Mission work in haiti
On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook the country of Haiti violently and with the areas surrounding Port Au Prince sustaining most of the damage. The Presidential Palace and the National Assembly were two of the tens of thousands of buildings that were either destroyed or damaged. In response to the crisis, the United Nations increased significantly the amount of humanitarian personnel and peacekeepers to assist in the reconstruction of Haiti.
Before the earthquake that killed over 300,000 people and shattered the lives of millions more, much of the world was not aware of the conflict that was occurring in Haiti. In the months following the earthquake, the media began to shift its focus away from the devastation in Haiti and as a result, there were no updates on improvements in the recovery and reconstruction process. Many organizations have been working day and night to improve the quality of life in Haiti through projects and programs that aim to create a future filled with hope and opportunity for all Haitians, not only the wealthy and powerful ones.
Haiti is the poorest country in the entire world*. It is a land where superstitious rituals and illiteracy have people bound in chains of darkness, misery and hopelessness. Thousands fight a daily battle for life amidst hunger, sickness and extreme poverty. Dysentery is the #1 killer with Tuberculosis coming in as a close second.
Haiti Poverty Rate: 77%
Population: 10,123,787
GDP: $7.35 billion (66th lowest)
GDP per capita: $726 (22nd lowest)
Half of Haiti’s population lives on less than $1 a day.
80% of the country lives on less than $2 a day.
2010 Unemployment Rate: 40.6%.
*World Bank, Data 2011
Malnutrition, hunger and starvation are everyday occurrences. Government corruption is rampant and political and social infrastructures are non-existent. Many Haitians as well as others in the international community believe that these are significant reasons as to why Haiti struggles to rebuild after decades of political and social strife.
The areas they serve have virtually no sewers and have a poorly maintained open canal system that serves as its sewage system. Sporadic, but largely free electricity is available and some commercial activities exist. The Haitian mud cookie, a combination of mud and dirty water, is an often-relied on staple of “nourishment”.
WHAT WE DO:
We work with an international mission agency based out of Gallatin, TN- Mission Discovery:
www.missiondiscovery.org
-Our “host family” on the ground in PAP is NLCH, housing 130 orphans (20 severely mentally and physically challenged, offering a different light on the outcasts.)
-Run by older nurse Miriam Frederick from Florida. (arrived in Haiti 30 years ago)
-Vital part of orphanage network- heart of service
www.newlife4kids.org
Onaville:
-Partner with Noel Gespere (you can find him on Facebook) - bishop and lead pastor of over 250 churches in greater Port Au Prince.
-Integral part of the refugee relocation process-work is hailed as a blessing for the community, providing education, jobs, and hope to Onaville Community.
-Church was dedicated in December 2013, and is seen as a sanctuary for community as well as site of VBS activities for Mission Discovery teams.
-Another church plant has begun as of June 2014 serving another side of Onaville.
-Partnering with Outside The Bowl- building a super kitchen in Onaville, with the capabilities of cranking out 8,000-10,000 subsidized (not free) meals a day.
-We hit water while digging the well last week, and will soon have water purification and bottling system installed in the near future.
Capvva:
-Partner with Anacias Joseph- Leader of the Capvva Tent City in Cite Soleil, one of the poorest areas of the world.
-Feedings, over 450 families fed for 3 weeks. Each bag contains 10lbs of rice, 5lbs of beans, a can of fish and a quart of oil. ~$15 US
Soccer Jersey resale with women from the community. Using donated soccer jerseys from the US to provide jobs and micro-enterprise in Capvva and surrounding communities. Profit enabled the replacement of an old cistern in Capvva
The Larger Picture:
We are on an experience with others pulled out of our comfort zones in order to fulfill a purpose.
-It is an amazing opportunity to see God work in the most desperate communities in our own backyard.
-Invest in the lives of the next generation of Haitians in the Capvva school and the HOLD the Children program at Mission Discovery.
-Provide an alternative and successful life for countless families. The opportunity to escape the cycle of poverty- move away from dependence.
