The news can be discouraging…
Ukraine is still fighting to preserve its country; terrorists attacked Israel, and even though it rarely makes international headlines, there is no way to minimize the dire situation in Haiti.
With a crippled government and lack of efficient security, gangs are causing terror and instability in the cities and beyond. Many of our friends fear for their lives. Basic supplies are nearly impossible to access. Violence, robberies, and carjackings are commonplace.
Your support is a true lifeline for our partners and students through this difficult and dangerous season. Although school sessions have been sporadic as unrest and violence in the area have created frequent security issues, at the heart of the Haitian people is hope! Students and teachers open school whenever it is safe to do so. They desire for education to continue—and they continue to hope for peace. They know that education is the key to opening doors to a new future.
This isn’t just a feel-good line. Your support bolsters hope and gives practical support during an incredibly difficult time.
Still, the fear and unrest they face is very real.
Recently, a program that our government established for Ukrainian refugees has been expanded to allow for refugees to come to America from four additional countries facing incredible turmoil—including Haiti.
Several Practical Compassion donors and board members have applied for this program on behalf of Haitians we’ve supported through the years who have expressed a desire to leave the country for safety reasons. We’re thrilled that these longstanding relationships have fostered true support for our friends, several of whom have already been approved and relocated to the US.
One young woman contacted us personally, asking that we sponsor her to leave the country after she was robbed. However, after further thought, she realized completing her education and finishing her medical internship were too important to walk away from. She has had a dream of becoming a doctor, and she told me that she is too close to finishing to give up, even if it means living in fear.
Her hope is bigger than fear, and she knows that once she completes her medical training, she can effect change in the country she loves.
We pray daily for her safety.
Our mission continues even in these difficult times. We continue to send funds to Haiti to support our schools. We are sending smaller amounts more often for the safety of those receiving them.
We are the constant they can count on as they overcome so many obstacles to realize their dreams of being educated and having a more stable future.
It reminds us of a poem we just read.
Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. —The Talmud
Please continue to pray for our friends and consider an additional gift of hope this season for the children in Haiti.
