SATURDAY - Visit to Port-au-Prince

On Saturday, a small group of the New Hope team took a trip into Port au Prince to visit the Seventh-day Adventist University and hospital. The university currently has over 26,000 displaced earthquake victims living on the campus. ADRA International is working with other international organizations to provide food, health care until the victims tranistion to a new location. During the visit, we met with New Hope member, Olivier Guth, ADRA Bureau Chief.
The trip into Port-au-Prince was a sobering experience. After spending a few days behind the private gates at Eden Garden, I forgot about the level of dispair that exists.

Here is what we saw:

Families living in tents made out of fabric tied to long stick. These tents are not waterproof or fireproof. Homes made of cardboard which were not holding up well after the rain.

Children running in the middle of the streets barefoot.

Mothers bathing and drinking out of trash-filled gutters as a large hog stands beside her.

Tens of thousands of people walking aimlessly, hungry - in search of jobs and food.