Strengthening lives
There they are – lined up outside in the bright sun waiting to have children weighed, measured, letters to sponsors written, and photos taken.
This is the first mission to help gather, organize and disseminate information about the hundreds of children in the sponsorship program.
It would not be a stretch to say lives are being saved through this program but mostly, the quality of those lives is being enhanced.
With funds provided, the families are able to buy food and most of the children go to school. They are able to get healthcare at the bi-monthly medical clinics. The people are grateful.
Still, life is hard in Haiti. Even with the help that sponsorship provides.
Yesterday a woman came in with her daughter and her niece. The woman’s sister had died in childbirth and now she is raising the baby. Since she cannot breastfeed, she gives the baby what she is able to give.
In her case, that means crackers, a little milk, and some spaghetti. The baby is 6 months old, thin and lethargic. We give her 2 ounces of formula that she takes with ease. We give the aunt instructions on feeding the baby.
She needs to practice everything from opening and closing the canister to mixing the formula that we give her. We tell her she needs to boil the water she will mix with the formula, and she seems to understand. The interpreters hired to help us do a great job.
The baby also has scabies. We remove all the clothing, give the babe a scabies treatment, and re-dress her in new clothing we brought with us.
Again we give instructions. This time on boiling the clothing, bedding, towels, and anything else that they have that might be infested with the mites. We give them a card to return in March where they will get additional supplies and care.
I hope we have helped sufficiently so they are all stronger and happier when the March team sees them.
Without the funds that sponsorship supplies, life for these people would be much more of a struggle. They are grateful. So am I - because I can see the difference that we can make in the life of a child.
--Trudy Vogel
