Posts Tagged ‘Disasters Blog’
5 Things You Should Know About the Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
Early in the morning on February 6, massive earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria. For many of us who live thousands of miles away from the devastation, it can be hard to imagine the profound scale of loss â and even harder to know how best to respond.
And yet, if youâre like us, your faith compels you to respond.
At World Relief, our mission is to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. When natural disasters like this one occur, those who are already in vulnerable situations are put at even greater risk. By responding together, we can extend the love of Christ to those who are suffering in their greatest time of need.
Thatâs why weâve shared five things you should know about whatâs happening in Turkey and Syria, why we at World Relief are responding and how you can join us in praying for and serving those who are suffering.
1. How widespread is the impact of the earthquakes?
The earthquakes struck in the early morning hours in a region that has not experienced a major earthquake in over 200 years, leaving residents little prepared. As a result, the devastation has been widespread and severe.
At the time of writing, an estimated 36,187 have died in Turkey and more than 5,800 in Syria â and these numbers continue to rise. More than 5 million people across Syria are now in need of shelter while nearly a million more men, women and children are now homeless in Turkey as a result of the earthquakes. Basic infrastructure, including power and water, has been completely demolished in some areas.
The earthquakeâs devastation is further compounded by freezing winter temperatures and, in Syria, decades of civil war have left residents especially vulnerable.
2. What are the greatest needs and how is World Relief responding?
As those impacted grapple with freezing temperatures, decimated infrastructure and profound loss and trauma, the greatest immediate needs include shelter, water, power, blankets, non-food and sanitary items and psychosocial counseling.
World Relief is responding on the ground through long-standing, trusted partners, including Tearfund Germany and the Integral Alliance. Our partners are connected with local churches and organizations in Turkey and Syria who can more quickly deliver aid â especially in hard-to-reach regions or where international aid may be restricted by governing authorities due to protracted conflicts.
Our local partners are working especially hard to provide assistance to the most vulnerable, including the elderly, children and persons with disabilities.
Thus far, our response efforts have included:
- Establishing mobile kitchens and distribution centers for food, water, hygiene supplies, emergency shelter, heaters, batteries, tools and more
- Operating mobile hygiene trailers that offer toilets, showers and washing machines
- Facilitating a kids club and trauma counseling center for children impacted by the disaster
- Providing mobility devices such as wheelchairs, protheses and walkers to those who need them
To stay up-to-date on how weâre responding to this and other crises around the world, sign up for our mailing list, here.
3. What will happen after the initial response?
Natural disasters on the scale of what weâre seeing in Turkey and Syria affect every facet of life. Responding immediately is essential to ensure the survival and safety of as many people as possible. At the same time, we at World Relief understand that rebuilding and restoring what has been broken â whether infrastructure or lives â takes time and commitment.
Thatâs why weâre beginning conversations with our trusted partners in the region to determine how we can best come alongside local communities so that they not only survive the current crisis, but can flourish and thrive in the future. In places like Syria, which have already been wracked by unimaginable conflict and loss, this commitment is all the more important.
4. Has World Relief worked in the affected region before?
Yes! World Relief formerly had programming in both Syria and Turkey which we transferred to our partners at Tearfund Germany in 2019. We continue to have a strong relationship with Tearfund Germany, allowing us to respond quickly and effectively through our partners who are still at work in the region.
Additionally, World Relief has been helping Syrian refugees resettle in the U.S. for over a decade. Members of the Syrian community in the U.S. have become our coworkers, neighbors and friends. We are grieving and praying alongside them at this difficult time.
5. How can I help?
- Pray: As in all things, we first turn to prayer. Pray for those who are still missing to be found, for the injured to be healed, for the hungry to be fed, for the cold and weary to find shelter and for the grieving to be comforted. Pray also for those responding to do so with wisdom and endurance.
- Give: You can rush help to Turkey and Syria by giving today. Your donation will support our partners at work in the region, ensuring more help can reach more people in this time of great need.
- Share: As the news cycle moves on to the latest headlines, you can help keep Turkey and Syria in the prayers of your friends, family and neighbors by sharing what youâve learned in this blog.
Through the Flood: How Conflict and Climate Change are Converging in South Sudan
Serving the most vulnerable often means accessing the furthest, hardest-to-reach places in order to meet those in greatest need. For Daniel Erwaga, it meant riding through waist-deep flood waters on a 4×4 all terrain vehicle to assist farmers whose fields had been flooded in South Sudan.
Over the last three years, record amounts of rainfall have led to increased flooding in South Sudan, affecting more than 835,000 people.
According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees:
Climate change is driving more frequent and intense weather and climate extremes such as cyclones, floods and droughts, negatively impacting agricultural production, food and water resources, and peopleâs livelihoods. These effects can lead to conflict and humanitarian disasters and are increasingly contributing to displacement in different regions of the world.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled with ongoing civil conflict. This political instability has contributed to a food security crisis that today, is being aggravated all the more by climate instability.
Today, former World Relief staff, Daniel Erwaga, joins us from Juba to talk about how conflict and climate change are converging in South Sudan to increase the vulnerability of those already struggling with food insecurity.
Daniel shares his experience as a professional agriculturalist and South Sudanese citizen. Though the events discussed are occurring in South Sudan, we all have a role to play â as crises converge, the only way to move forward is together.
Read on to learn more and join us.
WR: Hi Daniel. Thanks for being with us today.
Daniel: Thank you. I’m so much pleased to have this interview.
WR: Could you start by telling us about the type of work you did for World Relief South Sudan?
Daniel: I started working with World Relief in 2017 until 2022 in March when my contract ended. I worked on emergency projects in partnership with OFDA and FAO. My role as an agriculturalist was to help people in Fangak and Koch communities understand the value of farming as a vocation. People here are pastoralists. They donât know much about farming. I teach them everything from how to successfully grow crops all the way to running a business and selling their crops in the market.
WR: What prompted you to pursue a career as an agriculturalist?
Daniel: Of course. Iâve chosen this career based on my mentor â my father. He was also an agriculturalist. Back home, he had a kitchen garden and that kitchen garden impressed me. I told him I wanted to become an agriculturalist the same as him and he said, âNo problem. You can do that.â
It is both love and a desire to have knowledge that pushed me to go into agriculture. When I was young, I thought to myself, âOf course, food is being produced by an agriculturalist. Why don’t you go and become a professional farmer because day and night, people are eating?â If I can go into agriculture, I can have a broader understanding of farming to help secure the nation, which is struggling with food insecurity.
WR: Can you share more about why this work is so important for communities in South Sudan?
Daniel: Yes. Currently, more than 8 million people are experiencing hunger in South Sudan. My philosophy is that I am helping them help themselves. Through our efforts, farmers are able to do for themselves because of the training and agronomic practices they learn. Of course, when there is conflict, people canât cultivate the land, and often they move to another location. This mass migration into other territories can lead to more conflict and food shortages. And then there is the flood issue.
WR: How are you seeing the effects of climate change in the communities where you have worked?
