The Caribbean/Haitian program of Lutheran World Federation World Service is a good
example of self-development and self-actualization. The people and partner institutions
have taken ownership of the program and have the expertise and local contacts to make the
program viable.
Two local organizations which are very active in the LWF/WS work are the Confederation
of Haitian Workers (CTH) and the Haitian Protestant Federation (HPF). The CTH is involved
in a series of programs including leadership development, literacy, youth programs, women
s international financial status. An unfortunate consequence of
SAPs is that social programs are reduced, and health and education become privatized so
that only those who can afford to pay receive health care services and education.
The Confederation of Haitian Workers bought an old hotel which was being used as a
waste dump to house several new programs of the CTH in a very poor neighborhood of
Charedon. The programs include a community restaurant named Kai Pam (My House),
storage space for neighboring businesses, twelve shops for local artists, a radio station,
and offices for other CTH programs. It is anticipated that this project will directly and
indirectly create 500 jobs.
The real importance of this project is that it presents a model, an example to the
Haitian society and to the Charedon community in particular. It is a process of
self-development and self-actualization. In a situation where there are almost no jobs
available and fifty persons available for every existing paid job, the CTH, in the words
of its founder George Fortune, is "trying to create a country that does not
exist."
Both the CTH and the Haitian Protestant Federation welcome ELCA Global Mission in providing pastoral
accompaniment for the development work carried out by LWF. This accompaniment should not
become just another church in Haiti, as churches are often seen as businesses or
money-making enterprises. The pastoral program should provide a critical reflection of the
Haitian reality from a theological perspective. The religious element, which is very
ingrained in Haitian society, can be used as a tool for transformation. Many members of
CTH are pastors in rural areas; they can be trained to be more effective leaders in their
respective faith communities. They can also find ways in which development efforts and
faith can be mutually supportive as well as relating to other agencies and programs.
Another challenge is to work with youth, as sixty percent of the Haitian population is
under the age of twenty-five. Many young persons have left the institutional church
because they have not found a place to voice their concerns or projects to address their
needs. They need to develop new skills and to engage their talents and abilities in order
to contribute to the new Haiti.
