April 2009 eNewsletter

Dear Friends, Sometimes it is hard to put a face on the nearly 700 children who are helped by Espwa each day. To make it a little easier, we’ve decided to start a monthly feature called “Child Spotlight” where we profile one of our children. Our hope is that you begin to see what a huge impact your gifts make on these children’s lives. Espwa could not continue its life-saving work without support from friends like you. Thank you! Featured Child: Daniel Delage, age 13

Though he is barely a teenager, Daniel’s face wears the scars of a person twice his age. His eyes say he has been through a lot – and they aren’t lying. His father was murdered. His mother died in childbirth. And his stepfather kicked him out of his home and onto the streets. With no job and no money for food, Daniel scrounged to survive for months in the streets. He slept in empty buildings, on porches, and under trees. Many days he went without food. A group of nuns, who run a small orphanage, cared for Daniel when he became ill with Typhoid. But once he recovered, Daniel had to leave because they had no room for him. At night he would sneak back into the tiny orphanage and sleep on the floor. When the nuns found out what he was doing, they brought him to Espwa. A little more than two months have passed since Daniel came to live at Espwa, and, already, the hurt in his eyes has been replaced by hope. “I like it here very much,” Daniel says. “I am most thankful for the extra food I now have.” Daniel also enjoys attending school each day. He knows that with an education he will one day be able to escape the poverty that dominates the lives of so many in Haiti. There are many more children like Daniel waiting for a compassionate hand to help lift them from their poverty. To make a donation to help Daniel and others like him, please click here.