Journal 113
October 2004
Remembering Better Days
Port au Prince Central Junior Soldier enrollment
College Verna flag raising
Port au Prince clinic waiting area
Over the past few weeks much has been written about
the most recent crisis in Haiti. Natural disasters combined
with political insecurity have made for a terrible situation
in which to live and work. One writer has said helping
Haiti is not impossible it just seems that way sometimes.
A dear friend recently remarked about the positive
reports we give each week. While we do remain positive
and hopeful, these past three weeks in Port au Prince
have been a challenge.
September 30 was the 13th anniversary of the first
coup e’tat ousting President Jean Bertrand Aristide.
The neighborhood around divisional headquarters, College
Verena, Port au Prince Central corps, the clinic and
children’s home is still an area of strong support
for Aristide. He resigned under pressure February 29,
2004.
For the last three weeks the street in front of divisional
headquarters has been blocked with burned out cars;
the school has been closed; the clinic is open but the
normal flow of 100 to 150 patients a day has dropped
to 15 or 20; only Sunday morning services at the corps
can be conducted and attendance has dropped from between
500 and 750 to less than 200.
One officer said the people leading the present unrest
have created a prison in this area - no one comes in
and no one goes out. One of the neighborhood gang leaders
says this will force the government to negotiate. However,
the reality is - the rest of the city goes on with life
as normal while this poor area suffers, children miss
school and mothers don’t come to the clinic with
their babies.
As week four starts there are some hopeful signs: some
of the neighborhood gang leaders have expressed a desire
for the school to re-open; World Food Program is prepared
to provide more food to be distributed by the clinic
when the road is open; and UN troops were posted at
the end of the street Friday.
At this time, the situation seems desperate yet not
impossible. Please pray for the people of Haiti.
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