Visit to Cheron Hardy

The Thursday afternoon we spent visiting an orphanage run by Cheron Hardy. Cheron visited Lynehaven UMC and touched our hearts. Some ten years ago she came to Haiti to finish her graduate work as an RN and midwife with expectations of going to Africa. Over the course of two visits her heart was taken by Haiti and she has ministered ever since. Over the course of her first two years or so she worked to get fluency in Creole having her charges help with flash cards and pronunciation. She works hard not to “westernize” the children - some of whom are now in their twenties - so that each will remain cognizant of the Haitian way. While we were there I saw one child heating a charcoal iron to do some pressing. Cheron has the children go to the best schools she can afford - now three different venues - and the older tutor the younger children. Each older child has one or more children to oversee and to tutor. There is also a significant effort to grow as much of the vegetables they can use because Cheron wants them to be as self-sufficient as possible. Cheron is establishing another venue near by with about 6 acres where she is moving the older boys so that she can place the next twenty orphans she gets from PaP.