BAIE D'ORANGE PROJECT

In the southeastern part of Haiti is a community called Baie d'Orange.  In the fall of 2008, Haiti was hit by four hurricanes in a row.  This area had all of their crops destroyed and farm animals swept away.  In November of 2008, the official in the area came to Port-au-Prince and reported that children were starving and 29 had already died from lack of food.  In total, about 60 children have died in the area from malnutrtion.  Some international organizations have gone to the area and given short term aid and we were told that there have been no children die from malnutrition since aid has come into the area.

This area is very isolated and the road is very rocky and difficult to navigate.  It is 25 miles from Jacmel and it took us 3 hours to get to the area.  There are nine communities in the area and a health agent in each community.  We visited just one of the communities and there are 400 children enrolled in the clinic set up for malnutrition!  This is in just one community!  There is no permanent Health Clinic in the area.  People must go to Jacmel for health care.  There is no secondary schools in the area and only one government primary school for a population of more than 5000.  There are some private primary schools but most cannot afford to attend.

We have visited the area three times now and delivered food, tools, medications, goats, and seeds.  People are out working in the fields now and gardens are starting to produce vegetables.  The people are not asking for charity.  They want to produce enough food to be self sufficient and are asking for short term help.  They said that if we can help them for this year, that they will fill our trucks with food next year!

Please help the children of Baie d'Orange by sending funds to purchase seeds, farm tools,  and farm animals.  We will also be sending food and medicines to the area every three months.  We are also looking into the possibility of partnering with another organization to build a permanent health clinic for the area.  If you would like to help, please contact Miss Jean for more information.

 Baie d'Orange is an area with about 6000 people located in the southeastern section of Haiti. it is mountainous with rolling hills. It is dry with no rivers, springs, or wells in the area.  
A small homestead in Baie d'Orange. This area of Haiti is poor but has always been self sufficient until the hurricanes of 2008 destroyed all of the crops and killed many of the farm animals. They just need a little help to get back on their feet. You can see how they have used the seeds we took in December to plant their gardens.
It is always the little children that first suffer from natural disasters. In just one of the areas of Baie d'orange, there are more than 400 malnourished children and over 60 children have died from the effects of manutrition!
 
Orange hair is a sign of malnutrition in some children and this area has many children with red hair.
 The soil in Baie d'Orange has lots of clay in it, but many vegetables grow well in their gardens.  Baie d'Orange Haiti
 
Many of the children in Baie d'Orange have big bellies and orange hair. Many were also sick with respiratory infections.
  
A mother and child from Baie d'Orange Haiti.

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