Volunteer - Haiti Observer Blog

It is with sadness that we learned the death of Roberta Edwards while in Haiti. Another case of eliminating those who are trying to help. She became victim in a shooting on Saturday night in Port-au-Prince while going to get gasoline.

Roberta Edwards, a US missionary and the director of SonLight Children's Home in the Haitian capital who dedicated her life to bringing hope to the hopeless, was gunned down while driving through Port-au-Prince. As an administrator of SonLight Ministries Children's Home in Port-au-Prince, she used to provide care for 20 orphaned children and feed around 160 children at least twice a day, five days in a week and educational supports for them. Furthermore, Edwards was involved in multiple development projects in Haiti including programs under the U.S sponsored "Healing Hands". Her husband, a Haitian left her in 2000, five years after shifting to Haiti from North Carolina, and she built the ministry from the rubble of her collapsed marriage. The sad incident occurred in the street of Croix-des-Bouquets district, near her home on Saturday night (October 10th, 2015) when her car was stopped by another vehicle which intentionally blocked her path. Two gunmen opened fire on Edwards and dragged one of the three boys traveling with her and fled. The two other boys were able to escape and ran for help. The motives behind the murder and kidnap are still unknown.

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This is something I am not willing to do and I know many other are also not in the mood for. Jack Gleeson who plays the successful character Joffrey Baratheon on HBO's "Game of Thrones" want to leave acting where he is likely to earn multi million dollars and work as volonteer, doing charity works.

"Mezanmi oukwè Ti bonnom sa Byen nan Tèt Li?"

What is surprising is that charity work is not something new to Jack Gleeson. The actor has recently been to Haiti with aid agency Goal, which he called "inspiring."

Moin ouè coman "Piram" nan Pyes teyat "Pelin Tèt" tape repon kesyon sa" Lajan, Lajan Oui"

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Haiti has welcomed former United States President Jimmy Carter as he returned to the country to help build houses for people who lost their homes during the 2010 earthquake. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, were implementing a rehabilitation program with Habitat for Humanity. Some 600 volunteers were also helping to build 100 houses in the town of Leogan, which was the epicenter of the quake that killed thousands of people and destroyed homes, buildings and infrastructure.

During his visit, the 88-year-old former president also called on donors to fulfill their billion-dollar pledges to Haiti. It can be recalled that countries and institutions vowed to donate some $4.46 billion to Haiti. However, the United Nations said that only about half of the money has been released so far. The delays were attributed to problems that some donor countries are facing. Donors are also reportedly waiting for the new Haiti government to adjust and settle as President Michel Martelly assumed presidency only last year. Carter said that everyone should support the government in helping revive the country.

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