You may have seen in the news that the situation is tense in Haiti, where Free the Slaves operates a field program in partnership with Beyond Borders. We thought you might want to hear the latest news from David Diggs of the team.
It’s been a difficult year in Haiti, and it hasn’t gotten easier.
The country moves into a second week of protests, there’s a continuing gas shortage, and paralyzing inflation. Frustrations with the nation’s elected leaders have become explosive.
Roadblocks and the lack of fuel leave many on our staff with no choice but to travel by foot to do their work and to sleep in one of our local offices. Thankfully, our offices all rely on solar power, which allows most of the office work to continue.
But because we care greatly about the safety of our colleagues, there have been days when we have had to ask specific teams to avoid any travel and to do their best to work from wherever they are.
We are very fortunate to have such an experienced team that has navigated many challenging periods and done heroic work in response to natural disasters.
It is never an easy decision to ask them to put their own safety first because of how committed they are to the people and causes we serve.
There’s a Haitian saying that my colleague Freda Catheus, who leads our work on Lagonav Island, often repeats in moments like these:
Se pou ri ak moun ki gen kè kontan, kriye ak moun ki nan lapèn.
Laugh with those who are happy, mourn with those who mourn.
We hope you will join with us in prayer and solidarity, in this turbulent and uncertain period for Haiti.
Thank you for your ongoing concern and support.
