In Adam Hamilton’s* last sermon (March 21, 2021), he suggests that one way to battle the growing migration crisis (people fleeing their countries) is to invest in education in those countries. An education “gives kids a future with hope so that they can stay in their countries,” using their knowledge to make a difference.
PieH believes this idea. It’s the foundation of our work. In his talk, Hamilton referred to El Salvadorians, Mexicans, Guatemalans, and Hondurans, people from four countries in the Western Hemisphere. Haitians are from the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Many try to migrate to their neighboring country of the Dominican, often slaughtered at the border. Even though they are not physically at our border, their primary destination is the United States, and, like others, they will use almost any means to flee their own country. However, their plight is not part of our mainstream media’s conversation, so most of us don’t hear much about Haiti. Some have argued that the neglect is racially motivated and has been since 1804 after the successful revolt of Haitian slaves, resulting in the world’s first black republic. Amidst our current migration crisis, On March 23-24, tweets from the United States Embassy in Haiti instructs Haitians not to leave their country to come to the U.S. **
Haitians never seem to catch a break from corruption, outside interference, poverty, lacking basic needs, violence, coups, and natural disasters. Currently, PieH students are living in a fear they have never experienced before, with the violence in the streets and kidnapping impacting everyone. Our students and their families hang onto hope because through your contributions, they have an opportunity to go to school, they dream about making a difference in their own country.
If you would like to help, please click on a Donate link. Any amount helps.
*Adam Hamilton is an American senior pastor of the 25,000+ -member United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, the largest United Methodist congregation in the world, measured by both weekend attendance and membership
**from the Haitian Times, March 25, 2021