Assassination of Haiti's President
Update July 10, 2021 (scroll down to view previous communication July 7, 2021)
This is the time to show our love and compassion for Haiti.
This past week Haiti experienced one of the darkest moments in history with the assassination of their president and the continued controversy of who could have committed such a horrific event. The last assassination of a Haitian president was in 1915, so for this generation of Haitians, a crime such as this, is overwhelming to comprehend. Especially for those families, just two days before, were fearing for their lives as Hurricane Elsa made landfall in Southern Haiti.
So how do you think these events effect children? Insecurity and instability within households and communities, expose children to physical, social and psychological dangers. Children may view their parents experiencing depression due to state of insecurity and hardships which could result in violence within their household. Unfortunately, the repercussions of these events increase the vulnerability of families and puts children at risk of being separated from their families because their basic needs cannot be met.
During this unprecedented crisis, the Haitian people need our support now more than ever. This is where our team on the ground, with your support, steps up and stands beside the families to support them in times of crisis and despair. Since last week, our priority has been to communicate with families and provide education about the risks that children are exposed to during this troubling time throughout the country. Counseling from our team surrounds families with a network of support, access to resources, and hope for the future.
Over the last three years, our team has demonstrated the positive impact our programs have on children, families and their communities. This reinforces our believe that sustainable development that encompasses education is critical for the transformation of Haiti. Opportunities to education, skill training, and economy will create independence for families. We know it will take time before our vision is a reality; to see strong communities, empowered by strong families, overcoming poverty with their own power, skills and determination.
We are committed to stand beside families and communities for as long as it takes!
Email to our Supporters July 7, 2021
Dear Friends,
As a supporter of Overture International and our work in Haiti, you’re likely familiar with the many challenges associated with doing work in a developing country. You may have seen the news today that Haiti President Jovenel Moise was assassinated last night. We know many of you have questions about how this incident will impact Overture’s work, so we wanted to address the issue quickly and directly.
Sadly, there has been a long history of political unrest in Haiti, including coups, assassinations and revolts. Our teams on the ground in Haiti have navigated through these situations for decades and have learned that the work we’re doing there to strengthen families and build strong, independent communities is even more important during times like this. When communities have a strong infrastructure that includes educational opportunities, the ability to earn income for their families, and access to food, fuel and housing, the more likely they are to withstand the repercussions of political unrest, natural disasters (like Hurricane Elsa) and other crises. So, in short, the need for Overture and ESPWA remains critical, which means your support is as important as ever!
The situation in Haiti is very fluid right now. There is an interim prime minister in place and the National Police and Armed Forces of Haiti are in control. Travel into and out of the country is currently suspended. And most of the citizens are sheltering in their homes. We do expect some negative impact on access to food and fuel supplies and other essentials across the country. However, thanks to your support, the communities we serve do have some reserves of food, water and other supplies from which they can pull if/when their community is impacted. They’ve already tapped into some of these as a result of Hurricane Elsa, but thankfully the impact from the storm was fairly minimal.
The bottom line is that political unrest is the norm for Haiti and one reason that the work you make possible is so critical to ensuring the security and stability of the communities we serve. When parents have work, children have schools and communities have trusted infrastructure, they can better weather the storms and political unrest that are part of the daily lives of Haitians. The need and opportunity do not end, in fact they increase, during these times.
We will continue to keep you informed about the storm recovery and political unrest as the situation unfolds and ask that you keep Haiti and its families in your prayers. In the meantime, please feel free to contact us. You can contribute to our critical work by giving today here.
Prayerfully,
Lisa Hyatt, Executive Director