Cholera and Agriculture

A short article on food security and the dangers of spreading Cholera from Haiti Libre.

Read the article here.
The photo is mine.

Civil War?

Here's a disturbing take on the elections in Haiti. Could the faulty elections lead to civil war?

Read the article here.
Photograph by: Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Image

New Finance Minisry Building

Here's a good story. Another video from the World Bank that shows a good use of funds. Though, people from all over Port-au-Prince still have to come to Tabarre and wait in line all to try and pay their taxes.

Video on Canal Clean Up

This is from the World Bank. It shows progress on the trash clean up in Port-au-Prince. It has some interesting video and a few interviews. I've seen the organization that clears rubble working where I lived twice, but I've never seen the heavy equipment at work.

Looking Back

Here are two articles that give a look back on the year in Haiti. The first is a broad overview. The second gives a wrap-up then looks at the current situation.

The Year in Review: A Haiti earthquake in the time of cholera and lethal poverty

"Christmas of misery" for many in calamity-hit Haiti

Photo by PA

$102m Approved for Projects

Here's another story on the recovery efforts in Haiti.

Read the article here.
The photo is mine.

Sunday the 26th

I'll be sharing at Bethel Community Church on Sunday morning, December 26th. For more information on Bethel or for directions visit their website: Bethelstl.com.

The Cost of Cholera in Haiti

This is a photo piece from the LA Times. BEWARE several are very graphic.

The cost of cholera in Haiti

Haiti Recovery

Everyone asks me about the money the US sent to Haiti. Here are three articles concerning the recovery efforts.

US Embassy Press Release

Who is calling the shots in Haiti? Reflections on the 4th meeting of the Reconstruction Commission

Clinton struggles on with Interim Reconstruction Commission

The photo is mine.

Cholera Beyond Haiti

Here's an informative (and scary) article about Cholera from Harvard Medical School.

Read the article here.
Photo by Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times

Brisenault's Fire

These are pictures of the fire damage to Brisenault's home. As you can see the house is built of block, so their clothing and furniture is what burned. Please be praying for him and his family.

If you would like to help financially Valley Park Chapel is garthering a collection to send to his family. Just make the check out to Valley Park Chapel and write "Fire" in the memo section. The mailing address is:
Valley Park Chapel
P.O. Box 327
Valley Park, MO 63088

Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

Several Videos

Here are a couple videos from UNICEF. They're not very well produced, but they do show some powerful scenes from the country.

This one is mostly raw footage with a few interviews in French, Creole and English.

Awareness Campaign for Cholera Prevention in Haiti

This one is more of a news package with narration and interviews in English.

Working to Contain the Cholera Outbreak in Haiti

Media Coverage of Haiti

This is a fascinating article by Stanley Lucas. He questions the media coverage of Haiti as well as gives an in depth view of the real situation in the country.

"Over the past few months, the major cable news outlets, such as CNN and Fox, have tried to cover the lack of recovery in Haiti and the chaos in the wake of the rigged elections. The coverage has been somewhat inconsistent, however, and has unfortunately missed some key elements of the story," writes Mr. Lucas. Read more by following the link below.

Read the article here.
The photo is mine.

New Numbers on Cholera Toll

2,500 dead. 104,614 infected.

Read the article here.
Photo by Health Care n Diet.

Emergency Prayer Request

My good friend Brisenault's house caught on fire yesterday. His family and he are safe and the house is livable, but the fire destroyed most of their clothing. Please pray for Brisenault, his wife Joseline and their daughter Emma.

The photo is mine of Emma.

CNN iReport on Cholera

An update on the Cholera situation by an aid worker in Cite Soleil. Use the viewer above to see some remarkable pictures.

Read the article here.

Haitian OR Dominican?

Here's another sad story. Dominicans of Haitian descent being stripped of citizenship even though they were born there and their families came there legally.

Read the article here.
Photo by Stephanie Hanes for USA TODAY.

Videos on Cholera

I thought I'd post a few videos about the cholera outbreak. Unfortunately, there is nothing all that recent. The story seems to be dying out in the press.

Please pray for Haitian people. If you want more information or have questions please leave a comment.

Just a Day Downtown

In Haiti it seems I’m always waiting for something. Waiting in line. Waiting for friends. Waiting to eat. Waiting for transportation. Waiting for the Internet. Well, one day I was waiting downtown for a tap-tap.

Now, when I wait on the street I always draw a crowd. Needless to say, I stand out. People gather to try out their English, shake my hand or ask for money. Usually, I enjoy these times. I get to talk and interact with some great people. I always end up laughing and smiling. And, of course, I get to practice my Creole.

