Christian Hand is a non-for-profit Christian organization founded in 1998 to provide physical emotional spiritual financial and educational help to the poor in Haiti. It is recognized by the state of New York as well as the federal government since 2006.
We make bi-annual trips to Haiti with volunteers and missionaries to provide the care. Our provisions include:
- The Gospel. An evangelical pastor travels with us, talk, teach, counsel and pray with the people. We donate Bibles as needed. We also express the love of Christ by our actions. We are sensitive to their knowledge, level of understanding and their needs.
- Bi-annual physical examination, assessment and treatment in our station in Camp Perrin, a rural area of Cayes in the south of Haiti. Some of our clients have never been examined by a physician before. New diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, and infection are either treated with the provision of free medications or referral on our fund to the local hospital for treatment. We have a large clientele with arthritis, post stroke, hypertension, diabetes, vaginal infection, common cold, rash, ulcers, diarrhea, malnutrition, etc…to name a few. At the end of our stay, we donate the rest of our medication to the local Hospital.
- Clothing and shoes. We make a thrift shop which we call “The Boutique” there our client have the opportunity to go choose shoes and clothing that would fit them and get them for free.
- Toys for the kids. One of our stations is designated to the giving of toys to the less fortunate children. The children visit that station and choose one toy that is age appropriate for them.
- Scholarship to promote better education for the children in Haiti. We pay the monthly tuition, registration fees, and books at the beginning of the school year. Our students are selected based on their inability to pay for the school, their potential and desire to learn, and a written essay stating their plan for the future. We select student both in Port-au-Prince and in the country side of Haiti.
- Day Camp: our camp allows children from 3 years of age to 15 a time to be and act like kids where we play with them; we teach them the alphabet, math, art, dance and The Word of GOD.
- Nutritious meals to the children and some adults during our stay. We hire some of them to cook and provide meals and snacks to both adults and children present. At the end of our stay we distribute the rest of the uncooked food to the neighboring poor people.
It is so touching to watch the little ones eat their main meal which usually happens at the most burning time of the sun: 12 noon to 1Pm. Or, worse if it rains, to watch them eat as fast as possible as they cover their food to prevent the rain water from falling into it.
After cooking the food, we lay a multitude of plates and bowls on the floor filled with the cooked meal. We set them up by groups of fifteen. Multiple lines are being formed. Each line is with its own leader. The lines are called one by one to get their food, then, we set them on the grass to eat their food. At times things went great but at other times it could be a chaotic challenge. We manage. It is not only a physical challenge but mostly an emotional challenge to watch the condition that we are feeding these kids. We have many goals within Christian Hand, but changing the situation these children are eating seems to be a priority.