Hurricane Matthew: One Year Reflections

A year ago, category 4 Hurricane Matthew slammed the southern peninsula of Haiti. The eye of the storm was just miles from Pwoje Espwa. 

The roof of the secondary school strewn all over the ground.

The storm's strength was so powerful, it uprooted huge trees on our compound.

One of the boys' homes after the storm.

All roofs in the boys' village were completely destroyed.

While all children and staff were physically safe, the storm severely wounded spirits. As we looked around and saw the damage done to our own compound, worry for families and friends grew - many of these people lived directly on the coast in structurally unsound homes and without access to weather warnings.

Pwoje Espwa continues to rebuild a year out from the storm. Structurally, we have repaired and are in the midst of constructing hurricane proof domes to ensure children and house mothers' safety in these kinds of violent storms. We also work on the rebuilding of our spirits, remembering how blessed we are to have one another especially in times of tragedy. 

As we reflect on this event, we cannot forget YOU. You - our donors and supporters - are the reason why Pwoje Espwa is able to continue forward. The support that we received after Hurricane Matthew was unfathomable and was a reminder of just how far our family stretches. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Pwoje Espwa is here because of your unwavering generosity and love. 

As always, we remember - Kote gen lespwa, gen lavi. Where there is hope, there is life.