It was almost sunset and 77-year-old Marie Casimir was sifting through the ruins of a cathedral that the earthquake claimed in Petit Goave, searching for scraps of wood for the cooking fire.
Marie wiped her dust-covered forehead with her hand and paused to tell the story of where she was the day the earth rumbled.
“I was outside cleaning the pot when everything started going like this,” she said, gesturing wildly with her hands and stumbling from side to side.
“Whoa! Whoa! I fell down and I couldn’t move, but I was not afraid,” she said, stiffening her jaw. “I prayed to the Lord and that’s why I’m here now.”
Marie’s home was destroyed, but no one in her family was hurt. Now, they are living on the street, under a tent made out of old sheets and blankets.
Petit Goave had been a quaint little town with French architecture and shops with brightly painted door. The Le Relais De L'Empereur hotel, a 19th century landmark, was filled with people attending community events when the earthquake hit. The building collapsed, killing more than 200 people.
Down a little side street, Eliana sat with her three children. Her simple, one-room home made of tree branches and a thin layer of hand-packed mortar was cracked, but still standing. The two-story home next door had crumbled into a jagged pile of concrete.
“When it happened, the children were afraid,” Eliana said. “I grabbed the kids and ran to the street and we all prayed. The Lord saved us.”
Eliana’s neighbor, Odette, was holding her 3-month-old granddaughter beside a block wall that had toppled beside her home.
“I ran outside, but I fell to the ground and I was afraid that the wall would fall on me,” Odette said. “I cried out, ‘Jesus! Jesus! Save us!’ and we were spared. No one died here in our neighborhood.”
Survivors in Petit Goave and other quake-stricken communities are facing similar challenges. Thousands are grieving over family members who died and trying to cope with losing everything they owned. Every day revolves around a search for food, clean water, a dry place to sleep, and even scraps wood for the evening fire.
Samaritan’s Purse is working through local churches in Petit Goave to distribute shelter materials, blankets, and hygiene kits. A water treatment system capable of providing 10,000 gallons of clean water per day has also been installed in the community. More relief materials are scheduled to arrive this week.
“On behalf of all the pastors and people of Petit Goave, we want to thank you,” said Pastor Ralph Denizard. “We want to say thank you to Samaritan’s Purse.”