I decided to sit down today and do the edits to our website that I had been putting off. Some of them were just text and photo edits that needed to be refreshed, but others were due to all of the changes we’ve had at Clean Water for Haiti in recent months.

When I came to the blog page on the site and saw Chris’ last post, dated the first week of October, I couldn’t help but think that we had no idea that we’d be making the decisions we did just over 10 days later. The decision to move our family out of Haiti. The initial belief that we’d have to shut everything down and walk away, then the decisions that needed to be made as we realized we didn’t have to go that route and could pivot. All of the decisions that needed to be made as we wrapped up 20 years of living and life, figuring out what would stay and what would go. Decisions about how to restructure and what would stay and go within our programs. So many decisions.

I wish that I could share that Haiti is in a better place than when we left in November, but I’m sadly not able to do that. What I CAN share is that Alexandre has done an AMAZING job as our new Director in Haiti. He stepped into big shoes, and in really challenging times. He was able to finish off the year even stronger than we had expected by enabling our team to install another 150 or so filters, brining our total for 2022 to 4149 filters! Coming into the new year our staff had a slow start because of the lack of fuel, but after they were able to a good supply, Alexandre got them working on catching up on follow up visits and getting back to filter deliveries. They’ve only been back to work for 7 weeks, but they’re already a quarter of the way to our goal we had set for 2023.

So, some things stay the same. Our team is still doing the work of getting filters to families who need and want them, and we’re really proud of that. Daily the challenges in Haiti are increasing, and they’re still plugging away figuring out how to make it all work. In many ways things also look SO different.

Today as I was doing those website updates I adjusted my job title and contact info along with Alexandre’s. My day to day work is still in many ways the same as it was in Haiti, but I’m doing it in a different place. What isn’t the same, and what hit me hard today, is that for the past 17 years I’ve done all of it side by side with Chris, and I’ve done it in the midst of our staff coming and going all day long. Part of the edits I had to do today involved updating our staff page, and our contact page, taking Chris off both. My heart broke a bit, and I can feel the grief deeply, knowing that chapter of our lives is over and we’ve moved into new territory.

It’s exciting to see that everything we’ve built is continuing on. The foundation we built is strong. It’s helped us weather these adjustments and so far we’ve come out on the other side and are still doing what we’re called to do. I’m really proud of what we did, and what is continuing to be done. So many have had to leave Haiti and we’ve seen so many organizations cease operations in the wake of all that’s happening. We’re hoping and praying that won’t be the case for CWH down the road and are happy that so far Alexandre seems to be holding strong.

If you think of us, throw up some good thoughts or prayers for all of us – Alexandre and our team in Haiti, Chris and I and our family in the US, and our Board team scattered in Canada and the US. We’re all feeling a lot of things, a mash up of hope and grief, gratitude and sadness. Our hearts hurt deeply for Haiti as a nation and the suffering that is happening there, but we are also so incredibly grateful that Clean Water for Haiti is still able to be a support and presence there, helping provide much needed resources in devastating times.

If you’d like to encourage Alexandre and our team in Haiti, and ensure they have the resources they need to keep getting filters out to families, you can donate by going to our Donate page and choosing the option for your country, or just click this link: www.cleanwaterforhaiti.org/donate.

~Leslie

I have a lot of thoughts swirling around so this will probably be more of a stream of consciousness type post than anything that comes out well written and cohesive. That’s just the way things are rolling today, so we’re going to go with it.

This week has been a hard week here in Haiti. The country is in turmoil. There are so many reasons for why, and I always hesitate to be the one to try to explain, because Haiti is so complex that it’s never just one thing. I/we, don’t want to sound like any kind of expert on the country, the problems, or what the solutions might be. When I first moved here I heard most of the seasoned expats I met say things like, “The longer I live here, the less I know.” I now understand the truth of that. Not only is it a nod to the many layers and facets of Haiti, but also a means of recognizing that quick assumptions and solutions are often not the best course or right in the end. Complex problems require complex solutions that are often built over time.

So, you won’t get deep explanations of what exactly is happening here. It’s many things. Those things are overlapped and intertwined and can’t be separated. What I can tell you is how things are here. On this little oneish acre plot of land that Clean Water for Haiti calls home, nestled in a bowl of a valley in the Artibonite district of Haiti.

