Did You Know?

THE COMPASS STORY

The ride in the scorching sun on the back of the pick up truck was bumpy and my team of missionaries were feeling it. We were in Haiti, driving along the jagged rocks of a dried river bed. We were now miles into our trek, headed to a remote hill village where the people walked hours to find water, and what they found was diseased and dirty. I wiped the sweat dripping off my face and then I saw her.

6 year old Johanne emerged from the dried bushes along the river bed and began running behind the truck. I stared in disbelief as her tiny bare feet navigated the jagged river bed that I was sure was painful. “Stop the truck!” I shouted to the driver, banging on the top of the truck, but he paid no heed. He just kept on driving and she just kept on running.

She got smaller and smaller as we kept driving away and I looked until she disappeared behind us….still running. Four hours later we had climbed the hill toward the village with 50 pound bags of sand and gravel to build the simple water purifiers that my team went to Haiti to install. I sat breathless, hundreds of feet at the top of a hill, drenched with sweat, while most of my team lay on the ground exhausted.

I guzzled my bottle of clean water greedily and then… my jaw dropped. Tears filled my eyes when, 4 hours after I last saw her, was Johanne’s little head coming up the side of the hill. She never stopped running. Out of breath with a huge smile she panted up the last few feet of the hill and came and sat next to me. Stunned, I gave her my bottle of water and she took it shyly, barely sipped and gave it back to me. “Have it all” I insisted, and with shock and gratitude in her eyes, she drank it.

Johanne lived with the 12 members of her family in a tiny galvanized enclosure. Most of them showing some signs of disease.

I went home to New York with a broken heart and a strong resolve to not just be sorry…but to do something. My love for coffee and for the people who need help, gave birth to Compass Cafe in New York. 100% of the profits since its opening 4 years ago, has gone to providing clean water to Johanne and thousands of others.

SHE is the story of Compass.

With love, Sharo (Compass Cafe founder)

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that Compass Cafe is entirely missions based? We are a non-profit movement that uses all purchases to fight the injustices of our world. From clean water to ending human trafficking.

Want to find out more? Visit us today!