[New post] Growing amidst war, povery and suffering: local nonprofit continues to provide support to Haiti orphange
Scott Travis posted: "It's been a challenging three years for Hearthstone Village- a local, all-volunteer non-profit organization founded in Mendocino County, which provides support to orphaned girls residing at the Reveil Matinal Orphanage in Haiti. Teams of volunteers and" The Ukiah Daily Journal
It's been a challenging three years for Hearthstone Village- a local, all-volunteer non-profit organization founded in Mendocino County, which provides support to orphaned girls residing at the Reveil Matinal Orphanage in Haiti.
Teams of volunteers and the board of directors were continuously visiting the orphanage and supporting the 28 girls currently living there since the devastating 2010 earthquake shook the impoverished country. Prior to the onset of Covid, Hearthstone volunteers visited Haiti nearly every month- bringing with them much-needed supplies, funds, educational and life skills, along with the message that the girls are appreciated, loved and will never be forgotten. But the pandemic put an end to those regular visits.
Santania at work(contributed)
Just as the worst of the pandemic seemed to be waning, Haiti was stricken with sociopolitical disasters: the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021 and an upsurge of gang-related violence that to date has left nearly 1,700 civilians dead, lynched or raped- a 66% increase from the previous year.
"February, 2020 was the last time we were in Haiti," says Hearthstone Village board member Nancy "Niv" McGivney. "First we had Covid, and now the political situation is very unsafe. There are street battles going on. The orphanage where the girls live is in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince. There hasn't been a lot of gang activity there, but more recently, the civilian population is beginning to resist the gangs, It has reminded me of the resistance of the French Underground during the Second World War. The citizens have no arms, but there has been a lot of brutal fighting using knives and whatever weapons the civilians can find."
Luckily for the orphanage staff, their jobs have provided a modicum of safety and stability.
"It's not just physical safety. It's economic safety for the staff. There is rampant inflation throughout the country. Most staff live at the orphanage at least 6 days per week. Some might return home during a flare up. We have five 'Mommies' who supervise the girls, cook and sleep at the orphanage, one administrator and one director of girls, who handles all manner of everyday life issues- making sure they say their prayers and do their schoolwork," says McGivney. "Our 'Papa Eddy' handles maintenance and security, and our school bus driver also helps with security. He makes sure everyone is safe getting on and off the bus. The nephew of founders is an accountant who is at the orphanage for evening security."
It's a testament to the successful structure and the skill of the board members that the majority of the staff are now long-time employees.
Hanging laundry out to dry(contributed)
"Nearly all of our staff has been with us for 10-12 years," says McGiveny.
"Haiti has very high unemployment. There are lots of opportunities for of self-employment, but those jobs are not enough to make a living."
Nancy Watanabe, President, notes that one of the primary missions of the organization has been to support the staff as well as the residents.
"Our organization covers salaries, the food budget, internet, office necessities, maternity leave, medical and dental plus education for the girls, as education is not free in Haiti. "We've gotten stronger over the years; thus our staff has remained the same and are so dedicated to the girls. They are very reliable, very honest. It's such a blessing that there is a safe haven for both our staff and the residents," she explains.
Most medical needs for the girls are covered by donors to the non-profit.
"Unfortunately, it's very dangerous to take buses from the orphanage to the large hospital outside Port-au-Prince. There is a 'Sunshine Fund' affiliated with Seventh Day Adventist doctors at that hospital which covers medical costs for the girls, but because of the current dangers, we'll usually have to transport the girls to the local clinic and cover all costs, as well as dental and eye care," says Watanabe.
Currently there are two separate facilities- one for the youngsters and another, newer facility nearby that houses the young women who are "aging out" of the orphanage system.
"With Haitian law, when orphans turn 18, they gain independence. So we have another sister house for girls who want to continue their education. They must be working or in school to stay there. They have a curfew and are able to live in a safe environment. The girls do their own cooking and cleaning, and a teacher who teaches our younger students lives with the older girls," says McGiveny.
Life in Haiti is always challenging, but the girls are learning to accept change and continue to move forward despite so many interruptions to daily life.
