FOOD

Another major immediate need in the Northwest is food and clothing. Studies show that about 2/3 of the population lives on $2.00 (US) per day. Due to the terrible soil conditions and low access to water, farming is pretty much out of grasp for most of the people. Some along the coast catch a few small fish to eat, others raise a few goats or make charcoal to sell, so they can buy a little rice for their family. LWM has partnered with Feed My Starving Children, that helps us supply the food we distribute to the students in our schools. For many of these children, this is the only meal they eat for the day. We are providing a hot, cooked meal each day at school to 4,500 students in 30 different schools. A mother recently shared that she is so very thankful for the food her children receive at school because she has no food to give them before they leave the house each morning. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to go to school and there are many more children, as well as adults, that go hungry. Poor diet is one of the major issues in health problems in the region. During mission trips we hand out whatever food, clothing and treats we have to give to the children. Their reactions to these few things are absolute excitement and gratitude, but unfortunately we never have enough to go around. The kids come running up to the truck we use for transportation as fast as possible with hopes of receiving something, but we have to turn them away once we run out of things.

We distribute rice and beans and oil and some cash to many of the families. This at least gives them a few days of food. It really grips your heart to watch as the people stand in line with their pillow cases waiting for their turn to receive some rice or beans. What if that were me? Almost all of us have experienced a tornado, or hurricane, or fire or something that has created a desperate situation. There is usually emergency help that brings some relief for that period of time. These people in Northwest Haiti live in that desperation every day of their lives.

We are focused on building a better community that can sustain itself.  The current day-to-day life is all about making it through this one day.  We want to show by example that it is possible to meet today’s needs while still making provisions for the tomorrows that lie ahead. We do not want to coddle a trend that allows people to continue to be dependent on others and dependent on handouts.  Our role is to be there among the people to teach, encourage, and establish new habits. We want to equip them to take care of themselves, and then empower them to teach others what they have learned.  We are seeing the beginnings of this transformation taking place. We recognize that our presence on a long term basis will add to the success of this process. One of the most important resources is the availability of qualified, dedicated people who are willing to invest their time and expertise into the development of this kind of community life.  Our goal is to guide families and villages in a way that brings a sense of accountability and responsibility for the wellbeing of the people in Northwest Haiti and the society as a whole.

Another project we see on the horizon is the development of stores and businesses. Women walk, or ride a donkey if they have one, to Market each week. For many this is a ten mile trip. The Market place is mostly home grown goods along with other goods and commodities that have been brought in by people from the larger cities. Sometimes you can find what you need and sometimes you need to wait until the next Market day to find what you would like to have. There is no convenience in the shopping experience. Most goods must be brought in by truck over miles of poor roads which greatly increases the cost to the buyer. We want to build stores on our campus where people can come to purchase the essentials along with other things that can make life a little more comfortable.

The LW campus is located on the coast as are some of our villages. This is the perfect location for salt mines. Salt is being harvested in large quantities. The problem is in delivering the salt to the buyer. There are trucks traveling though these villages that are willing to take the salt to the larger markets, but the money from the sale of the salt does not always come back to the owner. More reliable transportation is needed to take their salt and other goods to the larger markets where they have a chance to receive the best price for their goods. This is the beginning phase of bringing increased trade and commerce to this region of the country.