When I returned from my first trip to Haiti in June 2010, I was asked if I had found any hope amidst

the devastation and struggle I had seen there. I answered, Of course! There Is always hope in any situation, it just depends on how youre looking at it. The hope I saw was not in fixing Haitis problems in a few weeks or even a few years. But rather the realization that the answer to many of Haitis problems is a consistent effort over the next 10 to 20 years, built on small victories each day. Fast-forward to this past November, and in a year and a half, a measurable difference has been made. Almost 2 years after the earthquake, tent cities are still prevalent, but they are fewer, the number of people roaming the streets is still distressing, but they are fewer and the energy spent on rubble removal seems to have finally tipped towards rebuilding what was lost. Despite the massive social and political struggles facing the Haitian people, progress is being made. From November 8th 17th, 2011, Chase Shumate and I visited a number of FERHA supported orphanages, schools, and individuals who have turned their houses into distribution centers for the neighborhood children who continue to live in nearby tent cities. During those visits and subsequent conversations, I am more convinced now than ever, that the solutions to many of Haitis basic problems are not going to be provided by the large number of international aid organizations or even the Haitian government. The solutions to these problems will come from within, through organizations like FERHA, a Haitian organization that encourages the growth and the education of their own people. Our role is to come alongside these organizations and support them in making a better Haiti from within. It will continue to take time but I am already looking forward to my next visit and I know I will be encouraged by the progress that is made until then. Written by Carter
Sitterson.