Aired March 15, 7:00-8:00 PM, ET/ PT on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+
GROWING UP BEHIND WALLS – Sixteen years after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the government has all but collapsed and gangs battle for control of the capital Port-au-Prince. Correspondent Anderson Cooper visits an orphanage in the besieged city where children have been sheltered from the violence for more than four years. Run by bestselling author Mitch Albom, the organization Have Faith Haiti takes in vulnerable children and, with an emphasis on education and faith, gives them a chance at an extraordinary future. Denise Schrier Cetta is the producer.
One wanted to brag about his grades. One wanted to talk about his soccer team. One, if we’re being honest, wanted to see what presents she would get. All of them wanted to lift up and hug their baby sisters and brothers and see how big they’ve grown.
None of them will get the chance.
Imagine if America was denied to you. The airports closed, the ports closed, the roads and borders all closed. If you tried a secret entry, you would likely be shot.
And none of your family could get out.
War zone? Gangland? The plot of a dystopian movie? Yes. All that. And in a land of freedom like America, the idea seems impossible.
But it is now daily life for Haitians, including the kids from our orphanage, the Have Faith Haiti Mission, many of whom, for the first time in their lives, will not be able to celebrate Christmas with their brothers and sisters. They are locked out.
“I’m really sad,” one of them, a 19-year-old girl, told me last week. “I miss everybody. We’re always together for Christmas. Can’t we find a way to get there?”
‘No Christmas for poor people’
The answer is no. Even though Christmas — and New Year’s — are holidays that in the 15 years I have been operating the orphanage our kids have never not spent together, this year, no less than 24 of them will be absent, college-age kids studying here in the U.S., sick kids we’ve brought up for medical care, and kids who are doing charity work to help others outside of Port-au-Prince.
This year, for the first time, they will all miss our Christmas play, our nativity re-creation, the singing, the dances, the beautiful prayer service, the special meal, the small presents Christmas morning that cause our littlest ones to squeal with delight, because it’s the only time all year they get anything of their own.
“There’s no Christmas for poor people.” That’s not a tragic sentiment. It’s a threat that a Haitian gang leader made recently. It means the misery, mayhem and murder will continue through the holidays.
URBANSWIM announces charitable circumnavigation swim of Manhattan with local participant Christopher Harris. This swim will take place in New York on July 6, 2023, at 9:00 am and will support three impactful charities: + POOL, Have Faith Haiti, and Worldwide Orphan Foundation.
Accompanying Chris on this remarkable endeavor are three accomplished swimmers: three-time Olympian Anthony Ervin, triple Guinness World Record Holder Jaimie Monahan as an observer, and + POOL board member Fleur Sohtz.
Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Harris moved to New York City in 1993 to attend Columbia University, where he swam. Chris’ lifelong passion for swimming and his desire to make a positive impact on society has led him to take on this incredible challenge. Guerda Harris (née Marie-José Guerda Edeline), Chris’ mother, was born and raised in Haiti. Orphaned as a teenager, she built a thriving life through the generosity and support of others who provided her with opportunities and safe passage to the United States.
“With this swim, I aim to spotlight these organizations’ causes and honor my family’s connection to Haiti and my adopted home, New York,” said Christopher Harris. “I’ve had the privilege of being surrounded by incredible coaches, teammates, and mentors throughout my life. I hope to demonstrate that success is a collaborative effort, relying on the support and contributions of others. By raising awareness and supporting these charities, we can help transform the lives of those who need it most.”
“I am excited to collaborate with Chris and use our athletic platform for good, raising awareness about clean water access, orphan care, and youth development through this monumental swim,” said Anthony Ervin, Three-Time Olympian. “We believe that united, we can make a difference. Efforts like these will encourage others to take action and engage in supporting causes close to their hearts—whether it be through swimming or other forms of activism—to foster positive change in our world.”
Mitch Albom, best-selling author, and founder of Have Faith Haiti, commented, “Chris’ dedication to making a difference through this incredible challenge is truly inspiring. His commitment to helping others, particularly given his personal connection to Haiti through his mother’s story, showcases the power of perseverance and the human spirit. We are grateful for his support and eagerly anticipate the positive impact this event will have on the lives of many, especially those in Haiti who need our help the most.”
