A few inspiring stories
Loudia learns to spell her name
What's in a name? This photo brings such joy to my heart. I remember "Lil Miss" Loudia when she first came to HDA. She was a screamer, a pincher, and a hitter. That's how she communicated. She didn't even know she had a name, and now she is so proud that she can write her name. It seems so simple. But it encapsulates the hope children gain as they learn they have a name and are loved. As they learn a language, they learn a better way to communicate, and the screaming, pinching, and hitting become part of their past.
Often I ponder the plight of so many in the world. Disease and physical affliction have come upon many, yet the one thing that has come upon some that have caused them to be the largest unreached people group in the world is deafness. Deafness in most of the world isolates individuals and renders them outcasts of societies. This leaves them unable to respond to the gospel they cannot hear. So God calls people to go and teach the "least of these" a language. You can almost hear Loudia shouting, "I HAVE A NAME." This is me.
Written by Darwin Covington, Sponsorship Coordinator, June 2022
Loudia learns to spell her name
What's in a name? This photo brings such joy to my heart. I remember "Lil Miss" Loudia when she first came to HDA. She was a screamer, a pincher, and a hitter. That's how she communicated. She didn't even know she had a name, and now she is so proud that she can write her name. It seems so simple. But it encapsulates the hope children gain as they learn they have a name and are loved. As they learn a language, they learn a better way to communicate, and the screaming, pinching, and hitting become part of their past.
Often I ponder the plight of so many in the world. Disease and physical affliction have come upon many, yet the one thing that has come upon some that have caused them to be the largest unreached people group in the world is deafness. Deafness in most of the world isolates individuals and renders them outcasts of societies. This leaves them unable to respond to the gospel they cannot hear. So God calls people to go and teach the "least of these" a language. You can almost hear Loudia shouting, "I HAVE A NAME." This is me.
Written by Darwin Covington, Sponsorship Coordinator, June 2022
Loudia learns to spell her name
A Mother's Visit
While the families of many of our students shut out their deaf children due to a lack of understanding and a local tradition of believing any disability is a curse, some of our parents accept and support their deaf children. Mirandy started with HDA in 2016 at age six. In June 2022, his mother risked traveling from her dangerous community to visit Mirandy for the first time. HDA encourages all families to learn sign language and stay engaged with all aspects of their deaf child's life. A parent's love is priceless.
A Mother's Visit
While the families of many of our students shut out their deaf children due to a lack of understanding and a local tradition of believing any disability is a curse, some of our parents accept and support their deaf children. Mirandy started with HDA in 2016 at age six. In June 2022, his mother risked traveling from her dangerous community to visit Mirandy for the first time. HDA encourages all families to learn sign language and stay engaged with all aspects of their deaf child's life. A parent's love is priceless.
A Mother's Visit
Wilphnie
Nine-year-old Wilphnie lives with her Godmother, who brought her in for an evaluation and HDA enrollment in September 2018. Her Godmother lives nearby in Cabaret. Deaf from birth, Wilphnie’s parents discovered her deafness at 10 months of age when she did not react to noises.
Many Haitians who can obtain a visa will leave Haiti for a better life. Wilphnie’s mother and father were able to move to Chile, where they eventually had three more children, siblings Wilphie has never met. All were hopeful that when Wilphnie’s mother returned to Haiti to attend her mother’s funeral that Wilphnie would be able to return to Chile with her. Unfortunately, insufficient paperwork prevented that. Since her grandmother is no longer available to care for Wilphnie, her Godmother took her in.
Since her enrollment at HDA, like other children who live in the local area, Wilphnie has gone home on the weekends. She returned to the dorm several Sundays, unwashed and with uncombed hair. Our dorm supervisor asked the relative who brought her back about her appearance. The man stated, “She is not my problem, she is not my child. They left her with us. They do not send anything for her. Maybe Wilphnie should go live with another family”. According to her father, he used to send money for shoes and new clothing, but they did not buy those things for her. Sometimes she cries when someone from that family comes to get her for the weekend, preferring to stay at HDA. A neighbor related to Wilphnie's father explained to our staff that her relatives love Wilphnie, but no one in her current situation knows how to communicate with her.
