About Haiti

The People

The nation of Haiti sits on the western half of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean closely situated by Cuba. From the densely populated cities to the scattered mountain villages there are nearly ten million people that call Haiti home. Education and successful careers are rare for Haitian people. This developing nation has an high unemployment rate of over 40% and a literacy rate of only 48%.

Faith & Spirituality

While statistics will show that 86% of the nation identifies themselves as holding to the teaching of a Christian denomination, their faith is highly saturated with the influence of pagan Voodoo rituals. Those churches that are faithful to the teaching of the Scripture can have a significant impact in the livelihood of Haitians. Many church leaders operate not only care for the spiritual well-being of their congregants but also operate schools and orphanages for the children of their communities. But the need in Haiti can be desperate.

Children

In 2012 UNICEF estimated that there were 430,000 orphaned children living in Haiti and 100,000 of these lost their parents to AIDS/HIV. Over two and a half million children under fourteen years old are forced to work for their family’s welfare.

All statistics from The World Factbook and UNICEF