On Monday only 3 employees out of 26 made it to work for the start of the day. All through peyi lok (locked country) in 2019 we didn’t have a day with that few staff here first thing in the morning. Some days they walked long distances to get here. But now, with the insecurity being what it is and the lack of fuel, it wasn’t worth the risk. We want people to be able to work, because they have families to support, but we want them to be safe. Later in the morning a couple more guys arrived, but it was a quiet day all around, and it felt strange. Haiti is rarely quiet. There is so much life here.

Tuesday and Wednesday things were opened back up in our larger area, so people came in and the guys even did a delivery on Wednesday. We know that with roads blocked through the country and fuel shortages supplies are dwindling, so Tuesday Daniel did a run to St. Marc to buy things like cement and paint so the guys had what they need to keep building filters, even if they can’t be delivering. After the past few years we’ve all learned to take these windows of opportunity when they’re there, and plan for the possibility of hunkering down. On Wednesday the guys told us they thought they could get a delivery out, and they did. 33 more families got filters in their home that day.

Yesterday our delivery truck pulled out of the yard at about 6:15 am. A couple of hours later it pulled back into the yard. They were headed to the Artibonite, but hit a road block north of St. Marc. They waited to see if police would break it up, but after a time realized that wasn’t going to happen and came back. As the day progressed reports from all over the country were showing that things were “cho” as we say – hot. Port au Prince and Petionville were locked down with protests and gunfire. Shelter in place warnings as gangs were at war with police and each other. This is a Haiti we haven’t seen in the time we’ve been here.

I know that reading the news about Haiti the focus is on that war, and it is real. There are places we no longer go because it is not safe. But, there are places in Haiti that are still quiet and safe, and we are living in one of them. And we’re so thankful for that. As the guys came to work this week I found myself listening to them joke around and laugh with each other and the juxtaposition hit me hard. Their country is experiencing a civil war, and yet here they could step away from that, do something that is important and beneficial to the country, and breathe a bit. For those 8 hours they were in a safe space.

The importance of this is not lost on me. Not at all. Back in 2013-2015 when we made plans and built these facilities, we were only thinking about using resources well and planning for growth. We had no idea that the big solar system we installed as a means to stop paying for generator fuel, would be one of the very reasons we could keep working full time when most of the country shut down, over and over, because there was no fuel. We had no idea that the little plot of land in the middle of banana fields would become a safe space where we could all poze (rest) in the midst of chaos.

Our motto here at Clean Water for Haiti is “Empowering. Improving. Sustaining.” I’ll be honest, I think mottos are a bit funny. But I like ours because it’s become a check point for us over the years. Is what we’re doing empowering people to care for themselves? Are we improving their lives and the way we do things as we go? The country? And is what we’re doing sustainable? Does it lead to long term change where we can step back from that initial involvement and people still have what they need?

As our work has continued on, we’ve gotten better at it. We’ve grown and hired more staff who have become well trained, effective employees with skills they can use beyond CWH. But more than that, THEY have built a reputation for Clean Water for Haiti that is one of being a solid organization that supports the communities we work in. An organization that shows up, works within the culture, and keeps coming back to provide support. This is not Chris and I, this is THEM. I’ve been on the truck when it pulls into an area and people are waving and calling our technicians by name, because they know them.

In the past few years that hard earned reputation has served our team well. There have been many times when roads have been blocked, and the people blocking them see our trucks and let them through. Why? Because they know our staff are helping provide something important, that is for the people. Daniel told me a story a while back when we were concerned about cement shortages. We buy cement 120 sacks at a time, a full truck load. At our current rate of production, that’s about two weeks worth of filters. Daniel went to the store where there was a line of people all wanting to buy cement. The store owner saw Daniel and said he would sell to him, because he knew what the cement was being used for and that was more important to him than other construction projects people might be doing. Favor.

These have been the things that have kept us all going over the past few years. The things that keep reminding us that we need to keep pushing. It’s the reason the guys did back to back deliveries almost every day last month. If you didn’t see our social posts or get our e-newsletter, you missed the big news – they installed 606 filters last month! We’ve never done work like that in the history of the mission. Until last month our record was somewhere around 450 filters in one month. These guys are motivated, and they’re pushing hard. Because it matters.

Last Friday we celebrated that huge accomplishment with a big staff lunch. Before we handed out payroll Chris and I took a few minutes to thank everyone for their hard work, and let them know that we see it. That yes, they work hard because of a paycheck, but that more than that they work hard because they know it makes a difference for Haiti. That every filter is helping a family be more self-sufficient. At one point I said, “We know that part of the reason so many people want filters is because water trucks don’t have fuel, and there is no fuel for water treatment businesses to run their equipment. The filters you’re installing are giving families some stability when nothing feels stable right now.” They all started nodding, because they know it’s true. This week as we’ve been watching from here what’s happening in other parts of the country I’ve heard many people say there is no water. They were worried about not getting treated water.

