1. Building of the FWAL “Father Wasson Angels of Light” Elementary School and the FWAL Pre-K and Kindergarten School: Enrollment in the schools is numbered at 800 including our 200 little brothers and sisters plus 600 children from the tent cities and the surrounding neighborhoods in Tabarre. The schools provide not only education but jobs to approximately 60 employees!
2. Building of St. Anne Baby House: The baby house currently houses 37 children, from newborns to 5 years old, with a capacity for 40 children total.
3.Water Purification System: The water treatment system provides clean drinking water to our home, Kay St. Helen, which houses 410 children, staff and an elementary school, which also welcomes external students from the surrounding neighborhoods of Kenscoff.
4. Completion of a Neonatology Unit and new operating rooms at the Maternity Ward of the St. Damien Pediatric Hospital: Triplets were born in June and Quadruplets were born in October at St. Damien Pediatric Hospital, which is the only pediatric hospital in Haiti and provides complete medical care from prenatal care through pregnancy to caring for children up to the age of 15.
5. Completion of Hotel Villa Francesca: This facility provides accommodation for guests, short-term and long-term volunteers at NPFS Haiti!
1. This year we are very proud to have seen 7 more members of our family graduate with a university degree!
2. This year we have worked hard to engage our surrounding community to generate funds for our projects. These local donations include a significant grant from bank HSBC for $25,000 that helped cover the funds of our workshops for 2012. We also received a donation from the German Embassy for $10,000 which paid for much-needed repairs of our external clinic.
3. On an international fundraising level, Friends of the Orphans and NPH Honduras launched a successful "matching" campaign in which past volunteers and visitors helped to bring in a total of over $80,000. This has ensured funding for our vocational internships and support for high school and university students.
4. We have completed and presented a new Strategic Plan for the next five years for our home. This plan outlines through definitions and structure the meaning and foundations of the work we do and the specific ways in which together we can achieve the mission.
5. Some of the proudest moments though, are not quite as tangible. Seeing Linda get up in front of everyone to read during Mass, watching our babies as they learn to walk, our Youth Leadership group helping build houses with Habitat for Humanity, or Karla learning and later teaching others how to crochet! They are simple things, but they are what keep us going and make us proud daily. Thankfully, sometimes the most important measures of achievement and progress cannot be found in a financial statement.
1. CPI Training of staff: This summer NPHI offered the CPI training course to all employees/volunteers working with children. This course taught them how to handle difficult situations with children, to protect both themselves and the well-being of the child.
2. Spiritual retreat for staff: Our staff attended a spiritual retreat this year. This was one of our goals for 2012 and we are proud to say that it is now an accomplishment.
3. Biobolsa project (improving sustainable energy): This year we installed the Biobolsa in our home in Miacatlan. This system uses the waste from the farm in order to generate natural gas for our kitchen.
4. Ciudad Juarez: The Ciudad Juarez project began bringing children from this war torn area into our home. This city has seen an increase in violence and we are happy to reach out to the children in this area, to welcome these children to a safe home. This year we were happy to welcome 20 new faces to our home from Ciudad Juarez.
5. Vaccinating our children: This year we were able to offer a generous number of vaccinations to our children. The government provided us with enough flu shots for each child, and between January and July we administered 559 vaccinations in total!
Christmas Recipes
Mexico
Tamales
Recipe:
• 7 cups fresh corn kernels, from 7 ears
• 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup harina de maiz (dried corn flour)
• 20 dried corn husks, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
Instructions:
• Working in batches, add the corn kernels to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale. Add the egg, salt, and baking powder. Mix to incorporate. Add the flour and pureed corn and mix until blended and forms a loose, smooth dough.
• Put a corn husk lengthwise in front of you with the wide side closest to you. Spread 3 tablespoons of the dough all over the bottom half (wide side) of the corn husk, leaving about a 1-inch-wide border on the left and right sides. Pick up the 2 long sides of the corn husk and bring them together. Roll both sides of the corn husks in the same direction over the filling.
• Repeat with remaining corn husks and dough. Arrange the tamales, seam side down, in a steamer and add 1/2-inch of water. Cover with a tight fitting lid, bring to a simmer and steam for 1 hour, adding additional water, as needed to maintain 1/2-inch of water in the pan. Remove the tamales from the steamer to a serving platter and serve.
"The tamales we eat at Christmas time taste great, and they make it with love. All of us look forward to it!”
Haiti
For Christmas, the meal served at the FWAL home of Kay St. Louis is “diri djon djon cole ak poi congo” or rice with pigeon peas with a mushroom base; “poul fri en sauce” or fried chicken in a sòs; and “salad wous” or Russian salad. This salad is a mixture of 3 key root vegetables – potatoes, carrots and beets. To drink, the children are served orange juice or lemonade.
