GENERAL TRIP INFO
We take several trips to Haiti each year. Everyone pays their own way to come see Haiti and participate in what we are doing there. The dates and the purposes of the trips vary. Some trips we do each year, which you might consider, are:
Many of our teams leave out of the Chicago area. Other teams leave from places as far as Indianapolis and Reno. You can also link up with a team from one of these areas by meeting them in the Miami airport, since all the flights into Haiti go through there. Here are some frequently asked questions about our trips to Haiti...
How long are the trips? Usually 8 days (we will often for example, leave on a Monday morning and return the following Tuesday evening).
How much does it cost to go on a trip? If you are flying out of Chicago, the cost of the trip is $2000. If you are flying out of somewhere else, it may be $200-300 more.
What does that include? It includes round trip airfare to the capital city, Port au Prince, round trip airfare from Port au Prince to the city of Jeremie (at the end of the peninsula near our work area), ground transportation once we get to our work area, lodging at our NLH house (Kay Bo Rivye, "the house by the river"), and food while at the NLH house).
What does it not include? You will need to bring:
Do I have to pay it all at once? No. You have to pay a non-refundable $500 deposit at the time of your application. Then there are points where a certain amount is due. We try to make sure we have collected most of the money by the time we have to buy the American Airlines tickets, because New Life for Haiti cannot get that money back from the airline if you cancel.
How do I apply? What else do I have to do? Click here to go apply online. You will also have to complete some forms (see the Travel Documents page).
Can I book my own airfare? No. We coordinate all flight times between people flying from various cities, and also with the timing of the small planes we charter in Haiti. In order to avoid mistakes in coordinating flight times, all airfare must be booked by the New Life for Haiti office. The cost of airfare is included in the price of your trip.
How old does a person have to be to go? 14 years old. In some cases, a younger child may come if accompanied by their own parent.
What will I be doing in Haiti? This varies from trip to trip. You may be asked to participate in a work project, but this depends very much on the work that needs to be done at the time. A big part of coming to Haiti is to see Haiti, to experience the people, see both the poverty and the beauty, and to gain an appreciation of the needs and of what New Life for Haiti is doing there. Some things all teams do are: interact with the Haitian people and with children; visit schools; visit the marketplace; hike to a mountain village; attend a Haitian church on Sunday.
Is it safe to go to Haiti? It is almost always very safe to go to Haiti. In all our years, there have only been a few times when political unrest caused us to cancel a trip. The thing to remember is that we have many friends who live in Haiti, and if there is ever any question about the safety of traveling at a particular time, we ask them what they think. New Life for Haiti also has several safety measures in place, such as medical, political, and natural disaster evacuation insurance for each trip participant. If you'd like more information about that insurance, please email marnie.vanwyk@newlifeforhaiti.org.
How do we get there? We fly from Chicago (or other U.S. departure points) to Miami, and from Miami to Port au Prince, the capitol of Haiti, usually on American Airlines, then from PAP to the city of Jeremie on a small airplane, with an organization of missionary pilots called MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship.)
Where do we stay in Haiti? On the first night we usually stay either in Miami or at a Catholic guest house called The Matthew 25 House in Port au Prince. Once we arrive out in the valley where we work, we stay at our own house, Kay Bo Rivye (“The House by the River”). The house is large, comfortable, and has showers, flush toilets, safe filtered water, and electricity.
What do we eat while we are there? A mixture of Haitian food and American food.
Do I need special medications or shots? You must have an up to date Tetanus shot. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control generally recommends the following vaccinations for people traveling to the Caribbean: MMR, DPT, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid. Many people who come on our teams do not get all of these shots, but these are your decisions to make-- we recommend you discuss what other shots or medications you may want with your own physician. Some people also choose to take an anti-malaria medication, but most do not; you may want to discuss this with your doctor also. You can visit the CDC website for further information.
Can I meet my sponsored child? The odds are very good that you can. If you are hoping to do so, please let us know that in t he comments section of your application form, so that we can track down where your child lives and whether it looks like we can get to that village on a particular trip. We work hard to make such meetings possible, because they mean so much to both the child and to the sponsor.
What language do they speak in Haiti? They speak a Kreyol (“mixture”), which is a mix of French, a little Spanish, and various African dialects.
What do I pack? What else do I need to know? After you apply, you will be emailed a Team Member Handbook, which will answer other questions and also contains a suggested packing list and luggage instructions.
Cancellation policies:
We understand that from time to time people may need to cancel their trip for a number of reasons. Should you need to do this, please be advised of the following policies:
Refunding trip donations: Due to the nature of tax-deductible donations, per IRS policy, New Life for Haiti is unable to refund donations made for trip purposes, and donations are not transferable.
