Haiti Archives - Cross International

Inclusion & Justice for Children with Disabilities

April 4, 2025 by Cross International

Sheila’s son, nine-year-old Emmanuel, suffers from cerebral palsy. “Ever since he was a baby, the community shunned us,” she said, which also made her other children feel isolated and excluded.

Sheila and her family live in Kilifi County, Kenya — a remote area with widespread misunderstandings about physical disabilities. Many believe that curses, incest, witchcraft or even God is to blame. Frequently, children are painfully abused by “healers” who perform excruciating exorcisms, cuttings, burnings, and live burials to “heal” children of their disabilities. Mothers are often believed to have caused the child’s infliction and consequently are subjected to much of the same inhumane treatment.

Until recently, young Emmanuel and his mother Sheila was in dire need of an advocate who would counsel them on their rights and refer them for care. Cross International intervened on their behalf. Thanks to Cross and our in-country partner, Kupenda for the Children, Emmanuel has received regular physical therapy. The results have been outstanding.

Before he began his physical therapy, Emmanuel was totally dependent on others. Now he can get in and out of his wheelchair by himself. He can crawl and stand up unaided, which would have once been inconceivable. It’s an amazing change for Emmanuel and for his brothers and sisters, as well. They can play and interact with him in a more normal manner. It’s truly a blessing!

With your help, we can transform even more lives and spread the love of Jesus

Cross International has programs serving children with disabilities in six countries — Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya and Malawi — and serves more than 35,000 children and family members. Our work ranges from food distribution and community schools to therapeutic rehabilitation, to surgery, to residential programs, and biblically based leadership and community training to change beliefs and practices for a more just and participatory society.

In the first three years of this plan, we anticipate growing to reach a minimum of 60,000 children with disabilities and family members each year. This is significant, as these vulnerable children and their families are likely to be among the poorest members of the community. Children with disabilities are:

Children with disabilities are at a higher risk of physical abuse and are often excluded from receiving proper nutrition or humanitarian assistance in emergencies. These are children devoid of awareness of life’s possibilities, of life’s hope, or a life of involvement even at the most basic levels of society. Families with disabilities are often shunned, isolated and lack economic opportunity, resulting in lives of poverty and living on the periphery of society.

On average, families who have a child with a disability have lower annual incomes.

In our work, Cross International regularly sees all the challenges described above. As a community of followers of Jesus and as an organization, we believe God is calling Cross to “go deeper and do more.” We are poised to significantly grow our position as an agent of action and influence to improve the lives of these children and their families.

But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.

-Luke 14:13-14

Your gift to Cross International can help change the lives of children with disabilities and their families so that their lives can flourish and thrive!

The Heroic Educators of Divine Shelter School-Sarthe

March 12, 2025 by Cross International

Standing strong

In the heart of Port-au-Prince, where uncertainty looms and danger threatens daily life, a remarkable group of educators is standing strong against the tide of chaos. The teachers of Divine Shelter School in Sarthe have displayed unwavering courage and resilience, keeping their doors open to students despite relentless threats and attempts by gangs to tear their school down. Their story is one of heroism, sacrifice and an unshakable belief in the power of education.

WATCH VIDEO >

School Resuming at Sarthe Despite Attempted Shutdown

Located in a gang-controlled area right next to the Port-au-Prince airport, DSS Sarthe is the most urban campus in the DSS system. Perhaps because of its central location, the school has become a target—and the children have become victims. As you can see, much of the school has been demolished. But in what remains, the learning continues!

The original Divine Shelter School

The Sarthe campus of Cross International’s Divine Shelter School network is the first and original Divine Shelter School. It was established in 1971 by Pastor Jean Edmond, head of Calvary Baptist Church in Haiti. Pastor Edmond’s vision was evangelical. In his mind, the key to spreading the word of Christ was to start with the children. He believed that if you fed and educated each child, the word of God would spread throughout the entire country of Haiti.

As the original DSS campus, Sarthe has played a crucial role in shaping the educational landscape in Haiti. Over the years, it grew to serve a vast number of students, offering them an education deeply rooted in Christian values. The school’s commitment to both academic excellence and spiritual formation remains steadfast despite the increasing dangers in the region.

At its height, Sarthe boasted the largest school population, serving children from pre-K through high school. At its height, it also boasted the most stable electrical grid with good Wi-Fi reception. DSS Sarthe is regularly among the highest-performing schools in the network in terms of academic achievement and graduation rates.

