Haiti

   I have been given the opportunity to travel to Haiti several times in the last few years, Julia went there twice on mission trips and wanted to go back. Problem with that was the group she was going with were not traveling there anymore. She asked me several times to go with her, but because of conflicting schedules, being a new wife, and opening a business it just wasn't possible until now.

   March 4, 2011 I traveled with our church to Cap Hatien, Haiti. There were 10 of us including my husband, Mike, sister, Julia and brother in law, William. We spent a week at Cap Hatien Childrens Home with 60 wonderful children and quite a few projects to work on.

    Before I go any further, let me give you some information about Haiti...

    The country of Haiti makes up the western one-third of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. Hispanola is between Cuba and Puerto Rico, and the eastern two-thirds of the island is the Dominican Republic. Haiti is one of the most densely populated and least developed countries in the Western Hemisphere. Population: 9,035,536.
    

     It is also one of poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Eighty percent of residents live in poverty.The official languages of the country are Haitian Creole and French.The capital of Haiti is Port-au-Prince, where on On January 12, 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the capital city. Although the exact number was difficult to determine, reportedly more than 230,000 people were killed.

    Haiti also lacks adequate health care, which leaves the country with a startlingly high mortality rate. Children are susceptible to malnutrition and diarrheal disease, both of which can be life threatening if left untreated. HIV/AIDS is prevalent among the adult population and has orphaned more that 200,000 children. The average life expectancy in Haiti is 61 years of age, versus an average of 77 years in the United States.

    Majority of the people in Haiti are Roman Catholics, followed by Protestants and Voodoo followers. The majority of Haitians believe in and practice at least some aspects of voodoo. Most voodooists believe that their religion can coexist with Catholicism. Most Protestants, however, strongly oppose voodoo. With that being said, 85% of the population claim Christian beliefs.


   

 

    Here is a link to the orphanages web site

http://www.caphaitienchildrenshome.org/