Sixty-two year-old Theodore Laurore and his family were overjoyed when they received their new, wood-framed, earthquake and hurricane-resistant home last week. This was the 2,000th such home built by the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) following the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010.

“Before the earthquake, I lived in a modest house with my wife and four of my six children. Some might even call it poor,” said Laurore, a farmer who supports his family by growing crops on a small plot of land. “Our home was made of palm tree strips. We could not afford to build a proper foundation and had to settle for a dirt floor. Every year after harvest we had to keep the crop in our house because we lacked other storage space. This attracted rats and ants. We also had flooding whenever it rained heavily.”

“I do not know what language to use to CRWRC thank for this gift. It is God who sent them to me. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Theodore Laurore and his family

Sixty-two year-old Theodore Laurore and his family were overjoyed when they received their new, wood-framed, earthquake and hurricane-resistant home last week. This was the 2,000th such home built by the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) following the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010.

“Before the earthquake, I lived in a modest house with my wife and four of my six children. Some might even call it poor,” said Laurore, a farmer who supports his family by growing crops on a small plot of land. “Our home was made of palm tree strips. We could not afford to build a proper foundation and had to settle for a dirt floor. Every year after harvest we had to keep the crop in our house because we lacked other storage space. This attracted rats and ants. We also had flooding whenever it rained heavily.”

After the earthquake, things got worse. The family received a tarp, which they placed over the roof but this became very worn after about a year. In addition, Laurore was accidentally shot in the stomach by a stray bullet in February 2010 and has had trouble walking and working ever since.

“After the earthquake, things went from bad to worse. My family and I lived through some very difficult moments under that old make-shift tarp roof,” he said.

Then Laurore’s community of Bois l’Etang was selected to receive homes from CRWRC. CRWRC staff identified those most in need of new homes in Bois l’Etang, and Laurore was selected.

“The day I received the pieces of my new home, even though my wife had prepared good food, I was too happy to eat. I was too busy watching the CRWRC team working with all of their heart to unload the houses for my community,” Laurore recalled. “In spite of my injury, I borrowed a wheelbarrow to transport the pieces of my new house to my land. Knowing how difficult this was for me, some of my neighbours helped me. They shared in my excitement. “

Laurore also received cement and sand for laying the foundation for his home, and a crew of CRWRC workers constructed the home for him.

“I never dreamed I’d have a house like this,” he said as the house was constructed. “I cannot wait to move in!”

At the outset of the housing project, CRWRC expected to be able to build 800 such homes. However, due to many generous contributions, that projection has more than doubled. CRWRC expects to build an additional 400 homes before December 2011.