Daniel: Climate change isnât just in South Sudan, itâs everywhere. When there’s too much rain, it destroys crops from the gardens. I know you guys may not see it in the U.S., but here, we can also see the impact of climate change where animals die day and night because they don’t have anywhere to graze and they don’t have anywhere to stand. That’s part of it, but it also affects crops. You cannot harvest, of course, when your garden is flooded with water.
WR: In your experience, how have you seen conflict and climate change as being connected?
Daniel: Yes. In my own experience, climate change has nothing to do with conflict, but it also has something to do with conflict. Most of the conflict that happens in South Sudan is because of the power struggle. But on the other hand, climate change has contributed to the effects of the conflict.
Let’s take an example like Jonglei State. They’re pastoralists. When the floods came, they moved with their animals to the Equatorial states where the Equatorian people are farmers. When the people from Jonglei come with a large number of herds and cattle, they almost always bring conflict to the new community.
The pastoralists and farmers donât communicate or collaborate with one another. So, when the pastoralists graze their animal in the farmerâs field, the animal will eat the crops of the farmer, and that’s where the conflict will come in. The flooding, which is caused as a result of climate change, also contributes to the conflict.
WR: There’s a photo of you that has become very popular at Word Relief. Can you tell us what was going on in that picture?
Daniel: You saw me on the convoy? Yes. It was last year in September. Some farmers had been calling me to go and check their gardens [which had been flooded]. I was riding in a truck, but I got stuck. Moving forward was a bit challenging. The place was flooded, so I could not move. I had to stop and assess how shallow the water was because the flood had covered the road, so there was nothing I could do. I could not go back and then I could not go forward.
That’s why I took the initiative of using the quad bike because the car could not access the road. I wanted to see how the garden had been flooded so I could give a report to see how those communities can be helped.
WR: If somebody’s garden is flooded, what kind of help is available to them through World Relief?
Daniel: First, you want to provide basic necessities like offering food because if the garden has been flooded, the person doesn’t expect to yield out of [a flooded garden]. You need to offer help. Then, if the flooding is not so much, you can dig a dyke, which can control the flood from entering into the garden. Those are the things I’ve been helping the farmers to do.
WR: Does South Sudan usually have a rainy season and a dry season, and has that changed?
Daniel: Yes. We have two seasons here, rain season and then dry season. As Iâm speaking now, people are complaining because people are sleeping over the water. As a result, there is mass migration. People are moving out to higher elevated ground because of the flood.* Currently, we are now in the rainy season.
WR: What challenges does it create when so many people have to move to a new place because of flooding?
Daniel: There are a lot of challenges, one of which is shelter because when you migrate to a new location, you may find it hard for you to find shelter. Finding a place to sleep is a problem. Also toilets. A lot of disease can come when people donât have a place to use the toilet. Also, as I said, there is even community conflict as a result of climate change and migration. People from Jonglei State are also migrating to Equatorian states where the flooding is less. They’re coming with their animals, and then the animals are eating another farmerâs crops, so there is conflict when this happens.
WR: At World Relief, weâve been talking a lot about COVID, conflict and climate change. What do you think the Christian community can do to help with these crises?
Daniel: Christian community can play a big role in addressing crises like COVID-19. First, they can establish psychosocial support structures in the community to help people who are traumatized, who are affected with COVID-19. We can also build on that by procuring face masks and creating awareness.
Now, when it comes to conflict, the Christian community can promote peace and reconciliation and dialogue forums to address the issue of conflict. Christian community can also provide training in peace-making methodology to address the issue of conflict. These are things World Relief does well in engaging church leaders in the process.
The Christian community can respond differently than other individuals or governing bodies because the church leader is listened to and is trusted by members of the community.
WR: What do you want the global community to know about South Sudan?
Daniel: Of course, most of the global community doesn’t know about South Sudan. South Sudan is the worldâs newest nation, gaining independence on July 9th of 2011.
Since gaining independence, conflict has renewed in both 2013 and 2016, and the country has suffered severe flooding and drought. Most of the communities are suffering. As I’m speaking, they need much support to build their livelihood and then to recover from the shock of what they’re going through. You can convey our message to the global community so that they know there’s a country, which is so new and these people are suffering. They’re more vulnerable because communities are highly prone to climate-related impacts and a loss of livelihood because of the flooding.
WR: What would you say is your biggest prayer right now for South Sudan?
Daniel: My biggest prayer for South Sudan is for our countryâs leadership so that whatever they’re doing, they are first thinking of the people who are suffering. My biggest prayer for the leaders is that they have a heart of forgiving one another because without peace, we cannot do anything. I do pray for that day and night.
WR: Absolutely. We’ll be praying for that too. Similarly, what do you hope for South Sudan?
Daniel: Personally, I hope for the best, a brighter future for South Sudan. In the future, our country is going to be more stabilized and is going to be a peaceful country. Of course, with support from the global community, I know things will improve well. I have hope for a better future for South Sudanese.
In the face of unprecedented challenges, the only way forward is together. Give today and help us reach more people, in more communities, with more resources than we ever dreamed possible.
*South Sudan is home to the Sudd, the worldâs largest wetland covering more than 35,000 square miles. While the Sudd is prone to annual flooding, increased rains have affected the length and intensity of the floods. Whatâs more, the Nile river feeds into the Sudd from Uganda. A prolonged rainy season in Uganda increases the water levels of the Nile, which can lead to more flooding in South Sudan.
Rachel Clair is a Content Manager at World Relief. Alongside an amazing team of marketing colleagues, she manages the curation and creation of written and multi-media content for World Reliefâs global platforms. With more than 10 years of experience creating content for churches and non-profits, she is passionate about developing content that challenges both individuals and communities to lean into all of whom God created them to be. She holds a BFA from Stephens College and is currently participating in a spiritual formation cohort through the Transforming Center in Wheaton, IL.
One Year Later: The Church Still Moves In Haiti
âOne year later, the need in Haiti is great, butâŠchurches continue to be agents of change in their communities, and men, women and children continue to receive support from their local churches.â
Shaken
Thirty-year-old Jeannette was away from home the day a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti in August 2021.
âI was out and my three children were at home when the earthquake hit,â Jeannette said. âI felt as if the earth was opening up and wanted to swallow me. I begged God to save my children who had not yet gotten out of bed.â
When the shaking stopped, she returned home to discover that one side of her house had collapsed. Miraculously, though, her children survived!
The earthquake killed 2,248 people and injured 12,763, while 344 others are still missing. At the same time, 53,000 houses were destroyed leaving thousands of families homeless, and another 77,006 homes were damaged.
For women like Jeannette, earthquakes pose threats that extend beyond just the initial disaster alone. Ongoing instability in Haiti has left insufficient national infrastructure to conduct disaster responses, and the remote locations in which they live make it difficult for other NGOs to respond.
And yet, thanks in large part to relationships that were built in 2016, a network of local churches was there to respond.
