Nou pap janm bliye: We will never forget

A disastrous earthquake claimed more than 250,000 lives on January 12, 2010. Nearly 3 million people were affected with 1 million of those left completely homeless. The world grieved with Haiti 11 years ago, and today we solemnly remember the devastation the nation endured while giving thanks to our partners in Haiti who immediately responded to the crisis.

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Our Founders Remember the Devastation

“Pere Bruno’s daughter Rachel called to tell us there had been an earthquake 38 miles SW of Port au Prince. Two hours later there was a dead silence across the country as all lines of communication collapsed. No one could know where their loved ones were. We spent our night waiting anxiously with the Haitians. We prayed, we held hands with them, we loved on them and they held tight to us. That night was truly about relationship and solidarity.”

-Berry Rice

“The city where I grew up does not exist any longer. Everywhere in Port-au-Prince, people live in the streets or they use any park or space they can find. They sleep under the stars. Their temporary shelters are made of sheets some of them have recovered from the ruins. Tears came down as I was walking between the bodies of the dead who were still laying on the pedestrian walk way waiting to be picking up by the truck to be buried in a common grave. As I was walking I visited a community of 300 families gathered together on a small property without water, food and so on… They were practically dying.”

-Father Bruno

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Our Response

On January 17th, Pere Bruno traveled to his childhood home of Port au Prince to assess the damage first-hand and to formulate a strategy for our relief efforts. He brought with him 10 volunteers and enough food to feed 250 families. He returned to Terrier Rouge, his truck filled with people looking to create new lives for themselves there. That trip laid the foundation for our disaster relief strategy. Time and again, trucks filled with food, water, charcoal, and flashlights traveled to Port au Prince and returned with refugees. More than 1,000 displaced Haitians moved to Terrier Rouge within months, and Espérance et Vie showed those who lost everything in the earthquake that they still had a chance in life. Clinique Espérance et Vie treated health problems related to the earthquake including PTSD, dehydration, broken bones, malaria, and typhoid. 30 new children were enrolled at St. Barthélémy. Jatrofa Projenou mobilized to provide temporary employment to 25 people. Doctors, nurses, teachers, therapists, students, and others from the United States and Canada quickly answered their call to serve with the NGO. Everyone worked together to care for those in need.

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Moving Forward

“I wish all of you could experience the resiliency of the Haitian people, who in spite of great catastrophes, persevere with determination and faith. By the grace of God and the compassion of the human heart, Haitians are moving forward with their lives despite their unbelievable loss. Haiti will be forever changed. The face of Terrier Rouge will be changed as will all of us who lived through this, [but] you can rest assured that Bethlehem Ministry has made, and continues to make, a difference in Haiti. Thanks be to God!"

-Berry Rice, March 2010

Family is Everything

Anthropologist Margaret Mead wrote of the family as the "continuing source of human life, the cradle, the teaching place for all future endeavor." Kirkus Reviews once noted that "she writes of mothers whose unconditional love is so essential, of fathers, representing the outside world into which children grow, families from atomic to tribal, brothers and sisters and grandparents, the child alone, friends, and that time when 'the old rules lose their meaning,' adolescence." In Haiti, too, family is everything.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Jatrofa Projenou sends you a glimpse of the many families we work with every day to help them increase their farm yields, protect their land, and reduce their poverty. Families are Haiti's farmers and the backbone of how Haiti feeds itself. They are at the center of what Jatrofa Projenou does.

Everyone has a part to play farming the land in this three generation family.

Father, family and one cool dude.

Brother, sister and mango tree to plant.

Mother and daughter making fried plantains.

A group of farmers standing in a forest that was planted six years ago. All are the heads of farming households supporting 150-200 men, women, and children.

A loving father

Jatrofa Projenou is treated like family

Caught with a mouthful, Mother and son.

Brothers and best friends and both patriarchs of big families that dot the mountainsides.

One proud Grandmother and one ‘not so sure’ little grandson.

The love of a mother.

Maybe the kindest family you’d ever meet.

Young family with a serious Mom and a case of earring tug.

Brother and big sister at the start of the work day.

A widow and her two sons who have stepped into their father’s shoes.

Buckets of cousins hamming it up for the camera, but not Auntie, who seriously loves each of them.

Bob Gore

After a demanding four-days photographing the Women in Religion Conference in New York, I headed to the last event. The cocktail hour for the obligatory discussion replay and business card exchange. My goal was to be seen, speak with key participants, and find a quiet corner.

After a few pleasantries, I saw an empty chair beside Berry Rice, a woman who appeared perfect for a few minutes of low keyed polite conversation. She appeared around my age, with salt and pepper colored hair and wearing a short leg cast from some kind of leg injury. Little did I know she was Bethlehem Ministry's chief recruiter. After a few minutes of introduction, it became clear I was hearing a well-crafted pitch. In spite of a near-death auto accident there, she remained evangelical about the "miraculous transformation" in Northeast Haiti sponsored by Bethlehem Ministry.

With a little delay, she popped the question in her disarming silky southern accent, "Bob have you been to Haiti?" I shared the story of my enjoyable week in Port Au Prince and how I spent a day with the dean of the business school who indicated the need for computers.

After enlisting my then employer, Westinghouse Electric, and other donors, I hit a wall of bureaucratic obstacles in Haiti, preventing delivery of the machines. Even my Haitian friends warned me of impenetrable obstacles that often frustrate outsider involvement.

Berry acknowledged everyone has some difficulties in working in Haiti. She also explained Bethlehem Ministry had succeeded because of its deep community roots and capabilities not available to most other NGOs. We left the event promising to stay in touch.

After a series of convincing phone conversations, I was on a plane headed to Terrier Rouge for the first in a series of, what would be, eye-opening and thoroughly rewarding visits. Father Bruno welcomed me warmly and was curious about schools, low-income housing, and social programs sponsored by my church. Though humbled by his interest, I conceded we in New York have more to learn from his accomplishments with meager resources than he from our programs that benefit from extensive public support.

Being there fulfilled two long-term interests. As a child, I dreamed of visiting one of the few countries that welcomed African American vacationers during the segregation era. Photographing the lovely school children and community was my way of publicizing and supporting the school Bethlehem Ministry had created a magnificent educational oasis and much-needed health services. Having participated in many not-for-profit organizations, I knew this was is the crown jewel of the region that, in no small way, has fueled the area's growth and development. Father Bruno's stature and family history provide unquestioned credibility among residents and officials. He and the staff embody the spirit and aspiration of the country and a model for creative development throughout the Caribbean and North America.

The next year, 2008 my son, Dr. Rob Gore, Dr. Christina Bloem, and a number of their colleagues from Kings County Hospital and Down State Medical Center began their visits and have continued to provide patient care and emergency medical training for professionals ranging from nurses to physicians, tap-tap drivers, and teachers.

The commitment of Berry, husband Peter, daughter Sarah, the generous U.S. donors, staff, and dedicated board members underscores the credibility of this vital, sustainable venture. Oh yes, since 2007, I've returned a number of times. My association with Bethlehem Ministry and the people of Terrier Rouge is a once in a lifetime privilege.

Bob Gore, faith-based communities across the U.S. and the Caribbean

https://bobgore.smugmug.com/Haitis-North-2017/

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