Our long time friend and supporter, Kelly Howard joined us on this last volunteer trip and shared the following:
“In 2008 I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Haiti with Haitian Roots and serve some of the people there. I was able to meet a young student named Alex and I really felt the need to sponsor him. His reserved, kind, happy personality reminded me of my second son. From 2008 until now, my family has sponsored Alex and we really love him.
I was so excited to see him this year when he arrived to collect his sponsorship money. I cried. I told him I loved him. I found he is an excellent student. I also was made aware of his story. He was abandoned by both is mother and his father. I don’t know when, but through an interpreter, Alex was asked the details and he confirmed that his mother and father just left him. He is in good care now, he lives with his aunt. I again cried. I may not be able to get his mom and dad back or take away the feelings of being abandoned but I am so grateful to have the opportunity to help him go to school, I can do that for him. Alex sat by me until he left. I was able to hug him and tell him that I was proud of him. I am so happy that he knows he has a family in America praying for and providing an education for him.
I was also able to observe the process of parents bringing their child’s report cards to the president of Haitian Roots for review. I was able to ask about the report cards and the marks made by the teachers. Many of the students are excelling in their classes! One student in particular, Moise Dubery was exceptional. He had high marks and was doing very well. He was there with his mother to provide his report card and receive his sponsor money. I was so proud of him. I was especially proud of him when his sweet mother had to sign her name in order to receive the money for further schooling. She was only able to sign her name with an X. What a concrete, poignant reminder of the importance of education in breaking the cycle of poverty in Haiti.
I witnessed first hand what Haitian Roots is doing. Haitian Roots is breaking the cycle of poverty through education one child at a time. I do not know how to express this more strongly, $250 a year makes all the difference in the lives of these children, it will change the face of Haiti and it will be one of the best things your family could ever do with $250, there is nothing more important to the Haitian people than education.”
Photos: 1. Kelly with HR children and parents in 2008 2. Moise Dubery (in need of a sponsor) 3. Alex Succes, whom Kelly has sponsored for the past 4 years.
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