When Sandra was nine years old, her mother surrendered her at an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti because she couldn’t provide food or safe shelter for her daughter. Sandra’s mother loved her very much, but she believed that the Westerners at the orphanage could give Sandra a better future and made the painful choice to leave her in the orphanage’s care. 

Hathai’s family was very poor. She had six brothers and sisters. At fourteen, she was the second oldest and the oldest girl. Although they lacked access to many important resources, Hathai’s family was very close. They all worked hard together to make ends meet.

Rapha is an organization that speaks many languages. Many of Rapha’s staff members are bilingual and speak English in addition to their native language. Our staff in Battambang, Siem Reap, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia, speak the Khmer language, while our staff in Thailand speak Thai and/or Burmese. In Haiti, most of Rapha’s staff and clients speak both Haitian Creole and French.

May is mental health awareness month. One of Rapha’s goals is to empower survivors of trauma with resources for mental health. In Joplin, MO, where Rapha is headquartered, we provide mental health counseling and community education and support through the Hope and Healing Center, established in 2020.