In recent months, gangs have sought to dismantle that hope, attempting to destroy the school and intimidate those who dare to keep it running. Yet, through sheer determination, despite the fact that their campus has been literally bulldozed underneath their feet, the educators have refused to be silenced or driven away!

Leadership in crisis

Director Jean Mendez and the entire teaching staff have been a pillar of strength for the students and have remained steadfast in the face of adversity. They have ensured that children still have access to learning—at least for a few hours each day. They have also shown extraordinary bravery. Many travel through dangerous streets on their way to school, risking their safety just to be present in the classroom. Knowing the risks, they choose to stand firm, offering not only lessons in reading and arithmetic but also invaluable lessons in resilience, faith, and perseverance. Their dedication sends a powerful message to their students: no matter how dire the circumstances, knowledge and hope are worth fighting for.

The students themselves are a testament to this courage. Despite the dangers outside, they come to school eager to learn, their determination reflecting the spirit of their teachers and principal. Their presence is a victory over fear, proving that education remains one of the most powerful tools against oppression and violence.

The DSS Network: A lifeline for Haitian communities

Founded and staffed by Haitians, the Divine Shelter Schools (DSS) are a home-grown ministry that educates impoverished children and spreads the gospel in both urban and remote rural areas of the country. Each of the primary schools is affiliated with a Haitian Christian church body. The outreach is simple but effective. For as little as a few dollars a month, children receive a full-fledged nationally accredited education alongside weekly Bible lessons that familiarize their young minds with God’s Word. In addition to mental and spiritual nourishment, each DSS campus also meets the children’s physical need for nourishing food. Free daily lunches give the students the energy they need to learn and grow, so they don’t have to choose between eating or going to school.

DSS relies on support from Cross International and its generous donors. Through this partnership, essential resources like food, educational materials, and infrastructure improvements have been provided, ensuring students learn in safe, well-equipped environments. Despite ongoing challenges, Cross International remains steadfast in its mission to empower communities through faith-based education and outreach.

How you can help

As we share the story of these students and their educators, let us also stand with them in prayer, support, and advocacy. Their courage reminds us that even in the darkest moments, light can shine through the dedication of those who refuse to give up. For the children of Sarthe, that light makes all the difference.

By contributing to Cross International, you can play a role in sustaining this vital ministry. Your support helps provide meals, educational resources, and the assurance that these students will continue to have a safe place to learn and grow. Together, we can uphold the legacy of Sarthe and ensure that its mission continues for generations to come.

Christian Education Paving Pathways in Haiti

February 28, 2025 by Cross International

Energy fills the classroom as the teacher patiently instructs her exuberant young students. The kids are learning, laughing, and growing. They’re acquiring knowledge and skills that will be foundational to their success later in life. A variety of classroom settings around the world would fit this description, but there’s something special about this particular classroom and the school it’s a part of.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The Haitian people have endured a myriad of hardships that have further weakened an already fragile economy, from natural disasters to cholera outbreaks to the rampant gang violence and political instability plaguing the nation today. Yet amid the adversity, there is resilience and hope.

In Haiti and elsewhere, a quality education is typically inaccessible to impoverished children. Nearly half of all Haitian children never get to attend school.

But at Cross International partner Divine Shelter Schools (DSS), a network of twelve Christian schools across Haiti, kids are welcomed in, regardless of their family’s income level. Thanks to the generous giving of Cross International friends, fees for tuition, uniforms, and supplies are waived or steeply reduced for families of DSS students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford to send their kids to school.

Seven-year-old Christ-Naïda is one of those kids. Like most of her fellow first-graders, she comes from a family stuck in destitute circumstances. Her father is not around, and her mother struggles to provide, to the point where Christ-Naïda was sent to live with her godmother. Christ-Naida still dreams that one day she and her parents will be together as a family. In the meantime, school is a refuge, a place of belonging.

Each day, Christ-Naïda and her classmates receive a hot, nutritious lunch, which in many cases is their only substantial meal of the day. The nutrients are vital to their overall health and also give them the energy they need to focus on their studies.

In the classroom, Christ-Naïda is eager to learn. She wants to be a nurse when she’s older, so she can care for those in her community who are sick. Christ-Naïda has taken to heart Jesus’s instruction to “love your neighbor as yourself,” which she’s heard during regular Bible lessons at school. She finds the account of Jesus’s life “fascinating” and enjoys memorizing Bible verses. Every DSS location is connected to a local church, and along with providing a nationally-accredited education, communicating the message of the Gospel is a primary objective.

