Killing
for Food - April 2008
 Her
voice was pensive but steady on the other end of the
crackling line, "There are food riots here in
Port-A-Prince ( Haiti). They started in Les Cayes
and we understand that five people were killed. Rioters
are now surrounding the Palace demanding the President
do something. We are all trapped in the World Hope
- Haiti office. The internet has gone down. So we
will try to stay in touch via the cell phone for as
long as we can."
These were the words last week of our American Program
Director for HIV/AIDS programs in Haiti. Our crisis
management people here in our office began to work
immediately on a contingency plan for expatriate staff.
While our staff was working here the rioting and burning
moved closer to our Haiti offices. Our Haitian staff
also worked on a contingency plan and were able to
get the expatriate to a hotel for safety. However,
our Haitian staff is just as vulnerable because they
are seen as connected to resources. But they have
no choice of escape.
We work in one of the worst slums in the world located
in Haiti - Cité Soleil. A few weeks ago there
were several articles in various newspapers citing
examples of people in Cité Soleil eating dirt
to survive. My visits there would verify this tragedy.
We are working with a school in the midst of this
painful place. When I first visited this area several
years ago my eyes, nose and heart could not comprehend
what was before me as I walked on narrow paths between
corrugated tin make-shift one-room homes to get to
the church and school. Once inside the church and
school there was peace, hope and life. The children
were safe, at least for a few hours and were fed as
well. The church and school were like a beautiful
flower growing out of the squalor.
This entire scenario points to a
larger issue - the Global Food Crisis. This becomes
complex with inequities in food prices, farm subsidies,
food aid that then reduces the price of the local
farmer's goods, rising population, biofuel growth
and the list continues.
 Professor
Robert Watson, Director of the International Assessment
of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development
which is an intergovernmental body involving more
than 400 scientist and 30 governments recently said,
" We need to enhance rural livelihoods where
most of the poor live on one or two dollars a day."
While there is no place to grow food in Cité
Soleil, we simply must assure that they have the resources
to purchase it. We are working in areas in Haiti where
we are assisting the people in recovering the overused
soil by planting crops that put back nitrogen into
the soil. The joy that is being expressed when the
earth begins to bear the food that is so desperately
needed is contagious.
When Jesus talked about feeding the hungry, he also
meant the dignity that comes for the hungry to have
the opportunity to learn and the resources to feed
themselves.
I invite you to partner with us in "feeding a
hungry world" through our rural development programs
that bring seeds, tools, animals, and water to those
in need. At the same time we need the funds for food
aid for children in our urban schools who hopefully
will have productive lives because malnutrition will
not hinder their educational pursuits.
Joining with you in bringing Hope,
Jo Anne Lyon
Founder & CEO
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