As we head into a challenging summer in Haiti, I want to share some positive news about our orphanage and our amazing, resilient children and staff.
Under typical conditions, everything in Haiti is a wait. You wait hours at the bank. You wait on long lines for gasoline. You wait days in a hot emergency room to see a single doctor at a hospital.
That’s when life is normal. Lately, the word “wait” has taken on a whole different meaning. With gangs controlling nearly all aspects of Port-au-Prince — where nearly half the population of the country lives — the people of Haiti are all waiting for one desperate thing: help.
An international force of police and soldiers has supposedly been coming since last fall. It is yet to arrive. The force is widely seen in Haiti as the only hope for breaking the chokehold the gangs have on the streets.
In many ways, the population is like hostages being held in a dark room. Their lives are not their own. They can only pray someone will come to their rescue.
In the shadow of this, life has shut down in many corners of the capital city. Ransacked hospitals cannot open. Banks have been boarded. Police stations have been destroyed. Markets run out of goods, their shelves empty.
But in our small little pocket, life — and learning — somehow go on.
Teaching a lesson
Our school remains open. This is a miracle. Near as we can tell, we are the only school in Port-au-Prince that is still operating in person every day. Most have gone to remote learning. Others have closed altogether. Yet our teaching staff braves the streets each day, arriving dutifully at 7:30 a.m. via motorcycle or van or Tap-Tap rides.
I cannot tell you how much courage that takes. It would be easy for them to say “it’s too dangerous. You can’t expect us to come to work.” Instead, we never have to ask. They see it as their obligation to keep the children’s education going.
So we have Joseph Yevgueny, who is in his first year on our teaching staff. He specializes in geography, history, math and Haitian culture. Every day, he makes his way in from his home in Delmas 33, a place that has destabilized into regular shootings and chaotic violence. The streets there are extremely dangerous. Yet Joseph makes it a personal mission to never miss a day.
Mr. Gregory (left); Mr. Joseph (right)
Or Mr. Gregory Saint Jean, who has been with us for three years. He was chased from his red zone home in Fermath 54 due to gang invasion and was forced to move in with his mother. Yet despite needing two Tap-Taps per day, he dutifully arrives to teach French and math to our kids.
Or Miss Nathalienne, a four-year veteran of our school and a beloved instructor. Her journey includes two busses and a motorcycle, which often has to steer around roadblocks and danger zones just to reach our place. Yet there she is, every day, teaching algebra, physics, French and sign language.
Miss Nathalienne
As a result of their efforts, and others on our terrific staff, our kids continue to thrive. Next month we will graduate five more seniors from our high school. Their names are Bianka, Louvenson, Jonathan, Bidengy and Appoloste. Thanks to their incredible teachers, and the brilliant curriculum designed by our academic director Cara Nesser, all five have received college scholarships in the U.S. to attend Calvin University, Hillsdale College, and Lawrence Technological University.
Imagine that. In a nation strangled by violence and choked off from supplies, teachers brave the danger and students keep learning and graduates earn prized scholarships.
Their futures shouldn’t have to wait.
They don’t.
Mr. Widley goes to Washington
Which brings me to one other group of success stories. Our kids already here in college. Normally, during the summers, they return home to Haiti, to enjoy their brothers and sisters and help out at the orphanage.
But with Haiti’s airports closed due to gang violence and no way to get in or out, they didn’t wait. They found jobs at school. Some of our kids at Hope College have joined the cleaning crew, others work at the bookstore or in offices. Our Madonna student is taking summer classes en route to medical school application. Our Hillsdale students will be working at a summer camp in Wisconsin.
And for the last 10 days, Widley, who has earned Dean’s List grades as a freshman at Hillsdale, has been job shadowing Rep. Lisa McClain in Washington, D.C. This was a monumentally generous offer from Rep. McClain and it has opened Widley’s eyes to a whole new world of government and fueled his passion to make a change.
