Hurricane Matthew Update - THANK YOU supporters!

Post Hurricane Matthew sleeping quarters of sisters

For two years Reiser Relief has partnered with Catholic sisters in the little town of Marfranc, in far southwest Haiti. The sisters provide refuge and housing for the vulnerable and elderly, education for children and basic health care.

Convent under construction

Last October, Hurricane Matthew pounded western Haiti. Marfranc was blasted for 2 days with category 5 winds and torrential downpours.  After the hurricane, the community looked like it had been hit by an atomic bomb. Leaves, trees, roofs, walls were stripped, toppled, twisted and blown away.

Just 5 months later, Marfranc looks lush again. Some trees survived and new leaves have grown. Plants and shrubs have sprung back to live.  Some damaged buildings are repaired and many are under repair.

At Asile Marfranc, because of your support and generosity:

Lunch at school

•        34 elderly are in sleeping on new beds in a temporary shelter, receiving food and care daily. A permanent structure will be built this fall after the rainy season ends.
•        60 children have returned to school in temporary structures. The children receive a hearty lunch each day supplemented by emergency relief food that you made possible.
•        The main school is being repaired by Haitians with a concrete roof that is better suited to withstand hurricanes. It will be completed in May, and ready to receive children this fall as we expand to another grade. The workers are receiving a living wage for their labors.
•        The medical dispensary is up and running, providing for the health needs of the community
•        A second storage container is on site, providing a safe and dry place to stash construction materials
•        A solar suitcase is in place allowing the sisters to charge lights and phones providing critical security and safety at night.
•        The convent for the sisters is being repaired by Haitians. This will allow the 3 sisters to move from cramped quarters on their front porch and to live in a more comfortable and secure environment. The repairs include an expansion of the kitchen to allow for an improved community gathering space

New beds for elderly

Fixing front of school

Challenges remain. The area is just coming out of a two-month drought. Unfortunately, many gardens planted right after the hurricane withered. Construction materials remain difficult to find and expensive to buy. Food is still in short supply, especially in remote mountain areas that are difficult to reach.  When it does rain, roads are exceedingly muddy and in some places nearly impassable. Many homes still lack roofs.

School repairs underway

Inside new storage container...concrete and rebar

The community of Marfranc is so blessed by your love and generosity.  We thank God for our supporters. Please continue to lift the people of Marfranc and southwest Haiti up in prayer.