General Information:
Haiti is located in the Caribbean Sea. It shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. It has a tropical climate and a mountainous terrain. The people speak Creole and French. Haiti has a really rough history. In 1467 when the Spanish came to Haiti they massacred the entire indigenous population. Later in the early 1700s, the French established a presence on Haiti. It grew to be the wealthiest country in the Caribbean, but only because of the heavy influx of African Slaves. In the late 18th century, Haiti’s half million slaves revolted against French rule and established the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. And although Haitians get sick of hearing it, Haiti is now the poorest country in the western hemisphere. It has been plagued by violence for most of its history. In 2004, an armed rebellion led to the forced resignation and exile of the President Aristide. In February 2004, an interim government was put in place by a UN Stabilization Mission. Finally in 2006, Haiti inaugurated an elected president and parliament. During the 2008 Hurricane season, four tropical storms hit Haiti and caused extensive flooding and mudslides, which added more chaos and poverty to their world. The people are in desperate need of freedom from poverty and oppression.
Possible Ministry Opportunities
We will be going to Haiti with the organization World Hope International. They are currently ministering to thousands of people by child sponsorships, micro-finance projects, and HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs. They take care of orphaned and vulnerable children by providing them with educational assistance, nutritional resources, and community support. We will be joining World Hope in their on-going work in there.
For more information on World Hope International,
visit their website: http://www.worldhope.org/
Questions?
Contact Yanni Iliadis at Yanster9@hotmail.com or 678-770-6064
