The Restavek Freedom Foundation Blog

Reflecting on the year since the earthquake

     From Joan Conn, Executive Director

This coming Wednesday marks the one year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti - a day likely all of us remember, whether we saw it on tv or lived through it in Port-au-Prince. It is painful to revisit those images and we are all remembering friends and family and children we have lost.

As the media come to take stock of what has changed since last January, it is disconcerting to hear the reports that nearly 365 days later there has been little progress.

I want to tell you that there has been progress in Haiti - and you have played a key role in impacting many lives in a positive way. I see progress every day in the faces of our staff who are giving so much of themselves to be creative and smart and tenacious in helping their country find hope. I see it every day in the stories about children who have been living in servitude and who are now increasingly finding joy and freedom despite the chaos around them. Do not lose faith in Haiti. There is progress and there is hope and hope looks like…

• Hope looks like Oscar, who packed his backpack full of food and walked for hours in the mountains to look for children in our Advocacy Program and deliver food to those who needed it.
• Hope looks like Dr. Glaud, who leaves Les Cayes every Friday night and takes a 5-hour bus ride to Carrefour Feuilles to give free medical care to people who line up outside our clinic starting at 4AM.
• Hope looks like five girls moving out of abusive homes and into our Transitional Home and hearing them laugh and play hide and seek after school.
• Hope looks like 426 children in restavek going to school and learning to read and write and 130 adult women also learning to write their names for the first time through our literacy program.
• Hope looks like every one of you - every school, church, restaurant, company, group of friends, or individual - who decided not to stand on the sidelines, but to actively help people in need.

There is no denying that there is still tremendous need in Haiti, but please know that every single gift that was intended to help the people of Haiti after the earthquake has been deployed and children, families, and communities have benefitted from your generosity. Click here to see more stories of our progress. Please know that your contributions have brought much encouragement to people in Haiti and to me.

With gratitude,

Joan

Joan Conn
Executive Director
Restavek Freedom Foundation