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Current Projects:
The Chicken Farm
The Haitian earthquake took lives and changed lives in an instant. In fact, it shook many of us awake to the suffering of that burdened country. The earthquake also brought attention to what has long been the most economically challenged country in our hemisphere. What follows is a proposal for our opportunity to hear the call to be involved in the building of a new Haiti. Hearing is just the beginning. What follows is also a proposal to respond to the call to be a part of building a new Haiti.
To clarify, when we speak of building a new Haiti, we speak of it from the position of followers of Jesus who believe that by being involved in such, we are, in fact, revealing the Kingdom of Heaven, the kingdom of God’s love on earth. We also believe that the opportunity to reveal this love begins with healthy, loving relationships. It is relationship that best expresses love. Projects are important, but without healthy relationship, healthy projects are difficult, if not impossible. The good news is that we already have good relationship with Haitians both locally and in Haiti. It is from this foundation that we begin to dream.
Our engagement in Haiti started when some from First Haitian Baptist Church and Second Baptist Church, Liberty, met days after the earthquake and looked together for healthy ways to respond to the disaster. No one in the room could see very far down the road, but the collective wisdom in the room agreed our participation in the solution would come in phases. We knew intuitively, solutions would take different forms and address different parts the recovery process. We agreed the first steps would be to collect rice and beans for the Haitian community in Kansas City, and so we did.
Our next effort was to send a container to Haiti filled with relief supplies, supplies intended to express the love and caring of those in the U.S., both Haitian and American, for family and friends in Haiti who had lost so much. This was a challenging effort, but one that provided an opportunity for the Kansas City Haitian community to help during what felt like a hopeless situation. Both efforts were first phase efforts which gave some ease to the immediate suffering. The first phase is over. The second phase has begun.
Though we knew there would be a second phase when we gathered at Second Baptist Church in February, 2010, we could not have predicted what it would be. Now we know: chickens.
The idea to help produce a chicken farm in Haiti did not come from us. The idea came from Josue, the president of the Evangelical Churches of Haiti, our best contact in Haiti. We met Josue in Haiti and he has become a good friend to us as we work toward our next effort in Haiti. When Josue was Liberty earlier this year he told of his dream of a chicken farm in Haiti and his reasons for a chicken farm. Josue spoke of his dream of building a chicken farm and of value of creating something that would allow Haitians to be involved in a self sustaining economic project and a self sustaining nutrition project. I have since told others of this idea. I have spoken of this idea with my contacts in the community development world. I have spoken of this idea with my contacts in the Haitian relief world. To date, I have not found a negative response. In fact, the idea has been universally well received. A quick story: while in Tampa in June I was speaking of this idea with a representative of Conscience International, a CBF partner in Haiti I was told that 30 million eggs are consumed in Haiti each year; 1 million are produced in Haiti. These numbers are compelling.
It is inspiring to believe we could, in a small way, be a part of moving Haiti beyond economic and nutritional dependency. We are also eager to discover how being a part of the Haitian solution changes us. We are eager to discover how being involved with our friends from Haiti will bring clarity to my relationship with God and with others.
