Sustainability In Haiti
When I applied last year to Grace-on-the-Hill , an intentional Christian community in Richmond , I had no idea my year of service would involve a trip abroad . But on April 1 , I boarded a plane bound for Haiti and , on my first trip outside the United States , represented the Diocese of Virginia at the 2016 Haiti Connection Conference in Portau-Prince .
The first leg of my journey consisted of a preconference trip to Cap Haitien visiting a number of Episcopal schools and churches with two other conference goers . Our group was led by Kyle Evans and Alan Yarborough , who are both Volunteers in Mission for the Episcopal Church , and Eliza Brinkley , a Young Adult Service Corps member . At St . Barnabas Agricultural College , we saw students ’ experimental plots and the plans for facility and program expansion . At Saint- Esprit Technical School , we walked through countless classrooms , amazed at the faculty ’ s ability to keep old tools and generators – probably from the 1960s at the latest – in working order . We talked to priests who described the challenges and rewards of engaging in ministry in a vibrant parish with a lot of needs and a lot of hope .
The faculty told stories of parents making sacrifices to keep their children in school , and children walking for hours each day to get to and from school . They talked about the difficulties of relying so heavily on foreign capital , and the dream of building a better country for the children in their schools , in their parishes and in their homes . It was inspiring to hear these priests , who must serve as pastors , administrators , businesspeople and teachers , speak openly , honestly and hopefully about their efforts and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in their communities .
After spending a few more days immersed in Haitian history and culture in the north , including a trip to the beach , a hike to the iconic Citadel , a tour of the ruins of the Sans Souci palace and a three-hour mass , it was time to make our way south to Port-au-Prince for the conference . The conference began with a tour of various diocesan institutions , such as St . Vincent ’ s School for Handicapped Children and Holy Trinity Cathedral , as well as important historic and cultural sites , such as the Musée du Panthéon National Haitien – the museum that tells the story of Haiti ’ s fascinating , heroic and troubled past . The conference itself was a whirlwind of workshops , small groups , reflections , music and worship .
The most compelling workshop explored the concept of sustainability , using successful partnerships as examples . The leaders of the workshop explained , using their experiences in chicken farming and women ’ s health , that for a project to be sustainable the community that receives the benefit of that project must take ownership of it . Rather than Americans coming in and saying , for example , “ you need a well ,” or “ you need a school ,” or “ you need a latrine ,” the ideas should stem from the community assessing its own needs and saying , “ We need agricultural training .”
Though American partners can help with a needs assessment , and can provide guidance and technical insight into the implementation of whatever solution is deemed appropriate , ultimately the control of the project must be left to the community . This lesson in sustainability mirrors the most compelling concept I learned from my very short time in Haiti : No one knows the needs and strengths of Haitians better than Haitians themselves . Americans must relinquish much of the decision-making power to the Haitians on the ground , and that is a tough lesson for many of us to learn . We engage in relational mission work , though , to learn that lesson better .
HANNAH ROBERTS
Former Grace-on-the-Hill intern for the Office of Mission and Outreach and the Office of Christian Formation
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SUMMER 2016 / VIRGINIA EPISCOPALIAN