Haitian Flag Day is celebrated on the 18th of May each year. The Haitian flag was adopted in 1803 during the Haitian Revolution and has undergone many design changes over the years. The original flag was derived from the French flag with the white stripe removed to symbolize the end of white colonization. In good times, Haitian Flag Day is a big holiday, with parades and celebrations across the nation. This year, however, the crisis leaves people with little to celebrate. Join us in wishing our Haitian brothers and sisters happy Flag Day and reminding them that we are standing with them, working and praying for a stronger Haiti.
Join us at the 2024 Portland Dinner and Auction
The Portland auction is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. Come enjoy live music, premium auction items, a delicious dinner, and an update on PLH's work in Haiti. The proceeds from this event will support Project Living Hope and help further the mission of PLH to empower Haitians by providing education and encouragement to the community through youth sports programs, English classes, finance classes, employment opportunities, sustainability projects, and community events.
6:00-7:00 Doors Open and Silent Auction
7:00-8:00 Dinner and Live Auction
8:00-9:00 Presentation and Spin to Win
Tickets Required
Abernethy Center, Grand Ballroom · 606 15th St · Oregon City, Oregon
Buy your ticket today!
We look forward to having you join us!
HAITI UPDATE: ACTING PRIME MINISTER RESIGNS. NOW WHAT?
By Laura Polynice
You may have heard that the acting prime minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, resigned Monday (March 11). While he hasn’t officially resigned yet, he stated that he would resign once a transitional presidential committee is established. Now, you are probably asking, “What does this mean for Haiti?” While I am not an expert on Haitian politics, I will do my best to give a concise and unbiased summary of a very complex situation.
Has the acting prime minister stepped down?
After feeling international pressure, Ariel Henry accepted a proposition put forth by Haitian politicians that states Henry and his government would give up power and support the formation of a transitional presidential committee. Henry’s promise of resignation is contingent on these Haitian politicians creating a committee of seven individuals from the seven political parties to select a new interim prime minister and arrange presidential elections.
Most of the nation’s population has not been supportive of Henry as Prime Minister since he took power in 2021, as the events to bring him into this position were not constitutional. Civilian protests, opposing political parties, and terrorizing gangs have all been calling for Ariel Henry’s resignation. When gangs reached new levels of violence and control in an effort to prevent him from returning to Haiti after visiting Kenya earlier this month, the US urged Henry to expedite the transition of power.
It is unclear and impossible to predict if this turn of events will put Haiti on a path to healing and rebuilding or if it is just the next step in complete collapse and continued power struggles.
While the plan to form a multi-partisan committee and select an interim prime minister may be a fair and diplomatic plan, it is hard to imagine the seven political parties working together and agreeing on how to move the country forward. It is also a common sentiment that the politicians who have been involved in leading Haiti for the past few decades are, to some extent, responsible for getting Haiti into this mess. Will they be able to lead Haiti out of it? A large percentage of the Haitian population has lost trust in all politicians.
What does the future hold?
We hope and pray that a committee is selected that will have the nation’s best interests at heart, that fair elections will be arranged quicking to move the country forward, and that an honest and responsible leader will be appointed to bring security and peace to the country.
We hope and pray that the justice system will be strengthened so that criminals will be held responsible for their crimes no matter their position or status and that all the government institutions will be rebuilt to serve the people.
We hope and pray that the suffering ends and people can return to their homes and begin to heal from the trauma that they have experienced.
We hope and pray for a peaceful transition. The gangs still control the capital and many areas around the country, and there seem to be others vying for power who may not accept this diplomatic plan or any new government. There are still discussions happening to send in international forces to help establish peace in the country. This week, members of the Caribbean Community are meeting to discuss Haiti and the plan to send military support.
Thank you for standing with the people of Haiti through your prayers and awareness. We will continue to keep you updated on any developments.
How are the PLH programs and the staff in Haiti doing?
