An Important Update from Haiti

By Guesly Dessieux, PLH Founder & Executive Director

We want to thank you for your continued support of Project Living Hope and for your faithful prayers. Now more than ever, we truly need them.

Over the past few weeks, gang activity has intensified in nearby communities. As violence escalated, many families were forced to flee their homes, often leaving behind everything they owned. In response, we have been actively involved in relief efforts through our partner churches to support hundreds of displaced people who have found temporary safety. Out of concern for everyone’s well-being, we made the difficult decision to suspend all programs on our campus.

Gangs have been actively confronting resistance groups and attempting to expand their control. Just a few days ago, a family attempted to bury their mother when armed gang members arrived, firing shots into the air and stopping the burial. They believed the gathering was connected to resistance fighters. Once they were convinced it was a funeral, they left. This traumatic incident sparked further fear, leading many families to flee yet again, while longtime residents in the area have also begun evacuating.

We want to thank those of you who supported our Giving Tuesday campaign to bring hope and joy through a community event this Christmas. With many families fleeing these past couple of days, our Haitian leadership will assess the situation and determine if we can proceed with a large event as planned or partner with the local churches to hold smaller events or simply provide food relief. We assure you that your gift will bring encouragement, joy, and full bellies to families who desperately need it. Thank you for your understanding as the situation changes day to day.

We are grateful that our property has remained untouched. Due to its isolated location, it does not serve as a strategic area for gang takeover, which has helped protect it. Several staff members continue to return to the campus to care for and protect the campus. While we understand their commitment, we have emphasized that human life is far more important than property. Buildings can be rebuilt; a lost life cannot be replaced. We encourage them to prioritize their own safety and their family’s safety. 

We ask for your prayers that this ongoing violence in Haiti will cease. We trust fully in God’s plan for our organization and will continue to act in service by supporting displaced families. 

Project Living Hope has been exploring options to expand its work. Watch your mailbox for more on that next week. We continue to pray that God will guide us as an organization and protect. Each life is precious to him.

Psalm 32:7: "You are my hiding place; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance" 

Unrest Near Our Community – Please Join Us in Prayer

We want to share an important update and ask for your continued prayers for Haiti and Project Living Hope.

This past Sunday, boats full of gang members from further south showed up in two towns just 15 minutes from where Project Living Hope's campus is located. They entered an orphanage looking for guns and assaulted some of the workers there. We are told that one of these towns is now under the gang's control. Please pray with us for deliverance for these communities and for all of Haiti!

While the gang has not entered our community, it is possible that their spies are already in the area. PLH leadership is following the situation closely, communicating with community leaders, and taking necessary steps to secure the organization and our staff as best we can. The PLH campus is located at the end of a small valley with only one way in, making it not an attractive place for gangs to try to move into because they could be easily cornered by police. The campus has acted as a place of refuge for members of the community in the past when things have gotten uneasy and people want to retreat from the highway. We anticipate that this could happen again and we are stocking extra food in case people camp out for an extended period and are in need of emergency relief.

The PLH youth programs have been on fall break. Each year, we pause after a busy summer of activities to give students time to settle back into school, with plans to reopen in November/December.  For the safety of our staff and youth, we will extend this break until the situation has stabilized and it is safe to resume normal programming. Our staff continue to care for the property, but we are prioritizing everyone’s safety during this uncertain time and cannot risk having many people frequent the campus.

Even in the midst of this hardship, we remain confident in God’s faithfulness. His promises endure from generation to generation. We believe He is still writing a story of hope and renewal in Haiti.

Your ongoing support allows us to stand with the Haitian people in hope, even when circumstances are difficult. Thank you for praying, giving, and believing with us.