“Gangs, made up largely of young people, are taking control of the country, and the government seems powerless in the face of their threats. The gangs have taken control of 80% of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. They are trying every day to conquer new areas outside the capital. All means of escape from the city are blocked, and people who take the risk to leave are often victims.
Citizens are looking for ways to survive. Many are living on the streets, with relatives, or in friends’ homes. Famine increases every day—especially for pregnant women and children.
I lived in Delmas 26, one of the areas taken over by gangs. My family and I fled to save our lives. Soon after, gangs invaded the area, killing people who stayed behind. They looted houses and burned some of them, including mine, which also served as the Young Life and Haiti Child Sponsorship office. It is decimated and no longer habitable.
We lost everything and took refuge in the Young Life office in Maissade about 3 hours north, where my wife and I now live in one small room that is used as our bedroom, living room, dining room, and other facilities. Our story feels a little like Job’s in the Bible.
Yet even in all of this, God is faithful. The Good Shepherd School—located in a neighborhood full of gangs—continues to operate normally thanks to God and it continues to serve the poor children of the area by providing them with education and food. It can be said that the school is protected by the gangs because, despite their bad faith, they still wish the best for their children, and our school is almost the only good school in the area that can provide children with access to a good education and food every day.”