Hearing all of the news out of Haiti, you may be asking how the PLH program and staff in Haiti are doing. The programs are going strong! Youth gather everyday on the PLH campus to participate in soccer, basketball, and English and artisan classes. Adults from the community are being empowered and encouraged through the personal finance and parenting classes each Thursday and Friday. The PLH staff continues to maintain the campus, manage programs, and serve the community. The programs of PLH provide hope, encouragement, and education that is key to bringing about positive change in Haiti.
Our area remains fairly calm, banks continue to operate, and schools are open. Yet, the events in the nation weigh heavily on everyone and food and other resources can be difficult to find and expensive. In addition, our staff have suffered the loss of several close family members recently. Please keep them in your prayers.
For more on PLH, check out our recently released 2023 Annual Report.
What can you do to help?
If you are still reading, you may be asking what you can do to help. Here are a few ways you can help support positive change in Haiti:
Pray: There are serious battles happening in Haiti - physical and spiritual. Continue to pray for a new chapter for the country, for miraculous change of heart for those creating this suffering, for protection and healing for those suffering, and that God will be glorified! Join our Prayer List to receive special prayer emails.
Give: Support PLH or other organizations fighting to build a stronger Haiti. Give to support PLH programming.
Share: Share this news with your friends, family, church, and other networks. Forward this email or share on social media. Attend one of our upcoming Salons where you will watch a short video, learn more about Haiti’s situation, join in discussion with others passionate about Haiti and PLH, and enjoy some dessert! Invite others to join you! Events will be in Portland, Eugene, and Salem as well as online. Spring salon dates will be announced soon!
Thank you for partnering with us to empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti!
Haiti Declares State of Emergency
By Laura Polynice
It’s difficult to write an update on Haiti. Whenever you think it can’t get any worse, it does.
This past weekend, gangs seemingly joined forces and carried out coordinated attacks throughout Port-au-Prince and the country.
This Weekend’s Events:
Gangs attacked the airport in Port-au-Prince on Thursday in an effort to prevent the acting Prime Minister from returning from Kenya. All flights through the airport have been canceled since the event.
Gangs attacked the police academy in Port-au-Prince.
Gangs breached the country’s largest prison in Port-au-Prince, releasing thousands of prisoners. It’s reported that, of the nearly 4,000 prisoners, only 99 remain in the prison – those who chose to remain in their cells. A second prison was also attacked.
Gangs attacked police stations in several places throughout the country, gaining control of the station in Cabaret. It’s reported that the gang now controls most of that town, moving their control further north up National Route 1 (the highway which leads to PLH’s community).
Gang leaders announced that several of the gangs have joined forces and will not stop their attacks until acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry is removed from power.
After the weekend’s events, the country declared a state of emergency and instated a curfew Monday through Wednesday.
The citizens of Port-au-Prince are trapped in the city as violence escalates and shooting increases throughout the city. All routes out of the city are controlled by gangs. Schools are closed and streets are empty as everyone hides in their homes. Leaving even to find water or food is a life-threatening mission.
Food insecurity continues. 1.4 million people face emergency levels of food insecurity with 4.35 million people suffering from acute hunger.
All of this comes after January 2024 was labeled the “most violent month” in the past 2 years in Haiti with more than 1,100 people killed, injured, or kidnapped.
On Friday, Ariel Henry and the Kenyan President signed a deal to move forward with the proposal to send 1,000 Kenyan police to Haiti, a plan devised by the UN Security Council, paid for largely by the US, and initially halted by the Kenyan parliament. Other Caribbean nations also discussed an effort to organize a multinational force to send to Haiti.
Video: Haiti declares state of emergency amid escalating violence and prison break (CBS)
The Political Situation
After the assassination of President Jovenel Moise with no prime minister installed, several candidates stepped forward to run the country. Ariel Henry won the power grab and has been acting as Prime Minister since. Most of the population does not view him as a legitimate leader of the country as he was not elected. Henry signed an agreement that he would organize elections in 2023 and hand over power on Feb 7, 2024.
