A New "Miracle" Village Is Built for Earthquake Victims
Contact: Walter Warren, LightQuest Media, Inc., 918-794-6464, 918-261-5190 cell, LightQuestNews@Gmail.com
HAITI, Jan. 11, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- It's been almost one year since a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the small country of Haiti. Amidst reports of sidetracked donations and widespread ineffectiveness bringing relief to the suffering people of Haiti, there is a ray of hope for survivors living in a tent city outside Fond Parisien.
A new village is currently being built, literally from the ground up, by a local ministry and its future inhabitants. The project is a vision of Love A Child Ministries, and arose from the immense suffering witnessed by founders Bobby and Sherry Burnette in the aftermath of the earthquake. "January 12th, 2010 changed us forever. Our lives will never be the same," says Sherry Burnette.
Phase One of the project has already been completed, and the first fifty houses are now home to amputee survivors and their families. Phase Two is currently under construction, with 206 more houses scheduled for completion at the end of this month. The full project will be a master-planned community with 500 permanent homes, public buildings, gravel roads, and a market area for local business to flourish.
Every home is being built with earthquake and hurricane resistant materials, with ramps for handicap access, and will be provided fully furnished for each resident. Local workers are being utilized for many jobs, and the future inhabitants are helping to build, paint, and lay the foundations for each home. The residents recently voted on a name for the new settlement, and have dubbed it "Vilage Mirak" or Miracle Village.
Some statistics on the January 12, 2010 earthquake: 220,000 men, women and children killed, many crushed by collapsed concrete buildings. Over 300,000 more injured, including a multitude of adult and child amputees. Approximately 1.3 million left homeless. Thousands of businesses, schools, and public buildings destroyed with no supplies or income to rebuild. Almost a year later, 95% of the rubble still lies in the streets of Port au Prince, and the majority of the displaced still live in tent cities or transitional housing.
The Miracle Village housing project is funded entirely by Love A Child Ministries, through the support of private donations. To learn more about the housing project, go to www.LoveAChild.com or contact LightQuest Media, Inc.
Bobby and Sherry Burnette are available for interviews; to schedule an interview, please contact Walter Warren at LightQuest Media, Inc. Phone: 918-794-6464, Cell: 918-261-5190, Email: LightQuestNews@Gmail.com.
Love A Child is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Humanitarian Organization, and also a Private Voluntary Organization (PVO). Love A Child is a member of the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability (ECFA), which has the highest standards of accountability for non-profits. Love A Child also has the Independent Charities of America (ICA) "Best in America" Seal of Approval. Donations to the relief effort can also be made on the website at loveachild.com/contribution.
Bobby and Sherry Burnette have worked in Haiti since 1972, and live full-time at the Love A Child Orphanage in Fond Parisien, Haiti. Love A Child’s outreach programs include 14 Love A Child schools, which educate and feed over 5,000 children each day, and food distribution programs that feed thousands of Haitian families.