Little did I know that learning the language could be a double-edged sword.

This day, while I waited on a street corner, there was a young girl among the crowd. She was maybe 12 years old or so and I heard her say something. She said, “I could be your daughter. If you send me to school I promise I’d be a good student.”

I stopped joking.

She continued, “I know how to cook. I know how to do laundry. I could clean your house.”

She had my full attention now.

She went on, “If you don’t want a daughter I could be like your wife. But you don’t have to marry me.”

What did I do?

I drove away. My ride had come and I left. I drove away. What could I have done? I can’t support a child. I don’t have a place to live, so how could I provide a child one? Of course, I was saddened. It makes me sick that children have to live like she does. But I couldn’t do anything. I wasn’t in the position to help. So I left.

A few weeks later I realized something. I realized that I had lied to myself. I deceived myself into thinking I was justified. I felt bad for the girl and so I was excused of any action.

The truth is I didn’t want to be bothered. By feeling sorry for her I figured that let me off the hook. But a feeling can never take the place of action. The Lord has reminded me of that truth.

Now, the question becomes can I really live out the command of, “Love your neighbor as yourself?”

Cholera Spreads

Here's an article from Doctors Without Borders. It reports that Cholera is spreading even farther in the South.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Aurelie Baumel/MSF

Election Price Tag

More on the election situation. I've talked to a number of my friends and things have calmed down. Nobody is happy about the election, though.

Read the article here.
The photo is from St-Felix Evens/ Reuters.

Clinton Calls for Recount

More on the Haitian election. I'd be surprised if this gets sorted out any time soon.

Read the article here.
The photo is from the AFP

Doctors on How to Stop the Chorela

More news on the cholera outbreak. The official death toll is more than 2,000 and the number of people infected has climbed to about 100,000.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Antonio Bolfo/Newsweek

Haitian Companies Miss Out on Aid

Most of the money given to rebuild Haiti is going to US based companies.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Dieu Nalio Chery/AP

Election Concerns

No one believes Haiti's elections reflect the views of the people. This includes the official press release from the US embassy.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Kevin Pina.

Sen. Leahy is asking for a freeze on aid to Haiti until there can be fair elections.

Read the article here.

Run-off Set for January

More election stories. Protests seem to stem from Martelly's supporters feeling he should be in the run-off. Most of my friends supported a man named Ceant, but he didn't come close to the votes needed.

Read the article here.
The photo is from the AFP.

American Airlines Cancels Flights to Haiti

American Airlines cancelled all flights into Port-au-Prince for 12-8 and 12-9 because of unrest.

Read the article here.
The photo is mine.

Riots

Rioting has spread in Port-au-Prince as people protest the first-round election results.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Reuters.

US Cholera Response

Here's a press release from the US State Department concerning US efforts to fight Cholera in Haiti.

Read the artictle here.
The photo is from Reuters UK.

Elections Results?

Confusion and uncertainty fuel tensions as candidates and supporters threaten protests concerning the results of the first round of voting in Haiti.

Read the article here.
The photo is from the Miami Herald.

NGOs Fail to Help Haiti

This article looks into NGOs and thier failure to help Haiti. It gives a lot of insight into what is really going on.

Read the article here.
The photo is from Lucas Oleniuk/Toronto Star.

Article on Haiti's Government

Here's a good article on the state of Haiti's government. It also talks about the donated money after the earthquake.

Read the article here.
The photo is mine.

A Plea for Nurses

Officals are asking more nurses to come to Haiti and help battle the Cholera outbreak. Here are two articles which give an update on the situation.

Read the article here.
Read the other article here.
The photo is from Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press.

12 Murdered in Mob Attacks

Confusion and fear are conquering many Haitians concerning the outbreak of Cholera. 12 people were killed because they were believed to be spreading the disease on purpose. This article reports even more alarming figures of infection rate.

Read the article here. The picture is from the AFP.

Elections Amid Chaos

Haiti held presidential elections on Nov. 28th. But it was far from a smooth process. I know many people who didn't vote, because they know it will not be counted. Here's an article that holds out a bit of hope.

Read the article here. The picture is from the AP.

Cholera Spreads to More Than 72,000 People

According to this article the death rate is dropping, but the infection rate is climbing past 72,000.

Read the article here. The picture is from the AP.

Article on the UN's role in Haiti

This is a very transparent article delving into the budget of the UN peacekeepers in Haiti.

Read the article here. The picture is mine.