15381: Wilson: Helping the poor of Haiti

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Richard Wilson <riwilson_6442@msn.com>


I have spent five years working in Haiti, as part of a Christian mission as
director of a Bible college of 90 students.  During that time we made it a
policy to emply Hatians for specific tasks (guards, cleaning, and
ttranslation--written and oral).

We distributed materials for school, but only after the students paid their
tuition (about $1.50 USD per trimester).  If they did not pay this small
amount within one week of the commencement of school they weere terminated.
We did this so that education would not be "free."  though in fact it very
nearly was compared to what Haitian schools charge.  Only about 10 % of the
students received support to go to school ($50.00 per month USD) but not
from us, the support was from other groups.  The rest of the students came
on their own for their own reasons, good and bad.

Incidentally, the mayor of Delmas' office tried to insist we were in
business to make money therefore should be paying taxes.  We convinced them
we were non-profit.  And that we were not selling anything to anybody.  My
Haitian friends told me that this was an attempt at extortion and not to pay
but insist on our non-profit status.  It's incidents such as that that
discourages some people.

We provided no feeding or medical programs, our job was simply education,
pure and simple.

I made it a point to rarely give out handouts to people on the streets (with
the exception of the obviously physically handicapped).  Though sometimes I
rewarded creative story tellers (one man I knew came by regularly to the
gate to tell me his current sad tale--he took his pregnant wife to the
hospital for a Caesarean but could not pay the price in time so she died, he
could not afford transportation costs for her to be transported to her home
for burial, then he needed funds to bury her, then his son fell of the back
steps of his home and broke his arm, he remarried but his wife had a blood
disease and he could not afford medicine, and finally he lost his job as a
x-ray technician because he had placed his new shoes outside his apartment
on the steps and someone stole them and the hospital would not allow him to
work in his old shoes--and on he went); he was so engaging I helped him in
spite of my resolve not to help beggars.

But we had sutudents who came to us with dreams and plans.

Some in particular had a burden for the rural poor who had nothing.  One man
proposed developing a feeding, irrigation, education and church program in a
rural area.  but, he told me, "I cannot do this without 'seed' money."

We were able to find this for him as a grant.  But the question was asked of
me by this U.S. based Christian humanitarian group, "What American will be
overseeing the project?"  Implying haitians could not do this.

My answer? "None!"

Their next question was, "What if he misuses or wastes the funds?"

Again, my answer, "So what?  How much money is thrown away in silly projects
by churches in America?  Let him try!"

So they replied, "Write a proposal to which we can say yes.  We do not want
to get into an ongoing support project."

My friend rewrote his proposal.  Incidentally he had written the original
one himslef.  All I did was check the spelling and grammar of his English.
My only advice, which he has followed, was to keep accurate records of
wherer he spent the funds and for what.

The result?  He has built a successful irrigation, gardening and educational
project plus a church in an area where there was and is no Haitian
infrastructure at all.  HIS vision; HIS compassion provided the crucible
from which a Haitian church has begun to feed it's people, support and
educate themselves and their preacher.

My point?  Haitians have vision and compassion for their people.  But they
need help.  Foreign governement humanitarian agencies, NGO's and
humanitarian groups, as well as missionariess (long and short-term) can
provide help to those with vision and ability.

Entrepeneurship is rampant in haiti--the street vendors are the main
example.  And, there are well run businesses operated by the "elite."  But
government cannot provide jobs to the people, except indirectly.  Government
produces nothing it does not first take from it's constituents (usually in
the form of taxes).

The salvation of Haiti will be in small business development, beyond that of
the street vendors who are just subsisting.  This will come about by foreign
and domestic investment.  But this cannot, and will not, happen without a
stable government providing a viable atmosphere for the development of small
businesses (probably initially of the home variety and assembly plants) free
of hindrance by corrupt government officials and gangs trying to enrich
themselves  on the backs of those they perceive having deep pockets, as well
as on the backs of their starving countrymnen

One of our translators was held up on lower Delmas by two armed men who
demanded all his money (he had just been paid for the week) and then they
debated whether to kill him or not.  By God's grace one who was opposed to
his murder prevailed.  He reported this to the police.  Their response?
"You did the right thing by giving them your money because they would have
killed you otherwise.  We cannot protect you anyway."

haitians are a great people.  They have heart, courage, patience and faith.
but their condition did not develop overnight, nor will it change over
night.  Nor will it change by will power alone.  One great step forward that
I see is that there have been three president's elected more or less
peacefully and power has been transferred relatively peacefully.  If this
trend can continue in peace with good, strong men and women with vision and
compassion helping the process change will come--but not over night.

One Haitian man observed to me that the difference between Haitian and
American politicians is that "no matter the party Americans are interested
in the welfare of their county; but Haitians are interested in their
personal welfare."

As an outsider I cannot comment on that observation.  but I can urge that
those in a position to make a difference do so with allegiance to God and
their constitution and not to themselves, their friends, nor their party.

Richard F. Wilson