Every December, on La Gonave Island off the coast of Haiti, Association du Secours aux Handicapés et Orphelins (ASHOG) organizes a program for children, the disabled, and the poor and elderly generally. This program provides food and Christmas gifts which may include toys or clothing and shoes for about 300 - 500 people in need. The program won’t work without sponsorship, however. The man who started this program; Jean Rony Toussaint, invited me to sponsor it this year, and I accepted, possibly as a precursor to visiting La Gonave Island myself next year as part of an ongoing assistance project.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. La Gonave Island (or Ile de la Gonave) lies off its west coast, a substantial tract of land (roughly 850 sq. kms.) with a population of between 100,000 and 120,000. The number of Haitians living on the island increased substantially in 2011 after the earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince, the capitol city.
Haiti has a troubled history of corrupt, incompetent leadership, and the last few decades have resulted in the deforestation of La Gonave Island, loss of vegetation, and severe soil erosion which has harmed agriculture. The soil cannot hold rainwater, and wells are few and far between. Hunger is common, with most people having only one meal a day, often without much nutrition. Unemployment is high. There is little industry on the island, some farming, some fishing, but most people survive on very little. There is a hospital in Port-au-Prince but none on the island itself, and most people cannot afford transportation or medical care even if they are suffering with debilitating illnesses. One doctor serves the entire island.
I’m new to fundraising, but there are several things I can’t get out of my mind. These folks are struggling. Who is going to help them, if others do not get involved? While I’m not a Biblical scholar, I am a Christian. Are we not commanded by God to care for others, including strangers? By taking action now, we are helping others build better lives, and in the long term helping them build a better future for themselves and their posterity.
All contributions will be gratefully acknowledged, with thanks, along with a full accounting of the good we were able to use the money to do.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. La Gonave Island (or Ile de la Gonave) lies off its west coast, a substantial tract of land (roughly 850 sq. kms.) with a population of between 100,000 and 120,000. The number of Haitians living on the island increased substantially in 2011 after the earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince, the capitol city.
Haiti has a troubled history of corrupt, incompetent leadership, and the last few decades have resulted in the deforestation of La Gonave Island, loss of vegetation, and severe soil erosion which has harmed agriculture. The soil cannot hold rainwater, and wells are few and far between. Hunger is common, with most people having only one meal a day, often without much nutrition. Unemployment is high. There is little industry on the island, some farming, some fishing, but most people survive on very little. There is a hospital in Port-au-Prince but none on the island itself, and most people cannot afford transportation or medical care even if they are suffering with debilitating illnesses. One doctor serves the entire island.
I’m new to fundraising, but there are several things I can’t get out of my mind. These folks are struggling. Who is going to help them, if others do not get involved? While I’m not a Biblical scholar, I am a Christian. Are we not commanded by God to care for others, including strangers? By taking action now, we are helping others build better lives, and in the long term helping them build a better future for themselves and their posterity.
All contributions will be gratefully acknowledged, with thanks, along with a full accounting of the good we were able to use the money to do.