When Haiti President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home early on the morning of July 7, Southern New England Conference congregations and members who have been engaged in ministry in the country saw it as far more than a disturbing international news story.
 
Instead, it was a dramatic and tragic event certain to plunge the poor nation deeper into turmoil and make life even more difficult for their friends, colleagues, and partners who live there.
 
Southern New England churches have worked in Haiti for decades, providing food support, building schools, clinics, and other essential facilities, and responding to other needs.
These efforts were historically undertaken by ministries organized in specific states. Following the creation of the Southern New England Conference, these groups are working collaboratively, with plans for further integration of efforts and resources.
 
After learning that a group of heavily armed men entered the Port-au-Prince home of President Moise, killing him and leaving his wife, Martine, critically injured, SNEC members who have been active in these ministries shared their reflections on this time.
 
(Learn more about the history of Haiti.)

~ The Rev. James Ross II, Minister for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
 

Our Support Can Make a Huge Difference for Haitians

By Shirley Hardison and Suzanne Swanson, Haiti Task Force

The news about the assassination of President Moise, came as no surprise, really, since his presidency has been so controversial, and political instability has led to so much violence.  At the same time, it was heartbreakingly shocking. Shocking because, whether one agreed with his political positions or how one judged his capability as a leader of Haiti, it shakes one’s faith in humanity to see the taking of a human life used as a solution to an incredibly complex problem – or any problem for that matter.
 
The news reports have described in varying detail the assassination and have gone on to attempt to describe the situation in Haiti that led to the horrendous event. The reports attempt to summarize the political situation in the country, mention the escalating violence in the streets and on the roads and the worsening economic conditions in this poorest of countries.
 
But what the news has not been able to depict is the toll these most recent years of worsening conditions have taken on the people of Haiti – those who have lived with gunshots outside their homes, making it unsafe for their children to go to school and unsafe for them to go to work. They tell neither the stories of people without enough money to buy food – nor that even if they had money, it would not be safe for them to go out to find food.
 
In the 30-plus years that the Haiti Task Force (formerly known as the Rhode Island Haiti Task Force) has worked in Haiti, we have never known the humanitarian situation to be so dire. The Task Force, alongside its Haitian partners and friends has helped build schools, churches, a clinic, and water wells in communities throughout the country. The Task Force has provided support to several orphanages, and for the past eight years has conducted a nutrition program providing much needed high quality animal protein in the form of a hard-boiled egg every day to children in schools and orphanages throughout Haiti.
 
We have not been able to travel to Haiti for over a year and a half now because of the violence, but we stay in constant contact with our friends and partners there. In the past few months, those communications have become desperate pleas for help.  We have had to shift the focus of our programs to help our partners and friends survive what is happening in their country. Their stories do not make it into the news reports, nor could any report (including this one) convey the fear and desperation we hear in their voices now. Our long-term relationships have been strong and trusting so that daily communications allow for a chance to share their stories and an opportunity for support and care.
 
Several of our translators have had to flee from their homes with their children and their scant belongings because the shootings in the neighborhood are constant. Finding safe housing is not easy and it is expensive. One man has sent his wife and children to the countryside to stay with other family members while he stays in their home to protect it from being set on fire, something he witnesses at other houses almost daily. Another found a school where his family could stay while he searched for housing in a safer neighborhood.
 
The building that houses the church, school, and a clinic we helped build has been turned into a shelter for those who are homeless now, driven from their homes by the gangs roaming the streets shooting randomly and often kidnapping children. Currently, the pastors, community leaders and nurses in the clinic are distributing food and water to those with such dire humanitarian needs.
 
The director of an orphanage which we have helped since the 2010 earthquake cannot safely leave the grounds to get food for the children who live there. And these are only a few of the stories we hear now daily. Last month, we had to suspend the delivery of eggs to the “Egg-A-Day” sites because it was too dangerous for our team to pick up and deliver the eggs. The streets were often closed anyway due to violent demonstrations.
 
Our partners in Haiti all express a need to care for their families -- and especially their children-- who have experienced unimaginable trauma from the ongoing gunshots and killings. They express a great deal of fear and anxiety as to what the future holds for their country.  But their faith is strong, and they pray often and express their strong belief that God will provide a solution for the country. They long for strong and honest leadership to support ethical 2022 elections that will foster future growth of the country.
 
The Haiti Task Force has received very generous donations to send to our partners to assist in the purchase of food and water for people who have fled their homes and are living on the streets. This fundraising project will continue as we seek to assist with these emergent needs for as long as possible.  What we do can make a significant difference in the lives of many.