Sherrie's post-quake

Sherrie Fausey's school on Delmas 31 was my home base for my work in the Ravine. It did not fare well during the earthquake: the entire back portion of the school collapsed. Miraculously, Sherrie survived, despite being in her bedroom, most of which is now a pile of concrete blocks on the ground. One little boy, Peterson, the son of a long term worker of Sherrie's, died. But all 30+ orphans in the new orphanage on the first floor were unharmed, and none of the students were hurt.



I have a large pharmacy on the third floor at Sherrie's and it has been killing me that all my wonderful meds up there are inaccessible to me due to the dangerous state of the house. Three weeks after the earthquake, I stood below that little third floor window and almost cried. Imagine how excited I was to see Sherrie a few days ago and hear that she rescued almost all the meds during the first 3 days after the quake! In fact, it was the first room that they emptied.


God provides. If the quake had occurred a few years ago, Sherrie, her staff, and all the Gonaives orphans would have been homeless, but instead, they have merely moved down the street to the new school building that was under construction. Everyone is living there and they are also holding school for nearly all their students under tarps outside.


The children are doing remarkably well considering what they have lived through. Perhaps the earthquake didn't seem too bad compared to 2 days stuck on an 8x8 foot roof while the city of Gonaives washed past in a horrible flood. Patrick, a little boy rescued from Gonaives, who was showing clear signs of PTSD last year due to the flood and all the subsequent changes in home and family, was all smiles and games when I called his name. Phew!