Children & Families Global Development Fund, Inc.

    I was excited about going to  Haiti on January 3rd and to visit Petit-Goâve for the first time.  I am eager to go back, this time for a purpose:  to contribute to improving the life of those less fortunate than I. 

   I will share with you what I saw in Petit-Goâve, which is what is seen in any town or city of Haiti  — the good and the bad.  I call Haiti “La Belle et la Bête” (“Beauty and the Beast”) — a lot of beautiful places to see and a lot of things happening to make you think, act or react.

     Why Petit-Goâve?  For a while I have been wishing to be involved in helping Haiti.  Having no family there, it was difficult to decide where to help.  A simple call to Madame Emmanuella Osselin, the Deputy Mayor of Petit-Goâve, whom I had met some six months before the four devastating hurricanes of last summer,  helped me decide to go  there  for some sort of a fact-finding mission and decide whether that would be the place.  I found out that Petit-Goâve has a  lot of needs.

    How dit it happen?  A friend of mine, Régine Laforêst Shariff, called to ask how she could help the victims of the hurricanes.  I directed her to the different activities of which I was aware.   I also told her of my intentions for a long-term commitment to the project, not just immediate relief.  Régine chose to join me. She enlisted the help of two associations to which she belongs at her place of work, John Hopkins University, Baltimore Campus.  She recruited the help of some students  who collected medical and school supplies, food and toys and they decided to travel with me.  We traveled under the name “Project Petit-Goâve” (PG).

    Petit-Goâve is a town 40 miles south-west of Port-au-Prince, with a population of roughly 100,000.  It is easily accessible, about one hour and a half to two hours from Port-au-Prince.  There is a strong Catholic presence in Petit-Goâve.  It  is  clean and reflects a sense of tight community where most people know each other and are concerned for each other. 

    I want to put my visit to Petit-Goâve in the context of my whole trip, because some of the places I visited shaped my vision for assisting with moving PG forward.

    Surprisingly, the height of my trip was in Cité Soleil which I was visiting for the first time, with some apprehension, of course.  But, as I got out of the car to cross the street before entering the well protected , gated yard of    “L’école Sainte Louise de Marillac,” my impression was no different than if I were in any other street.  The visit was arranged by the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Barney Auza who travelled with us most of the time.  Needless to say that we had no fear travelling around.   L’Ecole Sainte Louise de Marillac  is  managed by the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul.

     As I was leaving the school, the Program Coordinator, Sister Louisimise Lorgéat handed a letter to me, part of which I will share with you:  “...We take the opportunity to request your help in obtaining a sound system, if possible, for the occasion of the anniversary of our Patron “Sainte Louise de Marillac” March 15, 2009.”  On a yearly basis the school organizes four major days of recreational activities:  Christmas, the carnival and the anniversaries of St. Vincent and St. Louise de Marillac.  It is an occasion to develop the talents of the children.  The sound system will cost roughly $5,100.00 US.  Attached to the letter is a description of the items needed, including speakers, mixer, micro airwave, rca cord, etc.   I think they deserve it.  Would you help me grant their wish by making a contribution to the short-term goals of my charitable organization?

    For the first time in my life I felt like being a little kid again so I could go to that school.  I could spend my whole life there.  It is well organized , clean.  Despite the high number of children, about  700, it has a family atmosphere.

     L’Ecole Sainte Louise de Marillac  is rich in programs for the mothers:  sewing, embroidering, parenting classes and social activities.  There is a nursery for the babies to be taken care of while the mothers are engaged in the programs.  I would love to see this opportunity available to all children of Haiti.  Can you help make this wish a reality by contributing to a school in Petit-Goâve ?

     One sad note.  While the group was visiting l’ Ecole Sainte Louise de Marillac, a little girl got a call in the office to learn that her mother had just passed away.  I have never seen such deep pain on a child’s face.  Here she is being comforted by Sister Louisimise.  I learned that her family situation is not that good  with an unemployed father, living with her grandmother and siblings.  

   If you are interested in making her days brighter during this time of  sorrow, send me an e-mail with your telephone number and I will call to share her story with you.

   Not everything was as rosy as at L’Ecole Sainte Louise de Marillac.  I saw the bad too.  In Port-au-Prince, on the road to PG I saw people literally living in the mud.  I saw little kids standing aimlessly in places where I would not let my dog, Cecile, stand.

  There are people helping but , if I may say, in most instances the help is less than basic.  It may consist of a roof to sleep under and possibly one meal a day.  A typical example is the municipal hospice.  While it has a capacity of 60,  because of lack of resources and staff it is limited to 30.  The elderly and the sick that could use the place to stay are constantly being denied access because of this lack of resources and  staff.  Only two women volunteers come every day to insure that the residents have a meal.  There is no one to help with hygiene:  mattresses are thrown away every six months or so.  There is no  one to clean the place.  It  is worse than a dumpster.  The residents are left to themselves, some are bed ridden.  There is no medical care in the proximity.  They are left to die whenever “Mr. Death” decides to take them.  This is unacceptable.  But for these people it is better than nothing.  Imagine yourself as an older person, sitting all day in front of your “dirty cage” door, dragging yourself to a darker corner at night to sleep as this elderly woman!

