Hope Makes One Live
“Armed violence has reached unimaginable and intolerable levels in Haiti.”
—Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
The situation in Haiti has worsened as we have gotten deeper into the summer months. In July, a severe wave of violence erupted in the Cité Soleil area of Port au Prince, resulting in at least 300 people having been killed according to Human Rights Watch. Even those not directly living in the areas plagued by violence have been hit by chronic fuel and electricity shortages because of gang violence.
The communities where Haiti H2O partners are located in the rural southern area of the island, but they are not immune to these catastrophic events. Our partners feel the impact of continued political instability, unrelenting violence, skyrocketing inflation and food and fuel shortages. Just yesterday, Jeanne asked for us to pray for protection, “because now in Haiti, when you go out, you don't know if you will come back.”
As things appear to get worse within Haiti, geopolitical factors, including the distant war in Ukraine, are also impacting Haitians living both in urban and rural communities. Haiti imports 51% of its food, including 80% of its rice. The heavy dependence on food imports makes Haiti extremely vulnerable to devastating global food supply shortages and price increases driven by outside factors.
However, even under these circumstances, your donations have been helping our partners to pursue opportunities in rural Haiti. For example, your gifts helped to rebuild six homes that were destroyed by the earthquake last year, providing safe shelter for families.
Also, this year’s gifts to Haiti H2O helped to expand our mobile medical clinics to serve two villages each quarter: Plain Matin and Bassin Caiman. Each clinic sees an average of one hundred patients per day. Having these medical clinics is making a difference in the lives of those in the area and removing the financial and geographical barriers to regular healthcare.
Your financial support is helping our partners in Meloniere to finish the school that was destroyed in 2016 by Hurricane Matthew, and again damaged by the 2021 earthquake. They have put on the roof now and are hopeful to be able to use the building when school starts in October.
Lespwa fè viv. Hope makes one live.
When I see another headline in the newspaper about the violence, gangs, or political instability in Haiti, I remind myself of the work that continues to be done in our partner communities. It is easy to lose hope when looking at the big picture in Haiti, but we have to remind ourselves of the little wins, like the opportunity to provide for a family while they obtain an education, improve access to reliable healthcare, and help provide a secure place to sleep at night. Haiti H2O continues to walk beside our brothers and sisters in Haiti and partner with them to bring stability in their corner of an increasingly unstable country.
Michelle Bachelet with the United Nations gives the charge to the international community: “Despite its multiple and long-standing challenges, Haiti should not be forgotten and should remain a priority for the international community. I urge the international community to redouble its efforts to prevent the situation from spiraling further out of control.”
Because of you, Haiti H2O’s faithful supporters, our community partners know that they are not forgotten. Thank you for continuing to encourage our Haitian partners with your support—both financially and in your prayers.
Warmly,
Katie Wentz
Events and Sustainable Projects Coordinator