While there are no simple solutions to the challenges facing Haiti, progress is being made. Christian education is helping break the cycle of poverty, and opening doors for the next generation of Haitians, for kids like Christ-Naïda. Cross International remains committed to fueling lasting change in Haiti. Will you join us?

Hidden Villages: Ending Generational Poverty in Dominican Bateyes

February 7, 2025 by Cross International

Tucked away in pockets of the Dominican Republic, a country known in part for its lush landscape and magnificent coastline with endless white sand beaches, are impoverished villages called bateyes. Poverty is a serious issue throughout the country, but these communities are unique. They began to form in the 1930s, when large numbers of poor Haitians migrated to their neighboring country for seasonal work cutting sugarcane. Though the workers were victims of exploitation and prejudice, many ended up staying permanently for lack of better options.

As the influx from Haiti continued, the government sought to isolate Haitian immigrants away from Dominican society while still slashing production costs for this important crop. Bateyes were the solution. Flimsy shanties to house workers were constructed adjacent to sugarcane fields while armed guards and fences were put in place to prevent people from leaving, essentially creating company-owned villages cutoff from surrounding Dominican towns and cities. Living conditions were awful, lacking running water, electricity, bathrooms, and other basic amenities.

Over the decades, the bateyes became home to hundreds of thousands of first, second, and third-generation Haitians, who despite spending their lives in the Dominican Republic, had no legal claim to citizenship. That made it extraordinarily difficult to access medical care, education, and a wide range of other resources.

When economic demand for sugar in world markets sharply declined in the 21st century, some operations ceased and guards departed, but hundreds of bateyes remain to this day. Thirteen-year-old Dalianiza lives with her family in one of them. Because her parents are both undocumented, their job options are nearly non-existent. Her father is confined to guiding an ox cart in the cane fields, and his wages are barely enough to afford a single meal per day for the family. The sugar company owns their small house, and the only bathrooms are outside the home, shared with the community. Education is typically out of the question for kids like Dalianiza.

While children and families in bateyes may be largely invisible to the outside world, God sees them. In these challenging places, Cross International is committed to bringing lasting change in the name of Jesus. Because of the selfless giving of Cross International friends, Dalianiza and her family regularly receive food through CI’s local partner, Buen Samaritano. Along with other kids in the program, Dalianiza’s BMI (Body Mass Index) is tracked over time to ensure healthy growth. Parents and caregivers even participate in cooking classes in which they learn how to prepare nutritious meals using a variety of foods.

The program has also increased access to healthcare and paved the way for Dalianiza to attend school by covering fees and providing her with necessary items like a uniform, socks, shoes, a backpack, notebooks, and pencils. And crucially, she hears the message of the Gospel from compassionate Christians who point to Jesus as the true source of provision and hope.

There are no quick fixes or easy solutions to address the immense needs in batey communities. Instead, sustainable progress requires patience and dedication. Thank you for joining with Cross International to give Dalianiza and so many others opportunities that were once far out of reach. What a blessing it is to witness transformation unfolding.

Our work ranges from self-help groups that offer low-interest microloans, job training and community support to residential programs that offer career counseling, tutoring and Bible training.

Click here to help more families like Dalianiza thrive.

A Summer Without Hunger

August 18, 2022 by Cross International

School Feeding Program Makes Sure Hungry Kids Get the Food They Need

Summer can be an extremely difficult time for children in the developing world. During the school year, many boys and girls depend on daily school lunches to meet their nutritional needs. For some, school lunches are the only food they can rely on. Then when summer “vacation” comes the meals suddenly stop. Without consistent meals, these children can begin slipping into malnutrition. In the more extreme cases, malnutrition can lead to stunted growth, and even impaired cognitive development, which may impact the child for the rest of their life.

For hardworking parents who, try as they might, simply lack the resources they need to ensure that their kids get enough food, the summer months can be heartbreaking. In Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, lack of nutrition during summer remains a major problem. That’s why Cross International has partnered with Divine Shelter Schools (DSS) to implement a summer feeding program for at-risk children in Haiti.

Serving well over 200 children in multiple locations, the Cross International and DSS summer feeding program includes a morning devotion, Bible lesson, art class, math and grammar tutoring, sports, hygiene education and, of course, nutritious meals! To ensure that each child is getting the food they need, the DSS staff also make sure to track the weight of each child throughout the summer.

It’s only because of the generous support of kind Cross International partners like you that these precious girls and boys are enjoying daily, healthy meals this summer. Thank you for showing them God’s love through their fully bellies!

