The Crisis in Haiti: Humanitarian Catastrophe

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.

Wrapping Up the Summer Programs

By Laura Polynice

This summer for the first time, PLH hosted two months of classes for kids in the community. During vacation, children and youth in Haiti don’t have a lot of activities or events to keep them busy. This July and August, kids came to PLH to learn English and artisan crafts. The kids enjoyed having somewhere to go each day and enjoyed learning the new skills.

This past Sunday, the PLH staff organized an expo and invited the parents to attend. This was a chance for the kids to show off what they had learned and made and for the parents to support and celebrate their kids. We were pleased by the number of parents that attended.

There were several tables set up at the front on which the kids displayed their handmade goods including bracelets, woven hats, macrame hangings, necklaces, and sandals.

The program started with English demonstrations. Students came up in pairs and performed little dialogues in English. Then Teacher Sondy led the students in a competition similar to Simon Says and the winner took home a brand-new, insulated water bottle – a prized commodity around here. Finally, they performed several songs including Head and Shoulders and a song of the months of the year.

SIMON SAYS

After the English portion, all the artisan students came to the front. Their instructor, Pierre Claude, quizzed them on some of the vocabulary related to artisan trades with a group of eight girls competing against a group of eight boys.

Finally, the parents and guests were invited to come up to look at and purchase the artisan goods that the students had made. Each purchase was an encouragement to the kids.

Benedic encouraged the parents to support their children in their new trade so that they can continue to advance their skills. The artisan class will continue each Saturday during the school year. Two parents shared some words congratulating the students on their efforts and thanking PLH for this program. As always, I was asked to speak. I congratulated the kids on their beautiful work, thanked the parents for coming out to support their children, and thanked the PLH staff for putting together this 8-week program.

Rose-Andre and several others worked all morning preparing a special meal for the students. When the program was finished, the kids lined up and excitedly collected their meal and hurried home to beat the rain.

This summer was the first time in three years that the PLH Haitian staff have been left to run things without myself or Guesly present. It is so exciting to see the staff take charge and put on a great program. They came up with the ideas, set the schedule, carried out the classes, and organized a great celebration to wrap it up. I am proud of them. I look forward to continuing to have the artisan class for the kids each weekend. The pride on the young people’s faces as they showed off and sold their goods was inspiring. This evening was a representation of what PLH wants to bring to the community: opportunities to learn, a community that comes together to support one another, and pride in a job well done. 

What’s going on in Haiti? Part 3: The Impact on PLH and Camp Marie

By Laura Polynice (Nott)

In part 1, we looked at the history of Haiti and especially the Independence Debt and its estimated impact. In part 2, we looked at the current situation in Haiti with gangs ruling the country. In this final installment, we want to share how this is impacting PLH and the people in our community. 

PLH and our community of Camp Marie is in a safe and calm location. There are no large gangs in the areas or cities surrounding us. However, families in our area continue to struggle with rising prices. Gas shortages continue to be a challenge. Farmers are facing the possibility of losing their crops as this rainy season has been extremely dry. People cannot travel to other parts of the country as they used to, but within our area, they are safe. However, every Haitian is impacted to some degree by the insecurity, violence, kidnappings, road closures, and general dysfunction of the nation. The ever-increasing issues weigh on the people as they hold onto hope for their country and for their future. 

The biggest issues for the organization are 1) getting to and from Port-au-Prince, and 2) getting things shipped into Haiti. With the highway into Port-au-Prince now having more frequent gang fighting, we are unable to bring in visitors to oversee construction or provide training. Our staff is also unable to get to the capital to buy certain materials needed for the campus including the windows to finish the kitchen construction. With the various issues in the country, the port near us is not accepting containers. PLH has one container in Oregon packed with materials to build the chicken coop and supplies for the kitchen and will have additional containers soon to ship steel for the next construction projects.  We are working on other options to get these containers to the campus, but each option comes with its own list of challenges and risks. 

