Unity makes Strength
It is Day 7 of country wide protesting here in Haiti. I have not really written much about these protests because I try to make it a rule to stay out of political discussions. I have not totally abandoned this rule but feel it is important to speak out about this. I am going to try to answer some questions that North Americans are having regarding the solution in Haiti:
Why are people protesting?
This is an extremely loaded question. Different people with different political opinions can give you varying versions of this story and what is fueling these protests. Basically life is too expensive and the quality of life is too low. There are people who will say that there are people influencing others to protest, and paying people to protest for their own selfish reasons. That may very well be true, and even if it were true all I know is that people are hungry, without work, desperate and in a position to be paid to protest. No matter what is fueling this fire the people are fed up. They are exhausted, tired of being in poverty, tired of being hungry and sick of being without resources for change. Things have been getting worse here economically and the bridge of suffering through the misery has broken.
What do you mean by protesting?
Here in Haiti the roads are blocked off. There are burning tires in the streets or other ways to barricade the roads. People are throwing rocks and bottles in an attempt to not allow cars to pass. The entire country has been "locked down" since last week, we are on our seventh day of this.
Why are these people being violent and acting out in such a way?
I do not support violence, but honestly I cannot blame anyone for acting this way. Living in abject poverty with no light at the end of the tunnel does a lot to a person. There is no outlet for conversation of change. There is no avenue to have hope in a government that has corruption running through each and every vein.
What comes next?
Your guess is as good as mine. Haiti needs change. Haiti needs truth. Haiti needs Jesus.
I had not wanted to share about these protests because I prefer to avoid politics however this is part of Haiti. I find great joy in sharing the beauty of Haiti with you and I didn't want to give people the wrong idea about Haiti. But then I realized, this is an important side to Haiti.
Often times when we have short term teams come through they ask me questions with strained looks on their faces and hurt in their hearts. They have seen the reality here. They have seen mud huts for homes, tiny malnourished bodies, and living conditions that would shock the average person. They ask why are Haitians okay with living amongst all this trash? Why do they allow the roads to be this way? Where is the hope?
The answer is no Haitian is okay with the trash, the conditions or the roads. They want clean streets and the infrastructure that comes with those things. They want jobs and they want change. These are not simple things that start randomly. These are huge systemic changes. And while I do not condone violence by any means, I understand the need to protest and respect it in many ways. I respect the need to stand up for yourself and your family.
As for the hope, it is everywhere somehow. God is here in Haiti and He is working. This is a discouraging country. A place of road bumps (poetically as well as literally), struggle, desperation and abandonment. However, it is also a place of making things work somehow, finding a way to survive and coming together. Maybe I am crazy but I have hope for Haiti. I cannot explain why or how I have this hope other than it's a gut instinct from God. Haiti is a beautiful place full of beautiful people who are not evil, just tired. Please be praying for them. Pray that they eat, have water to drink, power and transportation. Pray for their basic needs to be met and for God to intervene in the government. Pray that corruption is no longer the norm. Pray that honesty and justice will prevail.
The Haitian flag says: L'Union Fait La Force. Meaning, unity makes strength. I pray for this today. I pray for a unified country that is not using people, who have nothing, as puppets. I pray for a country of people helping each other. I pray for unity of government to provide the people with the opportunity to live. I pray for unity amongst Christians to come together and help build solutions.
I hope you will come alongside me and pray as well.
Why are people protesting?
This is an extremely loaded question. Different people with different political opinions can give you varying versions of this story and what is fueling these protests. Basically life is too expensive and the quality of life is too low. There are people who will say that there are people influencing others to protest, and paying people to protest for their own selfish reasons. That may very well be true, and even if it were true all I know is that people are hungry, without work, desperate and in a position to be paid to protest. No matter what is fueling this fire the people are fed up. They are exhausted, tired of being in poverty, tired of being hungry and sick of being without resources for change. Things have been getting worse here economically and the bridge of suffering through the misery has broken.
What do you mean by protesting?
Here in Haiti the roads are blocked off. There are burning tires in the streets or other ways to barricade the roads. People are throwing rocks and bottles in an attempt to not allow cars to pass. The entire country has been "locked down" since last week, we are on our seventh day of this.
Why are these people being violent and acting out in such a way?
I do not support violence, but honestly I cannot blame anyone for acting this way. Living in abject poverty with no light at the end of the tunnel does a lot to a person. There is no outlet for conversation of change. There is no avenue to have hope in a government that has corruption running through each and every vein.
What comes next?
Your guess is as good as mine. Haiti needs change. Haiti needs truth. Haiti needs Jesus.
I had not wanted to share about these protests because I prefer to avoid politics however this is part of Haiti. I find great joy in sharing the beauty of Haiti with you and I didn't want to give people the wrong idea about Haiti. But then I realized, this is an important side to Haiti.
Often times when we have short term teams come through they ask me questions with strained looks on their faces and hurt in their hearts. They have seen the reality here. They have seen mud huts for homes, tiny malnourished bodies, and living conditions that would shock the average person. They ask why are Haitians okay with living amongst all this trash? Why do they allow the roads to be this way? Where is the hope?
The answer is no Haitian is okay with the trash, the conditions or the roads. They want clean streets and the infrastructure that comes with those things. They want jobs and they want change. These are not simple things that start randomly. These are huge systemic changes. And while I do not condone violence by any means, I understand the need to protest and respect it in many ways. I respect the need to stand up for yourself and your family.
As for the hope, it is everywhere somehow. God is here in Haiti and He is working. This is a discouraging country. A place of road bumps (poetically as well as literally), struggle, desperation and abandonment. However, it is also a place of making things work somehow, finding a way to survive and coming together. Maybe I am crazy but I have hope for Haiti. I cannot explain why or how I have this hope other than it's a gut instinct from God. Haiti is a beautiful place full of beautiful people who are not evil, just tired. Please be praying for them. Pray that they eat, have water to drink, power and transportation. Pray for their basic needs to be met and for God to intervene in the government. Pray that corruption is no longer the norm. Pray that honesty and justice will prevail.
The Haitian flag says: L'Union Fait La Force. Meaning, unity makes strength. I pray for this today. I pray for a unified country that is not using people, who have nothing, as puppets. I pray for a country of people helping each other. I pray for unity of government to provide the people with the opportunity to live. I pray for unity amongst Christians to come together and help build solutions.
I hope you will come alongside me and pray as well.
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