Real Hope For Haiti is blessed with some incredible employees.  Hard working, dedicated, compassionate – these words describe many of our Haitian staff, but we want to introduce you to three ladies in particular that these words describe.  The special thing about these three ladies, besides the fact that they contribute so much to making things run smoothly at RHFH, is that they are sisters.

Sonite

Sonite has been working at RHFH since 2009.  She does many jobs, namely sorting and stocking medicine in the clinic pharmacy and cleaning.  She is a reliable lady, so she is given many random tasks that have great importance.  Her favorite thing to do is prepare bleach bags for the cholera house.  This is very hard, unpleasant work, but she knows how important it is, so it has great value to her.  Sonite says she always tries to do her best in her work, especially if it is a special task that is assigned to her by Lori or Licia.

When asked why her job at RHFH is important to her, her response was, “I was on the ground, and now I am on a big, soft bed.”  Before she began working, Sonite had virtually nothing.  To sum it up, she had big problems and large debts.  But now she can take care of her children and has no debt (“Meci, Jesi!” she adds.)  She said if she was given the chance to give her testimony at church about what her job means to her, there just wouldn’t be enough time in the church service for her to tell it all.

Sonite is 35 years old and has two daughters and a niece that she cares for.  She had one daughter that died from typhoid and malaria at 20 months of age.

Loudie

Loudie began working at RHFH in December of 2010.  She was hired to clean at the Cholera House, where she would sweep and mop.  It quickly became clear that Loudie had a natural talent that was needed.  During the midst of the worst waves of cholera outbreak in Cazale, when critical patients were in dire need of iv’s, Loudie recognized that the nurse on duty was overwhelmed and desperately needed help.  So Loudie helped.  She jumped right in and, having observed and learned what to do, starting putting in life-saving iv’s.  Today, Loudie is 2nd in charge at the Cholera House.  Her hard work, desire to learn, and willingness to do what needs to be done has taken her to where she is today.  Putting in iv’s is her favorite part of her job, quite possibly because she is so good at it!

Loudie is 26 years old and has two daughters.  She is the mother and the father to her children, so to have this job is crucial to her being able to provide food, rent, and all the other needs.  With a deep sincerity, she said she “does not know how her life would be right now without this job.”  In Haiti, that statement has so much more gravity than it does in other parts of the world, where systems are in place to help those in need.   Here, a steady job means survival.

Kettlie

In May of this year, RHFH needed to hire someone to help care for a critically ill patient.  Knowing that her sister had been looking for a job for a long time, Sonite told Kettlie to quickly come and fill out an application.  She literally dropped what she was doing (selling her personal belongings to be able to buy food for her children) and came to RHFH.  Kettlie was hired as a part-time employee, and she has been essential to caring for the sickest patients ever since.  She says her favorite part of her job is taking care of the children in the ICU.  She loves to see them get better, and it makes her so happy when their parents come to visit and can see that their child is healing.  Kettlie’s abundant compassion and gentleness makes her the perfect person for the job; whether adult or child, with hope of recovering or certain to die, Kettlie cares for each of her patients with great dignity and respect.

Kettlie is 37 years old and has two sons and two daughters.  She also had a daughter that died of illness when she was two months old.  Kettlie says that Sonite and Loudie are good sisters.  Kettlie was last to get a job, so if her children were hungry, she always knew she could depend on her sisters to help feed them.  It’s very hard to ask for help, even when it’s your sisters.  Being able to provide for your children’s needs because you have a job is such a huge blessing.

Out of these three sisters, one doesn’t live better than the others.  That is because they always, always help each other out.  When one sister is having a hard time, the others step up and do what they can, sharing their resources and uniting as one family.  Loudie says that, being the youngest sister, she has looked to Sonite and Kettlie for guidance and correction over the years.  She listens to them because the are older and wiser.

Listening to these three dedicated, hard-working women tell their stories, it is easy to see the love they share.  They love each other, their children, and their God who has blessed them.  They each are truly, geniunely thankful for the jobs they have.  They are thankful for the respect that is given to them in their workplace, where they are viewed not as just a name on the payroll, or just a body to do the dirty work…..but as an individual.  Valued, loved, and appreciated….a place where Jesus is the One in charge, these three sisters are proud to be a part of the RHFH team.