European Disaster Volunteers

Before the earthquake, the children of Hands Together to Defend the Children Orphanage were housed comfortably in a large house. The earthquake destroyed the home, as well as the livelihoods of many of the orphanage’s supporters.We’ve spent several months working with the orphanage to secure safe housing, health care, and education.

Project Status:

Launched in September 2010, currently on-going

Goals:

• Improve sanitary conditions surrounding the tents where the children used to live
• Find a safe place for all children to live
• Prevent disease by ending unsanitary conditions and providing health checks for the children
• Get all children back in school

Outcomes:

• Sanitation and health improved while children were living in tents
• Housing issue solved in the medium-term with a two-year lease signed and paid
• Small school opened at the orphanage, providing classes for all the children
• All of the children given health care and health education as part of our health education project
• Improved play spaces at the new house
• Art Programme launched for the older children

Full Description:

After the earthquake, the directors at Hands Together to Defend the Children Orphanage found themselves with 47 young children living in one tent and one small room. They were afflicted by constant flooding, and the health of everyone involved - especially the younger children - suffered.

As soon as we became aware of the situation, we started working with the orphanage directors to relieve the flooding that was affecting their living space, thereby reducing health risks. While this was a big improvement, it was not a long term solution, so we began fundraising for a new house where the kids could live safely.

Now, after several months of planning and fundraising, the kids and staff have moved into their new home and are attending school in free classes on the orphanage’s property. These children will be able to live in safety and comfort for the next two years.

Support this project:

With housing secure, we’re hoping we can keep the fundraising momentum going. We'd like to raise money to outfit the house comfortably, cover the children’s education, and provide money to meet each child’s other basic needs, such as medical expenses.

With your help, we can ensure that none of these children ever endure an evening without food, an illness with no doctor, or a week without school again.

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With thanks to:

• International Action for their help securing safe water
• Burners Without Borders for their donation of $3,000
• SFNewTech for their donation of $2,000
• Students for Ayiti for their remarkable fundraising efforts and for providing volunteers for the health checks.
• Project Hope for providing a water filtration system
• The Caribbean Lodge Hotel for their donation of bunk beds and Rebuild Globally for facilitating that donation

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