Because our area is safe, the PLH programs have been able to function without closure. English classes wrapped up another school year and the soccer academy continues to provide youth with a safe place to play and grow. Throughout the months of July and August, the PLH Haitian staff is holding several summer programs on the campus. These include soccer tournaments, English classes for kids, artisan classes, soap-making classes, and a literacy class for adults. Stay tuned to hear updates on these exciting programs!

With all the issues in Haiti, it is natural to ask what can be done? How are things ever going to change? On a national level, it is hard to say. Perhaps it will take foreign intervention. Perhaps a group of leaders will rise up that will usher Haiti in the right direction. Perhaps God will change hearts and this violence and corruption will cease. There isn’t anything we as individuals or as an organization can do on the national level, and we don’t have the answers to what should be done. PLH’s mission 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 – are the things that will change Haiti. By empowering Haitians, you are helping them to build a stronger Haiti. 

What can you do today? 

After reading about the history and the current situation, you may be asking, “But what can I do?” The hardest thing about all the challenges in Haiti is the sense of helplessness. How can we combat these forces and make an impact when the challenges are so large and longstanding? We can:

• Continue to Pray: Our God is more powerful than any of these forces. Pray for change. Pray for peace. Pray for leaders that will usher Haiti into a better chapter. Pray for individuals in Haiti to know the love of God and pursue Him above all else. Pray for the people of Haiti who are facing these challenges on a daily basis and for the churches, schools, organizations, and individuals that are working to build a stronger Haiti.

• Support: PLH is moving forward. We have many plans for the PLH programs, campus and small businesses. PLH wants to see the community of Camp Marie thrive and become a strong community that is a model to others. By supporting the work of PLH, you are investing in Haiti’s future. Support other organizations doing good work in Haiti and around the world. Consider purchasing from companies that create jobs in Haiti and similar countries. Your donations and purchases impact lives.

• Serve: Though we cannot invite you to serve in Haiti at the moment, there are many other ways to serve with PLH. Just a few of these are to serve on the construction planning committee; assist with coach training; assist with curriculum development for English, personal finance, computer applications, and more; and volunteer at a PLH event. Email us to learn more about how you can use your skills to serve.

• Share: Awareness is so important. It is easy to get wrapped up in our own lives and struggles and forget the challenges that others are facing around the world. Share with your friends, family, and coworkers about Haiti and why you care. Invite them to join you in supporting PLH or other organizations and companies. It may not resonate with everyone, and that is okay. But we shouldn’t be afraid to invite someone to participate in something that we care about.

Stay tuned for our upcoming Join the Community campaign which will include videos and stories that you can share with your friends as you invite them to join in the work God is doing amidst all the challenges in Haiti. 

What’s going on in Haiti? Part 2: The Present Situation

By Laura Polynice (Nott)

In Part 1, we looked at the history of Haiti and how the Independence Debt crippled the young nation of Haiti. In this installment, we will look at what is happening in Haiti today. 

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July of 2021, a crime that is still under investigation, the country has fallen into more and more chaos and hurt. Gangs have been gaining power over the last few years. Military-grade arms have been smuggled in. Now, the gangs are far more armed than the police force. They rule certain areas of the country effectively cutting off major highways and forcing whole neighborhoods to abandon their homes. Estimates say that from June 2020 to June 2021 more than 13,600 people in parts of Port-au-Prince were displaced due to gang violence. According to the UN, another 17,000 people have been displaced since April of this year. Families in the neighborhood of Santo were forced to flee on motorcycles as gang violence broke out between warring gangs. One of the PLH Haitian staff members and his wife and children were among these families. They have been unable to return to their home since. 

