URGENT NEWS FROM HAITI: A MESSAGE FROM FATHER CONSTANT

 

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It is with a heavy heart that I bring you news of the present political and social unrest in Haiti.
Long simmering political and social disputes have Haiti reeling with violence.  In recent weeks, mass protests have shut down all governmental and commercial institutions throughout the country making life increasingly unbearable for Haitians.
The work of the Haiti Micah Project (HMP) is centered in the city of Mirebalais, which is experiencing an unprecedented level of civil unrest.  Normal commerce has ceased.
Schools, banks, and stores are closed. Roads throughout Haiti are blocked by barricades manned by armed protestors.  As a result, there is an urgent food shortage in Mirebalais and elsewhere in the country.
As a result of this situation, HMP has been forced to take drastic measures.  Our vocational school is temporarily closed, as is the meal program.  We simply do not have enough food to serve the 500 children who normally participate each day.  The orphanage serving 21 children is our first priority and will continue to operate.  We are rationing our available food for their sustenance.  We will resume normal operations of all programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
Haiti has a long history of turmoil due to poverty, economic stagnation, poor governance, and the policies of foreign governments.  Political instability in Haiti has become such an accepted norm that news media in the United States have virtually ignored the current situation.  Yet, life is becoming impossible for Haitians to endure.  My heart grieves for a population living in constant fear, without access to food and medicine.  Haiti needs our help.  Haiti needs our prayers.
HMP offers our profound sympathy to the families of those who have lost their lives during this period of violence and destruction. We stand in solidarity with the young people in our program. We stand in solidarity with God’s people in Haiti who long for a nation where every young person has the hope of education, a hot meal, and a safe place to live.
HMP will continue to invest in the lives of Haiti’s youth. We will continue to help feed and educate Haiti’s children. More than ever, I am convinced that HMP is called to be a light that shines in the darkness.  With your help, we will continue to feed, educate and support Haiti’s children. With your help, we will remain faithful in our efforts to empower young Haitians to be the generation that breaks the mold and responds to the eternal call to build their nation.
We must not lose hope. We need you now more than ever. Help us to continue in our efforts to save lives in Haiti. I ask for your continued support and prayers.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Joseph M. Constant
President 
The Haiti Micah Project