United Through Disaster
In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew barrelled through southern Haiti, causing incalculable damage and devastation for the millions of Haitian citizens living in the area. Amidst the damage and destruction, World Relief invited 50 local church leaders, like Claire Audrique, into a collaborative relief effort.
âWe were very siloed as churches. Never before did we pastors gather to eat or rejoice together. I feel our lack of unity did more harm than Hurricane Matthew ever could.” – Pastor Audrique
After several weeks of training with World Relief, the pastors and their congregations embraced a new position of strength and purpose and began working together, providing immediate assistance for 6,000 of the most affected families â removing debris, supplying food and repairing homes for those without shelter.
These 50 congregations would continue to work together, forming the Les Cayes Church Empowerment Zone (CEZ). Over the next five years, these churches would:
- restore the agricultural livelihoods of thousands of families in their community
- start a weekly soup kitchen for elderly widows
- build a cross-denominational ministry for couples and families
- make monthly visits to the local prison
- pool their resources on a monthly basis to fund food and hygiene kits for the sick in the local sanatorium
- start a professional school and launch ministries for women and children
The Church Responds Again
In Les Cayes, where insufficient national infrastructure had been lacking, the church had become the catalyst for rebuilding and renewal. And in 2021, they were there to rebuild and renew again.
In the two weeks following the 2021 earthquake, Pastor Audrigue and the Les Cayes Church Empowerment Zone mobilized 105 churches to respond â thatâs more than double the amount of churches equipped to respond in 2016.
Together, they identified and served more than 4,400 families and individuals like Jeannette by providing hygiene, food and shelter supplies.
âAfter the earthquake, I was left with nothing but my children. We spent many nights sleeping outside in the yard,â Jeannette said. âThe assistance from World Relief really helped us a lot. Thanks to this assistance we had provision for many days and we thank God for that.â
A Church for the Future
One year after the earthquake, Haiti still faces significant challenges including a political crisis following the assassination of their president on July 7, 2021. As a result, the security situation continues to deteriorate.
Nevertheless, the churches in our CEZs continue to serve their communities faithfully. In the Les Cayes CEZ, pastors tell stories of the support that people received immediately following the earthquake, and they dream of future support that will be given. Pastors and communities are now more committed than ever to working together and serving the most vulnerable in their communities.
Meanwhile, World Relief continues its earthquake response work, partnering with Habitat for Humanity Haiti to repair 102 homes that were partially damaged, and train local masons to build earthquake-resistant homes.
While 11 homes are currently being built, the lessons learned through the construction of these homes will serve the community for years to come.
World Relief Haiti and our local churches have played a part in this project by identifying the most vulnerable people in the community as recipients of these new and repaired homes.
One year later, the need in Haiti is great, but the lessons in collaboration and solidarity have only strengthened the communityâs resolve. Churches continue to be agents of change in their communities, and men, women and children continue to receive support from their local churches.
When headlines fade, World Relief remains, strengthening communities in places like Haiti to better respond the next time disaster strikes. Learn more about our disaster response efforts and join us.
Esther Pyram Louissaint is the Director of Programs for World Relief Haiti. Esther has over 11 years of experience working in church and parachurch organizations. She started with World Relief Haiti as the CEZ Program Manager in 2016, and has developed deep and lasting relationships with many pastors and churches all across Haiti. She is passionate about life, the church and the well-being of others. She is a servant leader who values excellence, discipline, respect, integrity and humility in everything. Esther holds an MBA in Business Management and a Bachelorâs Degree in Social Communication.
Lydia Dawson serves as World Reliefâs Humanitarian and Disaster Response Unit Program Officer in Sudan, and in disaster response worldwide. Prior to joining World Relief, Lydia worked in homeless services and community development in Oregon and California. She is passionate about equity and honor for underrepresented groups, both locally and internationally.
When Faith Leaders Join the Fight
Around the world, faith leaders are often trusted, respected and influential members of society. For decades, World Relief has seen the impact that working alongside faith leaders and communities can have in the face of natural and man-made disasters.
From the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew that the local church was uniquely positioned to support communities through this global disaster. However, it cannot be denied how challenging the pandemic has been for faith communities.
In Rwanda, frequent and serious lockdowns in the first year and a half of the pandemic prevented social and faith gatherings. Faith institutions were closed for months on end, rendering many faith leadersâ ministries and livelihoods a minefield to navigate.
At the same time, faith communities in many countries were largely left out of initial nation-wide responses to COVID-19, including vaccination rollouts. And yet, research has shown that religious factors are the third most frequently cited reason for vaccine hesitancy globally, making involvement of faith actors in COVID-19 vaccination efforts imperative.
Building on our existing work of empowering local churches to serve the most vulnerable, World Relief stepped in to fill these gaps.
Across the globe, we have equipped church leaders with prevention messages and, as vaccines became available, trusted information and training to help accurately inform conversations and decision making in congregations. Whatâs more, in places like Rwanda, we helped churches provide food and basic necessities to those most impacted by shutdowns.
Together, even as doors closed on church buildings, we were able to support pastors and churches to continue being the church during this crucial time of response. â mobilizing faith communities to care for the vulnerable in the fight against the virus.
Putting the Right Tools in the Right Hands
In Malawi, DR Congo, Kenya and Rwanda, much of our work to engage faith leaders and their communities in the fight against COVID-19 is happening in partnership with USAID through the SCOPE COVID-19 project.
Through SCOPE COVID-19, we have created and organized trainings for faith and community leaders on how to engage faith communities in dialogues promoting COVID prevention and vaccination. These trainings use story-based curriculum created by World Relief and designed to put trusted information in the hands of community and faith leaders.
Access to accurate and updated COVID-19 information has been especially important for people like Uwambajimana Marie Claire in Rwanda. As a prayer leader in her local church, she knew that people were looking to her for guidance on vaccines. âIf I could not accept the vaccine,â she said, âno one in the group would accept it.â
As in many places around the world, Marie Claire had heard frightening rumors about the COVID-19 vaccine. Distrust of the vaccine ran deep in her community, and she wanted to find out the truth. So Marie Claire prayed that God would reveal to her what was true.
When she participated in World Reliefâs SCOPE COVID-19 training session on Risk Communication and Community Engagement, Marie Claire found answers to her prayer and to her questions about the vaccine.
âDuring the training,â Marie Claire said, âI heard that to fight against the pandemic, the vaccine is crucial. After hearing examples of many past pandemics that ended, resulting from vaccinations, and hearing the testimony of other believers who were vaccinated, I realized that I was headed in the wrong direction.â
Marie Claire decided to get vaccinated, and now sheâs encouraging others in her community to join the fight against COVID-19 by getting vaccinated, too.
The World Relief COVID-19 curriculum used to train people like Marie Claire has been so successful at mobilizing faith communities at both the local and national level against COVID-19 that it has been adopted by the ministries of health in Kenya and Rwanda to be used by other partners throughout the countries.
Multiplying Faith Leader Impact
World Relief is currently working closely with over 11,230 local faith leaders through SCOPE COVID-19. As these leaders are equipped with accurate information, theyâre driving conversations about COVID-19 in their communities.