Kidnappings are also at unprecedented numbers. In 2021, 1,032 kidnappings were reported. This year is already showing a more than 50% increase with more than 200 kidnappings reported in the month of May alone. It used to be that the business elite would be targeted, but now everyone from the highest to the lowest class is at risk of being kidnapped for ransom or killed. As inflation rises in the US, the cost of food and other goods, which are largely imported from the United States, has been rising. Resources can’t be moved around the country due to the insecurity on the highways. This means produce is left to rot in certain areas while people in other areas starve. Elections have been postponed, and it’s looking unlikely that any will occur this fall. 

It’s impossible to say who is really behind this gang activity or when or how it will end. The question must be asked, when will we stop calling them gangs and label them as what they are: terrorist groups. These are not inner-city gangs fighting turf wars. These are organized groups more powerful than any other entity in Haiti that kill civilians and have free reign of the country.

The situation in Haiti is serious and does not appear to be getting better. So, how are we supposed to respond?

What can you do today? 

• Pray: We believe that God loves Haiti and has a plan for Haiti. In our Haiti staff devotions one morning, we were reading Acts 13. In verses 17 through 19, Paul says, “The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land. He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness. And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.” Then in the next verse, he says, “All this took about 450 years.” 450 years! We talk about God delivering the Israelites out of Egypt. We know they wandered in the desert for 40 years. But from deliverance to inheritance was 450 years! Haiti has only been a nation for 218 years. God’s plans are so much bigger than we see or can imagine. God may not deliver Haiti from its current challenges in the next year or even in our lifetime, but we have faith that He does have a plan and He is working even today. We pray in faith and in hope. Pray for peace. Pray for an end to corruption and violence. Pray for development, opportunity, and better education. Pray that the Haitian people will thrive.

In the final part of this series, we will discuss how the current situation is affecting PLH and our community of Camp Marie and discuss more ways you can help.

*News sources:

“Feeling violence that reaches unimaginable levels in Haiti.” Dominican Today, June 28, 2021

https://dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2021/06/28/fleeing-violence-that-reaches-unimaginable-levels-in-haiti/ 

“Haiti: Thousands displaced as gang violence, insecurity escalate.” Aljazeera, June 15, 2021

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/15/haiti-thousands-displaced-as-gang-violence-insecurity-escalates

“There were 200 kidnappings in Haiti in May, United Nations agency says.” Miami Herald, June 3, 2022

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article262125347.html

*While the content is not visually graphic some parts of these videos may be difficult to watch. Viewers’ discretion is advised. City of Gangs: Croix-des-Bouquets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjBymw1Hums

City of Gangs: Downtown Port-au-Prince https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpq5u-YyEwI

City of Gangs: Martissant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-cOdu_XWTU

What’s going on in Haiti? Part 1: The History

By Laura Polynice (Nott)

Haiti fades in and out of the US news and media. We hear reports of earthquakes, hurricanes, protests, unrest, and kidnappings. Then the story gets old, and news outlets move on. Sadly, the people of Haiti don’t have that option.  

Haiti won its independence from France in 1804 after slaves revolted against their masters and took their freedom by force through a 13-year revolution.Haiti became the first black nation and the only nation to be founded by former slaves. The world at that time, however, wasn’t ready for a nation of former slaves, and France returned in 1825 with war ships and forced Haiti to agree to buy the freedom that they had already earned with their blood. The world allowed this to happen. 

The payments on this Independence Debt were far greater than Haiti could afford, and so the nation was forced to take out loans from French banks creating what is sometimes referred to as the Double Debt. Estimates say that Haiti, over the years, paid France more than $21 billion in today’s dollar. This meant that all of those funds were not being poured into building and developing their country. Economists have estimated that if this money had been invested into the country and Haiti’s economy had developed at the same rate as other nations in the area, this amount would have equaled $115 billion today. How was a state founded by slaves meant to progress into the next era when they were paying back debiliating debts? 

The young nation founded by slaves brought from various parts of Africa also soon fell into civil war as various leaders vied for power. More than two centuries after winning its independence, the effects of debt and disunion are still hugely evident. The infrastructure and education system were never developed and are still major hurdles for the nation as a whole and for each citizen.  

