Provide a safe home for Haitian Orphans

Thanks so much to everyone who took advantage of GlobalGiving’s most recent matching day. Your gifts on the 23^rd were a third more valuable – and that has made all the difference for kids like Kristelle.

If you’re like us, you’re starting to think about the holiday season. The holidays are a time of joy – but for many of us they’re also incredibly busy! Before the end of year rush starts, we wanted to pause for a moment and thank you for everything you’ve given over the last year.

Because of you, not only has the orphanage continued to care for the 27 children who have lived in its care since the January 2010 earthquake upended their lives – it’s grown! Over the last year, we welcomed three new children who now have a safe home, education, health care, and a brighter future because of your generosity.

There have been so many times over the past year that you could have chosen to spend your hard earned money on an item for yourself or your own family, but you made the incredibly selfless choice to support kids like Kristelle.

Your kindness is giving 30 of Haiti’s most vulnerable kids a bright future free from poverty – something they wouldn’t have had if you hadn’t given of yourself.

Thanks so very much for your generosity, and we wish you the very best.

The HTDC family keeps growing! Recently we welcomed HTDC’s newest child - Kristelle. She’s from the town of Fond-de-Negres about four hours outside of Port au Prince.

After Kristelle’s mom left the family, her father struggled to care for his children. He couldn’t afford to send Kristelle to school, feed her properly, or even watch over her to ensure she would stay safe. With Kristelle hungry, in ill health, and out of school, he decided he had to give her up if she were to have a future. He left her at HTDC, saying he wanted his daughter to get the education he never had.

Kristelle is still settling into her new life. Thanks to donors like you she’s been enrolled in school and is making friends. She’s a big help with the younger kids, and is fast becoming a favorite with the orphanage staff.

Your generosity has made Kristelle’s new life possible. Thanks so much!

While the HTDC orphanage is investing in its chickens and bus business, the kids still need donors like you to ensure that they have the food, education, and health care they need.

Tomorrow, GlobalGiving is matching all donations by 30%. This means that tomorrow, your $10 donation is actually a $13 donation – and that $13 is enough to feed Kristelle for over a week! 

We hope you’ll give $10 tomorrow and share this update with friends and family to support kids like Kristelle.

Thanks so much for all you’ve given, and very warm regards! 

In our last update, we introduced you to one of the orphanage’s newest members – Novely. This update, we’re delighted to unveil the orphanage’s plans to meet the Novely and the rest of the kids’ needs in the long-term. 

Over the coming months, we’ll be raising money to start two businesses – a bus (locally known as a “tap tap”) which will be rented out at a profit and a chicken coop with over 150 chickens. After costs, these businesses will yield at least $1,000 profit every month which the orphanage will use to care for the children.

The tap tap will be rented out on both daily and weekly rates to local drivers, NGOs, and businesses. As most Haitians and many small NGOs don’t have their own vehicles, such rentals are a lucrative business in Port au Prince. Of course, buses require maintenance –that’s why the orphanage will save $100 a month for mechanics fees and emergency repairs. Even after contributing $100 a month to the bus’s rainy day fund, the orphanage will still make at least $750 a month.

The second business will be selling the eggs from the more than 150 chickens in their new chicken coop. This project is expected to yield at least $260 a month in profit. What’s more, the children will help care for the chickens, teaching them responsibility and the basics of running a business. The orphanage already has 18 chickens, so they know that they can make a profit selling eggs – now they just need to expand the business.

It costs around $2,000 a month to run the orphanage, so by investing in these businesses you’ll cut the orphanage’s reliance on donations by at least 50%. Over time, we’ll expand these businesses to help the orphanage become as independent as possible. Increased financial independence means a more secure, dignified future for the orphanage’s children.

Of course, to start these businesses we need start up funds! We know you’ve already given generously, so we’re hoping that you’ll consider a different way of helping – fundraising! For the month of September, if you fundraise at least $500 for the orphanage GlobalGiving will enter you in a raffle to receive fantastic prizes – like airline tickets and a flip cam! There are also financial prizes available for the project with the most fundraisers.

That makes September a great month to fundraise for HTDC! You could cycle, bake, walk or even shave your head to raise funds and win prizes! If you’d like tips on how best to fundraise don’t hesitate to visit www.IDVolunteers.org/fundaise-idv or email Emma@IDVolunteers.org.

Once you’ve decided how much you’d like to raise and how you want to raise it you can create your fundraising page here. Don’t forget to add our project as the beneficiary of your efforts once you’ve created your page! Again, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email Emma@IDVolunteers.org.

Thanks so much, and very warm regards! 

We’d like to introduce the newest member of the HTDC family – Novely.

Novely is just three. Her mom passed away, and she was left in the care of her 16-year-old aunt. Just a child herself, she quickly found herself unable to meet even Novely’s most basic needs. She made the difficult decision to bring Novely to the orphanage when she realised she couldn’t provide Novely with enough to eat, a safe home, or even pay a few dollars so Novely could see a doctor when she was sick.

When Novely first arrived, she was very sad, but she’s now starting to settle in. She’s made her first friend – Germina! Germina is definitely the boss when the two play, but we think that as Novely gets more settled, we’ll start to hear from her more.

When Novely’s aunt dropped her off, she told the staff that she wanted Novely to have enough to eat, to be able to see a doctor when she was sick, and to get an education. Before she arrived, Novely had never had any of those things.

If it wasn’t for you, Novely’s aunt would have had nowhere to turn, and she and Novely would likely have found themselves homeless and hungry. But because of you, that didn’t happen. Thanks to your generosity we’ve been able to give Novely a safe home and a bright future. Thanks so much for all you’ve given!

We’ll let you know how Novely keeps settling in right here on GlobalGiving. As always, should you have any questions about how we’re using your donation don’t hesitate to email Emma@EDVolunteers.org.

Very kind regards!

Your generosity has kept the kids at HTDC safe when a hurricane hit Port au Prince. When cholera struck, your donations bought the supplies to keep the kids from getting sick. Every single time one of the kids has needed a doctor, you’ve been there with them providing the funds they needed to pay the fee. And because of all your gifts, today each and every child at the orphanage is thriving.

Today, GlobalGiving is making those gifts work even harder in service to the kids at the orphanage. By matching your donations by 50%. 

That means that, today only, your donation of $20 will put food on Carol’s plate for a month!

We can’t tell you how much your generosity has been appreciated, and we hope that you realise how important you are for the kids at the orphanage. We hope you’ll keep giving what you can so that we can ensure that the kids keep thriving and grow into Haiti’s next generation of leaders.  

If you’re able, please give $20 so that we can keep Carol and all the kids at the orphanage fed, happy, and healthy! 

Thanks so much, and our very warmest regards from Port au Prince!