OpEd: What’s Still Going Wrong in Haiti

By Conor Shapiro, MPH

President and CEO
St. Boniface Haiti Foundation

History has not been kind to Haiti. We know this from our history books detailing the atrocities of the slave trade, followed by revolt and then years of a seemingly endless number of environmental, economic and political disasters, all now well documented by a 24-hour news cycle. But two years ago when the 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook this tiny island to its very core, felling souls and buildings with an equal lack of discrimination, the extent of the devastation was overwhelming — even for an organization that has been working in Haiti for nearly 30 years. And we’ve been working tirelessly ever since, shoulder-to-shoulder with the Haitian community, to make things better and keep them that way.

But the two-year anniversary of the earthquake is an opportune time not only to remember the countless casualties, but also to reflect on rebuilding efforts thus far, what has worked, and what has not. The development strategy we can be sure does not work is one that involves the delivery of short-term disaster aid or relief without an understanding of the long-term consequences. Organizations with no history of working in Haiti and no plan in place for the long-term sustainability of their projects and programs will not succeed in permanently improving conditions for the nearly 8 million Haitians living below the poverty line. We believe that this type of short-sighted intervention, while admirable in emergencies, many times ends up fitting the Haitian proverb “lave men, siye atè,” or “washing your hands and then turning around and drying them in the dirt.”

Shortly after the earthquake, SBHF received a call about a group of spinal cord injured patients in need of care. We opened our doors to these patients and responded to their short-term needs in the wake of a life-threatening physical injury and personal tragedy. But our work couldn’t end there. Our team began the difficult job of reintegrating these patients back into their communities. After two years, many have returned home and are thriving. But this took months and months of planning and training both on the part of our staff, those in the program and their families. We made a commitment to do it right. How effective would an emergency intervention have been if we had not considered the long-term needs of these patients?

We believe very strongly that the secret to success in Haiti has nothing to do with all the big-name celebrities and T.V. reporters who will now make an annual habit of traveling down to Haiti and highlighting all the problems yet unsolved. And while we are grateful for the light this attention sheds on Haiti, we believe that success in Haiti — improving the quality of life for millions and empowering the country and its people to enact sustainable solutions to end suffering – is about commitment to and partnership with the Haitian people.

Our operations on the ground are spearheaded by local Haitian leaders. Ninety-five percent of our staff is Haitian. SBHF is embedded in the fabric of the communities we serve. And while this kind of work is no doubt challenging, it is in every way worth it. Commitment means not only partnering with the Haitian people, but also working with the Haitian state. The success of a stable, independent and democratic government that is able to provide basic human services and jump-start Haiti’s economy is absolutely necessary to empowering the Haitian people for success.

SBHF has been working in Haiti since 1983. We started small. Very small. With a tiny clinic and one French nurse. Since then we’ve grown into an internationally-recognized NGO partnering with agencies like UNICEF and USAID, reaching tens of thousands every year through our health care, education and community development programs. But we’ve never lost sight of what’s important in development: A sense of urgency, a commitment to listening to the people we serve and an eye toward interventions that eliminate the need for organizations like us.

There is no quick and easy fix in Haiti. But the path to success lies with the individual communities that make up the larger whole. Start with small victories and build on them. Change happens from the inside out, not the outside in. We recognize that, and that’s why we will be in Haiti for many more years to come.

More than half of all Americans donated money to help Haiti during the earthquake. While money in times of disaster is important, it’s equally as important not to abandon that effort once the disaster is over. Americans need to make a long-term commitment to helping in Haiti.

Kenbe Fem,

Conor Shapiro, MPH
President and CEO
St. Boniface Haiti Foundation