There is no telling what Haiti would look like today if it hadn’t been saddled with the Independence Debt and Double Debt and if, instead, the leaders had invested in the development of the country. If you look at Haiti’s neighbor, the Dominican Republic, however, you will see a country with modern healthcare, schools, and education; with access to power and clean water; and with roads and infrastructure throughout the country. Today, most Haitians do not have access to power, running water, or even clean drinking water in their area. Hospitals struggle to provide quality care as they face power outages and lack of medication and resources. The majority of school classrooms are children crammed on wooden benches in a stuffy, window-lit room with a chalkboard and a teacher with limited training and few resources or materials beyond the students’ workbooks. 

It’s true that Haiti has had a long history with corruption, mismanagement of resources, and disunion, but we cannot ignore the huge impact that the Independence Debt has had on the nation. 

While we can recognize the past and acknowledge the fact that every nation abandoned the young nation of Haiti and allowed it to be abused, we cannot change the past. In the next part of this series, we will look at what is happening in Haiti today. 

What can you do today? 

• Consider how this history that we briefly touched on has affected the country of Haiti. Does hearing this history reshape the way you look at Haiti?

• Learn more: This short podcast by the New York Times gives more insight into the Independence Debt and some of the effects it has had on Haiti.

• Support organizations that are working to provide water, healthcare, education and other basic essentials to communities in Haiti. PLH works in some of these areas, but there are many organizations doing great work in these areas.

PLH Summer Kick Off Event in Stayton, OR

On June 23rd and 24th, PLH hosted its second annual Summer Kick Off sports camp in Stayton Oregon. Sixty kids from the community came out to participate in basketball, soccer, and volleyball training. The seven volunteer coaches from the community did a great job and the kids enjoyed learning about the game, improving their skills, and playing scrimmages at the end of the day. 

To close out the Summer Kick Off event, kids and adults from the community participated in a fun run on Saturday, June 25th. Many of the kids from the camp came out with their parents and many others from the community joined in. A total of fifty runners participated in the trail run through the Stayton Middle School Nature Trail. Congratulations to Tyler Franklin, the overall winner of the 5k race! 

The goal of the sports camp and fun run is to provide a fun experience for kids and families in our local community and to spread the word of the work PLH is doing in Haiti. PLH believes that sports and opportunities to play and learn are hugely influential in the lives of young people. This is why one of PLH’s four areas of focus is athletics. 

Thanks to generous sponsors and the registration fees of participants that paid it forward, the Summer Kick Off raised $1,500 to go towards the PLH summer kids programs in Haiti! This July and August, the PLH Haiti staff is organizing 8 weeks of soccer tournaments, English classes, artisan classes, soap making classes and more for kids and youth in the Camp Marie community. These programs will provide kids with a safe place to come play, learn and grow this summer. Stay tuned for updates later this summer!

Leadership in Times of Crisis: An Edifying Conference

By Wilson Emmanuel

In March of this year, PLH sent me and 6 others from PLH to Port-au-Prince to participate in a two-day leadership conference for the 80th Anniversary at STEP (Seminar of Evangelical Theology of Port-au-Prince).

The conference had other organizations as well and church leaders, pastors, institutional leaders, civil servants, and others.

The presenters shared five main topics:

1. Leadership in Times of Crisis

2. Approaching Crisis with Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility 

3. Methods of Organization: Strategic Management and Operational Management

4. Creating a High Performing Team

5. Decision in Uncertainty: How to Evaluate, Anticipate and then Act 

Through this conference, my colleagues and I have been edified.  I liked it because I learned a lot.  Now, I hope to address the crises and I understand more clearly than before the vision of PLH. PLH is here to help us change Haiti, not to change Haiti themselves.  PLH promised us training so that they could participate in the development of Haiti by making students. When PLH sends us to learn, we can be equipped to help bring about change in our country. The projects to develop Haiti are very real.

