By Ian Prescott ian.prescott@trinidadexpress.com
Story Updated: Aug 22, 2014 at 8:21 PM ECT
Haiti booked a spot at the 2014 Concacaf Women’s Championship from October 16-25 in the US, joining Jamaica as the two Group B qualifiers from the 2014 Women’s Caribbean Cup, currently taking place in Trinidad and Tobago.
Haiti won 4-0 over Puerto Rico on Thursday night at Ato Boldon Stadium (ABS), Couva, following up a convincing 5-1 victory over Bermuda two nights earlier at the same venue. Likewise, Jamaica won twice, beating Puerto Rico (4-1) and Bermuda (9-1).
Both Haiti and Jamaica have six points and will fight for the group’s top honours this evening from 6.15 p.m., at the ABS. The winner will move on to Tuesday’s Caribbean Cup final against the winners of Group A, which contains host Trinidad and Tobago. The losers will play for third spot in the tournament. Before tonight’s main clash, winless Bermuda and Puerto Rico will meet at 4 p.m.
Puerto Rico began intent on keeping World Cup hopes alive on Thursday night, and played much better than the final score might suggest. Haiti found trouble getting the two forwards to score in their opening win over Bermuda.
So, Haiti’s Polish head-coach Shek Borkowski made an adjustment. He dropped wasteful striker Marie Jean Pierre to the bench and pushed goal-scoring midfielder Lindsay Zullo up front. Still, two defenders were responsible for Hait’s first two goals.
Haiti had an early chance when the penetrative left-midfielder Manoucheka Pierre-Louis hit a “grounder” an inch wide. But it took one of several forceful overlapping runs by the speedy right-back to make the breakthrough in the ninth minute. Yvrose Geril came forward with a deep, penetrative run and just when she looked about to find a pass, shot the ball into the roof of the net at the near post.
Desperate, the Puerto Ricans were tougher for long periods of the first half and looked the better team. Their best player, midfielder Laura Suarez forced a good save from the Haitian keeper Geralda Saintilus-- one of several good Puerto Rico forward attacks. But, when Haitian captain and central defender Kencia Marseille poked a free-kick in from close up on the stroke of halftime, a 2-0 lead seemed to much to overcome.
The Haitians were more athletic, ran all match, and were willing to put in a tackle in every part of the field. California-born striker Samantha Brand then extended their lead with a shot into the roof in the 75th, following another forward run by the right-back. And striker Jean Pierre came off the bench and finished powerfully for a fourth goal in the 80th minute.
2014 CFU WOMEN’S CARIBBEAN CUP RESULTS:
(GROUP A):
(August 21)
Jamaica:, 9 (Shakira Duncan Goal 32rd, 45th, 47th & 76th) Donnakay Henry 5th & 90+2, Alicia Wilson 28th, Denecia Reid 78th, own goal)
Bermuda 1 (Shantae Todd 70th)
Haiti 4 (Yvrose Gervil Goal 9th, Kencia Marseille 45th+, Samantha Brand 75th, Marie Jean Pierre 80th) vs Puerto Rico 0
(August 19):
Jamaica : 4 (Donnakay Henry 3rd pen., Shakira Duncan 34th & 51st, Nicole Campbell-Green 47th)
Puerto Rico: 1 (Laura Suarez 25)
Haiti: 5 (Marie Jean-Pierre 8th, Lindsay Zullo Goal 38th, Manoucheka Pierre-Louis 40th, Wisline Dolce Goal 86th, Jenerve Charles Goal 89th)
Bermuda: 1 (Shantae Todd 88th)
samedi 23 août 2014
Visit to Haitian orphanage provides enduring inspiration
HOMASSIN, Haiti — About an hour’s drive from the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince is an oasis for children that is saving and changing lives. It is God’s Littlest Angels (GLA) orphanage.
Its origins actually go back to 1994, when U.S. missionaries John and Dixie Bickel, while in Haiti, were led to care for one very small, premature baby. That tiny baby girl was expected to die due to a lack of medical facilities in the area. But the Bickels rigged up a makeshift incubator and cared for the child, who was returned to good health and eventually went home.
The attention that the local community gave this event was so great that other mothers (and fathers) began bringing their sick and premature babies to the Bickels, asking for help. That was just the beginning.
Three years later, the Bickels ventured into international adoption and have been placing Haitian infants and toddlers with forever families in places such as the Twin Cities in Minnesota and Paris.
