“Behind the mountains are more mountains.” This well-known Haitian pro-verb seems to capture the saga of life in Haiti. Five years after the devastating earthquake of 2010, the struggle continues in Haiti as residents seek to rebuild their lives. Many have lost hope of restoring what they lost, only to surrender to acceptance of what is left to cherish.
As the 2015 election year looms over Haiti, the burden of life and economic collapse falls heavily on poor families who are already struggling to survive the demands of daily life. I have noticed an increase in the number of people begging for help in the parish. More and more mothers are coming to the parish asking for food, money for rent or for their children’s education, employment, or anything to live on. The misery continues, and it seems to grow ever more apparent.
We have been inundated for months with the news of the government collapsing and sporadic violence spreading across the city. Today, the country is overwhelmed by the potential influx of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in the Dominican Republic who are currently subject to, or at risk of, forced deportations back to Haiti. Many of these people have lived and worked in the Dominican Republic for years, even decades. They arrive without anything! Haiti is neither prepared nor capable of welcoming back these thousands of deportees. Many here are worried about their return. Most people think it will add to the growing insecurity and that it signals more violence to come. There is validity in fearing imminent danger; grand scale poverty always breeds chaos.
Many here wonder what happened to the billions of dollars sent or promised to rebuild Haiti. The Haitian government failed to deliver what was expected. International organizations have failed to understand that no amount of money can bring real change in Haiti. NGO’s have been lost in the nostalgia of “western-type” projects, without deeply understanding the religious, cultural, historical, and political implications at play in Haitian society. They have failed because they have not allowed Haitians to own their responsibility in the facilitation of change. Many of these big organizations marched into the country like kings, spreading the blanket of change.
When the resources inevitably become depleted, the people have no idea how to keep that blanket of change working. Often, they found themselves back in the same reality.
Is there hope left? YES––a lot of hope remains! There is no doubt that the infrastructure here in Haiti has improved. Technological advances, as well as improved communication efforts, have aided greatly in improving Haitians’ outlook on life. Young Haitians continue to dream of a positive Haiti. In my experience, the Haitian people always have a bright smile, even in the most challenging situations.
It may seem counterintuitive, but smaller organizations and grassroots movements have had greater success stories than their larger counterparts. They seem to have understood that without ownership, change in Haiti will not endure. I have seen how small NGO’s successfully implemented their projects in specific communities. It was not about allocating millions of dollars to those communities, but rather it was about understanding their specific needs and, in fact, respecting their simple needs. The Haitian people must be in charge of changing their lives for the better. Those who have come to live and work and help here are like “guests,” and we are given the privilege to journey with them. We are not the agents of change; we are only here to support the change they need.
Faith is always central to the Haitian way of life. Church is their place of refuge. Somehow, amidst their misery, they have found the God who cares and listens. It is humbling.
Our mission work continues! The CICM-supported clinic is successfully meeting our objectives: extending medical care to pregnant women and helping people with chronic ailments like hypertension and diabetes. Today, we are extending our services beyond just that of medical care. We are also offering to counsel women with unplanned pregnancies. With the undisputed correlation between poverty and high rates of abortion, despite the fact that it is illegal, abortion is very common in Haiti. We also provide support and counseling to HIV patients. We hope that our clinic, like our church, remains a place of refuge to those who are lost due to the hardships that life has dealt them.
Lasting change in Haiti can only be achieved by providing education to Haiti’s future generations. Education is essential to ensuring that opportunities for advancement are achievable. The parish aims to revitalize its education program by adopting a local elementary school and by starting a trade school. Supporting basic education, in conjunction with providing trade skills, will help young Haitians prepare for a transformative future. Growing industries such as garment production and tourism are in need of skilled workers. We see the potential and opportunity that we, as a church, can help young people realize.
The temptation to create big things is real. People often get caught up in the details and inner workings of large-scale projects. Missionary work is not about big things. Rather, it’s about the small things that truly change the lives of others. Most often the work is rooted in the simple things that people care about: the dream of a single mother to come home at the end of the day with something to feed her children; or a young man’s dream to have a diploma so that he can find a job and support his family. Many people live a precarious existence dependent on the mercy of others, and they simply hope for safety and dignity in their communities.
Haiti has fallen out of the spotlight of attention created by the 2010 earthquake. For now it seems, the mainstream media has lost interest. Of course, it is my dream and wish that one day Haiti will no longer be at the mercy of international or political maneuverings, dependent on foreign aid. It is my hope that one day, poor Haitian families will live on their own, fully sustained. It is my wish that one day, young women will no longer be compelled to offer their bodies in exchange for a job or other help. It is believable that, one day, a mother will not have to worry about the safety of her children as they leave for school. Those simple realities remain difficult and challenging to many within Haitian society today.
Our mission work has only been made possible because many of you have opened your hearts. We are making a difference in the lives of the people we serve because you have generously contributed in one way or another. All the more today, we humbly need your continued prayers and loving support. With your support, we hope and pray that together and through time, all our efforts will bring the much-needed change to our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Our faith challenges us all to become more like Jesus; bread broken and shared so that others may live. Thank you for being the bread today.
Andrew Labatorio, cicm
Port au Prince, Haiti
