Global Aid Initiative Network

In Haiti, a country that has endured years of devastation and suffering, children are quite often the ones who are affected the most.

Approximately 38% of the Haitian population is under the age of 15; 50% of which are malnourished and do not attend school.

With a deep dependence on others, these children share the need for physical, emotional and spiritual care.

As a result, GAiN has come alongside the Ca-Ira Orphanage to help build into the future of 75 children and 15 staff.

Situated on the coast in Leogane, Haiti, this orphanage receives and cares for orphans and children in poverty. The two-story building that housed the living quarters for the children was completely destroyed in the 2010 earthquake, killing five orphans and two of the staff.

As a result, a five-year plan has been developed to reestablish a Children’s Village to bring love, care, and hope through providing proper shelter, food, clothing, medical care, education and spiritual care to the vulnerable and needy.

Raphael Funck, from GAiN Germany, states “Our vision is to build a place for children where they can afford to be just children. We want to heal their sad pasts, and this goal can be accomplished by providing for their present and investing in their future.”

This past July, GAiN sent their nineth LIFE Team to Ca-Ira where 18 individuals helped with specific projects such as cleaning up the grounds where the children play, preparing the forms for the foundation for a new dormitory, demolishing and leveling the concrete pool, painting, and much more.

One of the most important roles the team had during the week was to love on the children at the orphanage.

Thankfully, with the help of Solomon Creek Quilters in Hinton, this team was able do just that!

In the first part of 2012, 37 quilts were handmade by this group. Three local businesses also supported this group by donating materials as well as additional funds needed to complete the project.

“These children have nothing! Many of them have very little to call their own. The orphanage was overwhelmed with the generosity from this group,” shares Lindsey Schacter, GAiN’s LIFE Teams Manager.

According to sources, 78% of Haitians are poor (less than $2 US/day) and more than half (54%) live in extreme poverty (less than $1 US/day). These children and/or staff
would never be able to afford a quilt like this, but, because of the Solomon Creek Quilters, each child now has a quilt. Today, every child has something to call their own.

Schacter comments, “The children saw God’s love demonstrated to them through the beautiful quilts made by the hands of each quilter and everyone else involved.”