HDA provides Wilphnie with consistent caregivers who show her kindness. She is learning her first language (sign language) and also about God’s love for her. Wilphnie now has a beautiful, happy smile and is thriving in this welcoming environment.
A determination was recently made that Wilphnie will no longer leave for weekends and stay at HDA with many other students until summer break. It is important to HDA that our students remain a part of their families whenever possible. We hope that at the end of this school year, arrangements can be made to allow Wilphnie to travel to Chile to be with her family. We will try to assist in getting the proper paperwork needed for her. Prayers lifted by all for that to be the best solution for Wilphnie. Meanwhile, we will love and encourage her.
Wilphnie
Nine-year-old Wilphnie lives with her Godmother, who brought her in for an evaluation and HDA enrollment in September 2018. Her Godmother lives nearby in Cabaret. Deaf from birth, Wilphnie’s parents discovered her deafness at 10 months of age when she did not react to noises.
Many Haitians who can obtain a visa will leave Haiti for a better life. Wilphnie’s mother and father were able to move to Chile, where they eventually had three more children, siblings Wilphie has never met. All were hopeful that when Wilphnie’s mother returned to Haiti to attend her mother’s funeral that Wilphnie would be able to return to Chile with her. Unfortunately, insufficient paperwork prevented that. Since her grandmother is no longer available to care for Wilphnie, her Godmother took her in.
Since her enrollment at HDA, like other children who live in the local area, Wilphnie has gone home on the weekends. She returned to the dorm several Sundays, unwashed and with uncombed hair. Our dorm supervisor asked the relative who brought her back about her appearance. The man stated, “She is not my problem, she is not my child. They left her with us. They do not send anything for her. Maybe Wilphnie should go live with another family”. According to her father, he used to send money for shoes and new clothing, but they did not buy those things for her. Sometimes she cries when someone from that family comes to get her for the weekend, preferring to stay at HDA. A neighbor related to Wilphnie's father explained to our staff that her relatives love Wilphnie, but no one in her current situation knows how to communicate with her.
HDA provides Wilphnie with consistent caregivers who show her kindness. She is learning her first language (sign language) and also about God’s love for her. Wilphnie now has a beautiful, happy smile and is thriving in this welcoming environment.
A determination was recently made that Wilphnie will no longer leave for weekends and stay at HDA with many other students until summer break. It is important to HDA that our students remain a part of their families whenever possible. We hope that at the end of this school year, arrangements can be made to allow Wilphnie to travel to Chile to be with her family. We will try to assist in getting the proper paperwork needed for her. Prayers lifted by all for that to be the best solution for Wilphnie. Meanwhile, we will love and encourage her.
Wilphnie
Abandoned
Patrick came to HDA in 2013 as a 9-year-old boy. He had no language, no way to communicate with his family, and no knowledge of God’s love. His father had moved to Brazil and then later to the Dominican Republic, leaving Patrick with a friend, who raised him, along with her other children, from when he was three months old. As his acting guardian, she enrolled Patrick in HDA for his schooling.
When Patrick returned to the dorm after school breaks, he often came in broken sandals and dirty clothes, appearing thinner than when he left. Often, he even arrived several days early. In 2019, when it was time for Patrick to go home for a school break, his guardian refused to take him and stated that no one in the community would be able to watch over him. During that break, he stayed with our dorm supervisor and his wife. While there, he began to trust them and told them that when at home, his siblings were fed twice a day, but he would only eat once a day. This is despite HDA always sending food support when he returned home for breaks.