Some leaders are leveraging regular radio talk shows and have reached an estimated 11,342,732 people across four countries so far. Others incorporate reliable prevention and vaccine information into faith gatherings or visit members of their communities door-to-door to share information and provide guidance.
Many congregants are reporting that the example of their faith leaders is building their confidence in the effectiveness of prevention measures and the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
This is especially making an impact on vaccine uptake in these communities. To date, World Relief has directly supported the administration of vaccines to 241,590 individuals through SCOPE COVID-19.
One World Relief Rwanda volunteer shared that when vaccines first became available, they couldnât find a single person in their faith community willing to get vaccinated. â[But] since faith leaders got involved,â they said, âitâs a different story. The church engagement in this fight has obviously made a tremendous impact.â
Leading the Way in Faith
Today, we are continuing to press forward alongside faith leaders in the fight against COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through SCOPE COVID-19, weâve seen once again that faith leaders â when engaged consistently and intentionally at the national and local levels â can and will help their communities meet the needs of the most vulnerable.
Even as vaccination rates increase, the residual effects of COVID-19 remain devastating and the need for local communities of faith to act in love and mercy towards their neighbors remains high. At World Relief, we remain committed to equipping faith leaders around the world to lead their communities towards health, restoration and transformation.
Read more about our global response to COVID-19 and how you can help us care for those most affected by the pandemic.
Sonia Karibagiza is a Rwandan Communications Specialist with 10 years of technical experience. She is passionate about educating the public and ensuring their safety. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, she has been responding as a part of various teams implementing communication strategy under the Rwanda Joint Task Force on COVID-19, including managing World Reliefâs SCOPE COVID-19 project in partnership with USAID until February 2022. As the project manager, she coordinated engagement of local leaders, health actors and faith leaders.
Moving Beyond The Compassion Moment
Itâs been just over a month since the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan began and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook Haiti. While the news headlines may be settling down, the need continues. Our U.S. offices are preparing to welcome thousands of Afghans into their communities, and our church partners in Haiti are hard at work helping their communities rebuild.
At World Relief, weâre committed to moving beyond the compassion moment â bringing hope and lasting change to the women, men and children who need it most.
This blog was originally published on Aug. 14, 2018 and was updated in September of 2021.
The âCompassion Momentâ
In 1984, BBC journalist Michael Buerk produced what was arguably the most groundbreaking news reports of the late 20th century, documenting massive famine in Ethiopia. Record low rainfalls, compounded by the effects of a brutal civil war, contributed to an estimated one million deaths and made millions more destitute. In his report, Buerk described the scenes of dying families huddled in feeding camps as âa biblical famine in the 20th century.â
The report went viral, transmitted by 425 television stations worldwide. Musicians, artists and celebrities of all kinds came together to organize fundraising events, the culmination of which was the Live Aid concert, watched by over 400 million people worldwide. The surge of compassion was huge.
Fast forward to 2008, when genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan splashed across headlines and the Save Darfur movement was born. The campaign grew like wildfire, garnering unparalleled supportâfrom high school students to politicians to Hollywoodâs biggest names.
Millions of dollars were pumped into advertising, celebrity spokespeople ensured constant media coverage and high school and college clubs and letter-writing campaigns ramped up national support in the blink of an eye. Again, the surge of compassion seemed unstoppable.
Then, in 2015, a picture of a little Syrian boy washed up on the shores of Turkey broke over the news. His name was Alan Kurdi, and he had drowned as his parents sought to escape the violence and horrors of the civil war in Syria. The image of this unimaginable horror once again fueled a compassion moment that captivated the world and led to an outpouring of generosity. The Swedish Red Cross saw donations skyrocket from $8,000 to $430,000 in one day â a pattern experienced by many other international organizations the day after Alanâs photo was released.
Each of these tragic stains on our global history have been complex and different. But they have one painful commonality. The compassion moments failed. The outpouring of support did not last. Donations stayed elevated for a few weeks â before returning to normal levels. And these crises were largely forgotten. Conflict persisted and the images of suffering became commonplace. We returned to our normal.
We should not be surprised. Today, the litany of crises around the world seems to be endless. Famine continues to stalk much of Africa periodically. The number of conflict zones seems to multiply. Mass migration driven by conflict is increasing sharply with the number of displaced people in the world today at an all-time high.
Psychic Numbing
Today, the Democratic Republic of Congo currently faces one of the worst food security crises in the world. A volcanic eruption occurred in May just outside of Goma, displacing more than 20,000 people and destroying much of the arable farmland, which the community relied on for food.
In Ethiopia, civil unrest has displaced an estimated 1.7 million people from their homes since 2020. Many are internally displaced, while others have crossed borders into Eritrea and Sudan where they live in refugee camps. And yet, these crises have hardly impinged on the consciousness of the average American. We have become numb.
Why? Perhaps it is fatigue. Perhaps itâs a belief that itâs no longer possible to make a difference. A belief that the problem is just too big. Indeed, when the World Food Program reported that it had run out of funding for its emergency response in Syria just 12 months after the outpouring of charitable giving that was spurred by Alan Kurdiâs death, many undoubtedly took this as proof that their compassion wasnât, and never would be, enough.
But what if there was a different way to respond to these crises? What if funding didnât run out with the hand-outs, but became a catalyst for crisis preventionâa hand-up? Would the world believe once again in the power of their empathy? Could we transform humanitarian responses to have impact that lasted far beyond the end date of a single crisis?
Sustainable Solutions
Humanitarian crises are rarely simple or short-lived. In fact, recent OHCA reports reveal that more than 90% of humanitarian crises last longer than three years, with the average length being seven years. It, therefore, makes sense that responses that focus only upon the immediate âcompassion momentâ to raise funding are insufficient. The root causes of most humanitarian crises, whether catalyzed by nature or by conflict, are complex and multi-dimensional. They require far more than just emergency aid. Only a response that goes beyond relief to include restoration and rebuilding will truly heal and transform suffering populations.
Thatâs why at World Relief we go beyond immediate assistance to focus on empowering local communities with sustainable solutions to these complex crises.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and other nations plagued by conflict, we design and implement programming in conflict prevention through village peace committees, interfaith peace gatherings and youth against violence initiatives. These programs ensure that peace is maintained, create stability and social harmony and provide a mechanism for communities to resolve local conflicts before they turn to war.
In parts of Africa, where drought and conflict often contribute to re-occurring food crises, we teach communities to rethink common cultural practices to ensure children begin life with proper nutrition and introduce food diversity through new agricultural techniques.
And in places like Haiti, we developed strong networks of local churches that have led to sustainable development work beyond initial disaster response. In Les Cayes, we established a church network after Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti in 2016. These church networks are now responding to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit in August, partnering with us to do distributions and are helping us to identify those most in need.
And in the community of Mapou, Haiti our disaster risk reduction work has helped communities develop low-tech early warning systems that dramatically reduce their potential vulnerability.
In each of these cases, we mobilize the authority, knowledge and outreach capacity of local churches and other partner organizations within the affected communities, magnifying and extending the impact of our work so that change can be sustained long after we depart.
