Would you sleep on this?



Mattresses at Tabitha's orphanage



     Probably not.  But 20-25 orphans at Tabitha's do.  Every night.  And yet they are lucky.  They have mattresses.  Even though they look like this.  Tattered, torn, soiled and unsanitary.  If you don't have a mattress, you sleep on the ground.  Or on concrete.

     Why are the mattresses outside in the sun and not on the bedframes?  Little kids are little kids.  And little kids without diapers, well....  that's why the mattresses are put outside in the daytime.  At nighttime, the mattresses are put back on the beds for the kids to sleep on.

     This is Haiti.  You do what you have to do.  If you have the choice between spending money (if you have it) on diapers or food, which would you choose?  At least these little guys and gals have mattresses.  Not the most sanitary conditions in which to sleep, but at least they are up off the ground.

     I asked D. how much to replace the mattresses.  $400.  E.a.c.h.  What???  Yep, $400 each.  Haiti has no mattress manufacturers, so mattresses must be purchased outside the country and shipped in.  Purchase price + shipping costs = pricey mattress.  But wait, there's more....  If you ship the mattresses in to Haiti, now you have to pay the "customs taxes," aka bribes, to get the shipment through Customs.  Ka-ching, ka-ching.  D. says the most cost effective way to get mattresses is to buy them in the Dominican Republic and truck them over to Haiti.  $400 each.  The orphanage needs ten.

     If you will help me raise $4,000 for ten new mattresses, I will personally buy the waterproof mattress bags to put them in.  And this precious little guy will sleep well.