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Two years after the earthquake, Angels are still in Haiti
The world stopped briefly earlier this month to note the second year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that ripped Haiti apart on Jan. 12, 2010. Two Haymarket residents took note of the anniversary but didn’t stop working for a minute.
Two years after the devastating earthquake, Debbie and Bill Harvey of Haymarket know what is happening in Haiti today because between the two of them, they took 15 trips to the country last year alone.
In 2008, the couple founded Helping Haitian Angels soon after visiting an abandoned building where 35 Haitian orphans lived. Four years later, the co-founders are making a difference helping 42 orphans and countless street children through the efforts of staff at Kay Anj D’ayiti (Angel House Orphanage) in Cap Haitien, Haiti.
Their work gives them a unique perspective on the two-year anniversary. The Harveys, along with Linsey Jorgenson, program director of Helping Haitian Angels, spoke about what they see and what there is to do in the third-world country.
“People ask us all the time, “Where’s the money going?” said Harvey, president and owner of Harvey Insurance & Financial Services in Haymarket.
With thousands of aid groups on the ground in a country slightly smaller than the state of Maryland, one would assume that two years of progress would be evident.
However, the Harveys think two basic issues are hindering progress.
The first, they said, is that critical long-term relationships aren’t being established. The second is that the aid groups don't always follow up on their work in order to create far-reaching change.
“It’s like an American mentality of 'fix it quick,'” said Jorgenson, who added that when something fails on a newly-donated toilet, a new well or that laptop computer, there is no one available to teach the Haitians how to fix it.
“You have to find out from them what works there,” added Bill Harvey.
“They’re getting these massive grants with a timeline because their (sponsors) want to see results,” said Jorgenson. “It’s a third-world country” and things don’t happen very quickly. “I do feel bad for NGOs (non-government organizations); they are charged with changing a country in six months,” because most get the allotted funds and a timeline.
“It’s big money,” said Bill Harvey, who said he doesn’t feel there is enough accountability for donated money being spent by aid groups in Haiti.
“Ask where the money is going,” is his advice to anyone who wants to donate to a nonprofit working in Haiti. “Look for one that has people on the ground.”
While some larger nonprofits work on million-dollar budgets, Helping Haitian Angels has a budget of $100,000 a year. When Harvey had to send $1,200 down on Jan. 15 because the toilet was overflowing into the neighbor’s property, his said his staff is accountable.
“You have to know where your money is going,” said Harvey, who expects the workers in Haiti to provide him with receipts and photographs of what they purchase.
Good-hearted people go to Haiti and feel great about helping and doing things for the people; however, they sometimes miss the point, Debbie Harvey said. Instead of doing it for them, she suggests working alongside them to create jobs.
“Two years later, they need jobs,” added Debbie Harvey, whose husband is the founder and president of Helping Haitians Entrepreneurs, a micro-finance program to help entrepreneurs.
“When you ask them what they need,” she said, the number one thing they say is “jobs,” because “They don’t want to be handed to -- they want to earn their own money.”
According to the United Nations, in 2004 only “10 percent of the roads were in good condition” in Haiti and today that number has not improved. This inferior road infrastructure, greatly damaged during the earthquake, is still a major challenge for Haiti.
“If you went down their today, it looks like the earthquake was last week,” said Bill Harvey, who went eight times last year.
In the capital of Port-au-Prince, he said, “They are building but very little.”
However, in Cap Haitien, there are signs of change. “We are half a mile from this new university, which is the size of George Mason,” he added.
Jorgenson, who works in a street ministry for lot kids, said twice as many people are living in tents today than two years ago. People know they will get food to take back to their families in the hills if they live in a tent, she said.” “They go down and get food and carry it back to their families.”
Nevertheless, the Harveys say there is hope in fighting the poverty and making the country self-sustainable.
“In Cap Haitien, there is a lot of hope,” said Jorgenson, who works at the orphanage near a new industrial park.
For instance, she said, the children at Kay Anj Orphanage are learning trades such as carpentry and crafts. Donations of embroidery floss are needed so that the boys can make friendship bracelets to earn money. Recently when the children of Kay Anj received a donation of new shirts, they in turn donated their own shirts to the homeless street children.
“We are down there because we have a passion for these children,” said Jorgenson, who said she may move down permanently someday. “You have to be in for the long haul.”
To learn more about Helping Haitian Angels or Helping Haitian Entrepreneurs, visit helpinghaitianangels.org.
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