God's Work in Haiti

This morning Diane asked me to draft a letter to an organization called Free the Kids. Last week our parish's Council of Catholic Women affiliate conducted a bake sale in support of Haitian relief and Diane, the affiliate's treasurer, wanted to send this organization a check for $371. Obediently, I wrote the letter and gave it to dear Diane, who then sent it off along with the check.

Always curious, however, I went online to check out Free the Kids. It is another name for the organization, Theo's Work, Inc., founded by Father Marc Boisvert, a former U.S. Navy chaplain now completely involved in ministering to and saving the lives of the children of Haiti. Father Marc learned about the plight of the Haitian people when he was assigned to the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. At that time the base was the processing facility for the Haitian refugees who were fleeing the island nation by the thousands. Because he spoke fluent French and could apparently handle Creole well enough, Father Marc was assigned to the base to help care for these desperate refugees. This was how he learned about Haiti and the sufferings of its people.

While on leave from his subsequent duty with the Marines in California, Father Marc visited Haiti to see first-hand the conditions he had heard about from the refugees. He was appalled. When he returned to the U.S., he started Theo's Work, Inc., a non-profit organization to help the poor of Haiti. He then resigned from the Navy, sold his belongings, and on January 1, 1998 arrived in Port-au-Prince. He's been there ever since.

In his words (from his blog Pwoje Espwa), this is what Theo's Work has accomplished:

Theo is a pen name for Father Marc Boisvert, the founder and director of Pwoje Espwa in southern Haiti. In 1998 we rented a small house and filled it with street boys. Now we have over 600 children living on a huge property outside the city of Les Cayes. There are six schools, a carpenters' workshop, an agricultural center, a small medical facility, an all-purpose space for chapel services, theater productions... In twelve years a miracle has been taking place in southern Haiti and you have helped make it happen! Spread the word so we can continue to save children's lives.

 Some of the beautiful children of Pwoje Espwa

This is a remarkable ministry, founded by a remarkable man. It is well worth our support.


God's peace...