Haiti Archives - Seed of Hope Village

May 2019

April 2019

Traveling to Haiti for me is always accompanied by a sense of excitement and anticipation.

However, my most recent trip in April 2019 was a surreal experience. After landing at Cap-Haitian airport, I picked up my checked bags from the rolling dispenser and headed outside where I was met by one of my team members and a taxi. The driver promptly informed us that the normally $8USD ride home was now $20USD. He then went on to explain that the fare increases were due to the ongoing gas shortage the country has been suffering for the past few months due to the Venezuelan crisis. The repercussions of the shortage were evident by the decreased number of cars and motorcycle taxis on the road. Motorcycle taxis are a cheap form of transportation for both Haitian students and the working class. The decreased transportation options and fare increases had a direct impact on these populations. The on-going gas shortages had also caused sustained, countrywide blackouts for the past few months due to Haiti’s fragile gas-dependent electrical grids. Gas on the black market when found, sold for about $12USD/gallon, too expensive for most people to afford. Finding access to water, charging ports, and affordable food was a daily challenge; additionally, those seeking relief from the stifling heat and humidity with use of AC and fans were left option-less, as I was. The small vendors operating electrical wells for water and gas generators for ice and cold drinks were disproportionately affected by this crisis, as they were unable to make a living.

Despite the difficult conditions, my team and I spent many days preparing for SHVF’s upcoming programs in Port-Margo, a village two hours away from Cap-Haitian. The impact of the gas shortage was felt when we were unable to find fuel for our travels. In addition to this, some of the country’s largest food distributors had empty shelves and warehouses. The high cost of fuel has made it prohibitively expensive for them to buy and resell their usual goods —rice, beans, cornmeal, sugars, flour, oil, etc— at a profitable margin. This fuel crisis exacerbated food insecurity within Haiti’s vulnerable communities. Haiti currently imports the majority of its food and other goods, all purchased in US dollars. SHVF was unable to carry out the normally scheduled programs, we instead provided tuition and transportation assistance to more than 20 students and families. The increased cost of gas and families income losses has resulted in many students being unable to attend school, compounding their already impossible situations. This experience has strengthened my resolve for the work that SHVF is doing in Haiti. This continued crisis has highlighted the precarious nature of day to day life in Haiti for its citizens.

Mar 2019

October 2018

I would like to share with you events from my October 2018 service trip to Haiti.

I arrived in Cap-Haitian on October 3rd and spent the following days preparing for our upcoming programs. October 6 was like any other day in Haiti, it was melodic, hot, humid, and chaotic. My team and I spent most of the day buying and sorting needed supplies to be loaded onto the trucks for distribution in the mountainous regions of Port-Margo. Our journey started at sunset and was interrupted by heavy rainfall, forcing the driver to stop briefly to cover up the supplies. We made our way to Port-Margot on the dark, narrow, pothole-riddled dirt roads, arriving around 8 pm. As we prepared to unload the trucks, the ground beneath our feet began to shake violently, with no shelter in sight, we stood huddled in the middle of the courtyard. The shaking eventually stopped and was replaced by silence only pierced by growing cries for help. As I composed my thoughts and checked on those around me, I began to receive a flurry of text messages from my worried children who informed me the earthquake was a magnitude of 5.9 resulting in many fatalities. At that moment I found myself torn between my children’s pleas to return home to safety and pleas for help from those around me. Calmly, I assured my children I was fine and promised to leave if things deteriorated any further. Without delay or hesitation, my team and I began to prepare for the days ahead. I am proud to say, SHVF was the first and only organization on the ground providing assistance to those in need. We distributed food and medicine to more than 400 families, including the homeless, sick, and the elderly. We supplied toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, and soap to more than 200 students. A grant from the Women’s Alliance enabled SHVF to provide school supplies to an additional 25 students, bringing the total student aid to more than 250 students. SHVF is a direct engagement grassroots organization, rooted in the belief that everyone’s dignity ought to be affirmed regardless of need. Your donation today will be used to assist the elderly, women, and children of Haiti who are victims of circumstance. The challenges facing Haiti are endemic, overwhelming, and seemingly endless; yet, at difficult moments, I hear the voice of Rev. Nathan saying we can not do everything, but doing something is better than doing nothing at all.

Oct 2017

March 2017

Seeds of Hope Village Foundation (SHVF) has been working on some massive undertakings over the course of the past year. After a very long uphill battle and countless hours of international phone calls and travel, SHVF is pleased to announce it is now officially registered as a non-government organization (NGO) with the Haitian government. SHVF was also designated as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization by the IRS in January 2017!

A snapshot of Haiti in 2017:
According to the 2014 United Nations Development Program, the poverty rate in Haiti was 58.6% with those living in abject poverty at 24.7%, roughly ¼ of the population. Presently, Haiti’s literacy rate is 61.1% and 1 in 5 children suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Earlier this year, our Founder and Executive Director Madeleine Jeune, and our Community Health Advisor, Jean Brodnax, traveled to the northern part of Haiti on a service trip. They flew into Cap-Haitian with 9 suitcases, 3 backpacks, and 3 carry-ons, all tightly packed with school supplies, medical supplies, and clothes. After navigating their way through the crowded streets of pedestrians, merchants, motorcycles, and cars, they finally made it to their destination. They arrived to children playing in the street, music blasting, and lots of curious onlookers.

Early the next day, the crew headed to the Cap-Haitian open-air marketplace, where they purchased all of the food for distribution. The food and educational assistance SHVF provides to families are an important and essential part of our community outreach. On this past service trip, we worked with Ecole Saint-Joseph where 200 students received school supplies, and 250 families received food assistance.

While SHVF is passionate about assisting those in need, we are also committed to addressing the fundamental issues of poverty, through education, training, and employment. These programs create short and long term employment for the locals. Our spring program in Haiti created about 20 temporary jobs, and SHVF currently has 3 permanent employees.