It’s been four months and I’m still overwhelmed. I remain lost for words to describe my experience in Port au Prince, Haiti. In 2012, a then nineteen-year-old Emily Hime from Chatham, Ontario accepted the responsibility to provide a home for 9 children left abandoned by the devastating earthquake of 2010. Today that number has risen to 19 children ages five months to sixteen years.
After reading a compelling article in the Windsor Star which sent me to Emily’s website, Sister Janice Jonescu and I decided to help by sponsoring a child. Over the past three years, we have watched with pride as Wendel has grown and matured into a wonderful young man. I developed a deep desire to meet him. Fortunately, the opportunity arose when I was going to visit family in the Miami area.
Upon arrival in Port au Prince, I was astounded at my surroundings. As I left the airport, my senses were brutally attacked. The poverty was so intense that I could feel it, taste it, and smell it. I still struggle to find words to describe the scenes that welcomed me. Dead bodies are left in the streets because to touch them makes you responsible for them. Naked children walk beside their mothers who carry on their heads plastic bins containing the items they hope to sell to provide some measure of food for the day. The home’s rented accommodations are located in a part of the city shockingly devoid of basic infrastructure: no plumbing, running water or electricity. All garbage is burnt in the back yard. Contrast that with the recently opened Marriott Hotel, the Neiman Marcus Department Store and numerous first class restaurants all open in the heart of downtown.
At the house, razor wire runs along the top of the surrounding wall to discourage thieves. Three bedrooms accommodate the 19 children and two overnight nannies. Furniture is minimal. Bunk beds line the walls. Suitcases act as dressers. Few chairs and tables mean that meals are served in shifts.
In spite of the grinding poverty, the children of Maison Ke Kontan are happy, playful, grateful and so loved by Emily. She is amazing! With the help of sponsors, Emily tries to ensure that “her” children’s basic needs are met and they have uniforms and books to allow them to attend school – a privilege, not a right. It is Emily’s desire that these children grow up to be productive Haitian citizens who will contribute to the betterment of their society.
Having been to Haiti and Maison Ke Kontan, I can no longer act as if Haiti is separate from me. I am changed. My efforts to educate others about Emily’s situation as well as raising money to address urgent needs and sponsorships has become something of a passion.
For further information, go to http://www.himeforhelp.org/
Emily Hime -- A heart without borders
Jacqueline Janisse, CSJ