By: Jessica Findley

Michael Labady- Born in Haiti, and lived there until he was nineteen. Father was Haitian, Mother was American.

Joy Jones- Formed the non-profit organization Love Haiti Missions. Has been helping the Haitian people for over fifteen years.

Greg Adkins- Made a missions trip to Haiti last year, and plans on going back in January.

Poverty in Haiti

2:06-4:24

To keep from starving, the poorest people in Haiti must resort to eating mud cookies.

1 part yellow dirt, 1 part shortening or butter, and a half cup of water…add salt for flavor.

The price of edible clay has now risen to about $5 for every 100 cookies

Dirt can contain deadly parasites or toxins. (Katz, Jonathan.)

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Approximately 80 percent of Haitians live below the poverty line.

1/3 of Haiti’s annual income comes from foreign aid.

45,000 children die a year from easily curable disease such as dehydration, diarrhea, and malnutrition. (nwhcm.org)

~Haiti has one of the most corrupt governments in the world. Ranked #157 out of 160 countries.~Haitian government’s history of instability,

corruption, and misuse of public funds has decreased public services and increased

poverty.~High government taxes on business force

businesses out of Haiti, lowering number of job opportunities and manufactured goods.

~Haitian government also hinders poverty relief coming from foreign nations.

In 1999 Haiti’s unemployment rate was at about 70%, today it has fallen to about 50%.

More than 2/3 of the labor force do not have formal jobs.(world fact book)

Most men and women rely on the agricultural sector, which is often threatened by natural disasters.

Haiti has about 3% of its original forest cover left.

Deforestation of the land has caused erosion, periodic flooding, and mud slides.

Such an environment makes it very hard on those relying on agriculture for their income.

Contaminated water is a large problem in Haiti. Which leads to an array of diseases. (encyclopedia.org)

At least 94 students were killed, and more than 150 were severely injured.

Neighbors dug children out with their hands, proper equipment was not present.

School collapse has brought more attention to poverty in Haiti.

School collapsed eight years ago, building codes are usually ignored to save money. (msnbc)

Lonise’s mother was unable to financially support her, so her

grandmother was forced to raise her. When her grandmother ran out of money, she had to sell Lonise into slavery so

that she would not starve. Thirteen year old Lonise was bought by a

forty-nine year old Haitian man. (Love Haiti Missions)

Prayer-Suggested by all of the people I interviewed, suggested even before financial aid.

Inform the Uninformed- Most people do not realize the severity of poverty in Haiti. The more people aware of the problem, the more help Haiti can receive.

Sponsor a Child- Give a child what they need in order to succeed. Educate future generations for a better society

Donate Money- Donate to help families, save them from starvation.

Help Haiti Personally- Go on a missions trip to help those who cannot help themselves.

FoodClothingMedical attentionAn EducationA place to live

Roselyne Emile

Jessica Findley