Heartbreaking First Impressions: Seeking Hope in Haiti
When we arrived in Haiti and traveled from the airport through the capital, the sight was heartbreaking. Displaced people still lived in flimsy tents and shacks, buildings that had collapsed during the earthquake remained as piles of rubble, and the streets were lined with trash and debris. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) confirmed our observations, estimating that, one year after the disaster, more than one million people remained displaced, living in crowded camps with insufficient services for children to stay healthy.
The time for emergency relief had passed, but international organizations continued to provide it. From our experience, we knew how crucial it was to transition quickly from emergency relief to restoration and development. Otherwise, prolonged outside aid fosters destructive dependence on external sources for food, shelter, and other essentials, replacing self-sufficiency.
We saw countless humanitarian agencies operating relief centers and running various programs, yet we questioned how anyone could empower the Haitian people to forsake years of dependency and take ownership of their development. How could any program restore their dignity and self-sufficiency, transforming their lives sustainably?
When someone from a wealthier nation asks, “What are your needs?” It often arises from genuine compassion. However, to the recipients, it can feel intimidating, even degrading, to admit their inability to care for their own families. Worse still, when the foreigners inevitably depart, the hopeful recipients are often left disappointed, with their needs still unmet.
We have learned that the only way to break this cycle is by establishing development efforts through cooperative partnerships with local people who will remain active in the community long after we have gone. This brings us to a crucial question: Where was the local church?
Life In Abundance will not enter a community to help with development without the active involvement of local churches. Similarly, Southeast Christian Church (SECC) only works with programs connected to local churches. It’s not that there were no Haitians serving their communities in a godly way; rather, it was understandably difficult for local farmers to compete with free food or for local doctors to provide health care when free services were available, even if only temporarily.
Given the billions of dollars of international aid being disbursed throughout Haiti, we wondered if we would find any local churches willing to stop benefiting from relief efforts and take a lead role in their community's development.
We were concerned but reminded ourselves that the leaders and members of local Haitian churches were our brothers and sisters in Christ, not strangers or “poor people” we were there to rescue. We strive never to enter a community from a position of power or prestige or with promises we cannot keep. Our desire is always to build interdependent partnerships based on humility and a shared goal of glorifying God. Any relationship we enter into must be one in which God is exalted through the local church.
Join us as we continue to share our journey and insights. Together, we can learn and apply these principles to create lasting, transformative change. Stay connected by subscribing to our blog for updates and insights on working together to make a lasting impact.
🔗 Subscribe Now to stay updated and be part of this incredible journey.
Blessings,
Florence Muindi and Charlie Vittitow
#Missions #GlobalChurch #TransformationalDevelopment #UnityInAction #TeachAManToFish