Meet the DSS Summer Feeding Program Students

Claudine

Claudine is a rising 4^th grader attending the summer feeding program at the Divine Shelter School of Bellanger. Claudine’s father works in a factory that produces ice and her mother sells cookies to help provide for Claudine and her three siblings. Claudine is thankful for the food and fun she enjoys at DSS.

Jessica

Sadly, Jessica’s parents are separated so she and her three siblings live with their father in a rented hut. Jessica will be in 4^th grade when school begins again at DSS Bellanger. The daily meals Jessica receives at the summer feeding program are helping her grow healthy and strong!

Finding Her Place: A girl in Haiti discovers belonging

July 14, 2022 by Cross International

Born with Down Syndrome in Haiti

The youngest of five children, 14-year-old Meh was born with Down syndrome in Haiti. Despite her condition, Meh began school at the age of five. Sadly, though, she struggled to find the special needs support to help her succeed. Her parents tried sending her to three different schools, but each time Meh’s special needs were not cared for. At one school, a particularly mean teacher would beat poor Meh, leaving her with bruises on her arms and legs.

Special Needs Support

Violent protests and civil unrest further complicated Meh’s education and her parents didn’t know where to turn next. Then they discovered the National Academy of Excellence (NAE), a Cross International partner in their area. Officially opening in 2016, NAE is a school that provides primary education for children living on campus as well as kids, like Meh, who live nearby. Thankfully for Meh, NAE even provides for children with special needs in Haiti, ensuring that they too get the opportunity to learn in a positive and healthy environment.

Education for Special Needs Children

For Meh and her family, the National Academy of Excellence has been an answer to prayer. Meh has finally found the place where she feels like she belongs. Since she began attending NAE, Meh has shown remarkable improvement in her fine motor skills, spelling, and vocabulary. At the NAE’s annual Christmas show, Meh even performed a song during the school play!

In the short time she’s been at NAE, Meh has made remarkable progress and she says how much she loves going to school and how proud she is to be an NAE student!

Programs like NAE are so important for special needs children in Haiti, like Meh, who have nowhere else to turn. Thank you for helping this precious young lady, and so many other children, get the priceless gifts of loving care and a quality education.

Earthquake in Haiti: Update

September 30, 2021 by Cross International

Cross Supporters Send Emergency Relief to Disaster Victims

On August 14^th, 2021, a powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti’s Tiburon Peninsula with devastating consequences. To date, over 2,200 people have been confirmed dead and more than 137,500 homes were damaged or destroyed.

Altogether over 800,000 people have been affected. “It looked like a war zone,” Zach Oles, Cross International’s Vice President of International Programs stated. “Buildings were reduced to rubble. People were suffering—especially children. They were sleeping in fields. It was devastating.”

While the quake was stronger than the one that inflicted catastrophic damage on the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince in 2010, this time the earthquake’s power was focused in a rural area. While this thankfully limited the death toll as compared with the disaster a decade ago, the affected region’s limited infrastructure and resources are making the recovery process exceptionally challenging.

Disaster Response in Haiti

The devastation and loss across the island nation is great, however, thanks to the kindness and generosity of Cross supporters like you, our in-country disaster response team has been working to provide essential emergency relief to earthquake victims across southern Haiti. The team’s reports have been heartbreaking, but even in the midst of such tragedy, the Haitian people remain resilient and strong. “It’s important to understand that we’ve been in these communities for 20 years,” Zach Oles said. “Cross is deeply rooted in Haiti and we are committed to steadfast support for our partners and our friends and family in Haiti.”

Faithful friends like you are showing disaster victims in Haiti that they are not alone and not forgotten. Cross International’s generous supporters have sent emergency food supplies, medicine, and other disaster relief to meet the most urgent needs in the days and weeks after the earthquake.

Haiti Ministry Partners

Cross International’s ministry partners in Haiti have also suffered great loss. In the South Department all but three of the 14 Cross International sponsored schools for restavek children (restavek is modern day child slavery that still persists in Haiti) were damaged or destroyed by the quake. ” Zac Oles commented that, “School starts on Monday, (October 4) and we want to make sure that kids get back to school and make sure that the school feeding program is in place on the first day.” To accomplish this, Cross worked to construct temporary structures to provide shelter while the children attend class.”

With poor infrastructure, impassible roads, gas shortages, and gang-controlled access points, the challenges of getting relief to those in need are daunting, but even so our ministry partners remain committed to helping disaster victims and sharing the love of God during this difficult time.