When nothing feels stable right now, our staff are doing something that is bringing some stability. By having a filter families can do that one thing to take care of themselves when they have no control over all the others.

And that’s it. That’s why we’re still here. It’s why it matters. It’s why Chris and I get up before the sun comes up and make sure the gate is unlocked so our team can start their work day. It’s why we work hard to make sure the financial resources are there, so they can do their jobs. It’s why we’ve worked hard to put things in place so that CWH can stand on its own, and not be reliant on outside sources for things like power and water. Because we have work to do.

This week has been such a good reminder that there is always more to see. What seems like one thing on the surface, may have many other layers. That the one thing we thought we were doing, might have so much more purpose. N’ap we.

I’ve been sitting here watching the screen for our blog trying to load for several minutes. I finally gave up and decided I’d start this in Word, then copy and paste it into our blog editor later. Friends, the struggle is real! It’s 2022 and our internet is like a roller coaster of emotions. In case you weren’t aware of it, our internet system is, shall we say, complicated? Yes, let’s call it “complicated”.

When we moved to Camp Marie, there was no available option for internet, other than what we could get through our cell phone data plan. And that, that was 2G, if we were lucky. After we moved in and got settled we realized that if we propped our phones in the window above Chris’ desk, on a stack of 3-4 rolls of toilet paper or random small boxes, we could actually get 3G. We’d then hotspot our computers to our phones and do what we could. A couple of years in, Chris saw a set up at a friends organization where they had a dish system that then bounced the signal from one part of the compound to others through repeaters. Chris did some research and contacted the internet company to see if they’d be willing to sell us the equipment and help us set it up for Clean Water for Haiti. They were, and we were excited. Sounds simple right? Let me explain…

In order to set this up, the provider needs to have the dish within sight line of certain parts of the country to get the signal. We needed a high place, but we essentially live in a bowl in the valley. Chris saw the two cell towers on the top of the mountain between us and the ocean, and hiked up to check things out. He noticed there was a radio receiver on one of them. He talked to the guard of the tower and found out that a local radio station now used the old cell tower (the company hasn’t worked in Haiti in over a decade) and gave Chris the info so he could ask them if they’d be okay with us mounting equipment on the tower. They said yes, and for a small monthly fee the guard said he would watch our equipment too. Chris went back to the internet company and bought the equipment and made plans to have the technician come help set it up. This also meant ordering the repeaters from the US, and setting up a small solar system on the tower to power the modem. The dish receives the signal, sends it through a cable to the modem and wi-fi router in the guard house on the mountain, which then connects to the first repeater up on the tower, and the repeater sends the signal to the next repeater on the top of our house, so we can have internet. Our internet literally travels from the top of the mountain to our house.

Earlier this year we upgraded our repeater system, after months of really bad internet, and it was a game changer. Way faster than what we’d been getting. That is, until about 3 weeks ago. It progressively got worse until it wasn’t working. Chris hiked up the mountain and all of our equipment checked out, so he called the internet company and they put us in the que with the technicians. Eventually the technician called and was able to reset things. It worked for a couple of days. Then we had a big wind storm move through the country, and it stopped working. Chris talked to the technician and was told some of their equipment got damaged and they were trying to fix it. We’re now on week three of cruddy internet and having to hotspot off our phones. Which isn’t terrible, under normal circumstances, but our 3G (yes, we’re still on 3G over here…) has barely been working, too.

So why did I just spend four paragraphs telling you all about our internet issues? Because I feel like it’s a good way to share about life here. For those of you that have followed along with us for many years, you probably noticed that we went from writing regularly on here (or fairly regularly) to nothing for a very long time. Years, actually. Oof. It’s frustrating to want to write something and not be able to actually post it because the internet is too slow and the pages won’t load. So we (well mainly me) would move on and do other things. When I first moved to Haiti most of my admin work was general office stuff, but over the past 16+ years, so much of our work has moved online. When you’re in a country where the internet is a constant, that’s easy. It can make things more efficient. When you’re in a place where the wind might mean you have no service, you struggle. In this world of Zoom meetings, social media being the life line for many, and having to do so much work remotely, it’s hard to not get frustrated when it just doesn’t work. It’s also hard to get anything done.