Rice with Pigeon Peas in Mushroom Base:
• 2 cups of white rice
• 1 cup of pigeon peas
• 1 cup of dried black mushrooms
• 1 finely chopped onion or finely chopped leek
• 1 chopped sweet green bell pepper
• 1 tbsp of butter (cooking butter)
• 2 chopped cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 bouquet of parsley
• 3 sprigs of thyme
Directions:
1. Cook the beans, bouquet of parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in 4 cups of water for 2 hours or until peas are tender in a medium pot
2. Drain the beans but keep the water which will be used to cook the rice; put the peas aside.
3. Check the mushrooms for small rocks and sediments. Boil mushrooms in small pot for 10 minutes or until water turns black. Drain the mushrooms and discard. Keep the water to be used to cook the rice.
4. In large pot which will be used to cook and simmer the rice, sautee the onion (or leek) and green pepper in the oil.
5. Add the beans along with salt and pepper to taste. Add 2/4 of the water used to cook the beans and all the water from the mushroom and bring to a boil
6. Add the rice and thyme and allow mixture to come to a full boil cook for 15-20 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
7. Uncover pot and sprinkle with oil, sprinkle with some of the remaining water used to cook the beans and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Remove thyme and serve.
Fried Chicken In Sauce (Poul fri an sòs)
• 8 Medium sized fryer chicken drumsticks
• 1 large onion sliced in rounds or crescents for cooking and garnish
• 1 leek mashed
• 1 large minced pepper (mild or hot depending on your taste)
• several cloves of garlic, smashed or minced
• 3/4 cups of tomato paste
• Pinch or two of brown sugar
• generous pinch of salt or a ground chicken bouillon cube
• black pepper
• 1 cup of lime or lemon juice or sour (green) orange juice
• ¼ cup of oil
• 3 tablespoons of mustard (yellow or brown)
• 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette salad dressing
• 2 cups of water
Directions:
1. In a bowl combine salt, pepper, mustard, vinaigrette, garlic and leek and 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice. Combine mixture well to create a marinade. Cover and set aside.
2. Wash chicken well with rest of the lime or lemon juice and pat dry. Rub each piece with the mixture in the bowl.
3. Heat oil in a heavy pan (cast iron is best as the heat is distributed evenly).
4. Fry the chicken pieces in hot oil turning periodically to brown on all sides (a few minutes at each turn)
5. Chicken may stick to pan. Use spatula to turn so as not to remove skin.
6. When fully brown, add the onion rounds and minced pepper to the pan, stir well. (Save a handful for use as garnish).
7. To lift sticky pieces, add a few teaspoons of water and cover immediately. Remove from fire for 30-40 seconds.
8. The chicken should be well browned. Drain excess oil.
9. Combine the tomato paste with 2 cups of water and stir into the chicken. Stir frequently to lift the browning at the bottom of the pan.
10. Bring to a slow boil until sauce thickens.
11. Transfer cooked chicken to a platter and garnish with rounds of raw onion or crescent pieces of onions.
12. Tomato sauce can be substituted for the tomato paste. Use 1 cup if tomato sauce and ½ cup of water.
13. This dish goes well with diri blan (plain white rice) -- the sauce at the bottom of the pan can be poured on top of the rice. Enjoy!
Haitian Russian Salad (Salad wous)
• 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 carrot, peeled and minced
• 1 small beet
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sweet peas
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1/3 cup red or green bell pepper diced
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
1. Boil potatoes and carrot in water with 1 teaspoon salt for 10 minutes or until tender.
2. Boil beet separately in water with 1 teaspoon salt until tender, then peel and mince. Boil eggs separately in water with 1/4 teaspoon salt until hard then remove shell and mince.
3. In a bowl, place potatoes, beets, carrots, onion, red or green bell peppers and mix with mayonnaise. Add black pepper. Enjoy!
Dominican Republic
At Christmas, although we don’t have a traditional recipe to share, we serve a special meal to the children and entire NPH-DR family. The plate consists of pork, chicken, Russian salad and spaghetti.
The pig is marinated in a soup like mix with garlic, peppers, other vegetables, oregano, basil and other spices for several hours. These vegetables and spices are all homegrown at our home. After the marinating process is done we send the pig to the nearby city of San Pedro de Macoris to have the pig roasted. Our oven is not large enough for an entire pig so we outsource a bakery in the city. The pig roasts for another several hours and is then brought home to be sliced up. For a similar recipe like our pig roast, please visit http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-live/roast-suckling-pig-recipe/index.html. For a similar chicken recipe please visit http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe/index.html. For a recipe similar to our Russian salad, please visit http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/recipes/russian-salad-ru305910.html. The spaghetti is simple with spaghetti pasta and a simple red sauce.
Our kids look forward to this meal every year and always leave satsified and full. Sandy, 10, commented, “I can barely move after all of the food, but it is so good and I can’t not eat everything on my plate!”
Peru
Marinated Pork with rice and sweet potato (camote):
Basic ingredients: pork, onions, hot chili, garlic, caraway, salt, pepper, oil, sugar.
