Saturday, February 15, 2014

Good things are happening in Haiti


Bob Cox bcox@jrpress.com | Posted: Friday, February 14, 2014 1:11 pm

Late Wednesday evening I returned from Haiti. I traveled to the country with a short term mission team from New Hope Chapel in Wingate. The trip marked the fourth straight year the church has sent a team to Christian Mission South Haiti in Les Cayes to help missionary Alix Lusma. I have now been to Haiti 24 times dating back to 1984. My first trips were during the reign of the infamous President Baby Doc who was the self appointed President for Life. Using henchmen and hired guns, Baby Doc, was ruthless and corrupt until he was finally ran out of power by the Reagan Administration and sent to asylum in France in 1986 through 2011.

Haiti is the most impoverished country in the northern hemisphere. The United Nations actually labels Haiti as a fourth world country due to an unemployment rate that hovers around 87 percent and a poor educational system. The infant death rate, which has improved in recent years, is the highest in our part of the world. The effects of the 2010 earthquake, which rocked the capital of Port Au Prince and killed an estimated 300,000 people, can still be seen throughout the city and surrounding area. The epicenter of the quake, Léogâne, had nearly 85 percent of the homes destroyed. Now the good news. Despite all the negatives that surround Haiti, I felt something inside of me that I had never felt before in my previous 24 departure flights. I left Haiti feeling good about the future of the country.

It is hard to put a finger on exactly why I felt so positive, but I believe it has a lot to do with the outlook of many young adult Haitians. There is a feeling that this up and coming generation of Haitians, is not just interested in escaping their country, but rather want to help their homeland regain its once nickname “the Jewel of the Caribbean.”

I credit his new thought on social media and technology. Maybe, it is even akin to what we have seen in the middle east where young people are starting to be more in touch with the world and demanding more from their government. It has a scent of an Arab Spring. It has put positive energy into a country desperate for good news and a new image.

It is not hard to find young people, who have been educated, back in Haiti working to promote their country. Whether it is chatting with a young man at the newly re-modeled international airport in Port Au Prince or conversing with a young haitian entreprener on Facebook, there is a new feel surrounding Haiti.

I think some corporations are starting to feel better about investing in Haiti. Just last week Haiti president Michel Martelly received praise from President Obama on the good things the former Haitian music entertainer has accomplished. Best Western has recently opened a 4-Star hotel that rivals any nice hotel found anywhere. Martelly’s emphasis on improving transportation is starting to pay off. Buildings are being re-built to replace those lost in the earthquake. Electricity throughout the country is improving. The cellular phone business has expanded to the extent that even the most remote locations now have access to a phone for the first time ever.

Don’t get me wrong. There are still plenty of problems in Haiti. But, this time it just felt better.

After years of corrupt governments and one natural disaster after another, I hope this new era of optimism continues in my home away from home. I hope the new generation of leaders continue to believe in their country. I have hope for Haiti.

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