If this just affected us on a work level that would be one thing. But it doesn’t. In mid-July the kids and I started our new homeschool year, and I was really excited because our new internet equipment meant that we could finally do more things online and use those resources. But guess what? That was right when things went down, and it hasn’t really happened because our internet is barely working, three weeks later. Our oldest is in high school this year, so we’re in the stage where everything counts. Thankfully everything she needs to do can be caught up, but it’s been a good reminder to me of why I’ve mostly chosen book based curriculum. It’s frustrating because there are so many wonderful resources out there for homeschooling families, and we struggle to access them consistently and make use of them. I want our kids to enjoy school and learning, and that’s a challenge when things feel monotonous.

On a personal level, Haiti is hard right now. We rarely get to go out because we’re trying to be mindful of security, we don’t have fuel, or there just isn’t anywhere to go. Our area isn’t a thriving metropolis with lots of entertainment options. We live in the middle of a rural farming community in between small cities where there are things like street food, but not much in the way of things like sit down restaurants or anything like a movie theater or mall (ha!). The internet is our entertainment, but it’s also how we stay connected to people both here and outside of the country. We might not see our fellow expats on a regular basis, but I’m constantly chatting with them whether they live in country or are abroad right now. When that’s not available in an easy to access way, it can make the loneliness creep in even more.

I know many like to know what life is like for people like us, living in a place like Haiti, especially in times with so much uncertainty. It’s things like this that can be incredibly frustrating for us, because we have no control over them and there’s nothing we can do to fix them. But, it’s also things like this that have helped us learn to be more flexible. I’m so grateful for that. It’s also these kinds of things that teach us to be more grateful for what we have. I think it’s so easy to get reliant on services and resources, to the point where we think they’re a right. When they’re removed we can feel like our rights are being infringed upon, or that we’re suffering. The truth is, most of the time we’re not. It may be inconvenient, it may be frustrating, it may even disrupt life a bit. But, something like internet is a privilege and a tool. I always appreciate it more when it comes back and I can do the things I want to. But, I can survive without it. Considering that we’re here to help provide access to clean water, something that people don’t have and truly is a need to survive, so many things seem petty when I really step back.

Times are incredibly frustrating right now, especially here in Haiti, because we see no clear way that the issues in country can be resolved. It’s hard to look at each day and feel discouraged, and to think of the future and not know what to expect or if things will ever get better. But, I know that my personal outlook on life is what affects a lot of that. I can choose to only see the hard, the negative, and be discouraged, or I can recognize that I feel those things, sit with them for a bit, and then also look for the things I’m grateful for in the midst of it. People often ask us how we keep going through all the things we’ve been through and experienced in our years here? Honestly, for me, gratitude is one of those things. Practicing gratitude even when things feel impossible is such a gift. It helps me remember that little in life is guaranteed, that I have very little control over most of it (even though I might like to think I do), and that the things I do have are a gift. Taking a few minutes to think about the things I’m grateful for, even specific things within hard situations, can completely change my perspective. I highly recommend it.

And now, I’m going to attempt to post this and see what happens. If you’re reading it then you’ll know it worked, and for that, I can be a bit grateful today.

~Leslie

In the past few days we’ve had a lot of people reach out to us as more and more of you are hearing news out of Haiti. I thought it would be easiest, and give me more room, to write a blog post rather than a shorter update on social media so I could address some of the key concerns that have come up.

Embassies advising foreigners leave?
In the process of checking on us, many have asked us if we’ve seen the news stories and advisories and were aware of the Embassies urging citizens to leave? We so appreciate that you’ve wanted to check on us and make us aware of things. I do want to let you know that we are registered with the Embassy, and as Wardens (more on that below) we will also periodically receive extra information. Along with that we’re also part of several social networks specific to foreigners living in Haiti here in country where information and security updates are shared on a daily/hourly basis. So again, when you’re see this stuff hit the news, we’ve already been aware of it for most likely several days before it gets to that point, maybe even weeks.

We don’t always comment on it or post about it on social media right away, mostly because we want to have a better understanding of what’s going on so we don’t sensationalize things and cause people to panic unnecessarily. It would be so easy to share every crazy thing that happens here, but so much of it requires context, and can cause people to develop a mindset about Haitians and Haiti that we don’t want to be part of perpetuating. So, as we DO share, we try to be calculated about the information we communicate, and how we do that. We want to be respectful of culture while also trying to stick to factual information. Hopefully that leads to you being able to have confidence in the things we share with you.

