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Changing Haitian Lives through Mission Work

Haiti, а beautiful Caribbean nation known for its cultural richness and scenic beauty, faces numerous challenges, including natural calamities, political unrest, and economic hardship. A recent World Bank report revealed that over 6.3 million Haitians live in abject poverty, deprived of necessities like education, healthcare, cleаn water, and food. In light of this dire crisis, several US-based organizаtions have collaborated to extend much-needed humanitarian aid to the struggling Haitian community.

Founded in 2015 in response to the 2010 earthquake tragedy in Haiti, the nonprofit Louisiana Reach Haiti (LRH) continues to offer crucial humanitarian support to the country. Working alongside renowned partners such as the Louisiana Baptist Churches, the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and the Louisiana Children's Home, LRH has impacted countless Haitians' lives in various ways.

LRH is driven by a core mission of spiritually enhancing the lives of Haitian citizens. Collaborating with local churches, LRH seeks to spread the message of Christianity in and around the cities of Haiti. These collaborative efforts have succeeded in the form of new Christian converts like Watson, a young Haitian man whose life was radically transformed after listening to the Gospel from one of the 44-member team of Louisiana Baptists. Watson was even inspired to join the Louisiana team, supporting their efforts to identify homes of those wanting spiritual enlightenment.

In 2019, LRH opened its first orphanage in Croix des Bouquets, a municipality in the northeastern part of Haiti's capital. The devastating earthquake, which resulted in over 220,000 deaths, spiraled the orphan crisis in Haiti out of control, creating an urgent need for more institutions to cater to this vulnerable population. With a noble objective to partner with Haiti's esteemed IBESR (Institut du Bien-Etre Social et de Recherches), or Institute of Social Welfare and Research, LRH was and continues to be committed to providing comprehensive care to these young ones and reuniting them with their families.

Part of caring for these young ones involves addressing their educational needs. With Haiti's poverty and gang violence hindering children from accessing education, enrollment and retention rates in schools are sometimes low. LRH has helped kids get an education by paying school-related expenses. It also works with certified Haitian teachers who understand children better and can instill in them a love of learning. LRH, through its vocational bible schools (VBS), also offers spiritual education for children and adults.

Regarding healthcare, LRH deploys skilled medical volunteers to Haiti to administer vital treatments and extend medical assistance to those who need it. In 2017, a team of volunteers from Louisiana set up a makeshift clinic at the Croix-des-Bouquets orphanage, providing dental services to 30-50 people every day for four days and general health checkups for over 600 sick and wounded locals. In addition, they filled over 2,200 medicine requests, including blood pressure medication and critical antibiotics.

In response to the area's clean water shortage, LRH has drilled two deep water wells, one in Croix-des-Bouquets and the other at Canaan Baptist Church, and installed around 100 water filtering systems in homes. In drilling the wells, LRH noted that most Haitians are forced to travel long distances to get or buy water. The wells thus serve as a beacon of hope, with one Canaan well producing approximately 200 gallons of fresh water per hour. Water filtering systems in homes also help prevent waterborne diseases such as cholera.