Josh is a RAW Haiti volunteer from New Hampshire. He has done a great job on past trips collecting supplies and obtaining donations from people that he knows. This help has made a huge impact. Please help Josh continue this trend on the next trip!

A Message from Josh from 2017

My journey to Haiti came at a time in my life when I needed to find something totally alien to me, something completely removed from my daily routine. I had recently ended a long term relationship and I needed to get away, to find something where I could help; not only help the kids at the orphanage, but a help fill a void that had been created in me. I had looked at several different avenues before reaching out to my good friend Darlene who had been making yearly trips to Haiti since the earthquake in 2010. She did her best to portray the conditions in Haiti before putting me in touch with the director Corey. After my conversation with Corey, I was all in. I knew I was going to be working at an orphanage, I guess I just wasn’t prepared for what that actually takes emotionally. Roughly 80 kids from 4ish years old to 17. The majority of the kids are young, and all of them suffer from malnourishment, both nutritionally and emotionally. I had planned on going there to “work”, to help build things and make improvements but found myself just sitting with the kids, letting them sit on my lap, holding them, letting them know they matter and that someone cares. Even with a giant language barrier, much can be shared between 2 people with looks, hand gestures, and just being present. There are a few kids there that have absolutely stolen my heart and I have joked with friends about sneaking them home with me. During my first trip, I had collected enough shoes for every child at the orphanage which felt like a HUGE accomplishment. I found even more support for my second trip and we filled their supply closet with all sorts of arts and crafts like crayons and markers, with coloring books, beads, bubbles, and sidewalk chalk and watching them open them was amazing. For kids who have nothing, a piece of sidewalk chalk is celebrated like Christmas. The whole experience was surreal and really put life in perspective for me. I don’t know what I had hoped to gain from my original trip, but what I can say is it so far exceeded any sort of expectation I could have placed on it. I can’t imagine my life without these kids in it and I spend my days between trips not only smiling about the memories of the friendships I have created, but looking forward to my next trip.

Things have changed a lot for RAW Haiti over the last couple of years. Now we focus our efforts on the kids from Cite Soleil, because we can make a bigger impact that is not corrupt. So much continued support is needed for our youth in Haiti. 

Priority Items Needed:

  • Musical Instruments
  • Soccer Equipment
  • Sneakers and Cleats
  • Jars of Peanut butter
  • Smartphones
  • Working laptops and tablets

Donations Needed for:

  • Snack/Food Program: $1200+ needed (100 a month to start)
  • Drinking Water Needed for kids!: $900+ ($75 a month)