Hearts For Haiti’s Hurricane Survivors

We started the journey from Port-au-Prince on Saturday morning, going past the vast market at La Saline.

We follow the traffic over a temporary ford through a river. The original bridge, further up-river, collapsed during the hurricane, and according to local residents, no attempts have been made by the government to repair it.

Along Route Nationale 2 to Aux Cayes, we travelled behind this bus, and were astounded that the man was fast asleep in such a precarious position. Men like him are often hired to guard the goods on top of vehicles, as when the trucks slow down for a speed bump or a traffic jam, potential thieves could scramble to the top, cut the binding, and take the goods.

A couple hours from Port-au-Prince, we see more effects of the hurricane, such as this low-lying area which had been flooded. The residents were taking advantage of the opportunity to swim, bathe, and wash clothes.

We arrived at Aux Cayes, and met up with Abdias’ cousin, Junior, who lives there. He showed us an area that had sustained damage from the hurricane. After the flooding, when the water receded, all of this trash was left behind, literally on the doorsteps of these homes.

Then we met Judelande. She was struck on the head and chest by falling debris during the hurricane, and a month later, had still not received medical attention, because her family could not pay for it. She had open, infected wounds on her face, shoulder, and her breast, which was swollen to twice its normal size. H3 gave her the money for treatment, including a scan for her head injury, and are now awaiting results.

A child pulls water from a well in a neighborhood where many homes lost their roofs or were destroyed entirely by the hurricane.

A stuffed animal set on a rooftop to dry out from the hurricane.

Men work to repair a home damaged by Hurricane Matthew.

In Aux Cayes, Junior takes us to a shelter for those whose homes were destroyed, and they line up to receive the goods from H3.