September 26, 2019

Dear Friends,

Last week, the CCH Primary Care Clinic opened its doors at 8am on Monday to find only 4 patients waiting outside. There are typically 30-50 people lined up early on Mondays, eagerly awaiting their turn to see one of CCH’s trusted physicians. 

Instead, it was eerily quiet. The fans rotating back and forth on our bright blue walls buzzed louder than the noises coming from the streets below. There were very few cars and barely any motorcycles making their way around town. Can you imagine? Staff sensed the nearly palpable tension in the air; some had arrived late themselves, having struggled to reach the clinic. 

It was as if most of the people in Jacmel had simply disappeared. 

Demonstrations across Haiti had roads closed and fires in the streets. People were staying home, many fearful to go out. Last Monday was Day 3 of a 3-day, nationwide strike fueled by persistent frustration around crippling inflation, gas shortages and lack of confidence in the country’s leadership to resolve any part of the challenge. 

Frustrations had been flaring up for weeks. In Jacmel specifically, it had been nearly three weeks since city power was available for more than mere minutes at a time. Gas stations were closed, with mobs of vehicles and people with gas cans lined up, hoping the purchase fuel – but only if they had the equivalent of $20USD/gallon to buy it.

Rubinste St Louis, CCH’s In-Country Director, and I have stayed in close contact, making it a priority to check in with staff and our community partners frequently. Sometimes the best support we can offer is to listen to their frustrations. We’ve vented together, and we’ve prayed together.

I’ve begun to understand that it’s really about day-to-day survival at this point. That might sound dramatic, but hear me out: People are focusing on the day ahead, figuring out how to get where they need to go, how to feed themselves and their family, what is safe and unsafe. To look any further into the future is a luxury. Indeed, the situation can change so quickly, there’s the sense that it’s not really realistic to plan any further ahead. 

The image above illustrates the core of this sentiment. This is a rechargeable light bulb. Members of our CCH staff have these and are bringing them to Isaiah House, one at a time, to charge them with the power produced by our generator. They stand on a chair and plug the bulb into the socket in the kitchen ceiling. When they go home, they unscrew it and take it with them. That means they have electricity as Jacmel turns dark once again.

At least for tonight, there is light. 

Earlier this week, we saw improvement. Demonstrations dissipated. The CCH Clinics were busy again, and CCH partner schools reopened after being closed for nearly two weeks (this Back-to-School season didn’t play out like anyone expected). Children, parents and teachers alike were celebrating – yes, for the return of education, but also for the meals they’d receive through CCH’s nutrition program. 

Gas trucks made it to Jacmel over the weekend, allowing the age-old dynamics of supply and demand to shift slightly in the people’s favor. Because gas is available again, the city electrical grid is starting to provide limited but more frequent power. People started to re-establish their routines. 

Unfortunately, today and yesterday saw new aggravation. As I write to you, roads are blocked again in Jacmel. Schools are once again closed. Rubinste and I continue to communicate frequently. We talk about what’s happening in the moment. We talk about how this ministry is hard. We pray for our staff and our partners. 

One CCH staffer recently shared with me: Dark times are upon us in Haiti, but I hope for a better tomorrow, in both small things (like electricity at my house tonight) and in big things (a unified Haiti). Please stand with me in Hope. 

From another staffer: Things are kind of back to normal. We hope that things will get better soon. All we want is peace!!

What’s going to happen? I don’t know. None of us do, quite honestly. 

But what I do know is that God isn’t going to stop loving his people in Haiti – and neither is CCH.

Please help us say to our Haitian staff and partners, “You have not disappeared. We see you. We grieve with you. We pray with you and remain dedicated to walking alongside you.”

Please GIVE NOW to stand in solidarity with Haiti. The need for CCH’s healthcare, education and community development services grows each day in this time of crisis. We need your help. 

Also, please join us in prayer. Pray for strength in hope and an end to suffering. Pray hard for Haiti.

Thank you for all you’ve done to support us. We’ll do our best to keep you updated. You can also find real-time updates, photos and stories from Haiti on our Facebook page. 

With love and hope, 

Clark Seipt, Executive Director