Hurricane Matthew wreaked havoc on the southern part of Haiti and left countless victims who already had a hard time making ends meet. One of those people was Loretide.
Prior to the hurricane, Loretide exclusively relied on her crops to meet the needs of her granddaughter, Sofia Jules. When Hurricane Matthew hit, Loretide’s degenerative joint disease kept her from running. She was struck with fear when she heard the violent winds and rain destroying her house because she was inside and unable to move due to the pain in her joints.
“I thought it was my last day, I closed my eyes and started praying,” Loretide said. Then she suddenly felt her granddaughter’s arms around her waist, and she was helped to the safety of their neighbor’s concrete house. Their house totally collapsed after they ran out.
Loretide and Sofia received shelter kits from World Concern to fix the shelter they built from salvaged material and World Concern volunteers helped them cover their roof with a tarp. This provided a dry and safe place for them to live and rebuild their lives from, as well as something intangible, but essential for life: Hope.
“I’ve lost my house, I’ve lost my farm, but I’m extremely grateful to God because Sofia and I are safe,” Loretide said. “I want to say thank you to World Concern for helping me and those who are in need in my community.”