Happy Thanksgiving – Update on the Orphanage, November 2017

Hello everyone,

I hope that my email will find you all and your family very well. I know that you are preparing a Thanksgiving party. I wish you Happy Thanksgiving.

From my side, I am fine, thanks to God. My kids and my parishioners are fine too. I am pleased to send you an update about the orphanage.

First of all, please find the pictures in the attachment. Those pictures are in the following order:
a) The first building at your left is the residence of the 3 guardians. That residence is not completed yet.
b) The second building is the school, which is not completed either
c) The next building at the left is the residence of the orphans
d)Finally, the last building in pink is the residence of the Nuns.

It has been raining a lot these days. The court yard of the orphanage was flooded. The people of the neighborhood of the orphanage had refuge in the school of the orphanage. Fortunately, the water did not invade the residence of the orphans. God is good. Please continue to pray for us because it continues to be raining.

The dedication of the residence of the Nuns took place recently, on October 26. That means we have more space to welcome more orphans. We are taking care of 35 orphans now. In fact, we have the capacity to welcome 40 orphan girls and 40 orphan boys. But we will process slowly to welcome additional orphans, because we want to have financial means prior to the arrival of new kids so that we can be ready to feed them and to provide them with health care. Right now, we rely only on occasional donations to take care of the 35 orphans who already with us. I have two daily challenges: 1) to feed the orphans and 2) to provide health care to them.

Natacha Pierre (the oldest orphan) graduated last April as an assistant nurse. She left the orphanage about one month ago. She is having training at the clinic of the sisters of Plaisance. If the sisters are satisfied with her training, they sisters will hire her. Please pray for her so that she can get a job. I hope that she will be a role model for the other orphans.

The 3 nuns who are helping me take care of the kids are running the school of the orphanage named “ECOLE NOTRE-DAME DU PERPETUELS SECOURS” (SCHOOL OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP”), the same name of the orphanage. Some children in the neighborhood join our orphans at the school because the school is open to the public. Right now, they are 238 children who attend our school. l from preschool 1 to 7^th For the next school year, we expect to have the double of the number that we have now, because the parents are poor but they are looking for better school for their children. Our plan is to go until the end of High School with the school. For the tuition, we charge each child with the equivalent of $55, 34 a year. Some people are so poor that they cannot pay that required amount for their kids. To pay the salary of the teachers is a big headache for me.

Our long term goal is to make the orphanage self sufficient in the future. We have already made so few steps toward that goal: we start raising rabbits, we bought 7 cows and we are gardening.

Some of our short term goals are: a) to have a roof for the multiple purpose room; b) to build a chapel (a church where about 600 people can worship God); c) to build a clinic where the orphans, the staff of the orphanage, the poor people of the neighborhood of the orphanage can get health care. Having the clinic built is an emergency, because it is always heartbreaking to see the nurse with several sick orphans and a motorcycle driver going to the clinic.

Finally I would like to have a new or a second hand mini-bus for the transportation of the orphans. If you know anybody who would like to get rid of good second hand mini- bus, please think of us.

Father Andre

a)The first building at your left is the residence of the 3 guardians. That residence is not completed yet.

b) The second building is the school, which is not completed either

c) The next building at the left is the residence of the orphans

d) Finally, the last building in pink is the residence of the Nuns.