Of course, we cannot claim to have the solutions or the resources to end these humanitarian crises. But we can seek to operate beyond the compassion moment with long-term, sustainable and transformational solutions to complex crises. These solutions ensure that even in the face of crises that seem âtoo bigâ, âtoo hardâ or âtoo complicated, we can still make a differenceâbreaking the cycle of despair and empowering the most vulnerable with courage, resilience and hope.
We can still say âyesâ.
Tim Breene served on the World Relief Board from 2010 to 2015 before assuming the role of CEO from 2016-2020. Timâs business career has spanned nearly 40 years with organizations like McKinsey, and Accenture where he was the Corporate Development Officer and Founder and Chief Executive of Accenture Interactive. Tim is the co-author of Jumping the S-Curve, published by Harvard Publishing. Tim and his wife Michele, a longtime supporter of World Relief, have a wealth of experience working with Christian leaders in the United States and around the world.
World Relief DR Congo is Building Resilience from Ashes
The Eruption
On May 22nd in the town of Goma, DR Congo, Mount Nyiragongo lit up the sky with a red glow. Many of the 2 million residents recognized the signs and feared the worst â the towering volcano was once again active. By early evening, their fears were confirmed when the volcano began to spew lava.
With orders to evacuate, many residents gathered what belongings they could and fled toward neighboring Rwanda and other areas in DR Congo. While the lava flow stopped short of reaching Goma, it destroyed the homes and livelihoods of thousands of people in the surrounding area.
Our own World Relief Congo staff were among those temporarily displaced from their homes and workplaces. And yet, they continued to care for local communities.
Following the eruption, World Relief dispatched a field team to assess the scale of the disaster. Along with partner agencies, they found that close to 95,000 people in 20 villages have been directly impacted by the eruption including the complete destruction of 3,873 homes, 13 schools, seven churches and three health centers. More than 20,000 residents were displaced and over 30 people died.
A Neglected Crisis
For DR Congo, the recent eruption of Mount Nyiragongo is the latest in a decades-long struggle for stability. The nation faces ongoing conflict between multiple armed groups. Sexual and gender-based violence and trauma are commonplace. Frequent attacks on villages disrupt peopleâs ability to feed and provide for their families.
Food insecurity has been identified as a neglected humanitarian crisis in DR Congo. Natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions put even greater strain on limited resources. The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo is expected to have long-lasting effects on health, livelihoods and stability in Eastern DR Congo. Farmland, which people in nearby villages rely on to feed their families, has become unusable, covered by hardened lava rock. World Relief is collaborating with local communities and aid agencies to respond to this disaster and find solutions for these ongoing crises.
A Vision for Change
World Relief has a strong legacy of this kind of collaborative work in the region. For almost 20 years, we have partnered with local churches and communities to facilitate healing and stability in DR Congo.
World Relief Congo staff member, Berger Bireo, shared, âItâs easy to be overwhelmed and discouraged by [DR Congoâs] conflict-ridden history. There are days when I myself struggle to see beyond these seemingly devastating challenges. Yet, I believe that God gave us the very instrument needed to establish peace in DRC: the Church.â
At World Relief, we believe that when the church is mobilized to achieve its full potential, it has the power to change our world. And weâve seen it happening in DR Congo.
Churches and believers in DR Congo are uniting around their shared identity in Christ to care for the vulnerable in their communities. Last year, World Relief partnered with local churches to provide 400 farmers with training on improved agricultural techniques, assist 450 women with post-Sexual and Gender-based violence care and provide access for 375,535 people to community-based conflict resolution mechanisms through our village peace committees.
In partnership with the local Church, we are addressing holistic factors that can not only increase stability in communities entrenched in conflict, but also bring physical, emotional and spiritual healing to the nation. This work is bringing real, lasting change that will help DR Congo become more resilient in the face of natural disasters like the recent volcanic eruption.
Not Forgotten
Although DR Congo is home to one of today’s most neglected crises, God has not forgotten the people in the âHeart of Africa.â And, in the face of natural and man-made disasters, neither has World Relief.
Amanda Patterson, HDRU Program Office for DR Congo and South Sudan, shared, âWe know that this event is just one more challenge that the Congolese people must overcome. The silver lining is that the global spotlight will once again shine on DR Congo. It is a country that gets so little attention, and yet in sheer numbers alone, DR Congo is the number one country facing the largest global hunger crisis.â
As Goma and the surrounding region recover from the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, we remain committed to improving long-term peace and stability in DR Congo. We will continue working alongside local churches to help them realize their own resources and power, through the Spirit, to transform lives.
Source: https://www.wfp.org/countries/democratic-republic-congo
You and your church can join us in empowering local churches and creating lasting change in places like DR Congo by joining The Path.
Kelly Hill serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina before moving to Salt Lake City. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences.
Rebirth and Renewal
In the Path of the Storm
It was late May in 2004 when torrential rains hit Mapou, a small village nestled within the La Selle mountain range in southeastern Haiti. This nameless storm dumped water on Mapou for three consecutive days, killing over 432 people in Mapou and another 800 in other villages throughout Haiti. Mapou, among several other villages, was left under a lake of water, and more than 31,000 people across Haiti were left without homes.
Nicole Eliassaint, a local resident in Mapou, recalled the terror that consumed her village.
âNo one could go out to see their relatives or ask for information,â she said. âWe faced a situation of helplessness⊠some of us had to cling to trees or stay on our roofs for days to avoid being swept away by the waves.â
The storm hit outside the regular storm season, the devastation highlighting how vulnerable Haiti is to natural disasters. The country sits in the middle of an aggressive pathway for tropical storms and hurricanes and also straddles a major faultline. Geography, however, isnât the only factor that has left Haiti vulnerable to natural disasters.
A Complex History
In 1804, Haiti proudly became the first black republic in history after a successful, slave-led revolution. The war for independence, unfortunately, also destroyed many Haitian plantations, leaving the economy in a fragile state. As a result, Haitian leaders were forced to purchase the recognition of Haiti as a legitimate sovereign nation. In exchange for access to trade markets, they took on massive debt, further crippling the nation’s economy and leaving it prone to political hardship throughout the mid-20th century. This storied history of exploitation and corruption has left the country with a feeble infrastructure and weak economy, making it difficult for Haiti to rebuild the foundation needed to defend against disasters.
Consequently, Haiti has remained locked in a cycle of unhealthy dependence on foreign aid each time disaster strikes. Even with these aid efforts, international relief often struggles to reach the remote areas like Mapou, and little to no system has been developed for warning residents of coming storms.
In 2016, many communities, including Mapou, were still recovering from previous storms when Hurricane Matthew hit. The storm killed 546 people and caused $2.8 billion in destruction. Farms and livestock were destroyed, leaving many Haitians without a source for food or an income.
Catalyst for Change
In his book, The Upside of Down, author Thomas Homer Dixon writes that even the worst catastrophes can be a catalyst for change.
