I made a few notes in my phone as we were leaving Haiti last month. It was one of the more difficult trips for us due to much of the political instability that impacted the security of our Haitian friends, family, and partners. I wrote:
- We got out
- They didn't
- No economy
- No future
- No leaders
- No gas
- Little food
- No hope
This has been going on for decades -- Ba yo Espere (give them hope).
The past several trips to visit our partners in Haiti and to see what they are able to do with the resources and encouragement Kolej Project can provide has been nothing short of amazing. However, at the same time, there has been an undercurrent theme of a restless country whose infrastructure and economy lack the ability to sustain a future.
Now we see it in fuel shortages. We see it in bare shelves in the major markets. We see it in higher prices. We see it in the consistent reduction of available electricity for those who are reliant on the government - this also impacts those who use gasoline or diesel to generate electricity in their areas.
On our first trip to Haiti in 2014 their currency (Goude) was valued 45:1 to the US Dollar. After Hurricane Matthew in 2016 it as around 60:1. Today it's in the mid-90s to $1. Nobody in Haiti is able to make up that drop in buying power.
On top of this is the political climate. By climate, I mean that there is a concerted effort to remove the president who was elected in 2016 and who has, to the casual observer, a desire to help build a better future for his nation. These are manifested in the form of protests that include road blockages, burning tires, and large groups of people -- too often these take a violent turn and people are hurt and even killed. This, of course, does nothing to help calm the situation.
There are those who take advantage of this climate and even, for lack of a better way to describe it, fund it. It seems too many are less interested in what's best for Haiti and far more interested in what's best for themselves.
Given the situation and what unfolded during our travels in Haiti, I very likely would have rescheduled our trip had I the real experience to understand what was really going on and where it was leading. It's been a difficult 15 or so months there and it's hard to see it improving without something radical and monumental occurring.
But, we got out. As we always have. Back to the familiar surroundings of our daily life. Kolej Project is still executing on its plans but we very little contact with our family, friends, and partners in Haiti because there just isn't any way for them to charge their darn cell phones because there just isn't any electricity.
Kolej Project was born to help inspire hope. We are not deluded to think we can save or fix Haiti -- but we can give hope (bay espere) to our family, friends, and partners by standing with them as they work through a very difficult time in their country whether we are physically with them or back home in our familiar places.