How can you pray for HCM?
How can you pray for HCM? We believe in the power of prayer, so we want to give you a few specific ways that you can be praying for HCM and Haiti this month: 1. Continue to pray for the border crisis and the Haitian people living in the DR. 2. Pray for the Dominican and Haitian families that have grown close to these refugees and are offering assistance and standing up for justice. 3. Pray for rain to bring relief from the drought. In the southeast mountains, people are suffering from dehydration. 4. Pray for HCM to reach new heights during the next phase of our leadership and medical training. 5. Pray for strength and courage for the staff in Haiti to keep up with God's work.
Restoring Dignity and Inspiring Change We would like to introduce you to our newest partner organization: Beljoy. The vision of Beljoy is to provide honest and respectable work for women in Haiti through the production of Haitian-made jewelry. Beljoy is stationed at Haitian Christian Mission and offers sustainable, well-paying jobs to women in FondsParisien.
Abby Clevenger, a jewelry designer and stylist in Joplin, Missouri, founded Beljoy with the vision of strengthening Haitian women and giving them an opportunity to provide for their famlies. She has taught the women to create quality jewelry using locally sourced materials.
Marcillia, 34 years old, working to
Abby Clevenger, founder of Beljoy,
create quality, fashionable jewewlry.
in Fonds-Parisien, Haiti. Beljoy uses local materials such as clay beads, horn, and wood to create unique necklaces and bracelets. These fashionable, quality pieces are all hand-made by the Haitian women of Fonds-Parisien. Visit Beljoy's website today to check out their products, read their story, and order your own piece of Beljoy jewelry. Follow Beljoy on Facebook and Instagram!
Updates from the Migrant Camp By: Laura Nott Each day, more refugees cross into Haiti and enter migrant camps and more needs arise. Our workers, partners, and visiting teams are working hard to assist in any way they can. The camp where HCM has been working is just 10 minutes up the road from our main campus. It is located in the village of
Fonds Baillard near Malpasse, one of the four major border crossings. An estimated 160 people are currently living in the camp, though this number fluctuates daily as more migrants enter and some move on. The camp is being run by Pastor Saintilus and his wife with help from local Haitian churches and organizations including HCM, COHI, Labor of Love, WHO, Doctors without Borders, Food for the Poor, Foundation for Peace, and others. American teams on the ground this last month have been the biggest contributors, with individuals often providing the money for HCM's weekly food delivery, healthcare, baby supplies, feminine hygiene kits, transportation and
living costs to return to hometowns, etc., an estimated $600-$800 a week. Migrants who need medical care walk to the HCM clinic or, in the case of an emergency, are picked up by the HCM ambulance. Food, water, shelter, shoes, and clothing are some of the basic needs at the camp. In addition, security is a huge concern. Flashlights for night safety and a security guard are among the top priorities. Privacy for changing and bathing is also a large issue. The camp has a major need for latrines (outhouses), as there is currently only one completed, and washing stations. Please pray that HCM and COHI can work together and get the funding to provide for the camps, build facilities, and offer spiritual encouragement. Pray for encouragement, support, and respite for Pastor Saintilus and his wife. A roof on their church would be a big answer to a longstanding prayer request.
Jusna's Story: Deportation Separates Family On July 6, 2015, Jusna Milian, 15 years old, was in her home in Batey Balahona, Dominican Republic. She was taking care of her 12-year-old sister, Serlande Milan, and her niece, Naika Louis, who is just 2 years old, when the police took them from their home and sent them to the border. Now Jusna is responsible for her sister and her niece. The girls' parents are still in Santo Domingo and don’t know where the young girls are. Jusna, Serlande, and
Naika are now staying in the refugee camp near Fonds-Parisien and they hope that they will be able to meet up with their parents or relatives here.
The team from Kingsway Christian Church bagging rice to deliver to the migrant camp.
Food Distribution Rice is purchased in bulk, bagged into portions by the visiting teams, then delivered to the migrants living in the refugee camps and the villages nearby suffering from drought. Other relief goods include water, poultry, baby formula, and vitamins. HCM delivers food to the camp once a week with the help of visiting teams.
