Eyes Wide Open On Location

Recently we sent a team of 6 people to a creche in Cap Haitien, Haiti. A creche is similar to an orphanage, but in addition to caring for children who have no biological family, they also take in and care for children whom have families, but for whatever reason are unable to care for them. Specifically in Haiti, we found that more often than not, the parents of children in the creche were disabled by the earthquake disaster in January 2010 or were not financially stable enough to care for their child. The organization in charge of the creche is Children of the Promise (www.childrenofthepromise.org). I encourage you to read about their history, as well as the babies they have under their care.

While in Haiti, our team took time to assist the on staff nannies with daily chores, ranging from feeding the children, to brushing their teeth. We played with the children, held them, and did everything we could to make their lives just a little bit better. We also cared for the sick babies during the night, as they needed to be seperated from the healthy ones during their recovery to keep sickness from spreading.

One of the projects we undertook while we were there was the build an “interview gazebo”. When families from the community who want to have their children cared for by COTP, or need to give them up for a chance at a better life, they meet with the staff in an area where current baby residents are playing, crawling, being fed, etc. This area was never intended to be for interviewing people, and it quickly became inconvenient if a child was sick, or restless. Our job was to design a new meeting area away from the children, where they can meet with the staff, or have their babies examined by the on site nurse, Amy. We poured a concrete foundation, built an awning and covered it with tin.

We also repaired several sections of the fence that spans 3/4 of the edge of their property. The front of the compound is a concrete wall, but the side and rear borders were chain link and needed some work. We repaired fallen sections, which will now do a better job of keeping out cattle, and also strung two rows of barb wire across the top for increased security. On a personal note, if you’ve never had to work with barb wire, consider yourself lucky!

This was one of many trips we’ve made to COTP, and everytime we go we try to discover a need and do everything within our means to help these amazing people. This last trip we uncovered a plan to significantly better the compound for the forseeable future. Energy consumption is is one of their biggest obstacles. Currently they are powered by a diesel generator, which recently was forced to be upgraded because of deteriorating equipment. New batteries and a new inverter have helped; allowing them to run the generator more efficiently–even providing power at all times (in the past this was not the case). However, because this is their main source for power, the generator runs for 10 hours a day, costing $1,000 a month in fuel costs alone. This is a huge portion of their monthly budget.

The solution ot this problem comes through a pursuit of solar energy. Our goal is to install a solar system which will offset the use of the generator tremedously, allowing them to cut the time it runs down to 1/4 of what it does now, saving them about $9,000 a year. The suns rays are free, but using them to provide energy is not. In the long run,solar power will be cleaner, quieter, and far less expensive. However, the start up cost for the system is quite significant. Children of the Promise has already made a large investstment in new inverters and batteries, which are compatible to a solar system and are an expensive component.

This is where you come in. In order for us to make this a reality, we need to raise $35,000. This amount includes all the panels and equipment needed to operate the solar panel setup. We realize this is not a direct donation to the people of Haiti, however this project will allow us to allocate more of our funds toward the children in our care and the surrounding community for many years to come. We as that you consider partnering with us on this project in one of the following ways:

Adopt a Panel: We will need 32 solar panels to complete our system. The panels generate 205 watts each and have an expected lifespan of 25 years. Each panel will cost $1,000 (including installation). If you can be one of 32 people to sponsor a panel, we can make this project a reality.

Sponsor the Project: The project will cost slightly more than the cost of the panels alone. Of you decide not to sponsor a panel, please consider a donation to help raise the remainder of these funds. Here is a projection of what we will save over the next 10 years:

The savings are incredible. In the states people install solar panels with the hope that they will pay off in 15 or more years. Having the system pay for itself in four years is an incredible opportunity that will indisputably lead to amazing savings. Our goal is complete the project before the start of 2011. If you would like to partner with us in this project, you can send donations to:

Children of the Promise
PO Box 123
Prinsburg, MN 56281

We welcome any questions or input that you might have relative to this project. Please contact Jamie Groen directly at jamjengroen@yahoo.com if you have any questions. Also, please feel free to download a copy of our proposal, as well as technical documentation.

Proposal PDF

Technical Documentation PDF