What does it mean?
In the later part of last week news agencies were reporting that the American and Canadian Embassies were advising non-essential foreigners leave Haiti. This is true. However, it’s not new news for us here, just for you there. They’ve been making this recommendation for several weeks. The reasoning behind it is that a) there has been an increase in kidnappings in recent months, foreigners included, and b) due to gangs controlling the fuel, there have been wide-spread shortages that are affecting all sectors, so resources are limited.

Please know that in times of crisis this is a standard Embassy advisory. We’ve seen it many times over the 15+ years that we’ve lived here. Many foreigners are often confused about what the Embassy can and can’t do for them in country, and often that includes coming to rescue them in times of trouble. This isn’t actually the role of the Embassy, so when there are security threats or resources are limited or difficult to access, the Embassy will typically advise non-essential people to leave. The Embassy is essentially saying that during these times, they cannot guarantee they can assist citizens in country in the ways that may be needed, so they advise that citizens leave if they absolutely do not need to be present, so they don’t get stuck without resources.

Chris and I have been Wardens, who are volunteers with the Canadian Embassy, for years. Our role is to be an emergency contact for other citizens in country and essentially a liaison between citizens and the Embassy. Like an extra set of hands. We’ve had Embassy staff come by our house/mission to see what facilities we have available if there’s an emergency where people need to be housed, etc. We’ve attended Wardens conferences over the years, and have been able to get to know some of the Vice Consuls over the years, so we’ve had a lot of conversations about what the actual role of the Embassy is, what they can do in a crisis, etc. One of the things we’ve heard repeatedly is that during emergencies, while Embassy staff is already trying to manage a lot, citizens they didn’t know about in country will come out of the woodwork wanting help with things like emergency paper work, evacuation, and other things that might come up in a crisis. It’s taxing on their resources and people and they may not be able to guarantee the help people might need. So it’s a protective measure for all involved.

In regards to kidnappings or anything that might involve local authorities, the Embassy still has to work within the confines of local law. It’s a misconception that a foreign government can swoop in and “rescue” people with their own military or forces. IF there is any kind of effort from a foreign government with something like this, it’ll be done with someone in the local government being aware of and supporting the efforts. While we would all love to see assistance from outside sources in helping stop the gang violence and kidnappings right now, Haiti, like the US and Canada and many other countries, is a sovereign nation and foreign governments and parties need to work with Haitian government and authorities on these efforts. That’s just the way it is.

Airlines cutting flights!
I’ve seen and had people ask about this too. Yes, flights in and out of Haiti have been reduced, and there were specific announcements made about this at the end of last week. It’s important to know that airlines will first adjust their routes based on demand. If the demand isn’t there, they reduce the number of times they fly to a certain location each day, or each week. These flight reductions in Haiti have been based on a lack of demand due to the security situation, but they didn’t just go into effect over the weekend. American Airlines had already started reducing it’s flights to and from Haiti weeks ago. I know this because we have tickets for a trip a couple months out and our flights got moved around (good times!). American airlines typically flies from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and New York into Haiti. At really busy times I think they’ve even added a Boston route. There were typically a couple flights a day goin into each city, maybe even 3-4 depending on how much demand there was. Right now that demand is not there and they aren’t sending in empty planes, only to fly back empty planes. Spirit Airlines and Jet Blue are still flying in and out right now, so there are still options for air travel.

It’s just important to know that these shifts and changes happen based on need. As long as the Port au Prince airport is open and functioning, airlines will fly in to meet the demand of passengers. Sometimes it’s seasonal, and sometimes it’s due to things happening in country. Yes, there are times where Haitian authorities have closed the airport, either because people haven’t been able to get to work from unrest, or because of natural disasters like the 2010 earthquake where the airport itself sustained damage and they needed to clear the runway for humanitarian aid cargo flights. When the airport has been closed by Haitian authorities it has typically only been for a few days. The longest stretch was post earthquake when passenger flights were stopped so humanitarian flights could happen and the airport staff set up a new area to process passengers.

How is the security situation in our area?
Clean Water for Haiti is located about 2 hours north of Port au Prince. We’re in a very quiet, rural community that’s basically farmer’s fields. We’re literally surrounded by crops. And while we might only be a few minutes off of the main national highway running through the country (don’t get excited, it’s only two lanes), it can feel like we’re in the middle of nowhere at times. Our community has a reputation throughout the greater area of being a good community where things are pretty peaceful and people don’t get involved in the politics and other stuff that goes on. It’s one of the main reasons we chose to relocate here, and we’ve seen that ring true in the past 8 years that we’ve owned the land.

