Hope for Roads' Restoration in Fond-des-Blancs

by Hertz Clyde Dézir


Jean and Joy Thomas of Haiti Christian Development Fund (HCDF), have been raising fund for a good cause. They plan to raise 50 thousand dollars to buy a bulldozzer in order to restore damaged roads in Fond-des-Blancs - a remote area in Haiti.

In the midst of a busy hurricane season in 2008, the country was ravaged by three hurricanes within a month. As a result, raods, bridges, and several other key infrastructures were seriously damaged in different parts of the country. By the same token, the loss was also heavy for thousands of families whose farms and houses were destroyed.

The government's response has been ineffective and has sparked a lot of criticisms and frustrations from the citizens who were dissatisfied with the way Haitian officials handled the crisis.

The Thomases don't rely on the officials to come to Fond-des-Blancs to repair the roads. Rather, they turn to church and ministry partners in the United States for help. So far, they've raised more than 35 thousand dollars.

In the meantime, Western Springs Baptist Church -- which is located about 15 miles west of downtown Chicago -- hosted a fundraising concert for the community of Fond-des-Blancs on May 9. The concert featured Karin Ursin, John Hunter, and Thelma Hunter. They respectively played flute/piccolo, clarinet and piano. Both Ursin and John Hunter used to be members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Thelma Hunter currently serves on the board of the American Composers Forum...

During the pause that marked the end of the first half, several hushers were passing white construction hots to collect a freewill offering. The offering would combine later on with proceeds obtained from one of Thelma Hunter's albums at the end of the event.

In his remarks right before the offering, Jean Thomas expressed his gratefulness to the church staff and the audience.

In addition, he said to the attendees that the bulldozer means more than a piece of heavy duty machinery. "The hurricane season is approaching and we hope to collect all the money before it happens," he stated.