Thursday, July 24, 2014

What It Means To Participate In The Haiti Mission

By Paulette Mason


Haiti remains one of the poorest countries in the world. This state is attributable to both historical factors as well as natural factors. France and Spain once annexed the country and greatly exploited it natural resources for their own benefit leaving them exhausted. The country has also had its fair share of natural calamities having experienced a disastrous earthquake in the year 2010 that left behind 220000 Haitians and foreign nationals dead. This has left the economy of the country in a shaky state and a deplorable infrastructure. Therefore most citizens live below the poverty line and do not have access to basic social amenities. It is this situation that have occasioned the creation of Haiti mission that see volunteers contribute to the uplifting of the living standards of the Haitian people.

The churches in Haiti in collaboration with other North America churches are among the key supporters of these missions. The United Nations through its missions has also greatly contributed to the transformation process in the country through supporting the reconstruction and stability measures that have been established.

Some major areas the UN has strongly supported include the maintenance of peace and stability, empowerment of the institutions of governance and has contributed to the protection of civil rights and freedoms. The union has for a very long time stationed peace keeping forces in the country.

Church sponsored missions have been mostly based on foreign trips by different volunteer groups from different places. However some of the locals have also been part of the volunteer teams. Haiti outreach ministries for instance depends these foreign nationals to be able to implement its plans for the people. It also offers various services such as accommodation to the foreign guests at a lower fee. It also ensures prudent management of resources donated to the organization. Most volunteers come from the United States of America.

There are a tasks for anyone here ranging, from those that require professional qualifications to manual activities Such as constructing, upkeep, maintenance, training teachers, helping plan and facilitate school activities such as trips and seminars, religious instruction, teaching and providing medical services. Those people who are interested in a long tenure in this country can take part in other activities other than those being done by their team members.

These trips have to be financed by the teams in their individual capacities. Staying in a guesthouse may cost up to 35$ per individual. The cost will definitely depend on the size of the team participating in the mission. Extra cash might be required since picking souvenirs, gifts or products made by local artisans is a common experience. Also in the place of work, one might find it necessary to buy a few tools is equipment depending on the nature of the voluntary service.

In case one cannot make a trip, available options include sending monetary contribution to the organizations supporting these initiatives or sponsoring the education of children who are the hope of a brighter future.

However, those who have visited this country to engage in community empowerment programs attest to the fact that the experience significantly impacted on them. Therefore these missions are not only beneficial to the Haitian people but also to the team members.




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