Because of all these things, we’ve felt safe here. And we feel safe in our general area. Yes, at times there are issues in St. Marc and Montrouis, the two bigger communities north and south of us, but when we hear of those things, we just stay home and the guys don’t go in that direction for work related things. This has always been the way it is here, not just in recent months or years. It’s the way it is in Haiti. You listen to the word on the street, and adjust accordingly. For the most part, our larger area has remained fairly quiet through the bulk of this in the past almost two years since we went through “peyi lok” (locked country) back in the fall of 2019. People in our area will tell you that if no one is paying people to start a manifestation, where people will block roads, then it won’t typically happen.

So we feel safe in our area, and are in a position where we can choose when to go into Port au Prince to take care of mission business. And lately that has been hardly ever. Not only are Chris and I choosing not to travel in unless we absolutely need to, we are also only sending staff in when we absolutely need to. Things like purchasing supplies that we cannot get out our way, or to take care of paperwork that must be done. Other than that, we don’t go. That’s our number one way of staying safe right now. If we do NEED to go, we consult with a friend who works with the mission and who is based in Port au Prince, who also happens to be a retired Haitian police officer, about what things are like and if we should or shouldn’t come on a particular day. We’re thankful for this resource as it’s made navigating things so much easier for us, and safer!

What’s happening with fuel shortages?
Again, one of the big questions we’ve gotten lately, and for good reason. It’s important to understand the context of Haiti in order to understand how much this is affecting life for most people right now. For starters, Haiti does not have a country wide power grid that reaches all communities and people. Yes, there is the Electricite d’Haiti, but it doesn’t reach the rural communities, and in those areas that it does reach, it is not 24/7 power. It may be a certain number of hours per day, or certain days of the week. Where we live/work now, there is no EDH. When we were based in Pierre Payen we were connected to the grid there, but only got power from Friday nights to around noon on Sundays – IF we got power at all. There were times where we went for over 6 months without having anything come through the grid. And if there is power coming through the grid, it’s often irregular and will surge, so it can damage appliances and electronics.

Due to the inconsistencies and the damage that can be caused, many people that have means choose to not be connected to the grid at all, and rely on a generator and battery system, or solar/battery system. Because of this, if people can’t get fuel, they can’t power their homes or vehicles. It means not being able to have lights, or a fridge to preserve food. At a higher level, not having fuel means institutions like government offices, banks, and hospitals will not be able to operate, because they’re all relying on generator fuel too.

In recent weeks we’ve seen many hospitals close their doors because they can’t operate their facilities. Schools haven’t been open, though most don’t rely on power to function as they’re typically open air buildings that only house students during the day, so no lights or A/C. Banks through the country, and most major businesses through Port au Prince announced reduced hours because of lack of fuel. We heard that grocery store shelves were emptying out because transport trucks couldn’t move goods (no gas) and stores were at risk of not being able to power coolers. Cell service providers (how we all have phones and internet here) announced that service would become patchy and possibly cease all together if they didn’t get fuel. We did in fact experience bad service for about a week.

Another major area that has been affected by the fuel shortages is the public transit system. Don’t be thinking city busses or anything like that. Here most people get around by tap tap, a small pickup truck with benches in the back, motorcycle taxi, or larger busses that run between cities or bigger parts of town. In our local area the cost of a tap tap ride doubled overnight a couple weeks ago. The average salary here is about $5 US/day in our local area (higher and lower through the country). It now costs about $0.95 to take a tap tap from one community to another – one direction. You can do the math on how that is affecting families right now. Add to that a steep increase in the cost of goods because of the fuel shortages, and it’s making things really difficult for people.

There are places where you can get fuel, but it’s black market and is coming with a hefty price tag. It’s also often cut with other things, so can damage vehicles and equipment. As a principle, we don’t want to encourage the black market, so we won’t purchase the fuel. We also don’t want to risk damaging vehicles or equipment.

On Friday, the gang leader known as Barbecue (Jimmy Cherizer), whose people are responsible for blocking the flow of fuel from the ports, announced that to ease the tension in the country they were going to allow fuel to move freely until the 18th, which is a national holiday here. Over the weekend we saw very little coming through the security groups we’re in, and our staff said this morning that they’ve heard stations in our area might start pumping fuel as early as today.

How has the fuel shortage affected CWH?
While we were in Pierre Payen we were on a generator/battery system, and eventually got some solar panels to help reduce our fuel expenses to run the generator. After getting the solar panels we still spent about $600/month on generator fuel.

