Dear Haiti Friends,
The deployment of Kenyan police to Haiti is just “days away” according to yesterday’s NY Times in this disturbing article describing the major gangs as now the principal traffickers of South American cocaine to the US and to Europe:
Haiti’s Gangs Grow Stronger as Kenyan-Led Force Prepares to Deploy
It is hard to figure out why governments outside of Haiti would not be more eager to stop this deadly flow of narcotics. All of the delays have just made the gangs stronger and better armed by their business partners at both ends of the drug trade. We certainly hope and pray that the U.N. forces led by Kenya will make a difference.
On the bright side, I continue to be impressed and touched by the degree to which partners have stood by their friends in Haiti during these terrible times. There are almost daily accounts of fund transfers to partner schools, mostly to keep teachers employed so that school can go forward. The injection of some cash into the economy, as teachers use their salaries to pay for food, shelter, medical care, and other local necessities, benefits everyone with whom they interact. Your partnerships are lifelines.