Earlier this week on August 24, another gang massacre occurred in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. This Miami Herald article gives a summary of the night and has some photos of the agony community members are in over losing loved ones.
It's been two years since my last #FreeHaiti post discussing the Kenyan troops that were about to come at that time. These troops have since left the country in April of this year, and have been replaced by the UN appointed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), with troops coming from a few different African and Latin American countries. The summary is that Kenyan troops were much appreciated, but not able to make as much headway as they wanted. They were less troops than planned with much less money than planned, but again, the effort was extremely appreciated. You can read a summary from the Haitian Times here.
I still maintain that what makes the most sense to me is to build a Haitian army among Haitian men here in the Dominican Republic. Rather than treating them all pretty much like enemies to the DR while largely building the wealth of the country with their hands, some should be given the opportunity of a pathway and a career in defending Haiti and the island as a whole. This should be supported largely by the Haitian diaspora and funded by France in a type of reparations. These reparations would be for the extortion of funds France did to Haiti after it gained independence, and of course the abuses toward Africans brought to Haiti before independence whose descendants make up the current population.
Anyway, have you seen the animated movie David that came out in theaters about 8 months ago? It has a few songs that apply so well to the struggles of Haiti. Here I wrote about Jefte, a Haitian man burnt alive by a gang for doing the right thing. Here I mentioned Davy Lloyd, an American missionary kid (adult) killed by gang members after refusing to leave his community and retreat to the safety of the US, despite the dangers. I've also mentioned testimonies of sons being murdered in front of their mothers for refusing to join gangs.
Those who flee with their families to the Dominican Republic are currently being hunted in other ways. One student that pops into my mind right away is Junior. He is perhaps 16 and was deported months ago. I was always impressed by him because he lived quite far from the school but went on foot every afternoon with his brother. They were both in the afternoon session. That was impressive, but what really impressed me was that he walked his younger sister to school in the mornings as well, then went back to pick her up and take her home, only to then turn around and come back for his own schooling! His mom is saving up to get him back, and is quite worried, as he is in gang territory. I have wanted to help her with the funds, but haven't yet been able to.
I am also reminded of a time that I found our doorwoman crying. After inquiring, she told me her son had been deported and the immigration truck went the Port-au-Prince route. She was terrified of the dangers he would encounter. As a protective mother myself, I couldn't help but to join her in shedding tears.
With these stories in mind, I am moved by this song from the movie David where David is being hunted by King Saul and his loyalists. His mother sings in harmony from a distance as she and the rest of the family also escape to the wilderness. David cries in confusion, "Why God? Why have you forsaken me now? I'm trying to feel you somehow, as I run from the shadow of death, back to the wilderness".
His mom later faithfully cries, "My God, you have not forsaken us now. You will work it together somehow, as we run from this shadow of death, back to the wilderness". Here is a video of the song.
People displaced by gangs literally pack up their belongings and run as David's family is seen doing there. Haitians here go sleep in the woods on nights that they get a tip that immigration will come. Some do so every night, just in case. I pray so hard for their hope and comfort.
We (Project Esperanza) are celebrating our 20 year anniversary. In May 2006, we ran the street census that started our work here. In the fall of 2006, we began paying teachers in a school in Padre Granero, an area that the majority of the Haitian kids in the census were living. It has been an honor to make this my life for the past 20 years. I have lived my entire adult life here, moving down after college in December 2006.
I want to be a part of providing a pathway of alternates to gang life. I want to provide reward in a land where rewards seem bigger in a gang than anything else available....or perhaps where punishment for not joining is so much stronger than any reward. We know that animals of all sizes are trained to do amazing things by a simple system of reward and punishment. I think we have to be creative and provide rewards. We need to provide an alternative.
While the Haitian police and the UN struggle greatly to be able to deal out punishments where punishments are due, it's probably a billion times easier to provide rewards. $1,000 for the student from Port au Prince who can provide the best video speech addressing a certain topic. $1,000 to the community member voted as outstanding citizen in each town. A ball for every single child in Haiti. I truly believe that balls can save kids' lives.
I would 100% get behind Santa Claus going to Haiti to simply provide a ball to every single child in Haiti. There's an entry in a previous blog I had that I turned into a book where I tell about explaining Santa Claus to boys in the group home. It was hilarious, as they literally knew nothing about him and commented that they would beat him up if he went in their house. Oh how they laughed when I said they were actually supposed to leave him milk and cookies. Santa may have to go in an armored vehicle rather than a sleigh, but he should surely go.
Anyway, at the end of the movie David, the Amalekites have his family and loyalists hostage. He goes to save them and ends up with his head on the guillotine. As he sings fearless hope, he is silenced with a punch in the face. Another hostage finishes his line for him,"I will not be afraid", but she is also knocked down. Another steps in, then another, until eventually they are too many to be knocked over.
This video clip from the movie is a vision for Haiti and how they will overcome this reign of terror. Remember, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love". -1 John 4:18
