The Haitian people have a proverb for almost everything… One of those Creole Proverbs says, “The child who cries inside your door, and the child who cries outside your door are the same…” What a profound statement spoken by simple, poor peasant people. How true this is… Little Andrid Cime is one of those children who is crying “outside your door.” His story is the same all around Haiti…

Hunger and Malnutrition.

One of Haiti’s food problems today is the fact that Haiti has been taken over by bandits. Nearly all Haiti’s poor sell something, anything. Everyone sells to everyone else. No one makes much profit, but each usually has a tiny bit to buy food. Now that gangs have taken over much of Haiti, the poor cannot get out and sell safely.

Madamn Edna Exalus has three children. She has a small business but now, due to bandits, she is afraid to go out and sell. Her husband, Mr. Fritz Cime, works hard to try to make money for food. What is his job? “Pote.” He carries (pote) heavy burdens on his head and makes just a little bit for food. Each evening, he leaves the area about 6:00 or 7:00 pm. Then, his mother goes out to buy some bread or anything she can afford. They live in an area called “Nacou.”

Their house is made of clay and rocks. When it rains, it washes away some of the house each time… The house leaks and everyone gets wet, including Andrid. He got sick and began vomiting for 15 days, losing water. He became thin and weak… and could no longer stand by himself. He became lethargic. His mother brought him to our Jesus Healing Center and the doctor said that he was malnourished. The doctor told his mother that Andrid had severe malnutrition and that he was seriously ill and underweight and could eventually die. He weighed only 7.3 kilos (16 pounds) and was dehydrated. Madamn Cime was so sad when the doctor explained all of this. The nurses and doctor talked to her and told her that we needed to keep Andrid in our Malnutrition Clinic until we could get him well and then when he gained weight, he could go back home. The nurses told her that “with special medicine, special milk and special food” he would get better and gain weight and grow fast.

Now, his parents won’t have to worry about him. Andrid is safe inside our Malnutrition Clinic. He will have “round-the-clock” care and special food. He has his own special nurse and doctor to look after him and even toys to play with! They told him that the nurses would bathe him and make sure he stayed clean and healthy. And his parents could come and visit anytime they wanted! Hands up to God! His parents were so thankful for caring people who really wanted the best for their son! What a blessing!!

If you lived in Haiti, this “could be” your child! But thank God, you are here to help right from where you are. Yes, the child who “cries inside your door, and the child who cries outside your door,” are the same! God has blessed us richly with the best partners in the world!!! YOU ARE A GIFT FROM GOD FOR ANDRID AND ALL THE OTHER LITTLE ANDRIDS! God bless you, Sherry