When a bag of rice spilled, children gathered to help pick each grain out of the dust.
Each week, HCM brings in bags of rice for the new migrants. Betty collects the names of the new families or individuals and calls each one up to collect their bag.
Pastor Saintilus and his wife These two have been a God-send for the people living in the migrant camp they manage in Fonds Baillard. Many of the women surveyed in the COHI assessment mentioned that Pastor Saintilus stays up at night to guard the camp and protect the women from violence. This past week, when a young woman had a miscarriage, Pastor Saintilus offered her a bed in his tent-house. Carmen from COHI and Beverly from HCM visited and prayed with her there.
Migrant Needs Assessment By Laura Nott On July 6, Carmen of Circle of Heath International (COHI) headed a migrant needs assessment at the refugee camp with the help of four HCM leaders and translators. COHI's focus is on women and infant care. They surveyed 50 women in the camp, averaging 29 years of age. Over half of these women were working before they were deported from the Dominican Republic, but most have no source of income or must rely on savings and only 11 are currently married. Twenty of the women surveyed have children living with them in the camp while another 20 have children living apart from them. Nine of the 50 women reported being pregnant and 14 breastfeeding. The team asked these women about the conditions of life at the camp, and their responses reflect huge needs:
72% have no light source at night 54% have no one to guard their personal space at night 50% have no access to hygiene products 94% do not have privacy when bathing 68% do not have privacy when using the restroom 68% do not have water to wash clothes Only 34% said they had easy access to medical care 12% said there is definitely violence against women and girls at this camp while 8% said maybe
When asked what their biggest challenge was living at the camp, the most common answers included not being able to sleep, not eating well, not having good water access, not having sufficient clothing, and not having a place to go to or any family they could go to in Haiti. From the assessment, COHI and HCM have proposed purchasing 200 tents and 150 light sources; establishing a feeding program for children under the age of five, pregnant women, and nursing mothers; supplying 35 packages of feminine hygiene products; and providing counseling for the migrant population and those caring for them.
After interviewing the people at the camp, a majority of the refugees would like to go live with their family living in Haiti; however, since the DR authorities dropped them at the border without giving them a chance to bring any of their resources or funding, they worry about becoming a burden to their families.
"If I return home, my family is expecting me to bring back resources to help them," explained a young woman at the camp. "They are in the same situation; they are as poor as me."
Imagine living in a barren camp with 150 strangers with little food, no shelter, no privacy, nowhere to go, and no family or friends to turn to. Help us change this. Help us help them. Share this story with those you know. Collect a special offering at church. Pray. Pray for those struggling. Pray for those assisting. Pray that God can use this situation to show His power, His love, His compassion, His healing, and His grace. Thank you for your support and prayers!
A team of people from HCM and COHI conducting a migrant needs assessment to better understand how we can help those entering Haiti from the DR.
Donate to the Border Relief Fund
Days for Girls Giving back days they've lost By: Beverly Ward, HCM on-site volunteer In Washington state, a group of women are making a difference in the lives of girls.The women of Pasco Christian Church, under the leadership of Colleen Blundon and Robbie Strand are participating in the program "Days for Girls".The goal is to give back days to girls that miss school due to menstrual cycles.
The women joined together to sew beautiful bags to be filled as feminine hygiene kits. Colleen Blundon, Julie and Jill Hummel, and Hazel Elliot then traveled to HCM's FondsParisien campus to give them out. In the mountain villages of Fond Cheval and Betrand, girls and mothers gathered to be taught value, self respect, and reproductive information. Smiles broke out as the contents were examined. Each kit contained a washcloth, soap, washable shields, and liners. The girls listened intently as Colleen explained with the help of a translator how use and care for the kit.
Women in Betrand receiving their "Days for Girls" bags
A Land Facing Drought Before the influx of Dominican Republic refugees, eastern Haiti was already suffering from a drought. Many of the mountain villages have no water and no food. Pastor Gerard, the 82-year-old leader of Betrand, hiked an hour and a half to Thoman where he rented a motorcycle and rode the rest of the way to HCM's campus. When he arrived he shared with the HCM staff his village's need for food. The team from Kingsway Christian Church loaded up rice and "Days for Girls" bags into a tap-tap and headed off toward Betrand. When the taptap could go no further, they met up with some members of the village and hiked the rest of the way to Betrand where they passed out the rice and bags and interacted with the villagers.
