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 Haiti is the western 1/3 of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. The Dominican Republic is the rest. The capital is Port-Au- Prince. Haiti is the least developed country in the Western Hemisphere. The terrain is rugged mountains, small coastal plains and river valleys. Haiti in the language of the indigenous Arawak people means mountain or high ground. Once a tropical paradise, only 2% of the forest cover remains. Logging to produce charcoal, the chief source of fuel, has resulted in deforestation, desertification and soil erosion. Haiti lies in the hurricane belt and is subject to severe storms from June to October. This weather pattern along with the soil erosion causes flooding and further damage and destruction. The official languages are French and Creole. The climate is tropical.
Haiti has:
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8 million people
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80% Catholic
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50 years average life expectancy
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50% literacy rate by age 15
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$380.00 per capita annual income, mainly from small- scale subsistence farming
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Chief products are coffee, mangoes, sugar cane
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80% live below the poverty line
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1 child dies every 5 minutes due to malnutrition.
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Currency: Gourde or Haitian dollar; rate fluxuates, American dollar acceptable
On December 5, 1492 the Santa Maria captained by Christopher Columbus ran aground on what is now known as Hispaniola. He claimed the island for Spain. Enslavement and harsh treatment of the natives (Arawak Indians) caused their population to plummet over the next quarter century. In response the Spanish began to import slaves from Africa. French settlement of the island began in 1625. In 1664 France claimed control of the western portion of the island. Under French rule the island prospered for many years and the landowners became very wealthy. On August 22, 1791 the slaves rose in rebellion against their masters. After a prolonged struggle the French soldiers were defeated. On January 1, 1804 (still celebrated as their Independence Day) the natives declared independence securing Haiti’s position as an independent country. Two key figures emerging from this time were Toussaint Louverture, considered the architect of Haiti’s independence and the airport in PAP is named after him, and Jean-Jacques Dessalines considered Haiti’s founding father. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries Haiti was dominated and exploited by foreign influence and ruled by a series of men, most of who remained in office for only a brief time, deposed my uprisings and military takeovers. The most notable are Francois Duvalier (Papa Doc) and Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The government is a presidential republic with a constitution and elections, however Haiti continues to be plagued by political unrest, instability, turmoil and ongoing transition as it has for most of its history.
Most parishes in Haiti have one priest who is responsible for anywhere from 15,000 to 60,000 people who live in rural, mountainous areas. Because of the task of ministering to these people is all but impossible for one priest, it is of utmost importance that he have well-trained catechists to assist him. PTPA has helped to bring funding to these parishes to enable on-going training and formation and to provide much needed training and materials. This funding has aided the catechist in these isolated communities to bring the Gospel message as well as hope and dignity based on the teachings of the Church. In the ‘70’s there were about 70 well trained catechists in the country of Haiti. Today, there are approximately 5000.
Little or no funding is provided by the dioceses in Haiti for church work. Some priests receive as little as $60.00 a month for all parish and personal use. |
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