Written by Rev. Derek Macleod, Glenview Presbyterian Church, Toronto
“I wouldn’t give a dime to Haiti,” a good friend in my congregation said. When asked for an explanation he confessed that he just didn’t trust the situation and he felt sure the money would fall into the wrong hands instead of getting to the people who need it most.
How grateful we are that many Presbyterians thought otherwise and donated over $1.6 million to the PWS&D appeal that assisted thousands of people in need after a 35-second earthquake devastated the country. However, I understand his concerns and suspect such uneasy feelings are shared by others.
Haiti, like many countries including our own, is not immune to corruption or its leaders misusing their power for personal profit. Even humanitarian organizations that are sent to assist can betray trust and confidence—though the unacceptable actions of a few ought not to tarnish the exemplary work of many.
On a recent trip to Haiti, I had the opportunity to visit with PWS&D’s partners through the ACT Alliance in the town of Léogâne, just outside Port-au-Prince, the epicenter of the earthquake. It was dubbed “The Lost Town” by some news reports as an estimated 80% of the community’s buildings were damaged and almost 30,000 residents killed.
Thank God however, that Léogâne was not forgotten. Efforts were made by many, including PWS&D, to join with those struggling to rebuild and recover. Empty fields once covered in tents are now filled with local children playing football as many homes had been repaired and rebuilt. There were many vendors on the roadside selling produce and commercial goods—signs of a society functioning again.
The new houses are straightforward, even humble dwellings, but designed to better withstand hurricanes and earthquakes. Construction crews made up primarily of local people with assistance from North American engineers have joined with families to build the new homes together. The excitement and determination to begin again was so very palpable as even young children could be seen hammering in nails; everyone wanted to participate.
When I asked one family if I could take their photo with them standing in front of their new home, the owner said, “Oh please do. My old home was so modest. This is a palace!” Such gratitude and appreciation is as humbling as it is inspiring.
Many said it would take a thousand trucks running for a thousand days to clear the rubble out of Port-au-Prince. I wonder how many trucks loaded with the frames of new homes would be needed to build up the cities again: one thousand, one hundred thousand? The need is great and the task almost insurmountable, but it has begun. The donations that Presbyterians so generously made have helped families return to new homes where they can be safe, dry and together. Children have returned to fields to play and school to learn, and people are finding hope again. In the wake of such a nightmare, that is no small feat and says much about the Haitian people and the power of partnership.
One of the builders wrote a poignant message on the front of his hat. He wrote the word DREAM.
“I’m on the dream team,” he said with a grin, having worked countless hours helping build homes and inspire dreams, though he himself remains in a temporary shelter with his family. They are on the waiting list but there are no guarantees they will receive a new home. Yet such possibilities did not dissuade this young man from working, dreaming and serving his community and God’s people.
Presbyterian World Service & Development is the development and relief agency of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. Visit the PWS&D Facebook page.