In November of 2023, Guy Phillipe, a revolutionary and accused drug smuggler who led the 2004 coup against President Aristide, returned to Haiti after serving several years in US prison. He began to call for protests throughout the country to start a “revolution”. With no elections in sight, protests broke out around the country in February to call for Ariel Henry to step down. Henry has since stated that he will organize elections in 2025 and hand over power in 2026.
Haiti is Hurting
Hopelessness is spreading throughout the country. Every month brings new levels of suffering. Gangs are armed with military grade weapons, drones, and vehicles. The police are overwhelmingly outnumbered and outgunned. The people have no way to defend themselves and are running out of places to hide. People fear that they will all die before help comes.
PLH is Standing Steadfast
We share all of this to bring awareness to the suffering that our Haitian brothers and sisters are facing, to bring light to the injustices happening in this corner of the world that we serve. While things are dark and it is hard to say when and how Haiti will rise from this, we continue to hold on to hope for Haiti. PLH believes that God has a brighter future ahead for Haiti. We remain steadfast in our mission of empowering Haitians to build a stronger Haiti. The PLH programs continue to offer hope and purpose through athletic programs for youth, valuable training courses for adults, and a commitment to stand with those we serve and partner with them to bring about a stronger future for their community and nation.
Christmas in Haiti
YOUTH CHRISTMAS PARTY
This GivingTuesday, PLH raised funds to make Christmas special for our youth and staff. On December 22nd, PLH held a Christmas party for the youth that participate in our soccer, basketball and artisan programs as well as their parents. Everyone enjoyed a special time with song and dance performances, speeches from the PLH staff and coaches speaking on the vision and values of PLH, and a meal of rice, beans and chicken. Our staff estimate that there were over 600 people in attendance. The coaches enjoyed being able to meet and speak with so many parents. Because of your support on GivingTuesday, all the families received a gift of basic food supplies to help feed their family during the holidays. 310 bags were distributed to the families, each including rice, beans, oil and spaghetti. Parents shared their appreciation for the program and how glad they are to have a safe place for their kids to play and grow.
Thank you for supporting PLH on GivingTuesday and making this event possible!
STAFF CHRISTMAS PARTY
In addition to the player party, PLH hosted a Christmas party for our staff and their families. This has been an annual event since 2018. PLH values family and encourages our staff to put their families first, be present parents to their children, and lead their families in following Christ. These parties are a chance for PLH to show our appreciation to our staff and their families and encourage them. Like the players’ families, each family received a gift of food supplies.
NEW Basketball Program
This past spring, PLH launched its first basketball program. We were excited to see how the sport would attract new youth. The informal practices grew quickly, and in the fall we started formal registration for the program. We now have over 70 youth participating in basketball with 42 of those being girls! Only five of these players are crossovers from our soccer program. We are thrilled to have so many new youth and especially so many girls. While soccer in the states is popular for girls, in Haiti it is typically played by boys. We have had a few girls play in our soccer program over the years, and we still hope to have a girls soccer team. We are encouraged and excited by the overall success of the basketball program and we plan to launch volleyball in 2024.
We have many goals and plans for 2024, and we can’t wait to share those with you in the new year. We thank you for standing strong with PLH during this challenging year. We know all the successes of the year are due to your faithfulness and God’s grace and guidance.
U.N. Approves Sending International Force to Haiti
Monday October 3, 2023 the U.N. Security Council voted to approve sending a multinational force to Haiti. The goal of the mission is to combat the extreme gang violence and steadily worsening conditions.
We pray for a successful mission, for peace for the country, and for an end to this suffering caused by gangs and corruption. We pray and we trust that change is coming, that Haiti will rise from this current tragedy and become a stronger nation.
Thank you for standing strong with PLH and Haiti through these challenging times.