Refunding commercial airline ticket: NLH will cancel their tickets and the person will then own said ticket voucher for future use, per airline terms. The person who cancels retains the value of their cancelled ticket in the form of the ticket voucher, not refunded cash.
Refunding MAF ticket costs: The cost for the individual MAF seats cannot be refunded to the cancelling party.
Rescheduling the cancelling party’s trip: NLH will honor the cancelling party’s desire to return to Haiti on an NLH trip with said ticket, with the trip participant incurring an additional cost of the $200 change fee (or fee per airline terms), provided the cancelling party travels to Haiti within one year of the original ticketing date. NLH will bring whoever cancelled to Haiti, using the ticket voucher, within one year of the ticketing date (assuming that is the airline’s terms). NLH will keep all funds donated for the purpose of the trip, and the traveler will not have to pay another deposit, or other Port-au-Prince to Marfranc travel cost.
Under unique and unusual sets of circumstances, New Life for Haiti may need to cancel a trip due to political unrest or natural disaster. Should this be necessary, please be advised of the following policies:
Refunding trip donations: Due to the nature of tax-deductible donations, per IRS policy, New Life for Haiti is unable to refund donations made for trip purposes, and donations are not transferable. (See link to New Life for Haiti Donation Policy below.)
Rescheduling trips: New Life for Haiti will make every effort to reschedule any cancelled trips, in which case travelers will not be asked to make any other trip donations. NLH will bring whoever cancelled to Haiti, using the ticket voucher, within one year of the ticketing date (assuming that is the airline’s terms). NLH will keep all funds donated for the purpose of the trip, and the traveler will not have to make another deposit donation, or other incur Port-au-Prince to Marfranc travel cost.
Commercial airline tickets: If a traveler is unable to make the rescheduled trip date work with his/her schedule, NLH will cancel their ticket and the person will then own said ticket voucher for future use, per airline terms. The person retains the value of their cancelled ticket in the form of the ticket voucher, not refunded cash. Please note that most airlines will require a $200 change fee.
If I have questions before signing up, who can I contact?
Contact Marnie Van Wyk at marnie.vanwyk@newlifeforhaiti.org
We take several trips to Haiti each year. Everyone pays their own way to come see Haiti and participate in what we are doing there. The dates and the purposes of the trips vary. Some trips we do each year, which you might consider, are:
- Annual Child Sponsorship Trip to visit the villages and take photos of all the kids and bring new children into the program.
- We generally take one construction trip to do some work on a school we are building.
- Annual Medical Clinic Team
- We have annual trips to train teachers and pastors.
Many of our teams leave out of the Chicago area. Other teams leave from places as far as Indianapolis and Reno. You can also link up with a team from one of these areas by meeting them in the Miami airport, since all the flights into Haiti go through there. Here are some frequently asked questions about our trips to Haiti...
How long are the trips? Usually 8 days (we will often for example, leave on a Monday morning and return the following Tuesday evening).
How much does it cost to go on a trip? If you are flying out of Chicago, the cost of the trip is $2000. If you are flying out of somewhere else, it may be $200-300 more.
What does that include? It includes round trip airfare to the capital city, Port au Prince, round trip airfare from Port au Prince to the city of Jeremie (at the end of the peninsula near our work area), ground transportation once we get to our work area, lodging at our NLH house (Kay Bo Rivye, "the house by the river"), and food while at the NLH house).
What does it not include? You will need to bring:
- $10 Cash for an entry tax we pay on the way into the country
- $20 (approximately) as tips for our staff at the NLH house (we give them a gift at the end of the week to bless them)
- $??? Money for eating in airports, etc. along the way
- $??? Money for any souvenirs you decide to buy
Do I have to pay it all at once? No. You have to pay a non-refundable $500 deposit at the time of your application. Then there are points where a certain amount is due. We try to make sure we have collected most of the money by the time we have to buy the American Airlines tickets, because New Life for Haiti cannot get that money back from the airline if you cancel.
How do I apply? What else do I have to do? Click here to go apply online. You will also have to complete some forms (see the Travel Documents page).
Can I book my own airfare? No. We coordinate all flight times between people flying from various cities, and also with the timing of the small planes we charter in Haiti. In order to avoid mistakes in coordinating flight times, all airfare must be booked by the New Life for Haiti office. The cost of airfare is included in the price of your trip.
How old does a person have to be to go? 14 years old. In some cases, a younger child may come if accompanied by their own parent.
What will I be doing in Haiti? This varies from trip to trip. You may be asked to participate in a work project, but this depends very much on the work that needs to be done at the time. A big part of coming to Haiti is to see Haiti, to experience the people, see both the poverty and the beauty, and to gain an appreciation of the needs and of what New Life for Haiti is doing there. Some things all teams do are: interact with the Haitian people and with children; visit schools; visit the marketplace; hike to a mountain village; attend a Haitian church on Sunday.
