Rebuilding Haiti: 2 Years Later

It’s been two years since Haiti was shaken by the strongest earthquake the region has sustained in the past 200 years.

Already considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti was left in utter ruin after the quake, literally collapsing from the inside out. Even today, the national palace is entrenched in rubble, as a vast majority of the earthquake debris has yet to be touched, let alone removed.

I remember being there, only a few days after the earthquake, witnessing some of the most unbelievable sights I’ve seen in my lifetime: Children wandering in the streets in front of the collapsed rubble of their homes, while masses of survivors crammed into tent cities, carrying with them a few meager provisions and the sorrow of lost loved ones.

Since these desperate moments right after the quake, World Help has responded quickly and strategically, sending nearly $27 million of humanitarian aid which included food, bottled water, medical supplies, baby diapers, tents and emergency shelters, as well as wheelbarrows and tool kits to remove the rubble.

These life-saving supplies served the needs of over 1.7 million Haitians, a large portion of which were children. Last month, when I met with the President of Haiti, Michel Martelly, he personally thanked World Help for the impact we’ve made in his country since the earthquake.

Of the thousands of Nonprofit Government Organizations (NGO) and government aid programs that arrived on the scene in Haiti two years ago, very few remain active in rebuilding a nation that still lies in the wake of such overwhelming devastation.

World Help is not one of them. In the past two years, we have worked tirelessly to form new connections and partnerships with some of the most passionate and innovative people that currently work in Haiti.

One of these partners is my dear friend Danita Estrella. Operating one of the finest children’s homes and schools in Haiti, Hope for Haiti Children’s Center, Danita has personally rescued hundreds of children from the streets, both before and after the earthquake.

With her help, we are working hard to build a first-class medical clinic to serve the needs of these remarkable children and to provide the area with some of the only medical care available for miles. As we speak, a state-of-the-art cistern and water filtration system is being constructed to provide clean, safe drinking water for the campus. This improvement alone will save the lives of hundreds from water-related illnesses and other preventable diseases.

We know that in order to help Haiti rebuild, we must start with meeting the needs of her children. The future of Haiti depends on this! Handouts are never enough . . . we must invest in long-term solutions in order for true physical and spiritual restoration to take place.

That’s why I’m asking you to partner with me in this new phase of rebuilding Haiti through sponsoring a child from Hope for Haiti Children’s Center.

For only $30 a month, you can ensure that a child receives food, education, medical care, and the opportunity to know Christ for the very first time. What an investment!

Sponsorship is one of the most practical, holistic ways you can make a true and lasting difference in the life of a child.

Start your sponsorship journey today!

I’ve personally been a sponsor of several children throughout the years and have experienced firsthand the joy it brings  to receive periodic photos and updates on each one of them.

I can’t think of a better way to start the New Year than to commit ourselves to caring for Haiti’s next generation.