pwoje Espwa.  Nice work, Wilfrid.

Luinord is entertaining himself with a mini slingshot.  Real slingshots are confiscated as they are way too dangerous.

Free time

Blondy Jean-Claude, a future engineer or architect, caught putting up a small structure in front of his home in the children's village.

Weckson Constant is one of our artists.  Here he is working on a new painting.

Susan and David

 Lemsa pampering Susan in the children's village

Casimir (left) with his new best friend

David and Susan Ely will be leaving us tomorrow after spending a week giving us a hand and looking at the possibility of moving down here and working full time with us.  Susan is an administrator and David is a medic in the Army, an EMT in civilian life and a third year student for his BA in Nursing.  His talent was put to the test last evening when Casimir was brought to the Quad with a soccer injury.  David prepped him and saw him off to town for x-rays and a cast.  Thanks very much, David.

Hope to see more of you!

Cebencio

Thanks to all who responded with info and suggestions.  We'll get x-rays and more details about Cebencio's ability to manipulate his digits and go from there.

Cebencio Congo

This is five year old Cebencio.  His mother brought him here this morning to see what we could do for him.  Look closely at the photos.  Cebencio has two fused fingers on his right hand and three fused fingers on his left.  His father is deceased and his mother does odd jobs for food.  Cebencio has four brothers and sisters.  I have no idea what all is involved to separate the fingers and our Haitian doctor was unable to shed any light on the subject.  Your help is appreciated in finding out more about this condition, the operation and ways to get this done.  Thanks very much.

Clinic Update

 southern side (showing gallery)

Entrance

Work is continuing on the clinic complex.  Some windows and doors are already installed and it is looking very nice.  Our doc and the nurses are really anxious to move in.

Metal Workshop

The metal workshop for the professional school is complete.  It's the building on the right and will be painted this coming week.  The electricity will be turned on so our welders can start working there.  Thanks to friends of the Oblates in western Canada for this terrific addition to our vocational school program.

Guard Station

Here's the new guard station for the children's village.  The large gate will be closed most of the time except for vehicle traffic and everyone will be going through the guard station.  This will allow for better control of who comes in and goes out.

Home at last

Arrived in PaP just four hours late and was met by Berthony, Jhony and Emmanuel.  Headed straight for Les Cayes, slowed down by some occasional torrential rains and flooding, and made it here in just five hours.  A large group of kids met me under the thatched gazebo and welcomed me back with a song and a skit.  What a bunch!
It is GOOD to be home again.

Return

Am waiting at the airport for my flight to PaP. It has been delayed because of tropical storm Emily. The last thing Haiti needs is rain and floods. Say a prayer, please, that the destructive power of Emily be minimal.
Had a successful three weeks in southern California. The folks there are always so generous. The weather was perfect most of the time but the traffic...ugh!
There's much happening so check in often.