We have officially (and safely) returned to Gannon. Upon reflecting on the experience and new global world perspective that Haiti gifted us on this trip, we are in awe and filled with love. After bonding and sharing in growing as individuals this week, our group is excited to take on the daunting, yet beautiful opportunity to spread the news of Just Haiti and its mission. We think it is pivotal not to just share the mission, but the why in our experiences with our peers, families, and community. After our reflections this week that were centered around the work of poverty reduction and ending injustices, our whole group now has a deeper understanding of the complexities of the world and how to go about our daily lives in a knowledgeable and understanding way. We believe all humans deserve dignity and basic rights, part of those include not being taken advantage of, especially not to the point of global poverty.
After this experience, I am able to better understand my place in the world and how to be more impactful in use of my talents and goals to help people in meaningful ways. Instead of giving handouts and thinking that it's enough, I now realize that poverty reduction is centered around the idea of helping people help themselves. The people of Fond Tortue taught us that receiving the temporary happiness of a new house, or donations provide a world of opportunities to them; however, to provide an eternity of happiness is allowing them to provide for themselves, their families, and their communities. In most relief organizations, including the CRS, they do amazing, worthwhile work in the communities they're involved in and save lives, but they fail to have a true exit strategy. They will have to remain in Haiti forever because they aren't making Haiti an independent nation or empowering them. We learned that when you develop a relationship in this sort of way, you're objectifying the people you're helping and they're objectifying you. You view them as not able to help themselves and they view you as a wad of cash and resources. However, when you build a relationship first and work together to find a solution to poverty in a community, you view each other as gifts to each other. This is the foundation of the Just Haiti organization.
In addition, the Just Haiti organization takes no profit for themselves and the growers receive the full profits from their efforts. This allows Just Haiti to remain free from corruption because they are always working for the benefits of the Haitian community, not to pay their own salaries. They are then free from the fear of becoming the reason for their own existence and working just for themselves because they need to pay their salaries. This ideation may not work for corporations at the moment, but the hope is to ensure no subgroup is exploited. To share the perspective, news, and true injustices it is an initial sacrifice necessary that Just Haiti decided to undergo.
In all, this trip has been an all around inspiring and invaluable experience, and I know I left a piece of my heart with the community and children of Fond Tortue. To help, please reach out to us and allow us the opportunity to share our story, to share Just Haiti’s story, to share our new home, Fond Tortue’s, story. In the meantime, you can hop over to justhaiti.org and buy some delicious coffee and take your first step to fight social injustice by taking part in the solution to poverty, not just a bandage!
With Love,
Melissa
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