Learn more about the U.N. approval:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/haiti-un-mission-international-force-kenya/
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1141802
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/09/1141632
A Cement Emergency
By Laura Polynice
If you’ve ever been to Haiti or have been following work in Haiti for a while, you know getting anything accomplished takes a lot of effort. There are challenges and roadblocks at every turn. Now, with the political situation and the insecurity created by the gangs, it is even more difficult than usual to get anything done. Nonetheless, with the persistence of our staff, creativity in planning, and the collaboration of the community, things still get done. Let me give you one example from earlier this week.
PLH has been working to build a bridge to replace some culverts in the PLH driveway. A heavy rain this spring washed out the culverts and the overflow of water became a threat to our basketball court.
Heavy rains washed out a small retaining wall next to the basketball court.
The project was moving along well and the bosses began to pour the final top slab of concrete for the bridge. As they were working, it became apparent that they did not have enough bags of cement. Remember, all concrete in Haiti is mixed on site either by hand or with a small, ½ yard concrete mixer like we have. We purchased the estimated amount of gravel, sand, and cement, but now the bridge was at risk of being compromised by running out of cement halfway through the pour.
Typically, we get our cement and other materials from a supplier and pay our bill at the end of the month. Due to the insecurity on the roads, however, this supplier did not have any cement in stock. So, our Haitian Operations Manager began the hunt. As he had just finished paying out the organization’s payroll for the month, he did not have the cash in hand to purchase more cement. He hurried to the bank to make a withdrawal; however, the bank had just closed. He was able to talk to the security and convince them to let him in to talk to the teller. Inside, the teller told him the bank did not have cash to give - dollars or gourdes. He left the bank, made some calls, and was able to write a check to someone who gave him the cash in return. Now, he was off to purchase the cement! But, it was nowhere to be found.
Our manager scoured the city of Saint Marc as well as a couple neighboring towns. Everywhere he asked, they said, “Don’t ask me about cement! There is no cement!”
He returned to Camp Marie empty handed and went to speak to someone in the community, asking if he had any cement. He did not, but he said another man had a project he was planning to do next week and he had some cement. Our manager went and talked to the community member who generously loaned PLH 65 bags of cement. The PLH staff loaded up the cement and delivered it to the project where it was mixed up and added to the pour. The bosses finished up the work after a 12 hour day, and our manager began to devise how he would find 65 bags of cement within the next week to replace what we had borrowed.
Nothing is easy in Haiti right now. Everyone is suffering - even those who aren’t being run out of their home, watching family members be tortured, dying of starvation, or being kidnapped or killed. Resources are scarce. Money is tricky to acquire even if you have it in the bank. Traveling anywhere is a risk to your life. And yet, life must go on. Projects must continue. Progress must be made. We pray for peace for the country, for an end to this suffering caused by gangs and corruption. Beyond that, however, we pray for progress, that Haiti can come out of this current tragedy and become a stronger nation that functions well and provides opportunity to its people. PLH exists to empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti. This mission is long and difficult, but we work with a long-term vision and hope for a brighter future. Thank you for being a part of it and for joining us in this mission.
To watch a short Facebook video reel of the bridge being built click on the button below!
July 2023 🇭🇹 Haiti News
By Guesly Dessieux
Executive Director and Founder
There are days when I think about Haiti and tears start flowing out of my eyes as I feel powerless to change the situation. The news continues to weigh heavy on our hearts, but we remain optimistic and continue to work under traumatic conditions while attempting to meet the needs of those most at risk: children and youth. Many organizations have had to close their doors with inflation of prices and significant insecurity. PLH is standing strong and has responded to the national crisis. PLH employs 31 Haitians that keep our programs running. We have 200 kids and young adults participating in our programs weekly. We provide food relief to 16 churches and are feeding 130 youth weekly. We remain steadfast to continue the work and trust in God's plan for Haiti but we need your help more than ever.