âCatastrophe,â he says, âcan create space for [the kind of] creativity that helps build a better world for our children [and] our grandchildrenâŠâ
âBreakdown,â he adds, âcan shatter the forces standing in the way of change.â
Such is the case when disasters strike, leaving gaping holes in the vulnerable communities that endure them. Buildings crumble, lives are lost and a deep chasm is left in the foundation of the affected society. But what if, as Dixon writes, this catastrophe could make way for creativity that leads to change, and what if this change could be generated by the local church?
Dixonâs words truly come to life in the example of the church in Haiti. In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, church leaders in the Sud, Grand Anse and Nippes regions came together with World Relief to bring aid to people in their communities. Initially, each pastor involved thought they were coming to World Relief to receive food and aid only for themselves, their families and their church members. But after attending a World Relief training, they began to see the bigger picture of what God was calling them to â to come together as a whole church in order to serve the most vulnerable people impacted by the storm.
Church leaders were trained on how to identify problems, mobilize volunteers, write proposals and submit requests for aid. After their requests were approved, churches in Haiti came together with more frequency than ever before, and through their collective efforts, more than 6,000 people received immediate aid in the form of food, water and sanitation supplies. Thousands more received seeds, farming equipment and thorough agriculture training to rebuild their farms and restore their livelihoods. While World Relief Haiti provided the resources for this project, church leaders were co-managers of the project, ensuring equitable distribution as well as a number of volunteers who made the scaling of the project possible.
Local Solutions
In Mapou, World Relief worked alongside church leaders from Bell-Anse, which included pastors from more than 75 churches in the Pichon & Mapou villages. The group came together to brainstorm ways to build resilience and better prepare their communities for natural disasters. Historically, people living in the mountains would try to warn people living in the plains of coming storms by blowing into conch shells â a method that was often too little, too late.
After some deliberation, leaders came away with a plan to implement an Early Warning System using appropriate technology (a system not reliant on electricity that can work no matter what the weather).
Over the next two years, World Relief worked alongside community leaders to implement a system of warning flags and hand crank sirens. Pastors and local leaders trained their congregations and communities on the systemâs procedure so they could be ready to act should disaster strike. Country Director, Joseph Bataille, believes that with a little more coaching, the community will be ready to carry the program on their own.
In addition to the community-wide warning system, World Relief also helped families develop Household Emergency Plans, partnered with the Haitian Red Cross to train 25 community members in First Aid and assisted farmers in reducing erosion and planting cyclone-resistant crops.
Nicole said that the training she and her team received along with the implementation of the early warning system has âcompletely transformed the way they prepare for natural disasters. Information flows better⊠[and] everyone knows what to do in advance to protect themselves in the event of a flood.â She added that people feel more confident when cyclones and natural disasters hit because they know how to better protect themselves.
Lasting Change in Haiti
The increased frequency in storms and natural disasters in Haiti and other similar nations makes it clear that immediate relief alone wonât solve the disaster problem. But bolstering local churches and community leaders with the tools they need to cope with disasters can. Investing in warning systems and resiliency training can reduce the impact of natural disasters before they ever occur and make way for the strength and beauty that has historically defined these nations to be restored.
The most beautiful part of this story is that in the wake of disaster, local churches in Haiti have become a catalyst for restoration and renewal. Led by trusted community leaders who have the ability, authority and permanency to do far more than any government institution or non-profit organization ever could, local churches have become the hands and feet of Jesus in their communities. Not only that, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, these churches are restoring hope and igniting spiritual renewal right alongside the physical rebirth happening as their communities rebuild. Several congregations reported growth as a result of the relief and resilience work they have done in their communities.
Restoration and renewal are possible, even in the darkest of circumstances. As Christians, that truth is at the very core of everything we believe, and at World Relief, we believe that it is through the church, and Godâs people, that weâre able to bring holistic healing and create lasting change, even in the path of a storm.
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and childrenâs ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.
World Relief Responds to Cyclone Idai
Photo Credit: FH
Nearly a week has passed since Cyclone Idai devastated three of the most vulnerable countries in Southern Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, and the full extent of the disaster and the needs are still growing. In Malawi alone, nearly one million people have been impacted by the flooding caused by Cyclone Idai.
The situation in Malawi is extremely challenging. A huge number of houses have collapsed, fields flooded, entire bridges washed away and roads made completely impassable, making access a challenge. There has also been significant destruction of crops and animals, which is likely to have a long-term impact on food availability in the affected areas.
Reflecting on the disaster, World Reliefâs Country Director for Malawi, Gibson Nkanaunena, wrote:
âI am deeply touched and shocked by the devastation. The situation is extremely challenging, and people need our support. Thereâs been loss of lives, injuries, homes, food, household items, crops and livestock. Many have loved ones still missing. The trauma is great. The humanitarian need is great. People are in extreme need.
But I have also seen genuine compassion from neighbours, churches, government agencies, NGOs, companies, politicians and others. It seems most people want to offer help. And it has been encouraging to see the response of the local church to the needs of those in the affected regions.
Our local churches in Malawi are responding to serve the needs of the most vulnerable in the regions impacted by the floods and rain…â
Right now, World Relief Malawi is mobilizing to support communities affected by the severe flooding in two districts in the southern region of Malawi. In Machinga district, we are providing emergency assistance in the form of food support, bed-nets, blankets, water, sanitation and temporary shelter. And in Chikwawa district, one of the worst affected areas, we are working alongside local partner Evangelical Association of Malawi to address both immediate lifesaving needs, and reducing negative long-term impacts through enhancing livelihoods and building risk reduction capabilities to ensure resilience in the face of future disasters.
World Relief has had an operational presence in Malawi since 1989, with current programs spanning 10 districts in the central and northern regions of the country. World Reliefâs core programs are focused on empowering local churches, maternal and child health, child and youth development, agriculture and livelihoods and disaster response. Our work has helped over 4 million people in the last 3 years.
Business as (Un)usual
When the small puddle jumper plane landed on its rinky-dink airstrip, I came to grips with the fact that I was face to face with one of the worldâs oldest, most isolated, and yet most intact cultures. I had been a student of Africa for years at that point, but Turkana (the name of the people and their ancestral homeland) was unlike anything I had ever encountered. This would not be âbusiness as usual.â
It was 2011 and I was on staff at Wheaton Bible Church. At the invitation of World Relief, our church was considering responding to the food crisis that was gripping Turkana, and setting up a long-term response by equipping the few local churches on the ground to help change their community. I had no idea what was in store for the journey aheadâboth for me and the Turkana.
After a 9-hour drive to World Reliefâs program area on the border of Kenya and Ethiopia, I realized just how much I had to learn. With roots dating back thousands of years, the Turkana have changed little until the past few decades. With very little Christian witness, the Turkana have maintained their centuries-old faith traditionâone of the only monotheistic traditions in sub-Saharan Africa.