Charitable Partners: + POOL is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free and safe access to New York City’s rivers for swimming, ensuring everyone, regardless of income or background, can enjoy the water. https://pluspool.org/
Have Faith Haiti, founded by Mitch Albom, is a nonprofit organization offering safety, nourishment, education, and opportunity for Haiti’s impoverished children and orphans, as well as stability for staff and their families in Port-au-Prince.https://havefaithhaiti.org/
Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO) aims to educate, heal, and empower children by implementing trauma-informed, play-based programs in vulnerable communities. Currently, WWO operates in Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Haiti, Ukraine, Vietnam, and the Bronx, focusing on children and families experiencing poverty, housing instability, food insecurity, natural disasters, war, and illness.https://www.wwo.org/
“Three charities, three rivers, and a 28.5-mile swim around Manhattan – what an incredible way to honor and support the important things in life. A swim like this takes dedication, commitment, and bravery. We are privileged and delighted to support Chris in his mission. When you are in the water, you become a water ambassador – Chris – we also thank you for that,” concluded Deanne Draeger, Founder, URBANSWIM.
For more information about the event and how to support these charities, please visit CH23Swims.com.
The phone call came in the middle of the morning. The voice, a member of our staff at the Have Faith Haiti orphanage, was hushed and scared.
“There might be someone on our property.”
She was calling from the third floor of our school building, where our kids and workers were already huddled and hiding, the doors locked, desks and chairs pushed up against them. Outside, our security guards were circling the exterior.
There’d been a call from a neighbor saying a man on the run might be nearby. Even though it would prove to be a false alarm, when that happens, we go into preparation mode. We sound an emergency alarm, all kids come running, their teachers and counselors account for all of them, and we race to the highest and safest ground.
It is no way for children to live. Yet it is part of daily life these days in Port-au-Prince, where a gangs vs. people war has escalated to daily confrontations. I have been to Haiti every month for 13 years. It has never been so bad.
You’ve probably read about how gangs have choked off much of Port-au-Prince, shutting down essential services, blocking roads, extorting money, stealing homes and committing random murders.
You may not have read how the people are fighting back. Tired of waiting for overmatched and overmanned police, they have reluctantly accepted that the rest of the world doesn’t care enough to intervene, especially, disappointedly, the U.S., despite being Haiti’s closest big neighbor.
So they have taken matters into their own hands.
It has become bloody.
Katherine Graham Photography
We’re addressing immediate safety needs with this GoFundMe campaign. Click to learn more.
In recent days, a van full of suspected armed gang members was captured by police in the Canape Verte area, which is close to our orphanage. Somehow the citizens took control of these men, killed them and burned their bodies in the street.
It was, like similar recent acts, a message from the people, that they will not be overtaken, they will not accept gang rule. They are worn out. Exhausted by the terror. But they are fighting back – with violence, with beatings, with burnings, with guns.
And we are in the crossfire.
Katherine Graham Photography
Our children have been beyond brave. They know this life. They accept their country. But they are still children, and when they hear gunfire, they are frightened.
When they see security guards circling, or police cars arriving, they are frightened.
When they have to stay inside a single space for hours, no school, no play, no eating, they are frightened.
As one of our kids, a 14-year-old girl, wrote after the incident: As the gunshots rained in the air, I felt frightened and weak. But with one of my younger siblings wrapped in my embrace, it reminded me that I had to be stronger than this.
That’s beautiful, but tragic. A 14-year-old?
We are not vigilantes. We are not warriors. We are an orphanage.
When I tell these horror stories to Americans, they say “How can people live like that? Why don’t they leave?” Many Haitians are desperately doing that. Tens of thousands are running away, applying for asylum in an overbooked U.S. system, or heading for the Dominican Republic.
We’re not running. We can’t run. Not with 100 kids and staff. Our mission has always been to give the most needy children a chance to change the narrative, so that they can one day make their country the flourishing place it deserves to be. We are not giving up on that.
But given the current dangers, we are temporarily realigning our fundraising to focus strictly on security.
Photo: Theresa Finck
We currently have a decent force of guards. We need more. The joy of our new home is the space it provides the kids to learn and grow. The downside is the size. Protecting seven acres of property requires greater manpower than we have. There are effective, armed security operations here in Port-au-Prince for hire. But they cost money.
We also want to build a “safe floor,” an area in a building that is bulletproof, secured by steel doors and window coverings, and equipped with the essentials inside. We want to do it for the worst case emergency, and because it’s smart. This can be done quickly. But it costs money.
Watch our campaign video
Lastly, we want to establish full lighting, motion detectors, alarms and remote cameras around the perimeter of our property. The key to stopping any trouble is spotting it before it happens. We need to see and alert. But it costs money.
We pray this will not continue forever. We are grateful that we have never had a breach. But we want to keep it that way. We want our staff to be secure. We want the volunteers who join us to feel secure. Above all, we want our kids to be safe, every day, every night, every minute.
You can hear the gunfire from our playground. The outside is always close. In Haiti, you can hide but you cannot run. And so our orphanage family must say what almost every Haitian family is saying these days:
This is no way to live. Please help us.
