Haiti After the Quake – Concerns and a Call to Action

Last night one of our supporters sent me a link to this report. I then contacted the author and got a copy with all of their supporting footnotes and links. The entire article along with the footnotes and supporting links is in the attached pdf file.

Haiti After the Quake

There are a couple of things that I find disturbing about this report:

• Some of the claims about the US government paying themselves for Haiti earthquake relief are a little stretched.   Anyone who was involved with Haiti immediately after the earthquake knows that the US military (and the Comfort Ship) were very involved.   It seems reasonable to me that the US government would allocate $XXXXXXXXX to the cause of Haitian relief and then say that $XXXXXXX of it was spent by the Army, Navy etc.   Am I giving the US government too much credit?
• I think that it isn’t too strong of a statement to say that the bureaucracy and politics that are getting in the way of the help that is supposed to be reaching the Haitian people is the devil’s way of fighting God’s plan for Haiti.

I have a couple of concerns after reading this:

• If the efforts that are being done are being hampered by bureaucracy and politics, then the overall economic situation in Haiti isn’t going to improve soon.   That means that while we currently have 110 kids in our care, we will most likely see that number continue to grow as people in Haiti continue to struggle, starve and face difficult, unimaginable circumstances.   Growing numbers of children means growing costs to care for them.   Growing numbers of children means that we need growing numbers of families to step up and begin the adoption process.
• I’m concerned that people will throw up their hands and say, “I give up – all NGOs and all governments are crooked, you can’t trust any of them” and not help at all.   There are solid organizations who are doing excellent work and making a difference and using the funds well.   Don’t give up on Haiti – instead, do your homework and support the smaller organizations that are making a difference.    If you need ideas on who to support, I have a suggestion.  :-)
• One of the concerns that this report raises is the amount of money that is actually being spent in Haiti compared to the money that is being “spent” elsewhere.   While it is not physically possible to operate an organization like GLA and spend 100% of our funds in Haiti, I can guarantee you that everything we do and all of the money we spend is done with the express purpose of benefiting the children in our care.   Does that make sense?

So other than being disappointed and saddened by it, what do we do?   Let me offer three suggested action steps:

1. Pray – pray that God will bless Haiti.   Pray that a spiritual revival will continue to work throughout Haiti and that people’s hearts and minds will remain focused on helping the children and families in Haiti.   Pray also that the large NGOs (non governmental organizations) and governments that are holding up funding will release it so that things can get done.  Pray that more families will think of adoption as part of their family’s plan.
2. Spread the word – share this with your friends, your neighbors, your governmental representatives – may God use one of us to put the information in the hands of of the right people who can make a difference.
3. Donate – show the people of Haiti that the world hasn’t given up on Haiti.  Make a donation (of any size) by either using the button at the bottom of this blog post or by sending a check to either:   God’s Littlest Angels 2283 Waynoka Rd. Suite A Colorado Springs, CO 80915 or God’s Littlest Angels Canada Box 984 Okotoks, Alberta T1S 1B1.

Want to make a difference for the kids in Haiti? Consider donating.