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Adopt-A-Gran: Haiti

By any standards, Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Much of the land is mountainous, and erosion over the centuries has made it unsuitable for cultivation. Because of the seasonal availability of work, based on the island's main industry of sugarcane, many Haitians find that they sometimes have enough to live on, and at other times they do not. In Haiti, about 80% of the population live under the poverty line.

About half of the population is illiterate, as schools are either unavailable or too expensive to attend. Life expectancy at birth is around 50 years, roughly 25 years less than life expectancy in Canada.

According to UN statistics only half the population has access to clean water. Even more astounding, only 16% of rural dwellers in Haiti have access to proper sanitation, as well as only half of all urban dwellers. Haiti also lies in the path of the hurricane belt, and is subject to major storms from June through October. Homes and other buildings are often destroyed in these terrible gales. Despite all this, Haitians remain a warm and welcoming people, ready to extend to their neighbours what help they can afford.

Unfortunately, in such poverty, families are barely subsisting, and as Haitian culture dictates, the elderly are last in line for food.

For further information please contact Brenda Packer – Adopt-A-Gran coordinator at: adoptagran@helptheaged.ca

Images of Haiti

The Asile Communal		Inside Asile Communal		Grans enjoy their lunch at Le Bon Samaritan		A Haitian Gran at Le Bon Samaritan
HTA's Executive Director with Sr. Roy and Gran		Two volunteers give female Grans cosmetic packages		HTA volunteer Guy Martel riding a motorbike to visit Grans		Haiti men -- delighted to receive ties from Canada (Foyer St. Etienne)

Our Partners in Haiti:

Asile Communal is located in Cap Haitien and operated by the Missionaries of the Poor. The home takes in elderly men and women who are truly destitute and cares for them for the remainder of their lives.

Bombardopolis is a 3.5 hour drive south of Port de Paix and includes the
towns of Des Forges, Bombarde, Maïs Rouge, Cadelon, Bébé and Pélicier. The region has a population of 40,000. The Adopt-A-Gran was started by Father Rodolphe Balthazar and the local Parish Council in collaboration with the Myriam Bethlehem Sisters and is now directed by Father Chôlet Augustin.

Bombardopolis does not have an agricultural base to support the local population and residents normally rely upon food distributions and imported foods from other areas in the country. With transportation problems and high fuel costs the food reserves are much lower than normal. The result is vendors are closing down and with the lack of supplies, prices have increased. Harvests are also down due to a drought. Many of the residents have moved to other regions of Haiti leaving many elderly people alone with no families for support.

Bonneau is a costal town in the northern part of Haiti near the Atlantic Ocean to the east of the city St. Louis du Nord.  It is difficult to reach since there are many rivers without bridges that must be crossed with a sturdy four wheel drive vehicle.  The risk is being able to cross the river beds and not being able to return for a long time as a result of heavy rains making the rivers too deep to cross.

Bonneau is a town of approximately 15,000 people with most people earning a living from fishing or agriculture.  The unemployment rate is over 75%, however, without money, parents are unable to afford to send their children to school.

The seniors live in an abandoned building owned by the Catholic Church and managed by Father Renald.  Father Renald has limited funds to take care of the seniors, and they are often left to beg for their meals.  The building is falling apart, and we are planning a series of repairs.

Foyer St-Etienne The home for seniors is located in Les Cayes, Haiti. This residence is operated by the Oblats and Haitian staff and is currently home to 34 men and women who receiving care from the caring workers.

Foyer Saint-Joseph is located in Aquin. Aquin is a large town in south –west Haiti located between Port Au Prince and Les Cayes. The Foyer Saint Joseph was originally established by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Louis 35 years ago and has been managed by Sister Pauline Lamontagne for the last 26 years.

This home for the destitute elderly desperately requires our support through the Adopt-A-Gran program. During the last few years, Help the Aged has completed minor repairs and renovations and provided medical assistance and volunteer support through several projects sponsored by CIDA. However, these projects are now complete and the home requires ongoing financial support to purchase food, clothing, medical supplies and maintain the shelter (roof repairs, etc) for the 35 destitute seniors who live there.

The Adopt-A-Gran program will allow us to continue providing basic needs for these seniors on a long –term basis. Sister Pauline will be working in close collaboration with Laurian Saint Amour, a volunteer who lives in Les Cayes and has assisted us with our projects in Haiti during the last seven years.

Le Bon Samaritain is a small residence for the destitute elderly that also includes a small pharmacy located in Ouanaminthe. The home is operated by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi.

St.Vincent de Paul Conference, Camp Perrin is a small rural parish in Les Cayes. The St. Vincent de Paul is a society of lay volunteers who dedicate themselves to helping the poor.