Two Phase Disaster Recovery Plan

With many pressing needs in the wake of this devastating earthquake, Cross International’s relief plan will include two phases. The first is concentrating on providing the essential, life-sustaining relief required in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. “We’ve got to get people out of the rain, get them off the ground, and get the kids back to school.” Zach Oles said. The first phase, which will cover the first 90 days after the earthquake, has so far included the following:

WITHIN THE FIRST 30 DAYS, WE HAVE DISTRIBUTED:

Disaster relief supplies for more than 13,000 people in 15 communities. Supplies include tarps, foam mattresses, blankets, pillows linens, work gloves, face masks, tote bags, plastic dishes, personal care items, cleaning products and children’s sandals.
Medical supplies for a medical clinic in Camp-Perrin and for mobile clinics in Lougou and Raymond, and L’Aisle and Musotte. Supplies include antibiotics, wound care kits, IVs and pain relievers.
5,500+ food kits, serving more than 15,000 people in 15 communities. These kits contain locally purchased food products, including pasta, oil and fish.
More than 260,000 meals of pre-packaged fortified rice, specially formulated to address malnourishment. These meals will primarily be used in the hot lunch program for the 14 restavek schools.
2,000 aqua tabs to help chlorinate contaminated water. One tab treats 5 gallons of water.
Construction material for the building of 11 temporary school shelters. All temporary shelters are scheduled to be completed in time for school to start on October 4.

The second phase will focus on long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts. Some of Cross International’s priorities in this phase will include:

Rebuilding the 11 schools that were damaged or destroyed to be hurricane and earthquake resistant.
Reconstructing 156 homes for students enrolled with Cross International’s partner, MEBSH
Establishing community water systems in 14 MEBSH communities

Even as the world’s attention quickly moved on from the devastation and loss in Haiti, Cross International’s dedicated supporters continue showing God’s love in powerful and tangible ways to Haitians facing so much tragedy. “We are gospel-driven, kingdom building, and all about bringing glory to God,” Zach Oles affirmed. “We are mandated to love our brothers and sisters and to stand with those in need. That is the foundation of who Cross International is and why we’re focused on working in rural communities who have nowhere else to turn.”

Cross International is committed to the long-term relief and recovery process that disaster victims need in these critical times and it’s only through the support of friends like you that important work like this is made possible. God bless you for your heart to bless those in need.

A Tale of Two Countries. Why should we care?

September 10, 2021 by Cross International

Today, my toothbrush reminded me of the challenges and the opportunities we live with around the world. That’s a long story. The shorter version, you’ll read in a few minutes.

It’s Saturday August 14, 2021. My heart and mind are intently focused on two countries that have deep importance to me: Haiti and Afghanistan. Haiti has just been struck with a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, with significant death and damage in its southern region, and Afghanistan is falling back into the hands of the Taliban.

These are countries which, by perception of many in America and around the world, have had continual crisis and turmoil for years, indeed, decades. Both are in crisis again on this day, and for so many people who have seen and heard, what seem to be ongoing, negative stories about these countries, there may be a “why should I care about those people” response, if a response is given at all.

Much of my life’s work is represented in these two countries and their beautiful people. I have the privilege today to be leading a Christian international relief & development organization (Cross International, based in Pompano Beach, FL) and have spent over half of my professional life in this work, with my first experiences beginning in 1995. Like many of you, I live a middle-class life in America where my wife and I are blessed with three great adult kids, a wonderful extended family and many dear friends. A uniqueness for me is that often over the years my “office” has been in many of the world’s most desperate places, having worked in over 30 developing countries. Often my work has been with people suffering from extreme crisis – the result of war, natural disasters and internal conflict. These experiences have shaped me deeply. They have both challenged many assumptions and affirmed many beliefs, brought me to my knees in moments of despair, and have led me to understand the deep joy that rises when the God-created human spirit of people is allowed to flourish.

When our Vice President of Programs called me Saturday morning to strategize about our response to the earthquake in Haiti, my first thought was, “Oh, Lord, not again.” I hadn’t yet heard the news, so this was a visceral reaction. Having worked in earthquake responses before, knowing what was happening and what was going to unfold over the coming hours, days, weeks and months in Haiti began to roll through my mind. This was yet another body blow to the core of the Haitian people. The country has barely recovered from the last major earthquake 11 years ago and from a series of hurricanes that have blasted the countryside. Haiti is also still in turmoil over a recent presidential assassination, years of civil unrest and an economy that lies in shambles. All of these events have been making the news in the US and abroad year after year, time and time again. It is easy for people to simply say, “Who are those people, and why should I care?”

And how is Haiti tied to Afghanistan?