GLA is a Christian organization that partners with churches as well as faithful individuals for financial support and hands-on ministry.
I spent a week at GLA in late July during my own personal mission trip to Haiti. Many who take mission trips help build schools, or dig wells; I, on the other hand, have not been gifted with construction skills. Giving me a hammer or power tool could lead to someone getting hurt. Usually, that someone is me.
God has, however, blessed me with a sense of vision and the ability to take pictures that are, for the most part, in focus. So I offered the donation of my photography skills to help the orphanage in its fundraising and promotions. GLA accepted.
While I was at the orphanage, Judy Jacobson, her teenage daughter, Kenna, and Jacobson’s sister, Cheryl VanBeek, who had traveled from Alberta, Canada, were volunteering. The trio spent time with babies and toddlers, giving them one-on-one attention.
And a team of 13 came from the Highland Church of Christ in Robinson, Ill. The team spent a good amount of time doing painting and construction projects on a new facility that the orphanage will begin moving to in December.
Through the lens of my camera, I could see both groups sharing the love of Christ as they offered themselves as living sacrifices for these Haitian children through GLA. It was an inspiring week for me as I witnessed this. I don’t think I could help but be changed by what the staff and volunteers were doing for “the least of these.”
It was my third trip to Haiti, which by no means makes me an expert on the island nation or its problems. But each time I go, I seem to learn a little more and become a bit more attached to the people and the place.
On my first trip, I couldn’t wait to get home. This time, as I was leaving, I was already working on plans for a way to return.
God is at work and doing some amazing things in this impoverished country, and I can’t think of a better way to spend my time than by being a small part of that. For more on God’s Littlest Angels, go to glahaiti.org or call the group’s Colorado Springs office, 719-638-4348.
Chieftain photographer Bryan Kelsen can be reached at bryankelsen.com.
http://www.chieftain.com/news/world/2825012-120/orphanage-angels-god-haiti
Its origins actually go back to 1994, when U.S. missionaries John and Dixie Bickel, while in Haiti, were led to care for one very small, premature baby. That tiny baby girl was expected to die due to a lack of medical facilities in the area. But the Bickels rigged up a makeshift incubator and cared for the child, who was returned to good health and eventually went home.
The attention that the local community gave this event was so great that other mothers (and fathers) began bringing their sick and premature babies to the Bickels, asking for help. That was just the beginning.
Three years later, the Bickels ventured into international adoption and have been placing Haitian infants and toddlers with forever families in places such as the Twin Cities in Minnesota and Paris.
GLA is a Christian organization that partners with churches as well as faithful individuals for financial support and hands-on ministry.
I spent a week at GLA in late July during my own personal mission trip to Haiti. Many who take mission trips help build schools, or dig wells; I, on the other hand, have not been gifted with construction skills. Giving me a hammer or power tool could lead to someone getting hurt. Usually, that someone is me.
God has, however, blessed me with a sense of vision and the ability to take pictures that are, for the most part, in focus. So I offered the donation of my photography skills to help the orphanage in its fundraising and promotions. GLA accepted.
While I was at the orphanage, Judy Jacobson, her teenage daughter, Kenna, and Jacobson’s sister, Cheryl VanBeek, who had traveled from Alberta, Canada, were volunteering. The trio spent time with babies and toddlers, giving them one-on-one attention.
And a team of 13 came from the Highland Church of Christ in Robinson, Ill. The team spent a good amount of time doing painting and construction projects on a new facility that the orphanage will begin moving to in December.
Through the lens of my camera, I could see both groups sharing the love of Christ as they offered themselves as living sacrifices for these Haitian children through GLA. It was an inspiring week for me as I witnessed this. I don’t think I could help but be changed by what the staff and volunteers were doing for “the least of these.”
It was my third trip to Haiti, which by no means makes me an expert on the island nation or its problems. But each time I go, I seem to learn a little more and become a bit more attached to the people and the place.
On my first trip, I couldn’t wait to get home. This time, as I was leaving, I was already working on plans for a way to return.
God is at work and doing some amazing things in this impoverished country, and I can’t think of a better way to spend my time than by being a small part of that. For more on God’s Littlest Angels, go to glahaiti.org or call the group’s Colorado Springs office, 719-638-4348.
Chieftain photographer Bryan Kelsen can be reached at bryankelsen.com.
http://www.chieftain.com/news/world/2825012-120/orphanage-angels-god-haiti
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