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.
