Hope in Uncertainty

Today marks 13 years since the devastating earthquake in Port-au-Prince that claimed the life of an estimated 100,000-300,000 people. When we look at Haiti and where it has come since then, it’s hard to know what to think or feel. I wish I could say the country united in its hardship, rebuilt the city, and is a stronger nation today, but that is not the case. After the earthquake, NGOs, foreign aid, and the UN took a large role in providing services and keeping peace. Since then, most of these have left. This has left a void that has unfortunately allowed gangs to rise to power, corrupt leaders to misuse funds and opportunities, and violence and unrest to haunt the nation. Slowly, each aspect of governance has diminished. This week, the terms of the last 10 sitting senators expired. Today, the country is void of legitimate leadership. “There is not a single elected official in the entire country of nearly 12 million people — not a council member, not a mayor and certainly not a president.” (Read more) Gangs control an estimated two thirds of the capital as well as key areas outside the capital. Three of the four highways out of the city are completely impassible if you value your life. Extreme hunger is widespread. Prices continue to rise as the gourde (Haitian currency) continues to fall.

At this point, Haiti is a failed state. Thankfully, we don’t place our hope or identity in politics or worldly leaders. We know God is on His throne. There is a war happening in Haiti - not just the war between the gangs or the daily battle to survive - but a spiritual war. If Haiti is going to emerge from this situation, it’s going to take a generation that works together and works for the betterment of their communities and country. Corruption, greed, and a thirst for power must be stamped out. Leaders must rise up. Evil must be called out. New strategies must be implemented. Advances in technology must be utilized. Things on the national level remain complicated and the issues are multifaceted. So how does PLH fit in? 

PLH holds firm to its mission to empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti. We believe we can influence change by investing in the community of Camp Marie and the surrounding area. These investments include providing training, creating opportunities, building sustainability, mentoring youth, and partnering with local leaders to create a unified effort. 

PLH has seen growth in our staff, in our coaches, in our players, and in our partnerships with the community, and we have set goals to encourage more growth in 2023. As we have shared, our Haitian staff ran the day-to-day operations of the organization while I was in Oregon for 3 months during the summer of 2022. The staff organized and carried out 8 weeks of new programming for kids from the community, they managed projects on the campus, and they were responsible for tracking all financial activities. This year, we will continue to provide training for the staff and entrust them with more responsibility. 

We have trimmed our number of soccer coaches from nine to six and we see in these six a commitment to PLH, to the players, and to the program. We plan to provide additional training and mentoring to the coaches this year to help them continue to grow in their coaching methods, in their walk with Christ, and in their mentoring of the players. The players in the soccer academy made good progress this past year in their technical ability. This year, we hope to be able to provide them with more tournaments and competitive opportunities to challenge them. We also plan to provide more training in other aspects of their lives as PLH seeks to train our players holistically in their faith, sport and future. 

In January of 2022, PLH, through the generous support of Lenexa Baptist Church, partnered with the 14 churches in the Camp Marie area to provide food relief to members of the community. This year, we are preparing to do the same, but in an even more impactful way. Rather than coming together for a single initiative, PLH is fostering relationships with and among the leaders of these churches. This year, in addition to providing immediate food relief, the funds will be used to invest in farmers within the churches’ congregations so that they can plant gardens to build sustainability within the community and give back from their harvest. We are excited to see the unity developing among the pastors and church leaders and we are eager to see where this initiative leads. PLH has many plans and goals for creating small businesses and offering job skills training and job opportunities, and we would love to see the churches and community join us in these ventures. 

While the national situation in Haiti is bleak, the vision that PLH has and the hope we have for the future is great. We put our trust in God and look to Him as our guiding light. Thank you for walking beside us and partnering with us on this journey. To God be the glory as we work together to empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti. 

Blessings, 

Laura Polynice
Administrative Assistant and Haiti Liaison

✨2O23✨ Happy New Year!

We hope your Christmas was blessed and we wish you a new year filled with hope and purpose!

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

• The PLH Haitian staff rose to the challenge of running the organization in Haiti without any US staff in the country. We saw the capability of Haitians when trained well, invested in, and empowered to lead.
  

• Construction of the kitchen and fruit drying facility was completed.
  

• The purified water station was constructed.
  

• PLH was awarded a grant from UMCOR to help fund the construction of the PLH Educational Center.
  