When we purchased the new property in Camp Marie, we planned for a full solar set up in our build plan, and did it. The system cost us about $35,000. That’s a lot of money, but we knew based on what we had paid previously for monthly fuel expenses without solar that it would pay for itself in the first 3 years. And it did. But we also had no idea what was coming.

With the fuel shortages, which actually started back in 2018, our solar system has been one of the main reasons Clean Water for Haiti has been able to keep its doors open. We have a backup generator for those times where it’s overcast and our batteries need a boost, but we really only run it a handful of times each year. So the bulk of our power comes from the sun, and it means we aren’t reliant on purchasing fuel to keep the work and life happening here – and we’re so thankful for that!

To give you some perspective, our solar system is big enough that daily we can run everything in the mission residences – three fridges (between two buildings), an upright freezer, two water coolers, ceiling fans in every room, lights in every room, 2 air conditioners, small appliances, computers, printers and other small electronics. In the work yard, along with all of the other stuff running in the office/residences, we also run overhead fans and lights, power concrete vibrators, a mortar mixer, our sand washing machine, weld, use power tools, and the biggest thing – we run several water pumps in tandem for about 8 hours a day. We can also run a washing machine and on the weekends when the work yard isn’t functioning, we can actually run a dryer!

So yes, even with the fuel shortages we’ve been able to keep working and living. It is crazy to realize that it’s less expensive for us to use electricity than it is to use other things, like propane for cooking. So many of us foreigners have to go through the opposite adjustment when moving here. I was cooking supper the other night and as I mixed things in the Instant Pot I realized that even if we ran out of and weren’t able to get propane I could still cook, and I was really thankful for that.

Fuel and working/going off-site.
While our solar system has meant that we can keep working full-time, the fuel shortage has affected our work in other areas.

While we can use our solar to power the work yard, and have been able to keep building filters and preparing everything for filter deliveries, in order to go off-site for anything we need either diesel or gas, and that’s where the struggle has been.

All of our work trucks are diesel, and thankfully we were able to stock up on diesel about a month ago and store it. We’ve been using that reserve to fill the truck tanks, and have basically only been using the trucks to do filter deliveries or buy supplies about once a week. We’ve put off doing any repair trips and promotion days where they trucks are out in the communities connecting with people and servicing filters.

Our motorcycles and passenger vehicles are gas powered. Gas has been the harder fuel to come by in the past 6 weeks. Because of that, our motorcycles have been sitting, which means we haven’t been able to do filter follow up visits. That’s frustrating because those visits are SO important to filter adoption and people using them correctly. We’re very eager to get back to doing these visits.

For our passenger vehicles, we’re just hanging out at home and not going anywhere. We had one vehicle with 3/4 of a tank in it, and basically didn’t touch it so it could make a trip into Port au Prince when Chris returned from a trip a couple weeks ago, and it’s sat since then. Our other car is empty and has been for weeks. Everyone in our area is in the same boat, so no-one has been going out for social things. In the past couple years our family has gotten really good at staying home.

For supplies, like I said, we’ve been able to send a truck or get deliveries when we’ve needed them. For example, last week when Daniel went into St. Marc to get cement, paint, and other work yard needs, we also had him pick up dog food and some other stuff from one of the grocery stores. Marthe, our housekeeper, has still been able to go to the market once a week and get produce, dry goods and other stuff we need. And most of all, we just adjust. If we can’t get all the things we want, we appreciate the things we CAN get, and we adjust our diet and other things accordingly. So far we haven’t gone without. I was even excited when Daniel came back with 4 fresh loaves of bread because it meant that a delivery truck had made it out from Port au Prince, and I didn’t have to bake bread :) But I still have a stash of flour in case I need to!

We’re still here.
Every organization and individual that’s here needs to make decisions, often daily, about their presence here. In the past two years, because of the unrest, political issues, kidnappings, and fuel shortages, many organizations have chosen to pull foreign staff out of the country. In recent weeks we’ve seen that happen even more, largely because the lack of fuel has meant that facilities can’t function and staff may not be able to access resources. Again, this is a decision that each org/family needs to make for themselves.

At Clean Water for Haiti, we have not felt this to be a necessary move. As I said previously, our community is removed from much of what’s going on, with the exception of access to fuel. That lack of access has impacted some of what we’re doing, but not all. We can still work full time, and we have safe facilities in a safe community to do so. Yes, it has meant adjusting how we do things in many ways, but we still have the means to do the bulk of our day to day things.