On that same Saturday morning, like much of the world, I was also glued to coverage about the utter collapse of the Afghan government and the country’s fall back into the hands of the Taliban completed the next day. Heart-wrenching, gut-wrenching anger. All the adjectives that have been used to describe the situation, and more, were permeating every level of my mind, heart and soul. Afghanistan is personal to me. Of all the countries I’ve had the privilege to work in regarding humanitarian assistance, I’ve probably spent the most time in Afghanistan, beginning 20 years ago just a few short weeks after 9/11 when the Taliban were still in control and were at war fighting the then Northern Alliance.

Humanitarian work in Afghanistan then was mostly confined to the northeast “finger” of the country, as U.S.-led coalition forces were beginning airstrikes against the Taliban. This is where my deep care for the people of Afghanistan began. I could write a book-length description of that time. Instead, let me explain why my soul is in such turmoil over Afghanistan and why I fear for the Afghan people. Here are some reflections from the past that bring today into a full-circle reality.

In the spring and summer of 2001 my coworkers (not with Cross International) and I were working with the U.S. government through USAID to secure a large “food security” grant that would help poor farmers in western Afghanistan establish crops and have, hopefully, a sustainable farming future. Famine was rampant in the country. Many millions were in extremely short food supply. As with most famines, this was man-made, caused by the destruction and terror the Taliban had deployed throughout much of the country the prior 4-5 years, primarily in the breadbasket areas of Afghanistan. It was a way to control, to have power and influence over the people. Due to the destruction by the Taliban and resulting famine Afghanistan was facing an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) population of close to six million – at that time, the largest such population in the world.

Then 9/11 struck, and all U.S. government-supported projects in Afghanistan were frozen. That particular food security project became a thing of the past. The world had made a dynamic change, and Afghanistan was at its epicenter.

Now in a post-9/11 posture, just a few weeks later in October of 2001, a few of my international co-workers and I crossed the river border from Tajikistan into NE Afghanistan, into Takhar province – one of only two provinces not held by the Taliban. The headquarters of the Northern Alliance was there. It was a place of mere existence to hundreds of thousands of people who had been pushed from their homes from throughout the country into the last place of freedom from Taliban rule. As a lover of mountains, hiking and exploring the outdoors, at another time this would have been an incredible journey. Huge mountains, barren landscape and wide-open plains to explore. But now this was a place of desperation. “Refugee camps” (that’s the wrong term since these were DPs, but I want you to get a sentiment of the conditions) were spread across the dirt landscape.

This was a harsh place. Hot, dry, barren in the summer. Cold, snowy, freezing in the winter. The camps were orderly rows upon rows of “shelters.” I use that term loosely. In the raw dirt landscape, people had to dig down into the ground to create a pit, maybe 10 square feet wide and six feet deep, with steps dug into the dirt and tarps covering the hole as a roof. This was their simple existence to protect themselves from scorching heat and freezing snow. A few barefoot children were playing in the dirt fields. Men stood in groups, talking. Women huddled together and cooked meager meals of watery, lentil soup. As I was walking through one of the camps, I edged along a dirt hillside which sloped up maybe 80 feet high and stretched a few hundred yards long, I noticed little bumps of dirt all over the hill. They looked like the reverse dimples of a golf ball. I asked an elder, “What are those?” He said through an interpreter, “Those are the graves of the little children who died over the past winter from starvation, cold and illness.”

It was shocking to me. There weren’t just a few little graves. There were hundreds. And that was just for this small area of the camp. Then I noticed there were very few kids under the age of two to be seen. This was the first raw reality of the impact of the Taliban that I was to witness. Totally avoidable, yet totally allowed to happen. As I looked into the eyes of the mothers and fathers around me, I now not only saw hunger. I saw loss, anger and pain. But I also witnessed a desire to go on. A resiliency despite the terrible circumstances they were living in.

Within a few short months the Taliban had been pushed out of power (note: not defeated. They would regroup over the years and remain in waiting for a time like today). I was in Kabul by then. There was an air of newfound, yet tense freedom throughout the city as the reign of Taliban terror was now at bay. One evening my co-worker (I’ll call him Dave) and I went to the soccer stadium to see a very special soccer match. Dave and his family knew Afghanistan well. They lived in Kabul through part of the Soviet 10-year invasion which decimated much of the country, and the ensuing civil war between factional warlords which put a final stamp of decimation on Kabul and so much more around Afghanistan.

