Greetings from Health for Haiti. We are sad to share that Grande Saline is still dealing with standing water in the church and surrounding areas. With the church still flooded, people have waded through the water to come to worship in a larger classroom that is not full of water. There are some displaced families whose homes are flooded who are taking shelter in some of the other classrooms. These families have no other place to go.

So many lost what they had in the flood and their homes cannot recover from weeks of standing water. The stagnant water, which is still up to the doorsteps of the classrooms, is also still a great threat to the health of the population. Heavy rains have continued and the situation is dire. Further, with the current emergency, it will not be possible for the school to open as scheduled on October 1. This is so sad after everything that the community has been through and is still currently facing. We are heartbroken for our friends in Grande Saline.

There has been a bright spot in all the bad news thanks to the generosity of Health for Haiti community. We are extremely grateful for the donations for emergency supplies. This morning, Pastor Berlando was able to distribute some of the food and hygiene kits to local families. Pastor Berlando stated, “It was with great joy and many thanks that more than twenty families in need received a little something to help sustain them”.

People had to wade through the water to get to the church for these much-needed supplies. These kits cost about $43 each, and we are thankful for the support that has allowed us to help provide this aid to families in need.

I reported in an earlier post that our beloved and much admired school cook, Daniella, has been very ill. Despite the fact that she is weak and still struggling with her health, Daniella is determined to cook for the fifteen people who are currently sheltering at the school. Daniella has been such a dedicated and hard worker for many years, we are not surprised that she is insisting on helping but we hope she will take care of herself as she recovers.

We have seen our friends in Grande Saline go through some hard times and challenges over the past decade, but this is definitely one of the most desperate situations we have seen our friends have to face. These people are suffering. Thank you so much for donating and supporting these flood relief efforts. It means so much to a community that often feels forgotten.