Hope for Haiti

First Baptist Church, we are so grateful for your generous gift to help rebuild homes and transitional meeting spaces for churches in Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2021. In the photo above, Vania, Robeson, and two of their children stand in front of their newly built temporary shelter. The family had lost everything in the earthquake and now enjoys the safety of their new shelter, built to SPHERE humanitarian standards. The foundations and bones of these houses can be built upon and expanded in the future.

The family is one of 440 families belonging to the Guichard Baptist Church who lost their homes in the disaster. Vania, a mother of 6 children, says, “Where people see a shelter, I see a palace. The Lord heard our cries and responded through Compassion.”

Impact of the Earthquake

The earthquake on August 14, 2021 was the worst disaster to strike Haiti since the 2010 earthquake, killing at least 2,248 people and damaging or destroying close to 137,500 homes and buildings. The homes of nearly 12,000 Compassion participants were destroyed or damaged along with the sanctuaries of 35 local churches and 34 child development centers and schools.

Helping Haiti Recover

Thanks to the great generosity of partners like you, a massive recovery effort is underway in Haiti. Throughout fall and early winter, widespread political unrest, as well as fuel and other shortages, tested people’s resilience and temporarily disrupted Compassion’s recovery plan. Staff on the ground responded by focusing on families’ most immediate needs and modifying programming so that child development centers could continue their ministry despite the challenges. Today, every center in the affected region is providing essential services to children and their families.

Your gifts are providing stability to the thousands of children left homeless by the disaster. The transitional homes you helped build are keeping families safe and protecting them from the elements. Spiritual support is never more important than in times of crisis. You are helping to provide 35 of Compassion’s Frontline Church Partners (FCPs) with transitional structures so they can continue to bring God’s love to families. Additionally, 34 child development centers that were damaged or destroyed are being repaired or rebuilt so that children’s education can resume and they can benefit from all the opportunities and services Compassion offers.

The remarkable progress that has been achieved so far is an answer to Haiti’s prayers, and it will continue in the coming months, as together we work toward returning children’s lives to normal once again.

An Update From Valbrune Church

Valbrune Church suffered tremendous structural damage in the earthquake. This vibrant church typically functions as the heart of the community and a refuge in times of need. Seeing the need in his community, Pastor Derosiers took families into his own home, supporting them with whatever he had, until they had a safe place to stay. The video below highlights Pastor Derosiers’ response and the help he provided to his community.

A Safe Place to Call Home

Your support is helping to provide more than 11,000 families in need with the security of safe homes. Some are receiving vouchers to purchase the materials they need to repair or rebuild homes that have been damaged or destroyed, while others are receiving temporary shelters that will ultimately form part of a permanent structure that can be added at a later date. To date, we’ve distributed 7,901 vouchers for stronger building materials made to withstand heavy rains and protect families from intruders.

Compassion’s Relief and Rebuilding Efforts in Haiti

Compassion’s unique response is to fortify and strengthen the most powerful and effective support system: the local church. By rebuilding homes, temporary meeting spaces and child development centers, we are helping to stabilize the community as the church continues to support and serve.

Compassion has constructed 21 transitional spaces to use as meeting places for children, their families, and churches to gather and seek refuge. The transitional multipurpose spaces can be used as classrooms or meeting places for churches. Compassion is strategically preparing and acting for long-term recovery for the children, churches and communities impacted by the earthquake.

Transitional Spaces: Helping Communities Come Together Again

Your gift is helping 35 churches to create safe spaces for their congregations and communities once again, spaces where they can find comfort, guidance and hope as they navigate their way out of the pain and loss they suffered due to the earthquake.

The Baptist Church of Mellinette (HA0765) is a Compassion church partner impacted by the earthquake. The church had two separate school buildings to serve more than 300 children. One of the school buildings was completely destroyed and the other was damaged.

Pastor Clément leads one of the churches that has benefited from the transitional spaces.  He shares, “That the children can learn together again is such an amazing thing, and we are so happy to have a place where the congregation can gather to be in God’s presence. I want to thank all the supporters for their commitment to supporting us in our time of need.”

In the following video, a Compassion participant at the Baptist Church of Cance gives thanks for the new meeting spaces at her church.

Translation: “Thank you Lord for all the project staff. For all the Compassion International members and all the sponsors. Thanks to them we can meet again in these new built shelters. Lord, I pray you to bless them more. Fill them with strength and courage so they can continue to support us. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.”

Your Giving Matters

Thank you for your partnership with Compassion International in this important disaster response effort in Haiti. Your gift is bringing hope to families and allowing children to resume normal school routines. We are grateful for your partnership.