"The older girls had distance learning at the universities during Covid. There continues to be very little consistency with power. We now have some solar panels at the orphanage. Through a donation from the Solar Living Center following their closure, we got a bunch of portable solar devices to keep their phones charged," says McGiveny.
Currently there are nine girls who have already graduated high school and are enrolled in higher education programs. "With only 10 percent of Haitians graduating from high school, we are way ahead of the curve, particularly because even fewer girls ever attend school," says McGiveny.
Two girls got married last year. "They had beautiful, full-on weddings."
Seven girls live in the adult housing unit, and 2 older girls have chosen to stay at the original facility. "One student is studying early childhood education so she can work with the younger kids. We have students in med school, law, nursing, dentistry, two nurses' aides and two in business school. One student graduated in office management as a legal secretary. Unfortunately there are no jobs, but an anonymous group of donors set her up with an internship with our administrator. Often, the older girls get worried that there will be no jobs for them, so they go into longer-term schooling," says McGiveny.
One senior is set to graduate in June. "She loves sketching, so in the Summer she teaches sketching to the younger girls. There are 3 juniors, 9 in elementary school- 1st through 7th grade- and 3 preschoolers who will be starting regular kindergarten soon."
"We wanted to keep employing one of our house mothers because the two kids she's been working with are aging out or starting regular schooling. So she's teaching the young ones," says McGiveny, who is a "teacher of teachers" in her professional life and acts as an educational advisor for Hearthstone Village.
"Niv types up reports and submits them to the board so we'll have all the latest information on what's going on. She's set up Zoom meetings, but with power problems we can't do them regularly. It's so great to meet with the girls, see their faces and catch up on what they're doing," says Watanabe.
Two toddlers came to Reveil Matinal during Covid- one related to a staffer and another placed by the local church. "We also still have our learning-challenged girl with us who helps out with the Mommies. She'll sit with the preschoolers and sing with them."
McGiveny and other board members are in daily contact with the girls via social media.
"We keep tabs on the daily status of the area. If teachers are afraid to go to school, then classes get shut down."
Daily conversations with the girls range from the superficial to the profound.
"Sometimes we just talk about what they are cooking today. Other times we're praising them, saying, "You're so impressive. You still go out and go to school.' We said that to one kid, who responded, 'What else can you do? We can't sit home and do nothing.' We talk about what to do when they feel scared. Some have had backpacks stolen right off their shoulders. One highschooler says she feels scared all the time except when she's on our grounds," McGiveny notes.
The organization has been able to continue to provide support due to a stalwart group of education sponsors, but more are needed.
"Some sponsors have drifted away," notes board member Serena Miller. "Each girl is supposed to have three sponsors to help pay for tuition, supplies, our bus driver and tutors. Some sponsors waivered during Covid. But after 11 years, out of the 60 active sponsors we started with, about 40 are still consistent after all this time."
To raise funds and awareness, Hearthstone Village is planning a major fundraiser in July at Rivino Winery. "It will be our traditional summer soiree, with catering by Ellery Clark, food, music by Blue Luke and a live auction," says Miller.
The other fundraising effort is the creation of the Hearthstone Village Community, geared toward those who can contribute $10-$20 per month. "We have many people who would like to contribute small amounts, so the creation of this community will help with food, salaries, water and Internet costs," says Miller. They are grateful for a recent donation of $7,000 from the Rodriguez Family Foundation, provided via the Community Foundation of Mendocino County.
"In your life, we all come across opportunities to help. Why is this organization worth helping? I went to Haiti with Hearthstone co-founder Lynn Meadows following the earthquake. When I met these girls- I don't even have the words. There's no way I would turn my back on them. The people who are helping us see this tremendous need, see how the dollars are spent, and that their donated dollars go much further than they would here. When you see who you are impacting, I could never walk away from them," Watanabe concludes.
"The more we can educate girls worldwide, the better life is for them, their community and their families. There are plenty of UN statistics validating this. We need supportive organizations everywhere- locally and regionally. Somehow, this is where we ended up. Hearthstone has an impeccable reputation. Doctors Without Borders took a look at our work and called it top-notch, asking us to teach what we do. That makes us very, very proud," McGiveny concludes.
For more information about all of Hearthstone Village's activities, to volunteer or sponsor a student visit https://www.hearthstone-village.org or phone (707) 367-3660.
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