Empowering Adult Handicapped Haitians

During the past three months our partners in the CAHSAV organization, the adult residents of St. Vincent’s, have borne up bravely in the middle of challenges.  The school where they live, St. Vincent’s Center for Children with Disabilities, is in Croix de Bouquets, a risky part of Port au Prince.  Croix de Bouquets is one of the territories in the sprawling city of Port au Prince that are held by rival gangs.

The effect of this is that travel for our partners outside of the walls of St. Vincent’s Center is very limited. It is not usually safe for our partners to go out to walk or ride a bus in the neighborhood.  We support a small salary for a motorcycle messenger, a young man who does the banking, goes shopping for toiletries and medications, and carries messages as needed.  This job requires good judgment, as the messenger needs to be alert for any kind of trouble in order to take evasive action. 

Another person who has become essential to CAHSAV is the part-time nurse.  Access to medical care at St. Vincent’s Center is better than it is for most citizens of Croix de Bouquets, because the Center offers outpatient medical care for rehabilitation to families of children with disabling conditions.  If there is need for urgent care for an adult resident, the director of St. Vincent’s, the Rev. Irnel Duveaux, is ready to facilitate a trip to the local hospital.  But for wellness, that is, preventive monitoring of health, it has helped to have a part-time nurse.  The nurse monitors the residents for chronic conditions that can drag down a person’s resistance to illness, such as anemia, parasites, or maintenance of adequate weight. She also keeps an eye on the supplemental nutrition that Friends of St. Vincent’s provides: for example, fresh vegetables, and some additional protein such as chicken or beef.

We also give money to keep the internet open for members of CAHSAV, the adults, and of course for the other residents and staff of St. Vincent's Center.

In the coming year, 2026, stay tuned for an opportunity to support something exciting: the completion of the construction of a new building to provide space for the office, social, and maker-workshop activities of the adult residents.  It was initiated by the director of St. Vincent’s School, the Rev. Irnel Duveaux, to honor the memory of the founder of CAHSAV, and bears his name: the Samuel Elizaire Pavilion. You will be hearing more about this project!