Thinking out loud

“How good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.” – Psalm 133 It is difficult to overstate the challenges the people of Haiti have faced. During an era of colonization in the 1600’s, for a period of time, 48,000 slaves each year were sent into Haiti, each one facing an average life expectancy of just five years. When Haiti finally became the first black republic in 1804, France demanded an indemnity of $21 Billion which was paid off through 80% of Haitian revenues for 100 years. Today, the average Haitian lives on $800 each year and 24% of the people live in extreme poverty with only 17% having access to latrines. 92% of the schools are run by non-state actors. The promise of democracy since 1990 has largely been disappointing. And then in 2010, an earthquake was responsible for 220,000 deaths and almost 2 million people were displaced from their homes. More than 90% of families lost a family member in the earthquake. When you look at the histor...

Praise the name of the Lord. (Psalm 135:1) It is only a rocky road cut into the side of the mountain, but for the communities of Biket and Rondo, high in the hills above Desarmes, Haiti, and several hours north of Port-au-Prince, the new road is making a difference in the lives of the people who live there. Less than five kilometers long, the road gives the several thousand people in each of these communities access in the valley below to the village markets, schools and emergency health care. What was once up to four hours journey on foot can now be traveled in 20 minutes by modo.   Mennonite Central Committee built the road as part of its response to the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010. More than $14 million from our supporters has rebuilt hundreds of houses, trained people in earthquake resistant building techniques, sponsored trauma healing workshops and made roads like this one possible. I was in Haiti this past month with the board of MCC U.S. to le...