Tomorrow, we launch our Join the Community campaign. Our goal is to raise $7000 in new monthly giving and we need your help to reach that goal. Monthly support keeps our Haitian staff employed, keeps programs going on the campus, allows us to organize events to encourage the community, and makes it possible for PLH to continue to push forward. If you are a monthly donor, I want to say a huge thank you. You have sustained PLH through some of its hardest months. If you are not a monthly donor, I want to invite you to join!
For as little as $10 a month, you can help continue the work of PLH and empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti.
$25 a month can help keep the soccer fields mowed and lined for tournament season.
$50 a month can help cover teacher and coach salaries.
$100 a month can help provide nutritious meals for youth to combat the increasing food insecurity.
May 2023 Newsletter
Metal Fabrication Students
Back in 2020, PLH sent two young men, Fed and Doriva, to a level 1 welding workshop at Extollo. That winter, they assisted with erecting the two metal buildings on the campus. Since then, we have hired them to work on several small welding projects on the campus. Most recently, they built a railing for the PLH kitchen building.
These two young men have been eager to get more welding training. We contacted Extollo to see what they could do for them. Extollo set up a private class and practicum for Fed and Doriva led by Extollo’s Haitian welders. In the mornings, they went through the new Metal Fabrication course, and in the afternoons, they put what they had learned into practice creating a rebar storage rack.
Training like this is incredibly important for Haiti. Too many young men sit unemployed with nothing to do. Then, a gang comes in and offers them purpose and power. If young men are taught valuable skills and provided with employment, they will see hope and future and not be won over by gangs. Training and education opportunities build their skills and give them purpose and hope for their future!
Sacrifices for Education
While the insecurity and gang fighting in Haiti makes traveling anywhere dangerous, young people still know the value of an education and are willing to risk everything to learn a skill that will help them in their future. PLH has four students from Camp Marie on scholarship studying auto mechanics and electricity in Port-au-Prince.
When school started in January, the main highway to Port-au-Prince was completely impassable due to gangs and the 6-hour detour had become riddled with gang fighting as well. The students, determined to not miss any more days of school, jumped on a bus taking a 12-hour route to get to Port-au-Prince.
On top of that, the neighborhood in Port-au-Prince where their school and house is located has been disrupted by gang fighting. The students have to keep their ears open, eyes peeled, and heads down. They, like so many others in the country, continue their lives in the midst of war and terror because giving up is not an option. If they can get through school, become skilled in their trade, and find work, they can build up their life. If not, what future do they have?
Do you want to be a part of building these young men’s lives?
The total cost of the metal fabrication training was $500. If you would like to donate towards Fed and Doriva's training or support future training opportunities for other young Haitians, click here!
The cost for the auto mechanics and electrical students (including tuition, rent, and a small living stipend) is about $1,500 per year per student. Click here to contribute to the scholarships for Clotaire, Whensondy, Chrisman, and Tchuky.
Soccer Matches
Before we can send young men and women to receive job skills training, they have to navigate childhood and teen years. This time is equally challenging and also has the risk of losing kids to gangs, crime, alcohol, and a general lack of direction, purpose, or hope. The PLH soccer academy is about so much more than soccer. While we strive to nurture skilled soccer players, we also strive to ensure they remain in school and on a path to success. At PLH, kids find a place where they can just be kids. Here, they have a safe place to play, coaches that care about them, and adults to look up to and model their life after. Kids are shown the love of Christ, are treated with kindness and forgiveness, and are challenged to reach their full potential.
This spring, the PLH soccer academy has organized several matches with other teams in the Saint Marc area. Players are so excited to be able to compete against other teams and test their skills. The teams have done well against the competition. One mother who came down to visit the PLH campus shared with the staff how important this academy and especially the matches are for the kids. She congratulated PLH for organizing this program for kids to play, grow, learn, and have fun.
