bryan@bmeyers.net – Page 93 – Haitian Island Ministries

Finally, Haiti has a new president. Michel Martelly was sworn into power May 14, and as luck would have it … the power went off during the ceremonies. To say the least, he faces monumental challenges: reconstruction from the earthquake, the ongoing cholera epidemic, soaring gas and food prices (that sounds like home!) and the fact he is an “outsider” when it comes to politics.

Hillary Clinton speaks of the mandate he has because of his 65 per cent of the vote cast during the run off election, but the fact there were only 16 per cent of the voters who even bothered to vote seems well less than a mandate. Many thought, wrongly, that by staying away from the polls, the better known and better qualified candidate would win.

Lost in all the news, political and otherwise, is the cholera. It has been determined that the strain was brought to Haiti by U.N. members from Nepal who were dumping their waste into known waterways. Although the cholera isn’t making any news now, it has killed 5,000 people, and according to the Pan-American Health Organization it has sickened over 250,000. Today comes the report it has now spread to the Dominican Republic. With hurricane season approaching, authorities are fearing it will affect even more in both countries.

Gasoline, which fuels most of the “tap-taps” (public transportation), is almost $5 a gallon, forcing them to raise the price of a ride, which in turn increases the price of … which in turn increases the price of … . All of us here know how this affects everything we do and buy.

It is ironic to hear people say things were better in the months right after the quake, because of all the food and supplies that were being sent into the country. They were cheap to buy or they were given free. Now with this supply gone, food, gas, clothes — everything single thing a person needs to live — is higher than it ever has been. Just as here, the problem there is that income has not risen accordingly. For those who have a job in Haiti, the minimum wage is $5 US a day. Those days are 12 hours long, usually 6 days a week. But it is a job and anyone who has one is very thankful for it.

According to an Associated Press report filed on May 1, half of Haiti’s 10 million people live on less than $2 a day and thousands more depend on handouts. Undernourished children are very easy to spot now by the orange tinge in their hair.

Local prices have also affected the price of the beans and rice we buy for the programs. But thankfully, you have responded to this need and those programs have not missed a beat — or a mouth. We know we have said this before, but what you do really is the difference between life and death for many in these areas. Without these programs, they would have nothing. It’s just that simple.

As always, we are deeply grateful for all you do to help and for your prayers. Together, we are making a difference.

Serving HIM together,

Steve and Terry

At long last, the elections in Haiti are over and they have a new president, Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly. Not the person many in the “upper” class wanted, but because he carried 65 per cent of the vote (much of that the youth of the country) he was certainly their choice. He is a person with a very checkered past who made his riches as a Haitian singer. But he did come from a poor beginning and proved that you can make something of yourself, even in one of the poorest countries in the world.

One of his top priorities, he says, is the educational system. We certainly can’t find fault in this need. In an article by Carrie Kahn and appearing on the NPR website on April 4, 2011 she says, “Even before the earthquake, there weren’t enough schools or qualified teachers.” Everyone who has been to Haiti knows this is true. She went on to say, “According to the government, 4,000 schools were destroyed in the 2010 earthquake and as many as 1,300 teachers died”. To say the least, the new president has his work cut out for him, not only in the area of education but in almost every sector of the country.

Another of those areas that need attention is the tent cities, one of which we have began working in and with. In an article written by Georgianne Nienaber appearing on the Huffington Post website, on April 5, 2011, she stated that “ with 680,000 people still living in camps, delivery of frontline basic services will remain critical this year, particularly in light of major threats such as the cholera epidemic, the rain and hurricane season starting in April, and an increase in food prices”. This story doesn’t mention the huge increase in gas prices they saw last month. She goes on the say, “the cholera epidemic has killed almost 5000 people and “officially” affected 261,985 and the count is accepted to be under-reported”.

Mud cookies baking in the Haitian sun

It still is not even close to being a manageable situation. She ended her article with something we have heard before and we know to be true: “Of course, the alternative is that the poor can always eat cake — mud cakes, that is. In February the outdoor bakeries concocting patties made of clay, salt and butter were in high production”.