Kingsway Christian Church at Betrand
Restoring Dignity and Inspiring Change We would like to introduce you to our newest partner organization: Beljoy. The vision of Beljoy is to provide honest and respectable work for women in Haiti through the production of Haitian-made jewelry. Beljoy is stationed at Haitian Christian Mission and offers sustainable, well-paying jobs to women in FondsParisien.
Abby Clevenger, a jewelry designer and stylist in Joplin, Missouri, founded Beljoy with the vision of strengthening Haitian women and giving them an opportunity to provide for their famlies. She has taught the women to create quality jewelry using locally sourced materials.
Marcillia, 34 years old, working to
Abby Clevenger, founder of Beljoy,
create quality, fashionable jewewlry.
in Fonds-Parisien, Haiti. Beljoy uses local materials such as clay beads, horn, and wood to create unique necklaces and bracelets. These fashionable, quality pieces are all hand-made by the Haitian women of Fonds-Parisien. Visit Beljoy's website today to check out their products, read their story, and order your own piece of Beljoy jewelry. Follow Beljoy on Facebook and Instagram!
Updates from the Migrant Camp By: Laura Nott Each day, more refugees cross into Haiti and enter migrant camps and more needs arise. Our workers, partners, and visiting teams are working hard to assist in any way they can. The camp where HCM has been working is just 10 minutes up the road from our main campus. It is located in the village of
Fonds Baillard near Malpasse, one of the four major border crossings. An estimated 160 people are currently living in the camp, though this number fluctuates daily as more migrants enter and some move on. The camp is being run by Pastor Saintilus and his wife with help from local Haitian churches and organizations including HCM, COHI, Labor of Love, WHO, Doctors without Borders, Food for the Poor, Foundation for Peace, and others. American teams on the ground this last month have been the biggest contributors, with individuals often providing the money for HCM's weekly food delivery, healthcare, baby supplies, feminine hygiene kits, transportation and
living costs to return to hometowns, etc., an estimated $600-$800 a week. Migrants who need medical care walk to the HCM clinic or, in the case of an emergency, are picked up by the HCM ambulance. Food, water, shelter, shoes, and clothing are some of the basic needs at the camp. In addition, security is a huge concern. Flashlights for night safety and a security guard are among the top priorities. Privacy for changing and bathing is also a large issue. The camp has a major need for latrines (outhouses), as there is currently only one completed, and washing stations. Please pray that HCM and COHI can work together and get the funding to provide for the camps, build facilities, and offer spiritual encouragement. Pray for encouragement, support, and respite for Pastor Saintilus and his wife. A roof on their church would be a big answer to a longstanding prayer request.
Jusna's Story: Deportation Separates Family On July 6, 2015, Jusna Milian, 15 years old, was in her home in Batey Balahona, Dominican Republic. She was taking care of her 12-year-old sister, Serlande Milan, and her niece, Naika Louis, who is just 2 years old, when the police took them from their home and sent them to the border. Now Jusna is responsible for her sister and her niece. The girls' parents are still in Santo Domingo and don’t know where the young girls are. Jusna, Serlande, and
Naika are now staying in the refugee camp near Fonds-Parisien and they hope that they will be able to meet up with their parents or relatives here.
The team from Kingsway Christian Church bagging rice to deliver to the migrant camp.
Food Distribution Rice is purchased in bulk, bagged into portions by the visiting teams, then delivered to the migrants living in the refugee camps and the villages nearby suffering from drought. Other relief goods include water, poultry, baby formula, and vitamins. HCM delivers food to the camp once a week with the help of visiting teams.
When a bag of rice spilled, children gathered to help pick each grain out of the dust.
Each week, HCM brings in bags of rice for the new migrants. Betty collects the names of the new families or individuals and calls each one up to collect their bag.
