Focus on Haiti

The hot, tropical sun beats down on her back and shoulders as she slowly walks the miles of dirt road to the Haitian village, carefully balancing the heavy basket of vegetables on her head. Though her trip to the marketplace is primarily to sell her product, she welcomes the opportunity to chat with other women. When she has sold all her wares, she will make the long trek back to the small shanty her family calls home.

Her frequent trips to the river for water are seldom easier, but necessary to complete her daily tasks. She prepares the family's meals, tends to her children, and cleans the house–all with no running water or electricity.

In this impoverished nation of about 8 million, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, the majority of Haitian women are limited to domestic or farm work, or selling goods at the market. Those fortunate enough to receive an education may enjoy a more prominent role, such as Ertha Pascal-Trouillot, who became Haiti's first woman president in 1990. However, three out of four children are unable to attend school.

Yet, women in Haiti will soon be able to hear about the hope and salvation that Jesus Christ offers them, even in the midst of their despair. Project Hannah's Creole Women of Hope broadcast is scheduled to begin airing later this summer from Trans World Radio's transmitting site on Bonaire and via local stations.


Haiti at a Glance
· Seven out of 10 women said they had been victims of violence, according to a Chicago Tribune article.

· A 1998 UN study found that more than 300,000 children work as domestic slaves. Most are girls given up by their parents in hope that they would at least have food to eat.

· Haiti became the first black republic in the world in 1804 when it acquired its independence from France. Today, physical slavery is in the past, but spiritism, poverty, and violence still keep Haitians in bondage.

· Although all faiths are tolerated in Haiti, about 80 percent are still enmeshed in voodooism, often merging those practices with their Christian beliefs.

· Seventy-five percent of the population lives in abject poverty.