A big thank you to everyone that contributed to our exceptional and extraordinary training. God bless you.

A Look Ahead at 2022

In 2022, PLH is focusing on sustainability and self-sufficiency, both for the organization and the community of Camp Marie. To do this, we have several small businesses in the works which will create jobs for individuals in the community, provide a local place to purchase some basic staples, and create income for the organization. Here are the businesses PLH is already working on. 

1. U-Pick Fruit Orchard: In 2021, PLH planted over 300 fruit trees throughout the property. Local vendors will be able to purchase and resell oranges, grapefruit, limes, cherries, and keneps.

2. Kitchen: The PLH kitchen will provide daily lunches for our staff and offer meals and snacks for sale to students, players, and other locals. Construction will be completed by the end of January. The next step is to purchase appliances, countertops and equipment to outfit the kitchen

3. Solar Fruit Dehydrator: In our area, thousands of mangos go to waste each year as there is very little drying or preserving of food in Haiti. The solar dehydrator will allow for mangoes to be dried and preserved and for breadfruit to be dried and ground into a nutritious flour. PLH plans to purchase fruit in bulk locally as well as provide drying services for vendors to have their fruit dried and then resell it in the markets. The dehydrator will be placed on the kitchen roof and a special room for the fruit preparation and packaging is in the kitchen building. We are purchasing the dehydrator from an organization that builds them here in Haiti. We hope to have it installed in the next couple months. 

Water Purification Center: Currently, PLH purchases all of its drinking water, traveling 10 to 15 minutes to refill 30 plus water jugs several times per week. This was nearly impossible to do with the fuel shortage last fall. The PLH Water Purification Center will provide drinking water for our own use, offer the community a local place to refill their gallons at a low price, and create jobs for locals. The building will be completed by the end of January, and we hope to have the filtration system installed and operational by March.  

Chicken coop: Chicken is the largest source of protein in Haiti, and yet the majority of chickens and eggs are imported. PLH plans to create a chicken coop for egg-laying hens and meat chickens to be sold to local families and vendors. This will create jobs and allow families to purchase meat and eggs without having to travel 15 minutes to the nearest public market. Construction is planned for this spring. 

Sustainability and small business creation is just one of our goals for 2022. In 2022, we plan to strengthen our pre-existing programs, continuing to develop the youth athletics program as well as the English Institute. Both of these have been running for four years, and have seen significant growth and development. This year, it is our goal to continue to invest in our teachers and coaches to develop their skills and to advance the institute and soccer academy with further development of curriculum, discipleship strategies, and added tournaments and workshops. Please pray for the teachers, coaches, students and players that God will continue to touch their lives and that they may carry out the plans He has for them. 

As the PLH programs continue to grow and as small businesses launch, the PLH staff will continue to grow. We are excited to add to our number and have the opportunity to invest in more individuals on a daily basis. Employment is hard to find in Haiti and is life changing. An employer that treats their employees fairly and seeks to help them grow and develop can set individuals and their families up for success. And a positive work environment, focused on Christ and discipling its members can have eternal implications. Please pray with us that PLH will find the right employees to add to its number and that these jobs will be not only a financial blessing but cultivate personal, professional, and spiritual growth. 

The final focus for PLH’s work in Haiti in 2022 is to continue to invest in the community through special events and activities. Currently, Haiti has little to offer in the way of entertainment and positive environments for people to enjoy a day or night out. We hope to see PLH become the hub of the community - where people can come to enjoy time with their family and friends, relax, learn, grow, and experience new things. Please pray for the community of Camp Marie - for the leaders, schools, churches, families, and youth. Families face daily challenges that many of us can’t imagine. Youth struggle to see a hope or future and face temptations to live a life of gangs, alcohol, greed, and pleasure. Pray that PLH and the schools and churches in Camp Marie can be lights to the community and help to foster unity, love, joy, opportunity, and hope. 

