The majority of the refugees at the camp are children.

February 10, 2010. Thanks to the generous donations made through Catholic World Mission, Haitian earthquake victims are receiving aid to meet their basic necessities.

Catholic World Mission’s aid to Haiti was sent directly to an orphanage in the town of Duverger, about 70 miles from the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The orphanage is a missionary initiative, part of a series of projects run by Movin’ with the Spirit (MWTS) Mission Haiti, whose founder and president is Sean Forrest, a Catholic musician, international speaker, and youth minister.

Mission Haiti’s stated purpose is to “faithfully serve the many needs of the poor and strengthen the villages of Duverger and Dandann, by building an orphanage, elderly home, school, and health clinic.”

The first phase of the four-part building program was the orphanage, House of Mary, Mother of All Children, which was halfway through the construction process when the earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. Take a video tour of the orphanage with Sean Forrest at this link.

As the news of devastation and deaths spread, the team of volunteers immediately got to work, turning the undamaged orphanage and its grounds into a refugee camp and soliciting aid from friends and supporters in the United States. Catholic World Mission immediately formed an alliance with Mission Haiti, sending donations from the United States and Canada to support the work of the on-site MH volunteers.

Update

About 75 refugees are currently living on the premises. Most of them arrived directly from Port-au-Prince with nothing but what they could carry with them. The group also includes two orphans who had settled into the new facility before the earthquake struck.

Thanks to the donations, the missionaries have been able to provide for immediate and elementary needs, such as food, shelter, medicine, blankets, flashlights, hygiene products (soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.), baby formula, diapers, and tents to the refugees. 

“CWM gifts have gone to help us in the immediate relief efforts of stabilizing our site and community with the necessities.  Thank you again for all your support, and thank you for the prayers!” said MWTS Mission Haiti Missionary, Kristin Todzia.

To follow ongoing updates about Mission Haiti, visit the web site at http://mwts.org/missionhaiti/ or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mwtsmissionhaiti.

Stay connected with Catholic World Mission to find out about upcoming aid efforts to combat poverty and respond to natural disasters around the world.