Logo

 

Banner Image:   Baptist-Times-banner-2000x370-
Template Mode:   Baptist Times
Icon
    Post     Tweet

Baptist Churches Bring Support to Single Mums in Haiti 

This Mother's Day, child development charity Compassion is working with Baptist churches in some of the world's poorest regions to support single mums


The BBaptist churches bring supportaptist church of Jonc-Dodin in Haiti is just one among thousands of churches offering hope to mothers struggling to raise children alone.

Even before the earthquake, Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, but the tragedy of 2010 left 500,000 dead and hundreds of thousands of children orphaned or living with just one parent.

The challenges posed to lone parents are exacerbated in poor communities, where a family's limited resources are already stretched to the limit. Without free education or healthcare, and in the absence of social services, women are left to bear the burden of childcare, income generation and housekeeping on their own.

To make matters even worse, the legal status of a wife is not recognised in some parts of the world, meaning that the extended family may seize the belongings and even the home of a man after his death, leaving his widow and children with nothing.

The Baptist church in Jonc-Dodin has long been a beacon of hope in the community, partnering with child development charity Compassion to provide the very poorest children in the region with healthcare, education, food, clothing and social and spiritual support.

Baptist churches bring supportSince the earthquake, the need has been critical. 14-year-old Kedson is a sponsored child who lives under the care of his aunt, Paulette. Kedson's father died in the earthquake and his mother works away from home in Port-au-Prince so the teenager lives with his aunt, her five children and two grandchildren.
 
Currently, the project Kedson attends has 500 sponsored children, but since the earthquake the stress on families, and in particular single mothers, has increased.

In order to reach even more people in the community, the church established a goat-rearing programme. Compassion provided the initial financial support to give female goats to families. When the goats give birth, the families give the kid to another family to extend the impact of the support.

Through this strategy, every family now owns a goat that provides milk for their own consumption, and some they can sell. With the funds from the goat project, Paulette has purchased two pigs and some chickens. She is so thankful for the significant support Compassion has given Kedson to allow her to provide to the needs of the family.

'Today, I can say that, thanks to Compassion, we have a 'bank account' that can feed and serve the family for many years to come,' said Paulette.

Last Updated on Thursday, 07 March 2013 18:50
    Post     Tweet
Sharing the Christian story with your local schools
A presentation that has seen hundreds of thousands of pupils learn more about the Christian faith at Christmas and Easter marks its 30th anniversary next year – and it is hoped even more churches and schools could be involved
‘It will help you encounter Jesus in new and deeper ways’
Mosaic Creative has announced the release of a new book and audiobook of biblical monologues for churches called Following the Son by Jackie Mouradian
Different types of small church
The Small Church Connexion team is testing out different categories of small church, from a new plant to one that is choosing to close. These are imprecise categories which need to be fleshed out, but can help us strengthen the resource we offer
My journey to becoming a national hockey umpire
Interview with Annette Golding, a Baptist church member who became a Level 3 hockey umpire in 2022
‘Enabling people to be deeply human in safety’
Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries equips the church to support mental health and wellbeing. Baptist minister Shaun Lambert spoke with its UK Director Corin Pilling
Is generosity the new evangelism?
A generous life has the power to change lives today, writes Wendy Pawsey, head of giving for the Evangelical Alliance, and author of Generous with a Capital G, part of the 2024 Big Church Read
     The Baptist Times 
    Posted: 11/09/2024
    Posted: 05/02/2024
    Posted: 16/12/2023
    Posted: 15/12/2023
    Posted: 06/12/2023
    Posted: 27/11/2023
    Posted: 01/11/2023