Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry Resigns

In March, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned and a transitional council is in the process of being put into place. Haitians have hoped their prime minister would resign as they have not felt he is capable of being a good leader for the country.

The transitional council will be made up of seven voting members and two observers, and includes representatives from several coalitions, the private sector and civil society, and one religious leader.

The US expects the council to be appointed imminently. The council will then assign an interim prime minister.

Hopefully, this council will provide a way for the first elections in Haiti since 2016.

According to BBC news, over 360,000 people have been displaced since gangs took over. As stated by the UN, half of these individuals are children. The violence in Haiti has led to food cost percentages rising by double digits over and over again. Now is a crucial time to continue sponsoring students in school and families with crucial food and nutrition.

If a transitional council can succeed in taking back Haiti from gang control and making the streets safe again, this will encourage students to attend school without fear of harm.

While it is unfortunate that it has taken such extreme levels of chaos and unrest for the prime minister to resign, perhaps the silver lining for Haiti is a brighter, new beginning. Let’s continue moving Haiti forward towards a safe and secure future!

Giving Day Goals!

We are thrilled to announce our first annual Giving Day on March 15th! Giving Day will take place each year in honor of our founding anniversary in March.

With your help, we can reach our goals for 2024:

• Provide an additional 10 families with food supplies through our Men Kontre Program

• Sponsor an added 7 students with school tuition through our

Young Dreams Sponsorship Program

• Learn more about our recipients to serve them better

• Share more stories from the people we serve in Haiti

To prepare for Giving Day and help us reach our goals, we ask that you please set a reminder for our Giving Day, consider how much you are able to give, and think about who you’d like to invite to be a part of Giving Day with us. We’d love the chance to share our work in Haiti with your family and friends!

Did You Know?

Haitian music is vibrant, easy to dance to, and influenced by French, Spanish and African music. Music is a large part of celebrations like the Haitian Carnival and Rara, which is a week-long festival beginning Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter. Haitians are also known to sing spiritual hymns and songs, performed by themselves and in groups, throughout daily life.

Haitian drums (called tanbou) are important in preserving Haitian culture, and those that are barrel-shaped are recognized as the national musical instrument. The body of the drum is constructed from wood. The head of the drum is made from animal skin, usually skin of a cow or goat.

Each drum is crafted by hand and according to tradition, baptized for use in dance, healing, and merry making.

The tanbou drum is used in many music genres of Haiti and has been influential in the rest of the Caribbean and Latin American world.

The rich musical history of Haiti continues to bring people together!