   I have decided that this residence needs my emergency attention.

   A youth-elderly adoption program would be beneficial to both these populations.  Young people in the community would develop a sense of responsibility and citizenship by being involved in implementing a program of renovation and maintenance of the hospice.  They would help with cleaning and caring for the elderly and provide them with some emotional care.  As a result, the elderly will gain some human dignity in poverty and the youth will gain a sense of accomplishment, usefulness and motivation. 

   Can you help change the living condition of the sick and elderly at the Petit-Goâve hospice and help with youth development by making a contribution to the emergency and long-term goals of my charitable organization? 

   My purpose is to facilitate and improve services and contribute to human development so that they can become more or less independent and self-reliant.  During the visit to Petit-Goâve we met with a number of heads of the local organizations. 

   I do not intend to replace these organizations, but rather to help in their development through resources and organizational development.  It was obvious that there are quite a few very small organizations attempting to bring relief to the needy  in Petit-Goâve.  Unfortunately some of them are functioning at the level of wishful-thinking and sharing their own personal meager resources.  There is a lot of duplication, no coordination and limited organizational skills, even of knowledge of the services being provided.  Through planning for long-term goals and objectives, however, we hope to bring the hospice and the schools of PG to the level of l’EcoleSainte Louise de Marillac

  The participants at one meeting indicated that they would be willing to get training and collaborate so that they could provide services based on their strength. Thus, they would avoid undue duplication, improve the services through resource sharing.  This would be a step to reaching the long-term goals and objectives of the Children and Families Global Development, Inc. 

  Would  you help support my long-term  goals by making a contribution to my charitable organization, the Children and Families Global Development, Inc. (CFGDF).

  The trip participants in the above picture, Precious Fortes, in the front and  from left to right Ashley Jaramillo, Lise Anne Bonhomme (her mom Micheline travelled with us to insure her safefy), Sylvia Moten, Regine Laforest Shariff, (Lola Poisson) Amethyst Auza (niece of the Nuncio Barney Auza pictured with the group) and I worked well together to make this trip a success.

  The Nuncio, Archbishop Auza was very involved and helpful during the trip.  He travelled around with us, opened doors for us, made sure we did not have to spend on food and transportation.  But I am most grateful to him for the visit to l’Ecole Sainte Louise de Marillac.

  The group wants to thank the following people/organizations that made this trip possible and/or contributed to the donations:

  First and foremost, the group is thankful to the Nuncio, Archbishop Barney Auza, for his tireless presence at all of the activities and for ensuring our safety, transportation and delicious meals. We are also thankful to his house and security staff.

  Father Miguel Auguste, of New York for letting us use his family’s beautiful home.  We are thankful to the residents of the house, particularly “Fito” for being there for us.

  Madame Emmanuella Osselin for organizing the different meetings, patiently spending time with us at the Ministry of the Interior to make sure our shipment was delivered and distributed to the hospital, the hospice and the families who needed it the most.

  Thanks to Johns Hopkins University’s Caribbean Cultural Society and the Black Faculty and Staff Association sponsorship, and the hospital itself, Project Petit-Goâve received generous donations of medical and other supplies that the group distributed in Haiti.  Sincere thanks are extended to the  Housing and Dining Staff for helping collect and box the donated items and for designing the t-shirts worn by the group.

  We are most grateful to Mr. Pinchinat Pierre-Louis of the Department of Interior, who made sure we received all of the  boxes of items from Customs. We also thank his assistants Ms. Marie Lita Descolines and Jphosiane Vil who work under the most difficult conditions.

  Dr. Jean Monice and Ms. Brunine David of Friends of Petit-Goâve in Miami and their  representatives in Haiti, provided much insight into the needs, the existing programs and on how we can contribute to the development of Petit-Goave. 

  Sylvia Moten of Jamaica, an employee of American Airlines helped us get a generous discount from her FEDEX relationship as an American Airlines crew member.

  Project Petit-Goâve wants to thank all the members of the Archdiocese of Petit-Goâve/Miragoâne et Nippes, especially, Mgr.  Dumas, Father Brunache and Father Boniface.

   Last, but not least, Project Petit-Goâve wants to thank Rachel Anderson of  FEDEX for helping obtain a considerable discount in shipping the donated items to Haiti.

  The next trip of the group will be in June.  The date and format will be decided soon and will be provided to you upon request.   If you are interested in participating, please send an e-mail with questions, suggestions and availability at: cfgdfund@yahoo.com

Lola Poisson & Régine Sharriff

Co-coordinators 

Project Petit-Goâve

We had fun too!

A ride to the airport     on a tap-tap

 Chatting while sewing with the ladies

     Régine having fun        with the kids

 Thanking Mr. Pierre-Louis for releasing our shipment of supplies

 Feeling "in" the crowd

Socializing with the boys

 Encouraging the girls to show their stuff!