At the center of the very complex life of the Turkana stood something very simple: cows. Cows represented stature in the community. They represented livelihood and economic well-being. Cows were traded between families as part of traditional marriage arrangements. Men created physical scars on their arms to note how many cows they had stolen from neighboring tribes during raids. One woman even told me on that inaugural trip that the pecking order of a Turkana family goes as follows: Men, cows, and then women. And if a man had to choose between his cow and his wife, he would choose his cow.
The importance of cattle is not something that is, by itself, remarkable about tribes in this region of Africa. However, as I entered Turkana on this first trip, I quickly became aware of something quite unsettling: there were absolutely zero cows to be seen.
While always a dry region, the severe changes in climate meant that the land could no longer sustain cows. They had all died. I learned that Turkana historically encountered roughly one period of unseasonable dryness in a 10-year period. However, in a very rapid fashion, their climate had changed dramatically. They were now experiencing periods without rain every 2-3 years [1].
Cowsâthe very thing at the center of Turkana lifeâhad been taken away. Without the ability to trade livestock for food, the populationâespecially childrenâfaced significant hardships. On that first trip, I learned that over thirty percent of the children were malnourished. The communities were being forced to transition from their ancient roots. Pastoralist herders now had to settle down and learn to grow food on plots of land.
To the outsider, this seems an obvious adaptation. But it was and continues to be a radical departure for the Turkana. Learning to grow food in a place with increasing severity of drought and altering their livelihood during the midst of crisis presents numerous challenges. The Turkana were facing the most significant challenge they had ever encountered in their ancient history. Â Nothing was usual about this experience for me, or for the Turkana.
The realization that your history and belief system could be (at worst) harmful, or (at best) not helpful for the future is a very painful and confusing process. Changing hundreds of generationsâ worth of cultural beliefs about what is valuableâbeliefs about identity, gender, family and vocationâis no easy feat and no short-term project. This is what the Turkana were faced with; simple interventions and programs would be helpful, but would not help the Turkana transition long-term. There needed to be something more unusual, something more transformational for this group of people.
On that first trip, we met seven small indigenous churches who were responding on the ground and who wanted to expand their reach. Through emergency food distribution and setting up wells and small farms, these churchesâmany of whom had pastors that could neither read nor writeâwere trying to do something remarkable. They wanted to help their communities transform their mindset and make the transition to life in a new climate. My colleagues and I could not say anything other than, âCount us in.â
You can view the first several years of this journey in a mini-documentary that was produced by Wheaton Bible Church. The Sunday this documentary was shown was my last Sunday on staff at Wheaton Bible. Coincidentally, I was in Turkana on a subsequent trip when God made clear a calling to my family to move to a different part of the country. Shortly after leaving Wheaton Bible Church, I joined the staff of World Relief.
Now, seven years into World Reliefâs project in Turkana, two things are true:
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A lot of good has happened in Turkana. World Relief has helped catalyze a movement of change where families are able to thrive, communities are able to flourish and churches are being strengthened and even planted. We now serve 41,258 people through 83 volunteers, 25 local staff and 20 Turkana churches. We are the only humanitarian organization in the area of Turkana where we work. The ministry includes wide-ranging activities such as providing access to clean water, agricultural programs, nutrition training, church and volunteer mobilization and maternal and child health interventionsânot counting several more programs on the way.
This progress is worth its own full-length exposé. Working with churches to help an ancient culture transition through the hardest thing it has dealt with in thousands of years is nothing short of an act of God! While many choose to stop short of total transformation, we are compelled to the longer, harder journey.
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Turkana is worse off now than it was in 2011. WaitâŠwhat? Yes, in spite of all the progress that we have made, it continues to be âbusiness as unusual.â Turkana is facing a new drought wherein it has not rained substantially in over two years. Remember those cows? The Turkana transitioned to small farms and goats. Goats are smaller and need less food and water. This current drought is so bad that even the goats cannot survive. When my World Relief colleagues visit villages, they are greeted with goat carcassesâa reminder of how bad things are. Remember the thirty percent of children who were malnourished seven years ago? Currently in 11 of our 12 operating areas, over fifty percent of people, including adults, are severely malnourished and in need of immediate food aid for their survival.
It has been reported (though not widely) that the world is facing the worst food crisis since World War II [2]. In Turkana and in many places throughout sub-Saharan Africa, this is due to several cycles of failed rains. In places like Yemen and South Sudan, it is due to conflict. In the coming months, World Relief will be writing more on this global catastrophe, as well as our response and the ideas we have about what our enduring solutions to it might be.
A quick detour: The institutions created post-World War II to work in such situations (e.g. the U.N. and the World Food Program) have never been so strained, due to this current food crisis and the global refugee crisis. The global community has cut poverty in half since 1990 [3], but now it is stretched so thin that many of those gains might be erased [4].
We canât let this happen. And we wonât.
Back in Turkana, we are seeking to provide emergency food aid to over 40,000 people through a network of community leaders, churches and volunteers developed by World Relief over the past seven years. We know how to do this. We have the skills, the knowledge and the network. But this effort will cost more than $2 million.
Food aid is simply not enough. The sad reality is that Turkana will continue to experience a worsening climate and more severe droughts like this one. We do not want to stop at giving food aid. We do not want to stop with normal programmingâbusiness as usual. We do not want the legacy of our work to be a faded sign on the side of the road. We want to work with the Turkana to help them change and adapt to the world around them. This is why working with churches is so important. Such complete change can only come from within the community and it will take years. This is what makes this work so transformative, so sustainable and so special.
It will not be an ordinary journey. Our hope is that people will come to find their identity in Christ. That women and girls will find dignity as image bearers of Godânot as less than livestock. That families will move from being on the brink of starvation to finding solutions that allow them to work with pride as they provide for their children. That churches would be strengthened and planted.
We need partners like you, and churches like Wheaton Bible, who wonât let 20 years of progress in sub-Saharan Africa be erased. We need individuals and churches throughout the U.S. whoâin the face of global crisisâwill answer Jesusâ call to stand with the vulnerable, to feed the hungry and to help an entire people group transition to a more resilient, sustainable future. Â We need people who are okay with business as unusual.
[2]Â 20 million at risk of starvation in world’s largest crisis since 1945, UN says (CNN)
[3] Worldâs Extreme Poverty Cut in Half Since 1990 (Wall Street Journal)
[4] The world has made great progress in eradicating extreme poverty (The Economist)
As SVP of Strategic Engagement, James Misner helps churches, foundations and individuals stand with the vulnerable in the U.S. and around the world. Leading teams domestically and internationally, James seeks to facilitate meaningful cross-cultural experiences, leading to deeper levels of discipleship. Prior to joining World Relief, James served on the pastoral staff at Wheaton Bible Church, leading global outreach efforts, and also on the outreach staff of McLean Bible Church. James received his undergraduate degree from American University, and a Master’s degree from Wheaton College. He lives in Maryland with his wife, Sabrina, and their family.
Diamonds of Haiti: The Aftermath of Hurricane Matthew
[The following videos and blog post are detailed updates we’ve received from Joseph Bataille, World Relief’s Country Director in Haiti, about the relief efforts taking place in Haiti in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.]