-Offer hope.
Schultz, Nick, and Kate Keyser. "Haiti." Haiti (28 June 2014): n. pag. Print.
Before the earthquake that killed over 300,000 people and shattered the lives of millions more, much of the world was not aware of the conflict that was occurring in Haiti. In the months following the earthquake, the media began to shift its focus away from the devastation in Haiti and as a result, there were no updates on improvements in the recovery and reconstruction process. Many organizations have been working day and night to improve the quality of life in Haiti through projects and programs that aim to create a future filled with hope and opportunity for all Haitians, not only the wealthy and powerful ones.
Haiti is the poorest country in the entire world*. It is a land where superstitious rituals and illiteracy have people bound in chains of darkness, misery and hopelessness. Thousands fight a daily battle for life amidst hunger, sickness and extreme poverty. Dysentery is the #1 killer with Tuberculosis coming in as a close second.
Haiti Poverty Rate: 77%
Population: 10,123,787
GDP: $7.35 billion (66th lowest)
GDP per capita: $726 (22nd lowest)
Half of Haiti’s population lives on less than $1 a day.
80% of the country lives on less than $2 a day.
2010 Unemployment Rate: 40.6%.
*World Bank, Data 2011
Malnutrition, hunger and starvation are everyday occurrences. Government corruption is rampant and political and social infrastructures are non-existent. Many Haitians as well as others in the international community believe that these are significant reasons as to why Haiti struggles to rebuild after decades of political and social strife.
The areas they serve have virtually no sewers and have a poorly maintained open canal system that serves as its sewage system. Sporadic, but largely free electricity is available and some commercial activities exist. The Haitian mud cookie, a combination of mud and dirty water, is an often-relied on staple of “nourishment”.
WHAT WE DO:
We work with an international mission agency based out of Gallatin, TN- Mission Discovery:
www.missiondiscovery.org
-Our “host family” on the ground in PAP is NLCH, housing 130 orphans (20 severely mentally and physically challenged, offering a different light on the outcasts.)
-Run by older nurse Miriam Frederick from Florida. (arrived in Haiti 30 years ago)
-Vital part of orphanage network- heart of service
www.newlife4kids.org
Onaville:
-Partner with Noel Gespere (you can find him on Facebook) - bishop and lead pastor of over 250 churches in greater Port Au Prince.
-Integral part of the refugee relocation process-work is hailed as a blessing for the community, providing education, jobs, and hope to Onaville Community.
-Church was dedicated in December 2013, and is seen as a sanctuary for community as well as site of VBS activities for Mission Discovery teams.
-Another church plant has begun as of June 2014 serving another side of Onaville.
-Partnering with Outside The Bowl- building a super kitchen in Onaville, with the capabilities of cranking out 8,000-10,000 subsidized (not free) meals a day.
-We hit water while digging the well last week, and will soon have water purification and bottling system installed in the near future.
Capvva:
-Partner with Anacias Joseph- Leader of the Capvva Tent City in Cite Soleil, one of the poorest areas of the world.
-Feedings, over 450 families fed for 3 weeks. Each bag contains 10lbs of rice, 5lbs of beans, a can of fish and a quart of oil. ~$15 US
Soccer Jersey resale with women from the community. Using donated soccer jerseys from the US to provide jobs and micro-enterprise in Capvva and surrounding communities. Profit enabled the replacement of an old cistern in Capvva
The Larger Picture:
We are on an experience with others pulled out of our comfort zones in order to fulfill a purpose.
-It is an amazing opportunity to see God work in the most desperate communities in our own backyard.
-Invest in the lives of the next generation of Haitians in the Capvva school and the HOLD the Children program at Mission Discovery.
-Provide an alternative and successful life for countless families. The opportunity to escape the cycle of poverty- move away from dependence.
-Offer hope.
Schultz, Nick, and Kate Keyser. "Haiti." Haiti (28 June 2014): n. pag. Print.
Keyser, Kate. Pictures from Haiti Mission. 2014. Port-Au-Prince.
