By Laura Polynice
“An economic crisis, a gang crisis, and a political crisis have converged into a humanitarian catastrophe," stated UN Special Representative Helen La Lime. "We must not lose hope, but rather combine our efforts to find a pathway to a better tomorrow”
While Haiti has seen many cycles of protests, gas shortages and insecurity, the current situation is the worst it has been. Even if things opened up tomorrow, the country cannot continue to live under the terror of these warring groups. The Haitian people are powerless and tired of fighting to survive. “We are not humans. We are just bodies struggling to survive.” This is a common sentiment among the Haitian people.
A few weeks ago, a couple family members of one of our staff got into a knife fight landing them both in the hospital in critical condition. When I told this to Guesly, he asked how two grown men cound be so dumb as to engage in a knife fight. I responded that when you have no job, no way to feed your family, no purpose, and no hope for your future or your children’s future, you lose all reason to live. With the reality of life in Haiti, putting value on your life or other people’s lives takes a lot of faith.
With all the issues in Haiti, it is natural to ask how things are ever going to change. On the national level, it is hard to say. We pray and we hope. PLH’s mission, however, is to empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti. We believe that lasting change in the country begins on the individual and community level. If individuals are empowered to be able to take care of themselves and their families and if communities are empowered to work together to bring about positive development, then change will begin to ripple out, and the effects will be immeasurable. Education, employment, sustainability, responsibility, and unity – these are the things that will change Haiti. By empowering Haitians, you are helping them to build a stronger Haiti.
