Advocacy, Catholics Confront Global Poverty
Advocating for Haiti
On the plane, as I settled-in and buckled my seat belt I noticed the lively chatter on the plane. Everyone was recounting their recent experience which illustrated some of the challenges of working in Haiti. Michael, the man seated to my left was from a Baptist Church in Montana. He had come to rebuild one of their sister churches in Port-au-Prince but the effort had come to a halt when a building permit was rejected. Phyllis, the woman to my right, was a Haitian-born neonatologist from Philadelphia who had come to help in any way possible. She had not been to Haiti in 40 years. Upon arrival she was asked to operate on a little girl but none of the necessary equipment was available.
For my part, I had just seen Haitian men and women working at one of CRS’s cash for work sites. They were building temporary settlements that would last for two years for approximately 8,000 Haitians. The wood frames stood tall and sturdy. The high metal roofs will provide welcome protection from the heavy rains but they are still just a temporary solution. Permanent houses cannot be built without solving the land tenure problem. Monsignor Eric, head of the Catholic Church in Haiti, estimated that the removal of rubble would take two years at the current rate. Haitians can’t wait for two years before they start rebuilding and putting their lives back together.
As I prepared to leave, I was saddened by the feeling that I was somehow abandoning the very people that I have been advocating for on Capitol Hill. I was heartened though when Monsignor Eric looked me in the eye and expressed how appreciative he was of my work. I knew that he understood the importance of CRS’s advocacy efforts on behalf of the Haitian people. I was proud to know that I could now put a face on their story however.
While in Haiti, I received a request from a Member of Congress to report on the condition in Haiti and on CRS’s response. I accepted immediately. Whether it’s a bill on family reunification, food security, debt relief, or trade preferences, CRS is working to influence U.S. government policy to improve the lives of the poor in Haiti. It will not be easy but because there are Americans who are concerned, members of Congress who are willing to listen and Haitians who are willing to control their own destiny, they will rebuild their lives and their country.
Charisse Espy-Glassman is a CRS legislative assistant reporting from Haiti
Leave a Comment
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
BLOG RSS
Help us spread the word of CRS: Join our growing online communities, find us on: