The Aftermath

The tragic earthquake that destroyed much of Haiti on January 12, 2010 has been described by more than one Christian leader as a severe mercy: severe is the horrible loss of life and livelihood of the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country; but a mercy in that this tragedy might just be the opportunity to rebuild Haiti on a new foundation. It is within this framework that CBM has spent significant time and effort in considering what our involvement in Haiti will be in the next 3 – 5 years.

In the 4 months since the earthquake, The Sharing Way, CBM’s relief and development department, received thousands of dollars of generous support from churches and individuals across Canada. This outpouring of support has overwhelmed us and demonstrated just how our Baptist family is committed to addressing the needs of the poor.

One of the most promising signs of hope for Haiti is that the Church is a primary factor in the spiritual as well as the social and economic renewal of the country. As the structures of civil society were crumbling, churches across Haiti were uniting in seeking ways to bring aid and hope to the millions of people who had suffered. Our Baptist brothers and sisters have been at the forefront of this movement and continue to show leadership, against all odds.

CBM’s commitment to Haiti is part of what is commonly called Phase II aid (post-emergency relief). First response often comes from large multinational agencies like UNICEF and the Red Cross who are capable of delivering bulldozers and search-teams to help find survivors amidst the rubble. Smaller, more nimble organizations like CBM come into play shortly afterwards and help establish longer-term engagement. Part of this type of response includes identifying potential partners and establishing inter-agency alliances for transformation.

Building the partnership

At the heart of any successful alliance is a commitment to a common journey. CBM has not been a direct stakeholder in mission in Haiti in the past. We are ‘the new kids on the block’. But we have strong ties to many churches and agencies which have a long and proven track record. As we chart our way forward in unfamiliar waters, Michael Roop, CBM’s Haiti Program Consultant, will work with us for the next few months, building a knowledge base for effective program design and delivery. This will likely include helping to re-establish the schools that were destroyed in the earthquake and assuring food security and sustainable soil renewal where local churches are feeding the poor.

One of the keys to moving ahead is building on the platform of solid partnership. We are doing this through two key avenues:

• Working alongside our French Baptist Union churches in Canada. Right here in Canada, we have the most vital asset for long-term sustainable change – empowered people!  Over 70% of the members of our French Baptist partner denomination in Quebec (L’Union des Eglises Baptistes du Canada Français) are first or second generation Haitians. Most of them have loved ones who perished or were injured in the earthquake. They all seem to have deep links back to their churches ‘la-bas’ or down there, as they would say. Many of their churches in Haiti are doing a remarkable job in developing sustainable models of community development, renewal and change at the grassroots level. Some of our English language churches are supporting their initiatives at a community level.

• We are working with other partner agencies in Canada, the United States and beyond to address some of the root problems. One small example is the work of Urbanus, a network for urban community development practitioners, based in Montreal. With CBM’s help, Urbanus sent a team of 8 trained counselors to Haiti shortly after the earthquake to train in trauma counseling. Expecting approximately 200 attendees at their course, they ended up with more than 700 people who took the course and are now working in local communities. Each day, they held a symbolic funeral service so that people could commemorate their own loss. In their report to The Sharing Way they wrote, “Five more cities have called on us to provide training! With our partners on the ground we are exploring how to multiply the impact and serve these networks in a tangible manner. One church leader wrote these words:  ‘You learn in a time of crisis who your friends are. You are the only ones who helped us in this time of need.’ ”

Thank you for standing with CBM in responding to Haiti’s severe mercy. We need your prayers and support. Watch our website for updates on our progress.

For further information on Haiti, see BBC article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456728.stm