Several of the pictures are filled with blank stares.
The Haitian children don’t smile for the camera in some cases. Why would they? Many of them have no idea about the flashing gray box the missionaries hold up to their eyes and point at them.
Father Don Duford and Church of the Resurrection parishioners returned May 16 from a rewarding, but eye-opening experience in Haiti.
As part of the Detroit Area Haiti Outreach program, Laura Compton, Vic Peters, Vicky Hoetger and Cheryl Le Boenf saw first-hand the desperate state of other less fortunate parts of the world.
‘There are large fences around any gardens to protect the food because people are hungry. People will even pull up trees you plant just to eat the roots,? said Duford.
Duford said the goal is to improve the quality of life for the Haitians. The group began building an infrastructure they hope will not only last, but ease the strain on the population. Previous trips resulted in the construction of additional school facilities and an orphanage.
The program’s several other goals include securing water sources for the struggling people of Mirebalais, Haiti.
‘The well that serves Mirebalais was drilled in 1957 and originally intended for around 200 people. There’s been conflict in Port-au-Prince, so many people have fled resulting in 70,000 looking to the well for water,? said Duford.
According to Duford, steps were initiated to construct a hospital.
‘About 300,000 people in the area have no access to medical care and are 2? to 4 hours away from emergency or long term medical care,? said Duford.
A key characteristic to the outreach is the collaboration with local Haitian churches and people. An Episcopal Church owns the land for the hospital and the local priests hire Haitians for most of the jobs, adding to the overall impact of the program.
‘We don’t tell them what we’ll do, we work together to decide what gets done,? said Duford.
Father Duford expressed great pride in both the response from the parish as well as from the four who accompanied him on the trip.
‘We found a job for everyone who came, no matter their medical or construction experience. The three ladies assisted the dentist who taught them what to do,? said Duford. ‘The parish really responded by raising money for the passage and materials.?
Students from Clarkston Middle School also donated money from a fund-raiser to Haiti once they heard about the level of poverty there.
‘The class’s leadership group led by Kirsty Crofton, Paige McCelland and Molli Simpson donated over $550 worth of over-the-counter medicines, personal items and sheets for the orphanage,? said Duford.
Returning home from Haiti turned out to be an emotional experience in itself.
‘You have to debrief yourself when you come back here from a third-world country. I realized I’m amongst the richest people in the world. It takes about three days to unwind,? said Duford.
With this trip complete, Duford looks to increase Clarkston’s effort in the ecumenical goals of Detroit Area Haiti Outreach.
‘If other parishes have experience or interest in international missions, we can help each other. I hope to get a Catholic parish from Clarkston involved,? said Duford.
Currently, the Detroit Area Haiti Outreach involves seven churches of many denominations in the Metro-Detroit area. The official mission statement promotes the idea of providing improved socioeconomic and medical conditions for all people of Mirebalais, but focuses on the children as means to secure growth and prosperity for the future.
Those interested in learning more or donating can contact Father Don Duford at the Church of the Resurrection at 248-625-2325 or look at www.clarkstonepiscopal.org.
Tax deductible donations can be made to the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, 6490 Clarkston, MI 48346.