Understanding Haiti

June 27, 2017 –

Haiti is the poorest of the poor. Hit by a severe drought in 2014 after two years of extremely poor harvests, the Northwest communities of Haiti are considered to be among the poorest, most at risk parts of Haiti. Considering that the World Food Program estimates that ¾ of Haiti’s population already lives on less than US $2 a day, the majority of people of these communities are in a constant emergency state.

In recent years, Haiti has been affected by multiple catastrophes other than the drought, including the infamous earthquake centered near Port Au Prince in 2010. One of the largest natural disasters of the century, the aftermath of this earthquake was devastation. The official death toll rose to over 200,000 deaths, nearly 1,500,000 citizens were displaced or lost their homes, and nearly 4,000 schools were damaged significantly or completely destroyed.. As Haiti continued to rebuild, it was hit by another severe natural disaster; this time the Hurricane Matthew. Roughly 200,000 citizens were displaced, the water increase lead to a cholera epidemic, and hundreds of medical clinics and schools were damaged or destroy

So, what exactly does this mean for the children of Haiti, specifically the Northwest region where CCI is most active? Many don’t have access to education, proper housing, or even safe drinking water. Without proper sanitation, the risk of disease is high. Without proper education, the pattern of poverty repeats itself; when an uneducated Haitian has a child they are usually unable to fund the cost of education for their children. This is why CCI is so invested within Haiti; we understand that to break this cycle of poverty, education and each aspect of a healthy child (water, nourishment, and so on) are needed, and so we strive to provide that for children who wouldn’t get it otherwise.

$40 to sponsor a child a month may not seem like a lot, but it is. Each Haitian sponsorship provides a child with:

• Access to safe water
• Medical care
• A quality education
• Nourishment (healthy, nutritionally sound food)
• The knowledge and hope that someone is looking out for them

It is often easy to forget that these children are still just, children. They love to dance, to play soccer, to laugh and to learn. They must get this opportunity somehow. We have the chance to break the cycle of poverty all throughout these children’s lives. It is up to us to be the change they need so desperately.

Read more about specific projects CCI is working on in Haiti:

June Partner Post: A Father to the Fatherless

One Pager – Moulin, Haiti

One Pager – Mayette, Haiti