Amid Gas Shortage and Political Crisis, Our Work Continues in Haiti

Sep 26, 2019 | Our Blog

It’s been a difficult year in Haiti, and it hasn’t gotten easier. There has been increase political tension and a state of uncertainty due to ongoing gas shortages and crippling inflation. Frustrations with the nation’s elected leaders have become explosive.

Roadblocks and the lack of fuel leave many on our staff with no choice but to travel by foot to do their work and to sleep in one of our local offices. Thankfully, our offices all rely on solar power, which allows most of the office work to continue. But because we care greatly about the safety of our colleagues, there have been days when we have had to ask specific teams to avoid any travel and to do their best to work from wherever they are.  We are very fortunate to have such an experienced team that has navigated many challenging periods and done heroic work in response to natural disasters. 

There’s a Haitian saying that our colleague Freda Catheus, who leads our work on Lagonav Island, often repeats in moments like these:
 
“Se pou ri ak moun ki gen kè kontan, kriye ak moun ki nan lapèn.”
 
“Laugh with those who are happy, mourn with those who mourn.”
 
We hope you will join with us in prayer and solidarity, in this turbulent and uncertain period for Haiti.

P.S. – To learn more about the current situation in Haiti, we recommend this article from Jacqueline Charles at the Miami Herald: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article235260167.html

Recent Articles

Is Hope a Choice?

One morning last fall in a rural village in Haiti, a woman who we'll call Esperanta bathed and dressed her five kids, locked them into her tiny house, and then walked away with the intention of ending her life.  Life had not treated Esperanta...

Impact Report: Spring 2023

Thank you again for your generous support for Beyond Borders. I am so grateful. You are supporting a growing movement of women and men in Haiti who are working tirelessly to overcome poverty, prevent violence and abuse, and develop leaders. You can read the latest on...

Research Results: Intimate Partner Violence Cut in Half

There is exciting news to share! A just-completed multi-year research collaboration with the Global Women's Institute at the George Washington University found that the work of Beyond Borders' Rethinking Power Team in Haiti cut the rate of intimate partner violence by...