Two years seems like a long time ago for you and me. Yet for many Haitians time has moved slowly. As we approach the second anniversary of the earthquake that was so devastating there continues to be elements of social instability and a great need for reconstruction in Haiti.
A bright light in this situation is the rebuilding of the L’Arche Community in Port-au-Prince. Being small and agile, L’Arche was able to move quickly. You may be one of the people who financially supported this effort. Thank you!
Phase one was completed some months ago and everyone is now living in proper housing. Amazing! Phase Two is the physical move of the whole L’Arche Carrefour community to a location outside of Port-au-Prince. This is a big decision that will take several years to implement.
Tomorrow, December 3, is the United Nations International Day for Persons with Disabilities. The theme this year is including people with disabilities and their communities in the development process which, of course, makes me think of Haiti.
The idea is that when persons with disabilities are empowered to participate in the development process, everybody wins because the involvement of people with a disability creates opportunities for everyone – with or without a disability.
In Haiti the State spends less than 75 cents per person/ per year on people who have disabilities ($600,000 for 800,000 Haitians). Yes, there are many priorities in Haiti but it is too typical that in Haiti, as in most places in the world, people with disabilities are on the bottom of the list.
Tomorrow is a day to celebrate accomplishments, but also a time to remember how far we have yet to go. People with disabilities around the world remain largely marginalized, disproportionately poorer, frequently unemployed and have higher rates of mortality.
Let us continue to hold the people of Haiti in our hearts and prayers and work with them to create a better future.
Visit www.larchehaiti.org to learn more about our L'Arche communities in Haiti. (Note that the website is in French only)
