Housing and Construction Project

So often when working with the incredible students of SOPUDEP and CESAH, it is easy to focus just on the kids when they walk through the gates at school, but these kids are a product of a family, somewhere in Port au Prince, that is struggling not only to send their children to school but just to keep themselves afloat. A month ago, Rea approached me explaining that she really wanted to set aside some money to support 5 of the women that work at CESAH and have children at SOPUDEP, CESAH, and even some children at the SOPU-Orphanage.

I began interviewing these women: Claudemine, Marlene, Manita, Marie Gina, and Robenta, to get more of a background on what they are going through and what state their homes are in. Hearing from them about the living conditions that not only they have to endure, but their children as well, convinced me beyond doubt that this project would be worth while not only to benefit 5 of our hard working employees at CESAH that make every day operations possible, but to improve, even if only ever so slightly, the living situation of several of our students.

Manita Nestor is 40 and has 4 children, one of which is the adorable Christina who lives at SOPU-Orphanage. Because she only has enough money to send her kids to school every other year, or every two years or so, her oldest is in 9th grade at 20 years. But still, he has big dreams to study medicine and one day become a doctor. All 5 of them living at her house share one mattress. Their roof is a collection of metal pieces layed together and held in place with large rocks, so when it rains, everything comes through the roof. On nights it rains, they all curl into one corner and don't sleep for the night, and the next day bring out all of their belongings to dry.

Most of the women explained to me situations like this and much worse. Caludemie has 10 kids (one of which is Estherline from SOPU-Orphanage) and not only supports them but her unemployed husband. Their home doesn't have a front door so anyone can come and go as they please.

We sat down with the women one day as Rea explained, "We know that you have a million and one problems. Rather than just give you money that will have to be used within a matter of days to spread from one project to another, we wanted to give you the supplies to fix one of your biggest problems: your home." Based upon different needs, supplies were bought to improve each of the women's houses. This included: cinderblocks, cement, rebar, roofing, sand, gravel, and so much more.

With $1,850 in donations from Students for Haiti Solidarity at UCLA, our incredible Haiti Solidarity donors, and personal donations from myself, we were able to purchase supplies for:

• Claudemine: A toilet, fixed walling (previously just had cinderblocks with minimal cement holding structure together), and cement flooring

• Marlene: A toilet

• Manita: Roofing, cement flooring

• Marie Gina: A toilet, cement flooring

• Robenta : Roofing

Being able to significantly improve these women's home situation and that of their children is the best outcome we could have hoped for. As always there is ALWAYS more that can be done, so if you are moved by this and would like to contribute to further improvements (Claudemine still needs a door and Marlene needs new roofing) please donate here, with the comment "Housing Project".

So much love to our amazing donors back home that made this possible!