New Home Provides Hope: The Baptiste Family

A 20-minute climb in the mountains around Cap-Haitien, Haiti is even more difficult when lugging bags of concrete and metal rebar–or if suffering illness from HIV infection. But, for David Baptiste, that is the only way to bring needed materials to the site of his new home. He is building a better house for his family with assistance from Children's Place International.  

The entire Baptiste family–David, his wife and their three children–currently lives in a one-bedroom tin shack. Earlier this year, Children's Place was able to provide emergency funds to help the family construct a new concrete home. 

David is a mason by trade. But, he is HIV-positive and often unable to work due to his illness. He and his family have been clients of our program in Haiti since it began in 2008. His wife, Marie, is also HIV-positive; the couple's children ages 10, 13 and 15, are HIV-negative. 

Children's Place International helps the family in numerous ways. Cap-Haitien staff members transport and accompany the parents to their clinic appointments, ensuring they receive ongoing medical care. In addition, Children's Place International provides emergency food and covers the children's school costs.  In Haiti, tuition, uniforms and books cost about $300 annually per child. This makes affording an education nearly impossible for many families, with the average Haitian family earning only $1 - $2 per day. 

With help from Children's Place International, the Baptiste children are able to attend school, the parents can adhere to their HIV medication regimen and David can work when well enough. But even with this support, family insecurity persisted because of the unsteady condition of their home, especially in the face of annual hurricanes and tropical storms. Tension was starting to drive the parents apart, and Marie frequently stayed with relatives.

A new, more reliable home is now under construction, thanks to emergency funding from Children's Place International. One of the greatest challenges has been transporting building materials–including rocks, concrete, sand and metal rebar–up the mountain.  Labor expenses have been higher than expected, but are offset by David's leadership on the job. With his mason's experience he has been able to direct the work, significantly defraying construction costs. 

Although the home is not yet finished, the Baptiste family is proud to show it off to friends and relatives.  Marie and the children anxiously await the day when they can move in. David expects construction to be completed by the end of 2011. 

The Baptistes and Children's Place International are building more than a solid dwelling–the family's cohesion has been transformed, too, and is now stronger than ever.