Orphans on the other side

The idea for a gran moun home came early in Northwest Haiti Christian Mission’s history.

Troubled by the large number of seniors sleeping on porches and in dilapidated, condemned buildings, NWHCM missionaries partnered with an organization in Port-de-Paix to develop a shelter for the destitute elderly there.

As that program grew, the mission felt a need to start a senior-care program closer to its main campus in St. Louis du Nord.  What evolved was a community feeding program that provides meals every day for elderly community members whose families cannot afford food for them.

Wanting to do more and led by missionary Pat Hamilton, the mission opened a 38-bed facility to house deserving seniors, or “gran moun,” in 2005.

Today, more than 30 gran moun live there under the care of a full-time nurse and other housekeeping staff.

“In Haiti, the only social security you have is children,” said Janeil Owen, NWHCM executive director. He calls the gran moun “orphans on the other side. Normally you die before your children, but these are people who have had their children die before them in many cases.”

In other cases, their children simply cannot or will not care for them, leaving many elderly essentially homeless without a program like the mission’s.

At the mission, seniors not only find a place to call home, but they are taught to become productive community members and to care for each other.

Their feet shuffle through the dark of the early morning as they head to pre-dawn prayer meetings at church.  They worship with their hands raised on Sunday mornings, and in the evenings they worship again in rocking chairs on their front porch.  Their tired faces light up at the sight of a visiting American with a guitar, and they jump at the offer to dance when visitors throw them an ad hoc birthday party.

“They really enjoy the Americans coming down and singing with them,” said sponsorship coordinator Mary Beth Winkler. “We always encourage groups to visit them.”