Lincoln, Neb., Jul 18, 2009 / 11:47 am
Living on a diet of mostly sugar cane, with no money to spare for toothbrushes, the children of Kobano Mission in Haiti suffer serious dental problems. In response, the Faith In Action Team (FIAT) at one parish arranged a special mission trip last spring in which four dentists and four dental assistants, accompanied by FIAT co-founder Don Killeen, journeyed to Haiti to serve hundreds of patients.
Kobano Mission is a "sister parish" for St. Joseph Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. The parish has held various drives to collect peanut butter, shoes, school supplies, etc. and various members of the parish have traveled to Haiti to help with the work.
Established by Louisiana native Father Glenn Meaux, S.O.L.T., the mission serves "the poorest of the poor." It’s situated in a rural area in the mountains about 20 miles from the centrally-located city of Hinche. There is no electricity, running water, paved roads or any sort of shops or stores.
Father Meaux relies heavily on the financial and practical support of U.S. parishes like St. Joseph Church to help. He provides food and clothing distribution, water stations that pipe clean water down from a mountain spring, a school, a housing program, solar-generated electricity and even a small economy that provides jobs and trade opportunities.