Over the weekend, Widley took it on his own to learn D.C.’s Metro and nearly wore a hole in his shoes walking to every monument, museum and historic site in the city.
He didn’t wait for someone to hold his hand. He faced the challenge and ran towards it.
Sometimes, all we hear about Haiti is terrible news, and it can seem like the people there are cowered and resigned to suffering. They are not. And our kids and teachers are not. Their spirit is the reason we work so hard there, and the reason those of blessed with not having to worry about being killed on the way to work can — and must — help them.
Waiting is normal in Haiti. But it doesn’t have to paralyze. With your help, our orphanage family keeps going, with their bodies in motion and their minds soaring to wondrous places.
This incredible school/orphanage continues to defy all odds. The news shows gangs everywhere in Haiti; thanks, Mitch, for sharing the extraordinary news that your students are thriving and moving forward. Wishing Safety, Good Health, and Continued Success to ALL!
Your orphanage is the definition of endurance and hope! My prayers are always with you!
Tears of sadness…tears
of joy.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful stories of hope and inspiration. We continue to pray for peace and restoration in Haiti.
HOW INSPIRATIONAL — IN THE HEART N SOUL OF MITCH N THESE YOUNG MEN N WOMEN -SO MANY PRECIOUS RARE TRAITS N THE LIFE LESSONS —THAT CAN MAKE US ALL A BETTER MORE SELFLESS PERSON —MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS U ALL PROTECT U ALL N KEEP U IN HIS CARE—-JESUS SEES KNOWS N CARES ——KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK —CHALLENGING US ALL N HOPEFULLY CHANGING US ALL —IN JESUS LOVE —KEEPING JESUS N HIS LOVE FOR OTHERS IN YOUR HEART ALWAYS
Mitch, thank you so much for the update. I’ve been praying for Have Faith Haiti and your kids and staff fervently, especially during this time of chaos and unrest. I’ll be thanking God for your teachers and the nannies and the rest of the staff who care for the children.
Congratulations to Bianka, Louvenson, Jonathan, Bidengy and Appoloste! It’s exciting to see five more scholars headed to America for college. Good for Widley, both on the grades and the new job. Please know that the well-being and success of your Have Faith Haiti family are very important and a source of great joy to so many of us.
Happy 66th Birthday to a wonderful human being, Mitch Albom!
Happy Birthday, Mitch…and thank you for sharing your light in such an expansive way.
It is a blessing that your teachers have been able to continue to show up for the young people they serve and help maintain a sense of normalcy.
My thoughts are with you and all the Have Faith Haiti community, wherever they may be.
What awesome testimonies!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thank you to all the teachers still committed in such trying times.
Congratulations to the Fab Five who are graduating in such trying times.
And a big “Way to go” to the college students making the best of it, during these trying times. You all are inspirational!!
May God continue to bless you all and supply you with every need.
Well nice to see that everyone keeps moving forward. They are all doing good too.
A month ago I received a call from someone saying they were from Have Faith Haiti thanking me for a donation. When I told them what an incredible organization it is, the caller said he was one of the students. He said he was going to be graduating from Madonna University which is in my city of Livonia. He was such a joy to talk to. Just incredible work that Have Faith Haiti is doing! I will not only keep praying for everyone involved but will of course keep donating.
Sat here in the UK with tears reading this – compared to our struggles in our daily lives we need reminding how lucky we are. Our complaints are just that and our moans irrelevant as we are born lucky to have a roof food and safe passage and the opportunity to do anything we want. Odd how we shy from this and yet these children seize the day and shame us. They go to find life and we sit waiting for it to happen……….
Thank you Mitch for the insightful and inspiring stories that you continue to share! They help us to really see some of what is going on there. We will continue to pray for all people in Haiti that they can receive some peace and order in their country. The students lives are such stories of strength and resilience it is with sadness and joy that we read them! Thank you again for all that you do!