Empowering Adult Handicapped Haitians

The new school year in Haiti has just begun. Children are returning to classes at St. Vincent's Center for Children with Disabilities, in the eastern part of Port-au-Prince. Our partners, the adults with disabilities who live at St. Vincent's (CAHSAV), are providing hospitality and mentoring to the children and young teens, as they always do. 

Your donations are treasured. They provide supplemental food, well-visits from a nurse, services of a motorcycle messenger, and internet access. 

St. Vincent's offers a high-quality education up to the ninth grade. If the ninth grade graduates find a sponsor, they continue their education at another school. CAHSAV has proudly sponsored a high school student for years. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, CAHSAV was forced to take a sabbatical from sponsorship last year. We expect that the sponsorship will begin again this month and hope to never have an interruption in scholarships again.

We’d like to introduce you to the members of CAHSAV. Each member has provided a short biography and a photo of themselves so that you can get to know them! 

Let's start with the president of CAHSAV, Mackenson. (Last names are omitted for confidentiality.) 

"Greetings to the members of ... the Friends of Saint Vincent, in the name of CAHSAV and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. First name: Mackenson
2. Last name: (omitted)
3. Age: 32 years old
4. When did you come to St. Vincent’s: I returned to Saint-Vincent in 1999.
5. What is your favorite thing about living at St. Vincent’s? I prefer braille.
6. What things do you like to do? (Example: art, knitting, reading, playing basketball / soccer). The activity I enjoy is reading.
7. If you could have any job, what would you do? How would you like to make money? I would choose the job of teacher. To have a lot of money and to take my supplies to orphans, both boys and girls."

Mackenson's photo is attached.

COMING SOON: This year, CAHSAV will have a place to welcome students after school, to help them with their homework, and to play games. The director of St. Vincent's has begun construction of a clubhouse—the Samuel Elizaire Pavilion—that provides a covered area for after-school activities. Friends of St. Vincent's plans to raise funds to complete the building, which will include an office and workshop for CAHSAV. You will soon be seeing a new project with GlobalGiving for this purpose.