Haiti has been deeply affected by political unrest in the last week.
The people we serve are safe, some on lock down for personal safety, others not, but overall they are safe and hopeful, especially in Ranquitte.
Greg had a trip to Haiti planned for the second half of March with high school students which was cancelled this morning because of the State Department lowering their safety rating of the country to Level 4, which means “Do Not Travel”. There are evacuations of non emergency US personnel taking place currently and this wasn’t an environment safe for a student trip. In a way its unfortunate because we are seeing a revolutionary moment in a country rich with revolutionary history.
The Haitian people are speaking out against oppression and economic imbalances. That the US State Department sees only violence is unfortunate. We wish they would acknowledge the root causes, the strength of Haitian voices, and possible solutions. Instead as always it’s reaction, avoidance, and distraction away from the reasons people are upset.
From the Mayor of Ranquitte:
“The conflicts between Haitians have affected the country so deeply and ultimately they make the country poorer than the way it used to be. Ranquitte is safe as always but Ranquitte too is the victim of what is happening in Port au Prince. The economy of the country has been hurt. The poorest people who can’t even buy a meal a day are the ones in great difficulty.”
We are going to stay consistent with our efforts to raise funds for basic needs to provide the grounds for sustainability. Roofs over heads and clean water mean that people can focus their minds on other pressing social issues.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have questions. We are in touch with people on the ground who have insights beyond the news.