Is it safe to go to Haiti? It is almost always very safe to go to Haiti. In all our years, there have only been a few times when political unrest caused us to cancel a trip. The thing to remember is that we have many friends who live in Haiti, and if there is ever any question about the safety of traveling at a particular time, we ask them what they think. New Life for Haiti also has several safety measures in place, such as medical, political, and natural disaster evacuation insurance for each trip participant. If you'd like more information about that insurance, please email marnie.vanwyk@newlifeforhaiti.org.
How do we get there? We fly from Chicago (or other U.S. departure points) to Miami, and from Miami to Port au Prince, the capitol of Haiti, usually on American Airlines, then from PAP to the city of Jeremie on a small airplane, with an organization of missionary pilots called MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship.)
Where do we stay in Haiti? On the first night we usually stay either in Miami or at a Catholic guest house called The Matthew 25 House in Port au Prince. Once we arrive out in the valley where we work, we stay at our own house, Kay Bo Rivye (“The House by the River”). The house is large, comfortable, and has showers, flush toilets, safe filtered water, and electricity.
What do we eat while we are there? A mixture of Haitian food and American food.
Do I need special medications or shots? You must have an up to date Tetanus shot. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control generally recommends the following vaccinations for people traveling to the Caribbean: MMR, DPT, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid. Many people who come on our teams do not get all of these shots, but these are your decisions to make-- we recommend you discuss what other shots or medications you may want with your own physician. Some people also choose to take an anti-malaria medication, but most do not; you may want to discuss this with your doctor also. You can visit the CDC website for further information.
Can I meet my sponsored child? The odds are very good that you can. If you are hoping to do so, please let us know that in t he comments section of your application form, so that we can track down where your child lives and whether it looks like we can get to that village on a particular trip. We work hard to make such meetings possible, because they mean so much to both the child and to the sponsor.
What language do they speak in Haiti? They speak a Kreyol (“mixture”), which is a mix of French, a little Spanish, and various African dialects.
What do I pack? What else do I need to know? After you apply, you will be emailed a Team Member Handbook, which will answer other questions and also contains a suggested packing list and luggage instructions.
Cancellation policies:
We understand that from time to time people may need to cancel their trip for a number of reasons. Should you need to do this, please be advised of the following policies:
Refunding trip donations: Due to the nature of tax-deductible donations, per IRS policy, New Life for Haiti is unable to refund donations made for trip purposes, and donations are not transferable.
Refunding commercial airline ticket: NLH will cancel their tickets and the person will then own said ticket voucher for future use, per airline terms. The person who cancels retains the value of their cancelled ticket in the form of the ticket voucher, not refunded cash.
Refunding MAF ticket costs: The cost for the individual MAF seats cannot be refunded to the cancelling party.
Rescheduling the cancelling party’s trip: NLH will honor the cancelling party’s desire to return to Haiti on an NLH trip with said ticket, with the trip participant incurring an additional cost of the $200 change fee (or fee per airline terms), provided the cancelling party travels to Haiti within one year of the original ticketing date. NLH will bring whoever cancelled to Haiti, using the ticket voucher, within one year of the ticketing date (assuming that is the airline’s terms). NLH will keep all funds donated for the purpose of the trip, and the traveler will not have to pay another deposit, or other Port-au-Prince to Marfranc travel cost.
Under unique and unusual sets of circumstances, New Life for Haiti may need to cancel a trip due to political unrest or natural disaster. Should this be necessary, please be advised of the following policies:
Refunding trip donations: Due to the nature of tax-deductible donations, per IRS policy, New Life for Haiti is unable to refund donations made for trip purposes, and donations are not transferable. (See link to New Life for Haiti Donation Policy below.)
Rescheduling trips: New Life for Haiti will make every effort to reschedule any cancelled trips, in which case travelers will not be asked to make any other trip donations. NLH will bring whoever cancelled to Haiti, using the ticket voucher, within one year of the ticketing date (assuming that is the airline’s terms). NLH will keep all funds donated for the purpose of the trip, and the traveler will not have to make another deposit donation, or other incur Port-au-Prince to Marfranc travel cost.
Commercial airline tickets: If a traveler is unable to make the rescheduled trip date work with his/her schedule, NLH will cancel their ticket and the person will then own said ticket voucher for future use, per airline terms. The person retains the value of their cancelled ticket in the form of the ticket voucher, not refunded cash. Please note that most airlines will require a $200 change fee.
If I have questions before signing up, who can I contact?
Contact Marnie Van Wyk at marnie.vanwyk@newlifeforhaiti.org
Mailing AddressNew Life for Haiti
P.O. Box 33 Plainfield, IL 60544 Phone Number815/922-0941
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