Since 2013, Be Like Brit (BLB) has built more than 120 homes for the people of Grand Goave, a small city in the rural Southwest of Haiti. These are permanent homes deeded primarily to single mothers and their families. The homes were built by Haitian crews working with American volunteers; with sufficient support, we plan on building up to 40 homes a year for families in need of basic shelter and protection.
The housing situation in Haiti is dire. Large numbers of people live in shacks made of tarps and scrap lumber. The majority of dwellings in Grand Goave were either destroyed or damaged in the 2010 Earthquake, and many more were damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Our neighbors in Grand Goave tell us that building a home is one of their most urgent needs and is life transforming for families.
BLB was created by the family of Britney Gengel, who died in the 2010 earthquake while on a university service project. We provide a permanent home for 66 orphaned children in a supportive environment with education, health care, and enrichment; we also provide free purified water and medical clinics to the community. BLB volunteers build homes of milled lumber with concrete floors, metal roof and a locked door. The volunteers provide a week's worth of food, a bed, chairs and a goat.
When BLB built the Children's Home, we were warmly welcomed by the community. We want to help our neighbors have a dignified living situation to change the trajectory of their lives. Secure housing is a basic need. Your funds will be put to valuable use. We build 20 homes a year; your contributions will help significantly expand our efforts, reaching as many as 40 families each year with an average of 5 family members per home. We can join forces and change lives, one home at a time.
