God's Heart for Haiti

This Update follows a meeting last month with the leadership of College St. Pierre, the Bishop of Haiti, and Dubois Eggleston (Head of School, Porter Gaud, Charleston, SC), Patrick Martin (English Professor, Porter Gaud), and Bishop Thomas Johnston

Dubois Eggleston and Patrick Martin

Leadership Team from the June Meeting

Accomplished to date:

+ All rubble and debris from the destruction of CSP has been removed from the school grounds

+ Temporary classrooms have been constructed and classes have resumed (535 students / 40+ faculty)

+ Administration and Faculty are preparing for national examinations

+ The Bishop of Haiti has had on-going meetings with the national leadership of Haiti in an attempt to secure additional land for College Ste. Pierre’s future

+ A preliminary report by the Bishop’s Task Force on assessing damage to Diocesan Structures has recently been completed and will be released in the near future

Short-term Needs to prepare CSP for the Fall

The first of October marks the beginning of a new school year for College St. Pierre and the beginning of a temporary season in the life of CSP (at least two years before a new facility is designed and constructed).  In preparation for a new start, the administration of the school has identified the following as priorities and needs for this next season.  [A certified engineer who is currently working with the School and the Diocese has provided the following estimates]:

+ 5 Laptop computers for administration use  (approximately 6,000 USD)

+ Photo copier for the School  (approximately 2,000+ USD)

+ Security is a significant problem for the School and there is an immediate need to repair portions of the security wall surrounding the campus.  The entire wall needs to be replaced at some point in the future; however, we can patch certain areas temporarily to meet this pressing security need.  [$42,000 USD for the entire security fence and iron gates and approximately $15,000+ to patch the portions that have been destroyed.]

Damage from a thunderstorm to one of the temporary classrooms

+ Construct a one-story administration building that would connect to the existing library.  They are currently using the library for administrative offices and this would return the library to its proper function.  This building would have seven offices and two restrooms, $78,000 USD.

+ Repair the existing computer / laboratory building.  The engineer has determined that this building (which was the newest one in the College Ste. Pierre complex) is structurally sound, but it is in need of repair before students can use it.  This building houses four large classrooms one of which is the computer-lab and functions as the main entrance to the School.  The computer lab is essential for accessing curriculum, online classes, and connecting the students and administration to emerging partnerships.  This is a very important piece of our short-term strategy of returning to academic excellence even as we are in a much longer-term building program ($18,000 USD).

Existing Building to be repaired

Computer Lab to be repaired

Student's at St. Simeon School

I am just back from a visit with Pere Valdema and his wife, Carmel.  All six of his schools have been repaired and re-opened this week.  I was amazed by the many things that have been accomplished since my last visit four weeks ago to prepare for this re-opening.  Many of the students will not go into their classrooms because of fear of building collapse and, therefore, many classes are meeting under tarps or temporary structures.  There is so much to do, but I rejoice in what has been done.  +TJ

Demolition of CSP

The removal of the debris and remains of what was College Ste. Pierre (CSP) is well underway.  This is both a moment of hope as we look toward a new CSP and also a moment to remember those faculty and staff who died in the earthquake.  I thank God that he is a God of new beginnings — “³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” ⁵He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making all things new!” (Rev. 21:3-5).”

If you would like to be part of the new birth of College Ste. Pierre contact millie@stpetersmp.org or you can make a contribution above.  +TJ

Demolition of CSP

An update from Father Fritz Valdema and his wife and nurse, Carmel relating to their work with Lespwa Timoun in the refugee camps around Croix-des-Bouquet (which is on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince).

Dear friends

We would like to share with you the work has been done through Lespwa timoun this week with the homeless.  Lespwa has been working with children and mothers under the tent, we weigh them, provide education for mothers, distribute Plumpy-nut and AK1000, vit A, vaccins for measles, DTP, dT, and they don’t have to payfor the  medicines at the clinic.  Now the  Communal health office Croix des Bouquets asked Lespwa Timoun to work in 6 more villages 5kms  around the clinic  where we have to do all the activities. Thank you for your effort to allow us to do all that.

Carmel and Pere Val

One of the Refugee Camps where Lespwa Timoun is at work
Vitamin and supplements for this little girl	Carmel is wearing the blue shirt
Plumpy’nut Plumpy’nut is a peanut-based food for use in famine relief which was formulated in 1999 by André Briend, a French Paediatric Nutritionist. The Plumpy’nut product is a high protein and high energy peanut-based paste in a foil wrapper. It tastes slightly sweeter than peanut butter. It is categorized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). Plumpy’nut contains vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, and K, and minerals calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, iodine, sodium, and selenium. – Plumpy’nut, Wikipedia

The Clinic at Croix-des-Bouquets

Construction in Progress

Lespwa Timoun means Hope for Children in Creole.  We can give the people of Haiti hope by helping complete the Lespwa Timoun Clinic.  This nutrition clinic will bring medical, dental, nutrition and education programs to the neediest children in Croix-des-Bouquets area.  Children in the program are weighed monthly, receive monthly food supplements, vaccinations, vitamins and worm medicine.  Their parents receive education in health and nutrition.

Lespwa Timoun is even more essential to build after last month’s devastating earthquake.  Many, many refugees are now in the Croix-des-Bouquets area and they need medical attention desperately.  $200,000 is needed to finish the clinic and roughly $95,000 has been raised in the last month.  This money has been raised from all over the USA, but we need more! You can make your donation through this blog or by sending checks to St. Mary-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church in Birmingham, AL.  P.O. Box 55245 Birmingham, AL 35255.  Please put Haiti Relief in the for line and remember all checks are tax deductible.

Thank you for your prayers and assistance to our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

According to the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti Special Crisis Commission, College St. Pierre, one of the best high schools in Port-au-Prince, is completely destroyed.  The College’s soccer field has been turned into an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) staging area, providing shelter for approximately 3000 displaced people coming from all over the capital without any consideration given to religion, creed and social class.

The satellite images below show the devastation to College St. Pierre.  You will be able to see the College camp or IDP area (marked in yellow) where the Diocese of Alabama will hold its first medical clinic under the direction of Carmel and Pere Valdema.  Please keep this school and its families in your prayers as they try to heal from their grief and loss and attempt to rebuild their lives and their school.

Note: Click on photos for larger images.

Before the Earthquake	After the Earthquake
College St. Pierre (Aug 25, 2009)	College St. Pierre (Jan 17, 2010)
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Internally displaced persons are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border. – Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, United Nations	College St. Pierre Camp (Jan 24, 2010)