Christian Church Orphanage in Haiti in Miserable Condition

A Christian organization, Church of Bible Understanding (CBU), is not doing the good they proclaim they are. They run a two-home orphanage in the Port-au-Prince hills, which Haiti's Social Welfare Institute (SWI) has rated yellow, meaning it is not measuring up to minimum national standards.

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CBU claims on its tax returns it is laying out $2.5 million yearly to run the orphanage. But when the Associated Press made a surprise visit to the homes, they found alarming conditions: dark and barren filthy rooms; ancient, worn-out mattresses, and reeking odors permeating the air. The homes were also overcrowded.

To fund the operation of the orphanage, CBU runs several antique stores in Manhattan, where items sell as high as $20,000-plus dollars. CBU tax returns don't disclose how much cash is actually being spent, due to vague descriptions of in-kind items. A CBU spokesman says it spends $1 million yearly, contradicting the amount they claim on IRS forms.

CBU orphanage houses 120 children for $1 million dollars, whereas Kay Christine Orphanage spends less to house 386 children, with an acceptable rating. CBU Pastor Traill refuses to speak with the press, and statements from ex-CBU members say they had to work ". . . for free or hand over their paychecks if they had outside jobs."

SWI wants to close down the orphanage, but family reunification is difficult. The bottom line is CBU ". . . orphanage shouldn't be operating . . . . They don't have authorization to function."

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