Our staff, while sometimes being late for work due to having a hard time getting transport in the morning, have still been showing up for work and working full time. We’ve still been doing filter deliveries. In fact, we’ve been doing more filter deliveries in recent weeks than we might typically do. Last week the guys did 4 delivery days, back to back, installing over 110 filters in one week!

We have always worked from the mindset of having Clean Water for Haiti be a reliable resource for the Haitian people. In a time of crisis, where families are struggling to do life every day, we’re seeing an increase in demand for filters. And that’s why we’re here. As an organization we exist so families can be more independent. Right now that freedom to treat whatever water they have, while treated water may not be available and hospitals might be closed, is more important than ever. We have people counting on us to be here, both in the communities we serve, and when we open our gates in the morning so our staff can work and provide for their families. So, we aren’t planning on going anywhere.

We’ve been in Haiti through a lot of really hard things, and for now we have everything we need. We can be flexible, we can still work and support our staff, and we feel safe where we are. That may change going forward, but we aren’t going to rush to make changes where changes aren’t necessary for us at the moment. Our many years here have taught us that things in Haiti can change quickly, so what’s happening right now may not be the case next week, or next month, or a few months from now. Only time will tell. Until then, we’re just going to keep working and doing what we’re called to do. If you want to help us meet the demand we’re seeing for filters, we’d love it if you’d donate. Just go to our Donate page and choose your country. Your gifts are needed now, more than ever, and they’ll be a big part of helping Haitian families have some stability in the midst of a chaotic time.

~Leslie

As we’ve been watching events unfold in the US over the past two weeks our hearts have been heavy. While it would be natural to want to speak out immediately, we’ve also been watching our friends in the black community asking that we first listen and learn, then be active in standing with them in the fight against injustice towards people of color. And by standing with them they are asking for more than words, they need us to be DOING.

I’ve been thinking and praying a lot about what our role as an organization is in the fight against injustice and standing with people of color. As I’ve been rolling all of this over in my mind and heart, and Chris and I have been talking together, I keep coming back to the place of knowing that this is the very reason that Clean Water for Haiti exists. It IS the root of why we do what we do. The organization was started to fight injustice that deeply affects people of color.

Haiti, as a nation, fought for, and then claimed its independence from slavery in 1804 – over two hundred years ago. It was the first black republic to be founded on a slave revolt. While that is amazing, we still, over 200 years later, see the scars and effects of slavery on this nation. People of color have been trying to rise out from under the oppression of slavery for centuries all around the globe, but here in Haiti the struggle has been so difficult for so many reasons.

The core of why we exist is, yes, to help provide access to clean water, but we do this because we know that the reason people in Haiti do not have access to this very basic thing is because of centuries of broken systems that continue to keep them in a state of poverty and oppression. We do it because we believe that every person has value, and yes, we want to physically work towards connecting people with a means to improve their health and situation, but more so because we believe they matter. The black lives we see around us every day, and interact with every day, they matter.

Chris and I are also Christians, and while we don’t talk about that on this platform a lot, it is the thing that drives us in everything we do and in how we lead. We believe that God has called us to love people first, no matter what. For us that means we are always coming back to that as we lead, as we develop programs, as we employ local people, as we work with our board and donors, and in how we communicate on behalf of the organization. It affects how we raise our children and how we interact with our community. We are also broken people who often make mistakes, but we try to be aware and have soft hearts so we can change and grow through those things, and ask for forgiveness when needed.

As I’ve been thinking through these things, I realized that my first thoughts about writing this were to go and list off all the things that we do as an organization to work towards justice and equality, but that’s not what’s needed right now. Right now we need to continue to listen and learn how to be a support to our brothers and sisters.

If you’re looking for resources that can help you learn and understand this Google document is a great place to start. For the month of June the movie Just Mercy is free to stream on all platforms. I had already had it in my mental list of things I wanted to watch so we’ll definitely be checking it out this month. I also just started reading White Awake, which isn’t on the list but I believe should be required reading for anyone who identifies themselves as a Christian. Another book that Chris and I both read several years ago is The Book of Negroes, which is fiction but based on a historical document by the same name.

And, while CWH is registered in both the US and Canada, we know that our greatest area of impact is here in Haiti, working to support the black lives on our staff, in our community where we live, and in the communities that we serve. It’s our commitment to do that not only in how we shape our programs, but in our employment practices, at the board level as we work on governance, in how we welcome visitors here in Haiti, in communicating with our support base, and on platforms where we share about the work that we’re doing. If you have questions about any of those things I hope you’ll reach out, and we hope you’ll join us as we continue to learn how we can fight injustice and racism.

#dothework

~Leslie