Dave used to dryly joke that his yard was a makeshift hospital for “all comers.” Mujahedeen fighters, warlord fighters and others, when injured during battle in the streets of Kabul, would scale their wall and use their yard for safety and care, freely given to all in need.

This night that Dave and I had together in Ghazi stadium was “special.” This 5,000 or so seat stadium once used for what you and I would call sport, had been the execution grounds for the Taliban. For the prior 4-5 years those who were deemed worthy of Taliban-themed Sharia justice were subject to execution. Every evening men (perhaps your beard wasn’t long enough) and women (for showing too much ankle skin or listening to music or whatever other “high crime” they had committed) were brought into the stadium in front of the crowd of people who were “encouraged” to attend these worthy events, forced to kneel in the goal box and were shot in the head. Their blood provided nutrients for the meager grass to grow. Bear in mind, this was a small stadium. Every seat was up close and personal. If you were there, you saw it all. This was yet again another reality of the brutal, daily existence the Taliban meted out against the people. But on this evening, just a few months after the Taliban had used this place as a literal killing field, Dave I and saw the first real public soccer match since the reign of the Taliban. It was a moment of release and joy for the Afghan people.

A few days later Dave and I drove through the center of the country from Kabul to Mazar-i-Sharif in the north-central part of Afghanistan where our organization hoped to work with village communities to re-establish farming, animal husbandry, maybe even schools for girls. (Remember, this was early 2002, and girls had been banned from school during the Taliban years). Our drive took us through the Shamoli Valley and close by what was becoming the U.S. force’s Bagram base. The Shamoli had once been a lush breadbasket for Afghanistan. Orchards and crops were staples and had been in existence for generations. The produce of this region had been a heartbeat for the country, a place of identity. But as we drove through the long valley, stark reminders of the Taliban were everywhere. Orchards had been slashed and burned to the ground. Villages destroyed. Many, many people had been killed over the years. Terror, oppression and steps backward in time had replaced a once-thriving spirit.

We were establishing our organization’s development work in villages in the area around Mazar, so I was there for some weeks working with local officials, elders of villages, etc. Our organization was part of a larger consortium of faith-based organizations from around the world that had been working in Afghanistan for many years.

One night we had dinner at the home of a couple from another agency in this consortium. They had invited a few of us over for stew, cooked in a pressure cooker on their small two-burner propane stove. A nurse from Switzerland arrived late and seemed somewhat distant while we all got acquainted. Over dinner she and I started to talk, during which I sensed something was wrong. I eventually asked her if she was okay. That led to a heartbreaking story. Just before dinner, as the local medical professional, she had been called to the village close to the one we were at. Seven children had been playing with a land mine they found in the dirt close by. Her job was to confirm each of their deaths as the families identified the remains of their bodies. As you can imagine, she was shaken to the core by this. We listened to her cry and tell the story. Although many mines had been laid during the warlord conflict and were still deployed, it was believed these had been laid by the Taliban as another way to exert terror.

Close to that time I had meetings regarding Afghan humanitarian work in Islamabad, Pakistan. While there one afternoon, I had a few hours of free time, so I drove well outside the city toward the mountains where some Madrassas were located in the lowlands of the mountains. Likely, some of these and numerous others along the border with Afghanistan are where many of the Taliban’s students began their indoctrination into the ways of the Taliban. There is a long story behind the establishment and growth of the Taliban, too long to tell here, but what I can tell you is that while driving through this area, you could sense the aura of a breeding ground. It was palpable.

Back in Afghanistan hope began to emerge.

In Mazar we were able to lay the foundation for working with several villages outside of the city, for agriculture development and animal re-stocking and husbandry. The idea of really establishing one or more schools for girls was taking root….and eventually began! Over the next few years it was glorious for these young girls to begin learning and to shine.

A few months later I was back in Kabul with Dave. Along with another organization (a British outfit) we had established a small business and were employing women. We were manufacturing a high-protein porridge meal that was being used widely in the area to help malnutrition. Our “manufacturing plant” was an old rented three-story house with a sizeable open courtyard. The women would spread the various ingredients out to dry in the courtyard, then roast them “just right” over a clay firepit, then transfer the materials inside where they were mixed, weighed, bagged and boxed for transport. This was sold in the street markets and to other organizations for their program work. And I’ll tell you what I saw. I saw women who had been long oppressed now with a sense of purpose. And I actually saw … them! They no longer had to have face coverings. I saw eyes that not too long before had been cowering and distant with fear of the Taliban but were now bright and full of life. I saw beautiful smiles and joy. I saw their God-created human spirit flourishing while they worked and earned an income.