Once again, on the next school break, his guardian refused to take Patrick and suggested he stay with his grandmother, which brought Patrick to tears. The neighbors warned that it was not wise to place Patrick in this grandmother’s care, as she was very mean to Patrick. Our social worker and other staff went to visit Patrick’s guardian to ask for his father’s phone number, and they would not provide the number and were not helpful or interested in Patrick. They learned from neighbors that Patrick had been treated as a Restavek after his father left. Restavek is a term (from the French language meaning “to stay with”) used to describe a child in Haiti whose parents send them to work for another family as a domestic servant because the parents lack the resources to support the child. An older brother to Patrick, living with this same grandmother, ran away and lived on the street.
In the spring of 2021, the HDA staff was able to reach his father by phone in the Dominican Republic. His father stated he was unaware of Patrick’s abandonment and was willing to talk further about his situation.
Patrick is kind and gentle and quick to smile. He is small in stature and appears much younger than his actual age. He learned sign language easily. He enjoys math and is willing to help with cleaning chores here at HDA. His favorite thing to do is play soccer!
Patrick will turn 18 in December 2022. By that time, we hope he will possess the Life Skills necessary to survive and possibly thrive as a deaf adult in Haiti. We will work diligently to assist this young man, who only learned the language at nine years old, in gaining the skills he needs to be independent.
More importantly, our staff will continue to help Patrick in hopes that he will feel loved and valued and that his father will step forward to be a part of his life. We pray that he will feel empowered by his new skills and comforted in knowing that God’s love is unconditional and everlasting.
For more information or to sponsor children in need like Patrick,
please contact [email protected].
Abandoned
Patrick came to HDA in 2013 as a 9-year-old boy. He had no language, no way to communicate with his family, and no knowledge of God’s love. His father had moved to Brazil and then later to the Dominican Republic, leaving Patrick with a friend, who raised him, along with her other children, from when he was three months old. As his acting guardian, she enrolled Patrick in HDA for his schooling.
When Patrick returned to the dorm after school breaks, he often came in broken sandals and dirty clothes, appearing thinner than when he left. Often, he even arrived several days early. In 2019, when it was time for Patrick to go home for a school break, his guardian refused to take him and stated that no one in the community would be able to watch over him. During that break, he stayed with our dorm supervisor and his wife. While there, he began to trust them and told them that when at home, his siblings were fed twice a day, but he would only eat once a day. This is despite HDA always sending food support when he returned home for breaks.
Once again, on the next school break, his guardian refused to take Patrick and suggested he stay with his grandmother, which brought Patrick to tears. The neighbors warned that it was not wise to place Patrick in this grandmother’s care, as she was very mean to Patrick. Our social worker and other staff went to visit Patrick’s guardian to ask for his father’s phone number, and they would not provide the number and were not helpful or interested in Patrick. They learned from neighbors that Patrick had been treated as a Restavek after his father left. Restavek is a term (from the French language meaning “to stay with”) used to describe a child in Haiti whose parents send them to work for another family as a domestic servant because the parents lack the resources to support the child. An older brother to Patrick, living with this same grandmother, ran away and lived on the street.
In the spring of 2021, the HDA staff was able to reach his father by phone in the Dominican Republic. His father stated he was unaware of Patrick’s abandonment and was willing to talk further about his situation.
Patrick is kind and gentle and quick to smile. He is small in stature and appears much younger than his actual age. He learned sign language easily. He enjoys math and is willing to help with cleaning chores here at HDA. His favorite thing to do is play soccer!
Patrick will turn 18 in December 2022. By that time, we hope he will possess the Life Skills necessary to survive and possibly thrive as a deaf adult in Haiti. We will work diligently to assist this young man, who only learned the language at nine years old, in gaining the skills he needs to be independent.
More importantly, our staff will continue to help Patrick in hopes that he will feel loved and valued and that his father will step forward to be a part of his life. We pray that he will feel empowered by his new skills and comforted in knowing that God’s love is unconditional and everlasting.
For more information or to sponsor children in need like Patrick,
please contact [email protected].