Blend garlic, caraway, pepper, salt, chili and oil and put the pork steaks inside and leave it for one hour. Then you fry the steaks in a pot. Once they are fried you put the marinade on. Cut the onions in strips and add the sugar. Put everything on the pork and mix it. Put the lid on the pot and cook on low heat until the onions get dissolved.
You serve it with rice and camote (sweet potato).
Bolivia
For Christmas Eve dinner we´re planning to eat a simple T-bone fried
and flavored to taste with salt, pepper, minced onion and oil. It is accompanied by rice seasoned to taste with minced garlic, minced carrots,
minced onions, oil and salt. We also have a salad of shredded
lettuce, carrots, onion, tomato and vinegar. We drink fruit punch made with one part apple juice, one part mocochinchi
juice (a fruit native to Bolivia), two parts water, and cinnamon and
sugar cane to taste.
Honduras
For our Christmas Eve dinner we serve nacatamales. The ingredients for our nacatamales are the following: corn, lard, rice, potatoes, raisins, salsa (tomato, chile peppers, cilantro), chicken or pork meat, banana leafs
Here is a recipe you can use that is very similar to the way we prepare our nacatamales. http://www.whats4eats.com/breads/nacatamales-recipe
Blanca is 15 years old. She has two older brothers and two sisters at the home at NPH Mexico. What she likes most about Christmas is the candy and Posadas. She can't wait to break the piñata this year!
Josue is 4 years old and has two older brothers and two older sisters along with him at NPH Mexico. What he likes about Christmas are the presents and Santa Claus! He loves to draw and paint for and always enjoys helping with decorations during the holidays.
Esteban is 11 years old, and has one younger brother in the NPH Mexico home. What he likes about Christmas is the gift-giving! Every Chistmas he plays with his friends and has lots of fun. All he wants is for everyone to be happy!
10 year old Diego lives at NPH Mexico. What he likes about Christmas is the toys, Christmas Eve, and the festivities. He likes going to mass also. To celebrate Chistmas he loves decorating the tree! His wish is for next year to be another happy one. He says, "Christmas is very pretty! I like it so much!"
A message from A. Frank Donaghue, Friends' Chief Executive Officer:
I recently returned from my trip to El Salvador and Honduras on Thanksgiving Morning. Needless to say my experience was utterly inspiring. The kids and young adults we all work to support are worthy of every effort given to our mission. What was most noticeable to me, especially from the students attending the leadership training from all our homes in Central and South America in Honduras, was the depth of spirituality and gratitude that our future leaders possess. At every Liturgy, a student prayed for blessings on our donors, volunteers and staff.
From a beautiful Quinceañera, to a graduation of kindergarten and grade school children, to a training, to dinner in the baby house, gratitude and faith was the most prevailing feeling.
Gratitude; I want to express to you in the deepest sincerity with the words of Paul. "I give thanks to God for the gift of you". I extend that to you on behalf of the children you help, give a home, feed, educate, shower with joy and provide with safety.
It is such a privilege for me to work with everyone at Friends and NPH and share our commitment and passion.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Frank
P.S. Meet my newest Godchild, Darling. She is 5 and lives at the home in Honduras. This picture is from her recent Baptism. She is absolutely awesome. That smile alone gives you a reason to be Thankful.
Hey!
I am Connor Van Ribbink, and I am a senior at Brophy College Prep in Phoenix, AZ. I have been involved with Friends of the Orphans for the majority of my life. I love everything about Friends of the Orphans. I love the commitment everyone in this organization has to bettering the lives of orphaned and abandoned children all across Latin America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. I love the countless volunteers who have answered Father Wasson’s call to serve. Above all, I love and admire the pure and untouched happiness of the children of Friends of the Orphans.
I have had the incredible privilege to witness this inspiring happiness many times, but most notably on my trip to the home in Mexico and my two trips to the home in Guatemala.
Upon my latest trip to Guatemala I felt a calling to make a greater impact within my community for Friends of the Orphans. I answered this call in two ways. First of all, I made some changes to the Friends of the Orphans club within my high school with the goal of making our club more active. Our club of high school students now meets during a school break to write letters to our Godchildren. The second change I made was to create a fundraising event that would bring both our NPH club as well as other supporters of Friends of the Orphans in our community together to raise money for the kids of NPH. I thought of the idea to create a fundraiser held at Flip Dunk Sports for students all around the Phoenix and Scottsdale area.
Flip Dunk Sports is an indoor trampoline park owned by Mrs. Lori Price whose son, Zach, has traveled to Guatemala with me twice. Thanks to her generosity the fundraiser was held November 2nd and half the admission cost was donated to Friends of the Orphans. In total, I am proud to say we raised $400 for all the kids of Friends of the Orphans. My goal is to pass this fundraising event on to my younger brothers to manage next year following my graduation from high school. I further intend to continue fundraising for Friends of the Orphans while I am in college.
I learned how very simple it is with some generous, helping hands to help out those in need. I have an incredible passion for the cause, and I am confident this passion will continue for the remainder of my life.
