Amos Sybrun does not want the children to know what’s been going on. As the executive director of Kids of Hope of Haiti, an orphanage in Jacmel, Sybrun would prefer that its charges not wonder about their next meal.

But it’s easy to notice. There’s been less and less food on the children’s plates as the weeks progress. If it weren’t for donations from diasporas, the orphanage, known by its French acronym, ENEPHA, would be out of food by now. As of June 10, it had enough food for 13 days for the 38 children at the orphanage, Sybrun said. 

“To tell you the truth, I’m stressed out because we don’t know how we’re going to feed the kids,” Sybrun said. 

The lack of food stems from Haitian government requirements that ENEPHA has had difficulty meeting due to a lack of functioning offices and gang violence.

Since February, the orphanage has been trying to obtain food donated by Food For the Poor, Coconut Creek, Florida-based relief organization. But ENEPHA has not been able to renew their authorization letter to receive food this year. 

ENEPHA needs an authorization letter because they don’t have a license since they can’t afford a social worker. Proceeding without a license or authorization letter would have put both organizations out of compliance. 

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