Your friends and family in Hands and Hearts with Haiti want to update you on current happenings with our mission work in Haiti. Although we have not been able to be there in person, our efforts, prayers, support, hopes, and dreams still continue.
Since the takeover of the city Mirebalais and surrounding villages by criminal gangs on March 31, 2025, our staff have not been able to visit with goat farmers in their respective communities like they used to. All roads that run through the city of Mirebalais are still barricaded and controlled by gangs; as a result, localities on the opposite side of the city are simply disconnected. On top of all this chaos, criminal gang members scattered all over the communities continue to terrorize innocent civilians, forcing them to abandon their homes to seek refuge and security in Hinche, Cap-Haitian and further remote mountain villages. Our follow up on the goat program is currently via telephone calls with chapel directors and/or presidents of the local goat committees.
Some of the villages we work in are now fully controlled by gangs. According to one current sacristan, 98% of the people who used to live in his community, including goat farmers have fled their homes. In another community, the gangs travel through their too often. While most inhabitants of this village have fled their homes, several others are forced to remain because they just have nowhere else to go.
We have a few areas that have not been occupied by the gangs thus far, but yet, the people have been evacuated by fear that the gangs will soon invade these communities. In short, the goat program is on pause until this unprecedented situation of insecurity in the region comes to an end. We will continue to seek updates from directors of the chapels where the program is established and from any members of the program that can be reached by phone.
It is our hope, with prayers and by the power of God the Almighty, that this situation will change soon so that families can return to their homes and live peacefully. Once it is safe, we will return to these communities to work with the goat farmers to continue to make this program a source of economic relief to all families involved and the community as whole.
Our efforts with HHH have moved into Crisis mode with funds previously directed to goats and education projects being moved into emergency food and sanitary needs. All funds received are getting to our priests on the ground in Haiti who are able to get and distribute items in desperate need.
Thank you for your support of Hands and Hearts with Haiti through prayers and monetary donations.
We will continue to share God’s love and faithfulness to our neighbors in need.
Gratefully, Members of HHH