How you can help: Support “Help Us Build a Safe House in War-Torn Haiti” any way you can
Dear Readers,
Since the launch of “A Year of Thanks & Giving,” we’ve asked a lot. And your generosity has showed up time and time again. We’re asking once again, but know that any level of support is welcome: give at GoFundMe if you can, share this on your social media profiles, email everyone you know. Every bit helps.
**If you need to give offline, checks may be sent to Have Faith Haiti Mission c/o A Hole in the Roof Foundation / 29836 Telegraph Road / Southfield, MI 48034 with “safe house” in memo line. For institutional giving, DAFs, and more questions, contact erika@havefaithhaiti.org.
You know the Greek myth of Sisyphus, punished by the gods to push a giant boulder up a hill, only to have it fall back on top of him, again and again?
That is the story of our medical care in Haiti.
When we first began the Have Faith Haiti Orphanage, our “doctoring” consisted of vitamins, antiseptic, bandages and Tylenol, all of which we brought down with us.
We could clean a wound if a child fell on the chunky concrete. We could bandage it up. If a teenager had a fever or a headache, we had the Tylenol. And every day we gave the entire population vitamins.
Beyond that, we were pretty helpless. If one of our kids developed a more serious medical issue, we took them to a hospital. Care there was hit or miss. Depended on the doctor. Depended on the problem. Often, we’d have to move the child to a second or third hospital before finding a qualified person or the right medicine.
“This can’t go on,” I said. “We have to be better prepared.”
So we hired a nurse, a Haitian woman with some experience. And we increased the medicines we brought down with us. Fungal creams, ointments, cold medications, dental care items.
Pushing the boulder up the hill.
When the climb gets steeper
The cabinet of supplies that stands in for a clinic
As the years passed and our population grew larger, we hired a second nurse, to be there when the first one could not. We also cleared a small alcove in the orphanage office and put it in a rack of shelves. We stocked them with the various pills, gels, syrups and bandages we’d accumulated.
We established a connection with a Haitian doctor, who worked out of a Port-au-Prince hospital. We arranged for her to come assess our kids every three months, and if a problem arose in between, we paid her to be on call for us.
Pushing the boulder higher.
Then the gangs took over. The streets became dangerous. Making a house call, in certain areas, meant taking your life in your hands.
The hospitals we’d come to rely on were soon without staff, or without medicine. When one of our kids suffered a seizure, we were told we’d have to go find the medication somewhere, then bring it to the hospital for them to administer it.
Another time, after discovering a new child we’d taken in had tuberculosis, we were told to come get him out of the hospital just days after brining him there, because the place was closing down due to the violence in the streets.
Our on-call doctor can’t get out of her neighborhood. Medications are scarce. All the progress we felt we’d made suddenly feels like no progress at all.
The boulder comes falling back on us.
More hands can push farther
Haiti is a series of adjustments. If this is the new state of affairs outside, then we need a new state of affairs inside.
We are hoping to build our own medical clinic, on our grounds, staffed by a doctor and two nurses and stocked with all the medication we can legitimately acquire and administer.
ManesKnox and Gaelson, both of whom have had dealt and continue to deal with health challenges
We want our kids’ first stop to be within our gates. We already have kids with ongoing issues that we could address. Knox and Ziggy must deal with cerebral challenges that require regular therapies. We could do that in a clinic. Not long ago, Manes dislocated his kneecap playing soccer, and needed surgery and long rehab. He’s had to do it in the boys’ bedroom. We could do that in a clinic.
And then there is Bradley.
He came to us last summer, at three years of age. He weighed 10 pounds. That is not a typo. We don’t know how he was alive. His mother had nothing to feed him. She told us she’d already lost two other children in their infancy.
So we took Bradley in, and began a guided feeding program to pull him back from the brink. He is a joyous, curious child, but after being starved for so long, he has serious challenges. With a space to deal with them — right now he is in a small bedroom — we can take care of him. Somebody must.
So we are pushing the boulder back up the hill, but it’s a different hill now. It’s our hill. If you are able and inclined to help us, we are hoping this month to raise $65,000 to build out, stock and furnish the clinic and pay the salary for an on-site doctor for the first year, after which we will find a way to fund it ourselves.
One man pushing a boulder is likely hopeless. But many hands and a strong will might just get it over the top. Then at least it doesn’t come crashing back down on our children.
Make your check payable to “Have Faith Haiti Mission” and send to
Have Faith Haiti Mission
c/o A Hole in the Roof Foundation
29836 Telegraph Road
Southfield, MI 48034
Have Faith Haiti is operated by the A Hole in the Roof Foundation, a 501(c)(3) org (TAX ID# 27-0609504). Donations are tax deductible.
About the Mission
The Have Faith Haiti Mission is a special place of love and caring, dedicated to the safety, education, health and spiritual development of Haiti’s impoverished children and orphans. You can learn more here.
