Meet Trailblazer Whitney Henwood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Henwood.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Whitney. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
We lived in Haiti in 2012 as a family after my husband took a job as an engineer rebuilding. At the time, we had six children. We are foster parents and had 2 of our adopted children there. We now have three adopted children with varying medical needs that prevents us from living in Haiti full time. While we lived in Haiti the children and I worked in orphanages and did volunteer medical work as I am a nurse. While we lived there, our religious leader asked us to start an organization helping a village in the mountains above Port Au Prince, called St. Roch. We were originally approached to build an orphanage in the village. However, we feel strongly about keeping families together and decided to start a feeding program. The feeding program eventually turned into a school sponsorship program and then into a trade school, community center and farm. We also host dental teams and do trips bringing people to the village to learn from and about the community. Currently, we take about eight trips per year and are always looking for ways to empower people to help their community.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh no, it has not been a smooth road. Looking back, things have always come together in a way that they were supposed to often in a more Grand way than I could have ever been brave enough to imagine. I think I would tell other women to work hard, put your whole heart into it, but to also know when it is time to let go and let God make it as big as only He can. After all, He knows the people we are trying to work with and their needs better than we ever could.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Believe In Haiti – what should we know?
Hum- On a personal level, I hope I am known as a mother/foster mother/adoptive mother. I hope I am known as an advocate for those who can not be advocates for themselves. We have had several medical foster children and have been lucky enough to be able to adopt a few of them.

 As Believe in Haiti, we are probably most well known for our hands-on work. We have our 501c3 and are lucky to be able to have over 95% of our income go right back to Haiti. We have been lucky to get to measure our results in life changing aspects for those we serve. I think I am most proud of the people we work with and their realization of their potential.

Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
I like the App Trip It 🙂 It helps me stay organized in travel 🙂

Pricing:

• You can sponsor a child to go to school for $240/year
• You can buy 100 meals for $60
• You can plant, water and pay for the care of 10 trees for a year for $100

Contact Info:

• Website: www.believeinhaiti.org
• Phone: 720-815-5756
• Email: believehaiti@gmail.com
• Instagram: believeinhaiti
• Facebook: believe in haiti

Image Credit:
Jensen Sutta

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