Pastor Saintilus and his wife These two have been a God-send for the people living in the migrant camp they manage in Fonds Baillard. Many of the women surveyed in the COHI assessment mentioned that Pastor Saintilus stays up at night to guard the camp and protect the women from violence. This past week, when a young woman had a miscarriage, Pastor Saintilus offered her a bed in his tent-house. Carmen from COHI and Beverly from HCM visited and prayed with her there.
Migrant Needs Assessment By Laura Nott On July 6, Carmen of Circle of Heath International (COHI) headed a migrant needs assessment at the refugee camp with the help of four HCM leaders and translators. COHI's focus is on women and infant care. They surveyed 50 women in the camp, averaging 29 years of age. Over half of these women were working before they were deported from the Dominican Republic, but most have no source of income or must rely on savings and only 11 are currently married. Twenty of the women surveyed have children living with them in the camp while another 20 have children living apart from them. Nine of the 50 women reported being pregnant and 14 breastfeeding. The team asked these women about the conditions of life at the camp, and their responses reflect huge needs:
72% have no light source at night 54% have no one to guard their personal space at night 50% have no access to hygiene products 94% do not have privacy when bathing 68% do not have privacy when using the restroom 68% do not have water to wash clothes Only 34% said they had easy access to medical care 12% said there is definitely violence against women and girls at this camp while 8% said maybe
When asked what their biggest challenge was living at the camp, the most common answers included not being able to sleep, not eating well, not having good water access, not having sufficient clothing, and not having a place to go to or any family they could go to in Haiti. From the assessment, COHI and HCM have proposed purchasing 200 tents and 150 light sources; establishing a feeding program for children under the age of five, pregnant women, and nursing mothers; supplying 35 packages of feminine hygiene products; and providing counseling for the migrant population and those caring for them.
After interviewing the people at the camp, a majority of the refugees would like to go live with their family living in Haiti; however, since the DR authorities dropped them at the border without giving them a chance to bring any of their resources or funding, they worry about becoming a burden to their families.
"If I return home, my family is expecting me to bring back resources to help them," explained a young woman at the camp. "They are in the same situation; they are as poor as me."
Imagine living in a barren camp with 150 strangers with little food, no shelter, no privacy, nowhere to go, and no family or friends to turn to. Help us change this. Help us help them. Share this story with those you know. Collect a special offering at church. Pray. Pray for those struggling. Pray for those assisting. Pray that God can use this situation to show His power, His love, His compassion, His healing, and His grace. Thank you for your support and prayers!
A team of people from HCM and COHI conducting a migrant needs assessment to better understand how we can help those entering Haiti from the DR.
Donate to the Border Relief Fund
Days for Girls Giving back days they've lost By: Beverly Ward, HCM on-site volunteer In Washington state, a group of women are making a difference in the lives of girls.The women of Pasco Christian Church, under the leadership of Colleen Blundon and Robbie Strand are participating in the program "Days for Girls".The goal is to give back days to girls that miss school due to menstrual cycles.
The women joined together to sew beautiful bags to be filled as feminine hygiene kits. Colleen Blundon, Julie and Jill Hummel, and Hazel Elliot then traveled to HCM's FondsParisien campus to give them out. In the mountain villages of Fond Cheval and Betrand, girls and mothers gathered to be taught value, self respect, and reproductive information. Smiles broke out as the contents were examined. Each kit contained a washcloth, soap, washable shields, and liners. The girls listened intently as Colleen explained with the help of a translator how use and care for the kit.
Women in Betrand receiving their "Days for Girls" bags
A Land Facing Drought Before the influx of Dominican Republic refugees, eastern Haiti was already suffering from a drought. Many of the mountain villages have no water and no food. Pastor Gerard, the 82-year-old leader of Betrand, hiked an hour and a half to Thoman where he rented a motorcycle and rode the rest of the way to HCM's campus. When he arrived he shared with the HCM staff his village's need for food. The team from Kingsway Christian Church loaded up rice and "Days for Girls" bags into a tap-tap and headed off toward Betrand. When the taptap could go no further, they met up with some members of the village and hiked the rest of the way to Betrand where they passed out the rice and bags and interacted with the villagers.
Kingsway Christian Church at Betrand
