Published Thu, Oct 06, 22.
Written by Rebecca Honorat.
Many people have reached out this week to ask how the declining situation in Haiti is affecting our families.
This is not a simple question to answer. Haiti has been in various stages of turmoil for decades, but it has spiralled to new depths the past 4 years.
Gangs control much of Port-au-Prince. The main roads out of Port-au-Prince are either closed or monitored by the gangs. Kidnapping for ransom is rampant. Gas prices have skyrocketed now that the PetroCaribe program has ended (gas was sold to Haiti at a reduced rate so that the Haitian government would have extra money to invest in infrastructure... which never happened). The Prime Minister that took control when President Moise was assassinated hasn't held elections yet, and is a suspect in the assassination. Schools have not opened yet this year. A cholera outbreak was declared this week and 8 people have already died from it.
Our Program Administrators, Luckner & Garry, are living at Renel & Rebecca's house in Grand Goave and have access to the supplies they need to stay safe and continue to run all of Alongside's programs. They are in regular communication with all of our families and have been able to provide relief aid to some with critical needs. To say our families are struggling is an understatement. The streets are dangerous, access to medical care is very limited, clean water is scarce, and food is incredibly expensive.
Several sponsors have asked how they can send a gift to their student, or help support their student's family in this difficult time. Renel, Rebecca, Luckner, & Garry have had several conversations this week to discuss how we can best support our families right now and we are inviting you to join us in one of these areas:
Will you help us feed our families?
It is not safe for us to purchase & deliver food right now but we want to be ready as soon as things open up. In the past, the protesters have given small windows of time for the markets to function and we want to jump on those opportunities when/if they are given.
Donations to the relief fund will be used for food hampers and to assist with emergency medical care.
We will be offering many of our existing small business loan recipients an opportunity to increase their loans in order to restock their goods at the increased prices. We have some loan recipients who have had to close their business temporarily and we will allow them to defer their repayment.
Too often a child's education is cut short when a family has reduced resources. With your help we can stop that from happening!!
We have welcomed 10 new families into our sponsorship program this fall. Included in this group is the Faustins - a family dear to us who tragically lost their father in a car accident earlier this year.
Will you consider sponsoring one of these students?
Can you share this email with friends & family?
We divide all sponsorships into $10/month shares so it is easy for multiple people to sponsor a single student. Some of the students are featured below and the links can be used to see all of the students that need sponsorship.
If you'd like to discuss the current situation in Haiti in more detail, please reach out to Rebecca (rebecca.honorat@gmail.com). She'd be happy to chat with you virtually or over an XL coffee!
Thank you for taking the time to read this long email, and thank you for partnering with us!
Alongside Board of Directors Scott, Albert, Teresa, Diane, & Leanne
The Faustin Family tragically lost their father, Dieuvel’homme, in a car accident in May 2022. He was on his way home from a church service in a neighbouring town and the tap-tap he was riding in (along with many others from his church) was rear-ended by a large truck. Dieuvel’homme was the primary provider for his family and he left behind his wife and their six children. His wife Jaqueline has some experience gardening but she really relied on Dieuvel’homme to harvest and sell their produce and she is now dependant on her older children.
Bonhomme has 3 older siblings but he is the oldest child that lives at home. He is very active at church – he participates in the youth group and plays the clarinet in the band. He used to play soccer but leaves that to the younger boys now!
Bonhomme is a good student and excels in most of his subjects. He is looking forward to graduating (after grade 13) and pursuing post-secondary education that will allow him to help support his mother and younger siblings.
Betty is the only daughter that lives at home with her mom and she helps with cooking, cleaning, carrying water, and doing the laundry. She enjoys working alongside her mom and is proud of the skills she has learned. Betty enjoys music and spent a bit of time in the church band. She didn’t have enough time to commit to learning an instrument but she sings in the chorus whenever she can.
Betty has some good friends at her school but she’s sad to see so many of her friends dropping out of school early. She would like not only to graduate but to go on to post-secondary.
Nachika grew up with her parents but moved in with her older sister when her sister got married a few years ago. She helps her sister look after the house and her baby, Nachika’s niece. Nachika enjoys living with her sister’s family and she remains close with her mom and other siblings.
Nachika’s favorite thing in school is history. She enjoys learning about the past but she gets frustrated when she sees how society repeats its mistakes. She’d like to become a teacher one day and teach history to adults as well as kids – we suggested she become a politician!
Chilove’s mom has 7 children and Chilove is the 4th. She and her 3 younger siblings were born in the Dominican Republic. Her parents had moved there in hopes of finding work. They did for a while but when Chilove’s dad left the family her mom wasn’t able to work and look after the children so she moved the family back to Haiti. They are unsure where her father is now.
Chilove lives in Gonaives in a neighborhood where she has lots of friends. She enjoys going to school and especially enjoys learning about technology. Her favorite colour is pink and she doesn’t care that people tell her it’s a colour for babies! Chilove has a strong personality and she sticks up for what she believes and those she is close to. People who know her well think she will be an attorney one day.
Chilove’s mom has a business making charcoal and selling it in small bundles. It’s a tough way to make money but she does it because she can do it on her own schedule and still be home to look after her children.
Chilove's mom desperately wants her children to finish school and have opportunities that she didn’t have. We are honored to walk alongside her and help make that happen.
Minouneza lives in Grande Goave with her mom, her sister, and her two brothers. Her mom is employed at a local gas station and works very hard to support their family. Minouneza’s father hadn’t been involved in their family for many years and unfortunately he passed away in 2020 before he was able to make amends.
Their family shares a house with Minouneza’s aunt and grandma.
Minouneza enjoys going to school and had trouble picking a favorite subject. She’s worried that she’ll have to stop going to help support the family, like some of her friends are having to do.
We’d like to support Minouneza in her education so that her mom doesn’t need to make the tough decision to keep her at home.
