In Haiti, Adventist Church Opens Home for Earthquake Orphans

The new orphanage home in Diquini, Port-au-Prince, haiti, inaugurated thanks to funds raised by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Puerto Rico and ADRA Puerto Rico, April 25, 2017. The home is housing 12 children orphaned from the devastating earthquake of 2010. The facility has four rooms, two bathrooms, a living room, dinning room, kitchen, and an office, and will be managed by the Adventist Church in Haiti. Image by Javier A. Rodríguez

May 12, 2017 | Diquini, Port-au-Prince, Haiti | David Sebastian/IAD Staff

Children are given treats and a tour of their new rooms. Image by Puerto Rican Union/IAD

After seven years of planning, fundraising, and logistics efforts, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Haiti inaugurated a home for children orphaned by the deadly earthquake which struck the island nation in 2010. The orphanage in Diquini, Port-au-Prince was opened on April 25, 2017.

“Today is a day of victory,” said Pastor Jose Alberto Rodríguez, president of the church in Puerto Rico and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Puerto Rico director. “Today concludes the dream of inaugurating this home for children we saw live in tents, starve and go through so much,” said Rodríguez. Rodríguez was instrumental in raising funds and coordinating with church and community leaders in Haiti to make the orphanage possible.

“I am so happy and thankful to the Lord, my country, and the journalists for trusting in ADRA Puerto Rico,” expressed Pastor Rodríguez.

Rodríguez thanked other Christian organizations like the Presbyterian Church, International Pentecostal Mission Church, and Disciples of Christ Church of Puerto Rico for contributing funds and to ADRA volunteers who supported the project.

Pastor Jose Alberto Rodríguez, president of the church in Puerto Rico is interviewed by Wora TV 5 who was covering the inauguration. Image by Puerto Rican Union/IAD

TThe construction of the new home for children in Diquini, which is close to Haiti Adventist University, took less than a year to build can shelter 15 children. The home has four rooms, two bathrooms, a living room, dinning room, kitchen and an office.

Currently, the home is sheltering 12 children, said Rodríguez. “These are the remaining 12 children who have not been adopted from the 84 in the area who were orphaned,” explained Rodríguez.

The Haitian Union will oversee the management of the new home run by Evanose Francois, who is a nurse and teaches at the university. Pastor Rodríguez expressed the continual supply of food and needs the home will receive indefinitely.

“We want this to be a model project for the people in Haiti,” said Rodríguez.

Children have been provided with clothes, shoes, school uniforms and school supplies as well.

Community leaders and children of the surrounding community were invited to take part in ‘he inauguration ceremony.

Pastor Pierre Caporal, president of the church in Haiti, thanked church leaders in Puerto Rico, other Christian denominations and citizens of Puerto Rico who have shown their love and generosity to the Haitian community since the earthquake struck.

“This orphanage is convincing proof of your care and love toward our people in Haiti,” said Caporal.

From left to right: Evenose Francois, Cristina Rivera wife of Pastor Rodríguez, a young child, and Pastor Rodríguez.  Image by Puerto Rican Union/IAD

The care and commitment from those in Puerto Rico was visible immediately following the earthquake in 2010, church leaders said.

“Days after the earthquake we visited Haiti and purchased the land for this new orphanage home,” said Luis Rivera, treasurer of the church in Puerto Rico.

The Adventist Church in Puerto Rico and ADRA Puerto Rico have donated and delivered 70 containers of food and supplies since the earthquake, as well as wooden homes for affected families, funds to help rebuild homes in coordination with ADRA Haiti, a mobile unit in 2011 to assist the Adventist Hospital, reconstruction of two Adventist Churches, and more.

To learn more about this project led by the Adventist Church in Puerto Rico, visit upasd.org

Additional information contributed by WORA TV5