School Charity

The money has been spent on many different aspects to support the charity’s work in Haiti, and the Maison de Benediction in particular.

We have funded refurbishment of buildings, bought incubators and are currently raising money to buy a much needed truck to replace the very elderly one they currently use. We have also sent our very own Miss Luker to Haiti to see where our money has been spent. She travelled with members of St Paul’s church including one of our governors, Claudia Huwendiek. They were able to get involved in some of the day to day activities of the centre during the two weeks there.

Claudia Huwendiek:

We left Kingston on Friday morning and arrived in Cap-Haitien on Saturday afternoon, after a night in Miami. Sunday was a visit to the citadel, which is the only sight in northern Haiti. To get there you still have to walk up a steep hill in 30C heat. Monday, the work in the Maison and hospital truly started. Over the next week we: 

• cleared out 2 store rooms, where we encountered a rat

• cleaned the pool in the Maison and made a pool cover

• improved internet connection for the admin staff, so they can call abroad better

• painted 1 store room and added a door

• moved Miss Nancy's office into the newly painted store room

• painted the old office, ready to be used as a class room

• cleared and cleaning the garden

• demolished a concrete pillar in the rehab garden

• repaired the sensory path and shade area

• Miss Luker gave English lessons in the chapel each afternoon

• Mrs Bell and Mrs Coupland joined the hospital pastor on his round visiting patients and families, supporting them and praying for them

• engaged the children in arts, crafts and play activities each afternoon

• painted a wall and the windows in the common room, back in the volunteer village

• packed over 300 home birthing kits to be used by traditional birth assistants

• ran errands in town, when the van broke down and had to be jump started by the ambulance

Thanks to your fundraising we were able to pay for any materials needed as well as a fridge and new cooker for the Maison kitchen. We had each packed additional 6-7kg in our luggage: arts and craft materials, lots of foam stickers, shelving unit, medical equipment, soap - even flour and salt to make play dough!