• Seven PLH staff attended a two-day leadership conference in Port-au-Prince.
  

• PLH hosted soccer academy games.
  

• PLH hosted two months of summer classes for kids in the community to learn English and artisan crafts.
  

• A champion from Oregon taught an 8-week personal finance class via Zoom for PLH staff and local community members.
  

• Laura Polynice, PLH Administrative Assistant, and her husband, Wahi, welcomed their first child, Jesher.
  

• We celebrated the wedding of PLH staff member Wilson Emmanuel and his bride, Madlinie.
  

• PLH employee Guy Destine and his wife, Jesula, welcomed their third son, Guy-Lensky.
  

• PLH and 19 pastors from Camp Marie and the neighboring communities came together to discuss the current state in Haiti, its impact on the community, and how we can help the community rise above.
  

• The staff celebrated another year with a staff Christmas party at the beach.
  

• PLH hosted its 3rd annual Christmas Eve Candlelight service.

While 2022 held significant challenges, the achievements from the year, were all made possible through the donations, support, and generosity of the PLH community. Through all the PLH programs and projects, our mission is always to draw others nearer to Him. We are humbled by all that God has done in and through Project Living Hope.

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Merry Christmas from Haiti!

This year has been a challenging one for every person in Haiti. There have been gang wars, kidnappings, road blocks, rising inflation, food insecurity, fuel shortages, cholera, and more. In the midst of all this, we praise God for the protection He has put over each of our Haitian staff and their families. 

For Christmas this year, the staff organized a staff beach day. We had a delicious feast of rice, beans and chicken; many games of dominos, cards and soccer; swimming; music; and good conversation. 

We want to say thanks to each of you for the part you played in the work of PLH during 2022. As we look ahead to 2023, we pray that it brings change for Haiti and lots of progress for PLH. 

🐥 Giving Tuesday 2022

Giving Tuesday was a success! Because of the generosity of so many, we surpassed our goal! $5080 was raised and we have the funds to purchase 1000 chickens to fill the coops and start the laying hen flock.

The country has been effectively shut down since Sept 12 due to gang fighting and unrest. While we don’t know what the coming days, weeks, and months will hold, the laying hen flock will create jobs and sustainability which are critical in times like these.

We understand how many deserving organizations ask for support on Giving Tuesday, so we gratefully and humbly thank you for supporting Project Living Hope!

Haiti Reaches a New Breaking Point

By Guesly Dessieux
PLH Executive Director and Founder

Project Living Hope has been in the town of Camp Marie, Haiti since 2017. This month for the first time, we were unable to make payroll. This was not because we did not have the funds but rather because the situation in Haiti has made getting cash from the bank very hard. In recent weeks, the route to and from the bank has been blocked by protestors, the banks are often closed and give only limited amounts of cash, and hundreds of people wait outside hoping to be served.

The situation in Haiti is truly the worst it has been in a long time, possibly since its people gained independence over 200 years ago. Over the past several weeks, Haiti has seen an increase in roadblocks, protests, looting, and destruction. This is in addition to the ever-increasing levels of terrorist “gang” activity throughout the capital and beyond that is turning neighborhoods into war zones. The school year has been delayed. Many of those fortunate enough to have a job cannot get to work. The small police force is outnumbered and outgunned. Hospitals are shutting their doors as they don’t have fuel to run their generators. Businesses, banks, and stores have a hard time staying open. Trucks cannot transport goods around the country. Resources have become dangerously scarce. The cost to refill a 5-gallon jug of drinking water has risen from $0.30 to as much as $6 in some places because of the lack of fuel for water pumps and water trucks. On October 3, the largest water company announced that they were out of fuel and could no longer bottle or distribute water. That same day, the ministry of health announced that cholera cases have been confirmed. Cholera first came to Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake; the last recorded case in Haiti was in 2019. Its reemergence is a huge threat to Haiti.

Because of the roadblocks and lack of fuel, many areas in Haiti are running out of food and many places have already run out of drinkable water. People are desperate. Even those who typically can take care of themselves are struggling to feed their families. We are thankful that Camp Marie is an agricultural community. While the community is hurting, this area is doing better than many.

We pray that the organization is able to make payroll through this difficult time, keep our employees working, and be a source of hope for the community. I know the PLH staff and myself find comfort in what Jesus said in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

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.