Mizou’s daughter in pink is pictured along with one of her great grandsons. The three of them live in the home with another one of her grandsons. Christi, Tibens and Ti Jezi are pictured behind Mizou.

Can you imagine not having a safe place to sleep and rest? Many in Haiti face this reality, and it leads to continual health and psychological issues. With many unable to even afford the foundations for a small house, having a family home is an impossible dream.

One part of the ministry of Many Hands is providing safe homes. Working in local areas, we identify families with the most critical need, building them a completely new home. These homes improve their physical situation and help promote a safe family environment. 

The typical Haitian house is made of mud, stick, and scraps. These homes are less than 300 sq ft, usually housing an average of six people. With dirt floors, these homes cause sicknesses of all kinds. Families in our new home builds are provided with a clean, strong, and safe living environment. These homes are built to last and we use local labor and resources to build them.

Meet Mizou. Her given name is Eleane, and she received the blessing of a new house in July. 

Mizou is the kind of lady you just want to be around. Such a positive approach to life can test a person to their limit. She has old-age health issues as well as being nearly deaf. Even as hard as it is for Mizou to walk, she can be seen walking from her home, going down the mountain into Pignon, mainly to attend church or visit her younger sister. 

Mizou is getting older and necessary tasks like getting water from the well are harder and harder to do. On top of physically growing older, Mizou’s house was not safe to live in anymore. Termites have destroyed the wooden roof beams of the house so they were becoming fearful of even sleeping under this roof at night. The stick and mud walls of the house were also bad in many places. They were not able to protect Mizou from wind and rain.

Mizou’s daughter showed us the small oil lamp that Mizou uses at night to pierce the darkness. She had set it too close to the bed with the sheet hanging over the corner. The sheet and mattress caught on fire. The fire was extinguished before much damage happened. But the incident made it clear that Mizou should not be living alone.

Many Hands was able to build a new home for Mizou. With a new safe home to live in, there is room for the family members to live together and take care of one another.  Here is Mizou… feeling very confident and SAFE as she faces the days ahead.