Urgent Breaking News: Earthquake

Earthquake devastation

The massive earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, hit just 10 miles from Port-au-Prince where SFH supports a school (College Jean Rigaud Antoine) and an orphanage (Kingdom Kids Orphanage).  International news media have carried the story in detail but many are anxious about the fate of SFH’s projects and the children we support.

We are happy to say that neither the orphanage nor the school had any serious damage and no one involved with either work is known to be hurt. The children in the orphanage have been staying outside in case there are more aftershocks that cause further damage.  The fate of many of the children who attended the school, over 100 of whom are supported by SFH sponsors, is unknown.  We are aware of some who are fine, but we don’t know about all.

An initial assessment of the effects of the earthquake follows:

• The one injury that we are aware of is to our medical school student, Georges Dorilien. He suffered a broken arm and leg. While those injuries are considered routine under the best of conditions, they can be very dangerous with the medical care situation that now exists in Haiti.
• Two of the three water cisterns at the orphanage are broken and cannot hold water. We are sending money down to repair or replace them as soon as possible.
• About 10,000 people who live in the vicinity of the school and orphanage are looking to Pastor Rigaud and SFH for help. We will attempt to reach out to all those in need if at all possible. We need your help to do so.
• One bright spot: Because of the conditions for the orphans in Haiti, officials are expediting the adoption process in some cases. As a result, four of the orphans at KKO have already arrived at their new permanent homes in the U.S!

In a place where access to clean water, food, and health care are limited and tenuous at best, this disaster has proven to be devastating.  And it comes just 18 months after a series of destructive hurricanes last year.

Please be in prayer for our friends in Haiti.  Servants for Haiti has already had a small team at work there, delivering money, food, and other supplies.

If you are interested in sending emergency funds to help, you can contact us at info@servantsforhaiti.org or send a check designated for earthquake relief to:

Servants for Haiti

P.O. Box 1214
Westford, MA 01886

Finally, if you are interested in possibly adopting one of the children currently living at the orphanage, we can send you some helpful information if you contact us at info@servantsforhaiti.org .

Thank you for your concern and any help you can give.

Many Haitians are living in tents and will be for a long time.