Category: News (Page 40 of 100)

Hi everyone,

The turmoil continues in Haiti with no sign it’s going to end soon. If everything the protesters say is true, I can’t say I blame them. Maybe not the way they go about it, but protest, yes.

With everything that is happening, including the price hikes, this is only going to make things worse. Fortunately, school is out for several weeks and parents don’t have the worry of their kids being caught up in a bad situation. However, the high prices remain in place and those affect everyone there, as well our ministry because the nutrition programs run all year.

In April of 2019 the International Monetary Fund published a report on global finances, and placed Haiti the 14th poorest country in the world. You have to go all the way to number 30 to get out of Africa – other than Haiti. (The U.S. places 180 out of 191 countries listed.) The GDP in Haiti is $1,903 compared to $64,767 in the U.S.

It’s no wonder kids can’t go to school! Of course, there are more reasons than money, but it isn’t because they don’t want to go. Education in Haiti is valued; literacy is a mark of prestige and students wear their uniforms with pride.

The Ministry of Education in Haiti reported that Christian ministries provide about 2000 primary schools educating more than 600,000 students. Some offer a better quality of education than for-profit schools. 600,00 seems like a lot but you have to consider that 33% of children between the ages of 6 and 12, do not attend school. While the mandated age to start school is 6, it is not unusual to see a student finish the 6th grade at 15 or 16.

We know we have covered this in the past, but it’s good to review it occasionally, especially for you who support the schools, or the programs associated with them, so it’s always fresh in your mind how important your partnership in this is and how important you are to a child in Haiti.

We hope everyone had an enjoyable July 4th and as always, we appreciate all you do for our friends in Haiti and for every prayer you offer.

Hi everyone,

It seems there is a little more to the protests in Haiti than we first thought. Obviously, there are the price increases; no one we know or work with can meet these increases. They are also affecting ministries like ours in how they do day to day business.

But a recent article in Time, written by Ciara Nugent on June 24, says the protests are fueled by a report delivered to the Haitian senate by official auditors that at least 2 billion dollars are missing.

For decades, Haiti has purchased its crude oil from Venezuela. These purchases were made generally on credit, with deferred payments up to 25 years. Haiti uses the oil to operate its generators to produce electricity, which gives you an idea how far behind their infrastructure is.

The money saved buying it on credit rather than on the open market (which they couldn’t afford) was supposed to be used on roads, schools, hospitals, etc. Now it’s missing.

Even though the report came out prior to the new president being elected, Haitians are still blaming him for being a part of it. The protesters say they will not stop until he and others resign.

So…we may be in for a long summer and fall.

Because of the delays experienced from the protests, our school year will end the first of July and certificates will be handed out July 15. This year we have 35 students who have qualified to take the government test to go on to the 7th grade. This tells us two things: (1) the teachers are doing an excellent job with what they have, and (2) the children want to learn.

Those of you who support the schools or help them in any way, like the nutrition programs which are tied to the schools, are directly responsible for the successes of the teachers and children.

On another note, we would like you to remember Beaubrun and his family. His oldest brother died recently, and we aren’t sure how this will affect his mother. The brother lived with her and has taken care of her since their Dad died several years ago.

As always, thank you for helping our friends in Haiti and for your prayers.