While Dave and I were in Kabul, we were staying with friends from our organization. They (I’ll call them Ray and Susan) were an incredibly joyful couple from the Philippines who had recently been serving in a Christian school in Pakistan which had been raided by a small cell of terrorists. In a truly God-saving story of survival, with nothing but air between them and the gunmen, they were shielded and spared from almost point-blank gunfire. Because of that event they were forced to leave the country and were now taking respite in Kabul (note the irony). Because of quick travel plans by all of us, we were short on some personal supplies. I was missing my toothbrush. So, I walked to a corner market and bought a new toothbrush. Back at Ray and Susan’s place, I was heading to bed for an early night’s sleep and as I was unwrapping my new toothbrush to brush my teeth, I could hear Dave, Ray, and Susan talking in the kitchen. They were telling stories and laughing about the wonderful times they had had while serving the beautiful people of Afghanistan and Pakistan. I stood there listening for a long time. I had grown to love and admire my friend Dave so much and had quickly come into friendship with Ray and Susan. As I listened to them, it was a poignant moment, I was burning the images and stories that I’ve shared here with you (and many more) into my mind. I vowed I would never forget. I would always remember that despite the darkest hours of human depravity, there is hope that finds its way out and into the light. A hope that only comes from a God who created us and loves us. A hope that, because of God’s steadfast love, endures through the evil actions of mankind. And a hope that allows us to participate, even in small ways, to help in the process of redemption into a joyful life.

Today, that toothbrush remains in my travel pouch, even after these many years, as a reminder of that hope. Every time I’m travelling and brushing my teeth, I smile.

So, why on this Saturday in 2021 and in the ensuing days and weeks, am I feeling both anger and frustration but also hopeful and thankful? Well, I can tell you that I have great fear for the people of Afghanistan, particularly women and young girls. I’m angry because history does repeat itself. It may be a different shade or tone, but history does repeat itself. When the Taliban originally swept into influence and power, they took advantage of a war-torn population with a “hearts and mind” campaign. The Afghanis – a beautiful, wonderful people – had been pounded by invaders and civil war for 15 years. They badly wanted peace and stability. Even if it came from outsiders who had rough, but stabilizing ways. In their early days the Taliban provided that and were generally accepted by much of the population as the de facto stabilizing leadership. However, soon after gaining control of the country, the Taliban unleashed its harsh ways of life, as the world came to know.

I am frustrated because history indeed does repeat itself. Sadly, we will once again see the harsh reality and cruelty of life under the Taliban. It will happen again, and I’ve never wanted to be so wrong in my life. The recent actions around national interest politics and geopolitics are for another discussion of which I have strong sentiment, but for certain the door is now wide open for the Taliban to perpetrate their actions against humanity once again.

But there is hope. There is always hope. First and foremost, we can continue to lift Afghanistan up in prayer for peace and justice. As much as you and I can’t engage in assistance in Afghanistan right now, we can be active in Haiti. Ah, Haiti. My last work there was in February 2020, just before COVID shut down the world. Our staff in Haiti and local partners were (and are!) doing incredible work. I think of the young kids who live in abject poverty, to no fault of their parents, and now through our schools have opportunity to learn and to have a nutritious meal every day. These are kids who over the years instead of being subject to poverty are now in the workplace as teachers and tradesmen, and other viable work. I think of the school in Port-au-Prince for children with disabilities who would otherwise be cast aside, not given any opportunity in life. I think of the rural villages where our partners are training children to raise goats to breed and sell in the marketplace so they can afford to go to school and have a hopeful future. As a matter of fact, the gentleman who is now the Director of that program came from such a background!

When a crisis of the magnitude of an earthquake hits, it seems so overwhelming. What can any one person do? What can I do? Well, I want to encourage you that when you see a crisis like this in Haiti, there ARE ways to engage and help, even if you think it’s small. Each of us can choose to break through the action-stopping mindset of “those people” and know that ach person in an under-developed country has a name, has a need, has hopes and dreams for a thriving future just like you and I do for our families. Let’s not box so much of life into an “either or” world. We can simply choose not to.

I’m not asking you to give up helping your families or others in your community. What I’m asking, if you aren’t already so engaged, is to consider expanding your sphere of impact. Include the people of the most marginalized places on earth, like Haiti, in your financial, prayer, conversation, and advocacy activities. You may not change the world, and you don’t need to, but you can impact one life at a time. YOU can help unleash that God-created human spirit of a vulnerable child, of a mom at risk, of a dad who is struggling, and help them flourish.