It is mind-boggling how much we take for granted until we are in countries that are adversely affected by the most basic of needs. On recent visits to Haiti, two basic necessities came to our attention in the Merci’ de Dieu (“Thanks to God”) Village.
On one of our last nights in the village as we sat around the dinner table under a thatched cabana overlooking the quaint village we were surprised at how dark the houses were and it was only 6:30 or so! Kenny Kennedy pulled out a solar-powered lantern that’s manufactured in Haiti and sells for $45. That’s all it took! An awareness of the need and then the miracle unfolds!
The team pulled together some funds so the first 14 could be purchased and handed out the next day. Once the team returned to the states and shared our stories with family, friends, and co-workers more orders came in and now 55 of the 63 houses have (or will have soon) light in their homes! No more sitting in the dark talking to one another but not being able to see their faces. More time for the children to study and read books or play games. More time for our graduates from the Threads of Blessing workshop to sew on their pieces! Thank you to all who have given so generously to this gift of light!
The second eye-opener was learning the problem the female students have each month when they experience their menstrual period. The girls miss on average 45 days of school due to their periods. The reason? They cannot afford to buy pads so they stay home during their period plus they run the risk of infections due to poor hygiene. A wonderful lady named Pam Macke was introduced to us in the airport as we were leaving Haiti and had the solution to the problem.
Reusable feminine hygiene pads! Brilliant idea!
Now we have the pattern and the instructions to put together a kit for each female in the village in need of these essentials. The drawstring bags will include 10 reusable pads, 3 pairs of panties, ibuprofen, safety pins, and a bar of soap.
As there are approximately 133 females in the village that are in the age category for these supplies, one can see this is a BIG project, but not for God! If we need roughly 1500 pads and each person could sew 20 each then all we need is 75 seamstresses! Let’s watch in great expectation as to how this will play out! I am pretty sure God already has His army of seamstresses picked out! ☺️
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