Ca-Ira Orphanage
Did you know that GAiN is involved with an orphanage in Haiti?
The Ca-Ira orphanage, situated in Leogane and established in 1988, receives and cares for orphans and children in poverty. The two-story building that housed some of the children was completely destroyed in the January 12th earthquake, killing five orphans and two of the staff members. The school center that sheltered 220 pupils and 20 teachers as well as the church also collapsed in the quake.
Today, the center has 75 children and 15 staff members; and is temporarily housed outside of Port-au-Prince in Tabarre, on a small property which has been given to the orphanage for two years. The girls sleep in a small 50m2 temporary wood shelter with the boys while the staff members live in tents. In total, the property on which the orphanage is currently situated is less than 90m2 and lacks proper sanitation facilities.
Prior to the earthquake, Haiti was a country of extreme poverty with up to 80% of the population living below the poverty line and 54% in extreme poverty.1 The January 12th earthquake killed over 220,000 people and left an estimated 100,000 children orphaned. More than 6,000 schools and hospitals collapsed as the earthquake destroyed the majority of Haiti’s infrastructure. Close to the epicenter in Leogane and Jacmel, the collapse of up to 90% of all buildings has exacerbated the situation of the millions of Haitians who were living in poverty prior to the earthquake. In light of these challenges, there is a great urgency to support Haiti in the long-term rebuilding process.
During the first six months in the emergency phase, Global Aid Network (GAiN) sent in
• 38 medical teams with 1,043 medical personnel that treated more than 20,154 people
• conducted 12 trauma training seminars for 2,242 people
• conducted 165 distribution events benefiting 363,000 Haitians
• distributed over 11,800 water filters
GAiN then moved into the rebuilding phase and provided over 650 tents for temporary shelters, constructed a 5,000-square foot warehouse for the staging and distribution of aid, and built a volunteer center to house teams that come to help with the construction.
In addition to these rebuilding efforts, GAiN decided to help the Ca-Ira orphanage. Improving the current living conditions of the orphanage is definitely the first step. However, GAiN plans to also
• rebuild the orphanage, staff homes and schools
• ensure the children’s education, spiritual and social formation
• create a health center for the service of the children and the inhabitants of Ca-Ira
• develop a center for vocational skills training
The project will have considerable positive effects in a country where children are extremely vulnerable and face many forms of discrimination. In addition, the city of Leogane, which has 3,000 residents, will also benefit from this project, as the school is also open to students from the neighborhood. Above all the Ca-Ira orphanage, school, church and health center will contribute to the establishment of a social framework for children and help decrease the risk of juvenile delinquency, violence, prostitution and social inequalities within the community.
If you would like to get involved, contact us today!
1https://www.cia.gov