Every year, my wife and I choose a new part of Haiti to explore for our anniversary. Our country is a gem, full of hidden treasures. And every year, we celebrate by uncovering one of these treasures together.
This past July, we explored GrandâAnse. We began with one of the furthest reaches of the region, Anse dâHainault. The two and a half hour drive from the entrance of the city of JĂ©rĂ©mie was scenic, but to tell the truth, it was a bit exhausting. We had already driven 6 or 7 hours that morning to get to JĂ©rĂ©mie. We could only hope that this additional 2.5 hour, slow-paced, rocky trek, would be worth it in the end. After all, we would still have to drive back in a couple of days.
We came up on the main stretch of the town of Dame Marie. It was almost evening and the sun was preparing to set. The colors of the sky dancing and glistening as they reflected off of the sea made us forget all about our uncomfortable drive. The people of the townânot accustomed to receiving many outsidersâeach watched from the front porch of their homes as we passed by. Life seemed beautiful and simple. Children played in their yards and in the streets. Men tended to boats and nets after a day of fishing. Women conversed and laughed as they finished various late-afternoon tasks or as they braided each otherâs hair, while they relaxed on the front porch. All the while, the sun, the sea, and the sky danced in the background. Beautiful and simple indeed. We took in similar scenes for the last half hour of the drive to Anse dâHainault.
The rest of our visit in GrandâAnse was equally beautiful. From Anse dâHainault, we traveled to the city of JĂ©rĂ©mie. The family of Alexandre Dumas (author of âThe Three Musketeersâ and âThe Count of Monte Cristoâ) hails from JĂ©rĂ©mie, as do other notable Haitian writers. This historic city is rightfully known as âThe City of Poets.â Traveling further to a hidden cove called âAnse du Clerc.â We sat mesmerized by the crashing of waves into the bay as we drank in beauty that few have the pleasure of seeing. All this while enjoying freshly caught fish served over boiled plantains, and of course, fresh coconuts to drink.
Even more beautiful than the scenery, as usual, were the people that we encountered. We met with our friend and my colleague, Esther, when we traveled back to Jeremie. She showed us around over the next couple of days. Each day, Estherâs aunts fought over the âprivilegeâ of getting to feed us. Every home that we visited had a table prepared; they would hear nothing of the meal that we had just eaten two hours earlier. They showed us around proudly, wanting us to love their town and region at least half as much as they do. They would give us everything, if we would ask, but would receive nothing but good company in return. Each evening we stayed with Estherâs godparents, in their home, set proudly in a Garden of Eden by the sea.
Last Saturday, I visited that place again. The house was still there, and so was the sea, but the garden was gone. So was everything else.
The town of JĂ©rĂ©mie was full of piles of debris stacked high. All along the ride through other parts of GrandâAnse, I saw homes that I donât remember seeing before. Each had lost the trees that had once shielded them from view. Nearly all had also lost their rooftops and many had lost walls as well. With GrandâAnse accounting for a major portion of the nationâs remaining forest coverage, it was devastating to see the hills and mountains, literally stripped bare by Matthewâs winds. At the time, with images coming slowly and rarely, I could only imagine what Anse dâHainault at the tip of the island might look like in the aftermath. I couldnât bear to imagine what happened to the people of Dame Marie and their simple and beautiful life.
Nothing was the same in the region. That is, nothing except for the people. Estherâs aunt was excited to see us, yet slightly upset that we surprised her, because she didnât have a chance to prepare a meal for us. She gently scolded her niece for not calling her in advance (although telephone lines were mostly cut off). Estherâs godparents were still the king and queen of hospitality and, despite the devastation, her godfather still wore his usual smile that you can be sure heâs had on his face since childhood. His wife insisted on preparing a goat for us, despite having lost several goats and their garden in the storm and despite the fact that we had brought our own provisions.
When visiting pastors in Pichon last week, the pastors, who had advance notice of our coming, would already have fresh coconuts ready for us to drink or something else for us to âtasteâ as we walked along the road. We would look to the few trees that were left standing to see if we could figure out where these gifts were coming from, but we found no sign that there was more to come. We were being offered their best. Their last. Their all. And they refused to be denied the opportunity to be hospitable. Wherever we went, there was a sadness in the air, but over and over we were awestruck by the palpable goodness that remained in the hearts of a people who still wanted to hope.
That same charity and goodness has all but become a national phenomenon. Many miles away, on the first Sunday morning after the storm, churches in the capital were gathered as their usual custom. Surely, the faithful came with the usual personal desires that they wanted to ask God to fulfill, but that day, they also shared a common heaviness. Together, they lifted the burden of those suffering after the hurricane in prayer. Many also began collecting funds and items to send to the victims in distress.
In Les Cayes, that same afternoon, our staff met with a group of pastors, all of whom have churches that have sustained damages. As we discussed with them the importance of preaching the gospel by loving acts, together they resolved to see to that the homes of their more vulnerable neighbors are rebuilt, even if it meant that their church buildings were the last to be repaired. We recently met with a group of pastors in Duchity (Pestel, GrandâAnse) who have agreed to do the same.
Late last week, I participated in a meeting with more than 200 Haitian church leaders in the capital. The purpose was to join together collectively to reach out to the affected areas with short, mid, and long term relief efforts. We had similar conversations with our partners in the capital. All of them excitedly agreed that the primary responsibility for relief must go to the local church. In Belle Anse, church leaders are assessing the damages together, while reflecting on ways to help those who were hit the hardest. Immediately after the storm, some even worked overtime to finish a home that they had begun to build months earlier for a single mother of three. After many months of being stalled by various obstacles, they finished the project in only a few days.
I could fill pages and pages with the difficulties and hardships that are still yet to come. But I would rather put a final exclamation point on what I have attempted say so far…
Haiti has a lot of good things. The best of all these things are its people. Haiti is gold. The Haitian people themselves are diamondsâhard-pressed but not hardened, and refined by many years of adversity. When they pull together, nothing is impossible to them.
The local church is full of such gems, and across the country, near to and far from the disaster, they are pulling together. They are helping one another and looking out for the weakest among them. World Relief is privileged to know some of the best of them. They are a light to their communities. World Relief is working closely with these leaders as they help their communities to recover shelters, gardens, livelihoods, and autonomy. But we refuse to let our work to be the basket that covers and hides the goodness and the light of Godâs love that is already present. Rather, we are working in such a way to put that light on the lamp-stand, where it belongs, that the world will see their good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:15-16).
The nation is full of people with hearts of servants who are more than ready and more than willing to carry the weight of their vulnerable neighbors. Our job in this time is to help them to find the resources that match the largeness of their hearts and to equip them with skills and knowledge to build back better. Our mission is to help them to accomplish their mission.
That has always been our mission, and it will never change. We empower the church. They seek out the least, the last, and the lost among them, and together we make a world of a difference.
If you have already donated, please consider a second donation to Haitiâs hurricane relief efforts, or a general donation to World Reliefâs other work around the world. Also, we invite you to share a link to this page with your friends and family.