Thank you for your continued partnership with Project Living Hope! God has great plans for this community.

As our Haitian brothers and sisters would do, we would like to leave you with a little new year’s blessing: May God grant you good health and watch over you and protect you. May you and your loved ones be blessed, and may this year be better than the last.

A Look Back at 2021

Happy New Year! Or as they say in Haiti, “Bon Ane!” We hope all your holiday celebrations were blessed and that you are facing 2022 with hope and purpose. We wanted to take this opportunity to share an overview of some of the things God has done in Haiti through PLH in 2021 and what we pray He will do in 2022. 

Though this past year was full of challenges, God did so much! 

The PLH campus continues to develop at a steady pace despite increasing material costs and the inability to send volunteers or containers to Haiti. In March, the first basketball court and a bathroom and locker room facility were constructed. In August, the classroom was insulated and the first PLH office created, providing a reception area to welcome students and guests and to carry out registration and business transactions. More than 300 fruit trees were planted throughout the campus and three wells were dug. 

The PLH classes and athletic programs were able to run on their normal schedule, providing training, education, and encouragement for more than 200 players and students. This year, we offered specialized classes in Medical English, Teaching English as a Foreign Language and a Survey of the Bible. The advanced English students, hungry for learning, enjoyed each of these courses. The courses also attracted many new students from nearby areas. We look forward to offering additional specialized courses in 2022.

In 2021, we added four new staff members to the Haiti team. PLH now has 18 salaried staff and 11 contracted workers. Our staff participate in team devotions each morning. This has been a good way for them to grow together and for those with a deeper relationship with Christ to minister to and disciple those who do not have a relationship or are less committed to their faith. As they take on more responsibility, we have seen the staff grow and come together as a team and the leaders step up into their roles. We look forward to continuing to train the staff and add new workers to the mix. 

This fall, PLH sent three young men to start a 3-year study in auto mechanics. Two of these men have been working for PLH for a couple years and the third has been a student in the English program since it launched in 2018. They are excited to have this opportunity to learn a valuable skill, and PLH is excited to have our own well-trained mechanics to work on the PLH vehicles and work in a PLH auto mechanic shop one day. We have also identified two young men to be trained in electricity. They will attend some short-term training workshops until they can join a formal school in the fall of 2022. Qualified, skilled and trustworthy professionals can be hard to find. We are excited to offer these young locals this opportunity and to be able to utilize them for future projects. We hope to provide them with continued training when we are able to bring in experienced professionals from the states. 

With the vocational center being completed in December of 2020, PLH had its own covered, lit, spacious area to host community events. PLH staff and community members came together for worship nights, family date nights, and parties. These special events offered hope, unity and fun for families and individuals. We loved witnessing parents and children laughing and playing together and our staff stepping up to plan and lead these events. 

If God could do all this in 2021, we cannot wait to see what He will do in 2022! More on that in our next blog post next week.

Have you heard Whensondy's story?

The mission of Project Living Hope is to empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti. We have seen firsthand how education and employment provide life changing hope and purpose. We desire to see more people in the community of Camp Maire become empowered, able to provide for themselves and their families, and lead Haiti into a better future. Meet Whensondy Alceac.

"I'm really happy to share about the impact PLH has made in my life. I have been studying in their English school since it opened in 2018. I participated in some activities like basketball coach training. It was a wonderful training because, even though I loved to play basketball, I didn't know much about the sport. Before the basketball coach training, PLH trained soccer coaches to train kids and youth to play soccer much better than they used to. It was great being a PLH student, and now I have received a scholarship from PLH to study auto mechanics in Port-au-Prince. This scholarship means a lot to me. Thank you for your generous support. Through it, I can reach many things in my future and accomplish good results. I'm extremely grateful. I appreciate and value your help and support so much. You have been helping me in countless ways. I'm truly blessed to have supporters like you in my life. May the Lord Jesus keep blessing you in what you do!"

Whensondy Alceac