Saint Margaret Mary Parish Haiti Outreach

Our Government lists Haiti as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming. Over 60% of the population is illiterate and per-capita income is less than three hundred dollars a year. Other vital statistics are equally as dismal.

Saint Margaret Mary Parish has entered into a sister parish relationship with Saint Isidor Parish. Located in a remote section of Haiti’s southern peninsula. Saint Isidor Parish consists of the main church compound and three Chapels, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Benoit and Immaculate Conception. The pastor is Pere (Father) Clement Elicio. Working with grass roots groups, our collaborative operating procedure that considers the causes of the problem fosters sustainability. Good stewardship and accountability are supported by transparency in all dealings. Barrowing Home Depot's slogan, we tell our Haitian brothers and sisters, "You can do it. We can help".  Father Elicio, addressing the Tuesday morning men’s Bible Study, said, "Your parish really does not do much for my parishioners, you help them to do for themselves". 

Haiti outreach has four working groups:

§ Economic Development

§ Education which comprises the efforts of our school and our parish at large

§ Evangelical

§ Health

Economic Development

Economic development is concentrating on microeconomics and livestock distribution. To date three “village women’s banks” have been established and are currently making loans to women to start small business. The livestock program awards an animal to a Haitian with the proviso that he/she shares an offspring with a member of the community that did not receive an animal.

Education

Education focuses on three broad areas: school lunch programs, teacher salaries and teacher training. A complete lunch program, thanks to SMM School, is now in effect at Saint Joan of Arc Chapel with plans to expand lunch program to all schools. Walking two hours or more to school on an empty stomach is not unusual. Often teachers do not get paid. We have made sure that all teachers are paid through the end of this school year. Monthly salary for a teacher is $75! Last summer we provided a week of in-service training; we plan to do the same this summer.

Evangelization

Evangelization takes the form of supporting their liturgies, the building of a parish center/rectory and a church at Immaculate Conception Chapel.

Currently at Immaculate Conception Chapel they hold services under a palm roofed structure similar to a car port; very beautiful and scenic in the mountains but not appropriate.

In addition, we have been taking musical instruments These are welcomed and add to their liturgies. Bibles and song books in Creole have been purchased.

Health

Health has four efforts: Erecting outside toilets, establishing a clinic at Saint Isador Parish center along with another clinic in one of the Chapels, providing pure water and hygiene education. We have made a commitment to insure that outside toilets are a part of every new building and have supported toilets at several sites. Clinics are essential. People must walk for hours to receive even the most rudimentary medical care. Water is the single most critical health issue. We have been meeting with representatives of Gift of Water and will begin a pilot program. To insure basic health practices we have hired a medically trained Haitian to give hygiene lessons to all of the children in the parish.  

For more information contact: Ken Firling at firlings@earthlink.net