I’m going ahead with the trip to Haiti. However, the other day I was on a conference call. It seems that one our schools was robbed and vandalized by a gang from Cite Soliel. They seem to think that since we ask the families to pay a portion to buy the uniforms that are required for the children then we must be making a lot of money. In fact, what is being asked for the cost of the uniforms is less than 10% of what the cost is of giving the child an education and a hot meal each day. (It’s never ultimately beneficial to give away anything for free.)
So anyway, our in-country manager will shut down the school temporarily. It will be explained to the community that we have been robbed, don’t have money to pay the teachers and feed the children. Until donations arrive then the school will remain closed. That is the only way that the community will hold the perpetrators accountable. Within about 10 days they will be turned in and either reimburse the money or the will be jailed. That’s the only way this can be handled.
We have to remember that these are people with very short-term goals. No matter how much money they steal they won’t invest it in their long term interests. It’s all about today. When dealing with them you have to account of their mindset as stupid as it may be.
It’s sad. the conundrum that charitable organizations face is that they realize that they can’t help by insisting that the culture change but they are dealing with cultures that needs to change in order to advance. How do those concepts get resolved?
So I will go to Haiti but, as much as I would like to, will probably not visit the projects we support on Cite Soliel.
I’ll try to keep this blog updated while in Haiti.