Diane Moffi
Haitiworks
howFar Haiti Director
This year has been one of the worst we’ve seen since our work began in 2012. Upon the assassination of the president in July 2021, gangs began to flex their muscles. They took over neighborhoods by force: killing, raping and burning down homes. Hundreds of innocent people were killed or injured. Ports of entry for fuel and international food aid have been under control of the gangs until early November, when the fuel depot was finally taken over by the Haiti National Police. Prior to this action, fuel was unavailable throughout Haiti except for black market fuel, which was selling for over $20 US per gallon. As a result of the gangs controlling these depots, people cannot get to market to sell their crops, manna packs for feeding programs cannot get to the children, hospitals have shut down due to lack of fuel for their generators, and cell service interruptions are a constant issue, also. Kidnappings are still happening everyday! Cholera is at epidemic levels with hundreds of people sick or dying recently.
As tragic as all these things are, we have a great God who has been with the Haitian people through all these trials. HowFar Haiti has the privilege of working with several families affected by this violence. Through your generosity in 2022 we have been able to help so many!
Here are some of the ways howFar Haiti has been a blessing in Haiti this year:
Gang war in Cite Soleil this summer resulted in over 400 deaths and hundreds more being displaced. We provided medical services for several of the gunshot victims and relocated 3 elderly people to safer housing for at least a year.
We fed over 1,000 families throughout the year. Some were prepared food being distributed to school children, and others received food kits that fed their families for several days. The kits contain rice, beans, corn meal, oil, canned fish and spaghetti.
Our orphanage has received food every month in 2022!!
In June, we sponsored a VBS program for children in Cite Soleil where they were fed, they played, created crafts and heard the Gospel message.
Two wheelbarrows and 4 shovels were purchased for people in Cite Soleil to clean up after the gang war. This is extremely important to prevent flooding after a heavy rain. Flooding causes diseases!
With the scarcity of rice (which is imported from the US) and some of the other food staples for meals, we began an egg and bread distribution program in the fall to provide something for the children to eat.
Clean water has been purchased, either through delivery from a water truck or purchasing sachets of water for distribution in various neighborhoods, mostly in Cite Soleil where its more difficult to get clean water.
In November, we took and distributed 20 “new mother” bags in partnership with Cords of Love. Each bag contains diapers, baby wipes, a blanket, burp pads, a kreyol language booklet on the “Roman Road to Salvation” and a kreyol language New Testament Bible. Also, we distributed 30 kits of reusable menstrual pads for teenage girls and young women. Additionally, each bag and kit contained a set of Cycle Beads to help prevent unwanted pregnancies!
howFar will you go?
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