Easter and Hope
On April 10th, Hands Together re-opened all 8 campuses of the Becky DeWine School.
Senior boys share an exam study book
On May 4, 2012, we can report that each of our 8 campuses in Cite Soleil, and the school feeding and elderly are all functional, but we are still in a period of change and restructering.
"We are still in a time of mourning for the loss of Nelson and Alexander, and for me personally, this year's Good Friday was extremely powerful. 
Seniors enjoy their lectureReally, a very big part of Hands Together, the work that I've been doing for twenty years, has, in effect died. And with the coming of Easter there comes a re-birth." - Fr. Tom Hagan.
Our mission and goals for the schools in Cite Soleil remain the same -- to provide a quality Catholic education to the poorest of the poor who otherwise would not go to school.
We are working to re-structure and essentially decentralize some of the way we do things. We have always tried to keep the projects in Haiti in the hands of the people themselves and we will continue to find ways to do this. Please pray that these new changes, however difficult, are embraced by the people.
Two Hands Together Staff Shot and Killed
Jean Liphete NelsonOn March 5th at 7:30am a vehicle containing 5 Hands Together staff members was attacked 25 meters from our Becky DeWine high school by a gang from the Brae Neuf section of Cite Soleil. The gang shot and killed Alexander Marcus (who evaluated the schools and helped with discipline) and Nelson Jean Liphete who was Hands Together Directeur General. Robert Nelson, our director of schools, was wounded in both legs. The other two staff members in the vehicle escaped unharmed.
The details surrounding the attack remain unclear and there are several versions on what happened and speculation on why -- and the incident is under investigation by the Haitian police. It is unclear whether the attack was a simple robbery (there have been many hold ups on that road in recent months) or if it was some kind of orchestrated plan to kill Nelson. What is common among all accounts is that everyone in the vehicle except Alexander exited the vehicle. Then, some sort of gunfight ensued and people ran away. Nelson did use his pistol in defense and shot at least 7 times.
In recent months, violence and theft has increased in Haiti and especially in Port-au-Prince. In fact, just 4 weeks ago, Robert Nelson was kidnapped and threatened. These horrific and despicable acts of violence, and the fallout and reactions to these killings and shootings, leave no doubt that it is unsafe at this time for our school children, teachers and staff. For this reason, we’ve suspended our outreach activities in Port-au-Prince until there is a more stable and secure environment.
2012 Plans, Projects, Needs
"If we handle the worlds goods with one hand, we must hold fast to God's Hands with the other, often look to see if our actions please God." - St. Francis de Sales.
2012 is well underway for us in Haiti and Fr. Tom, as well as our core staff, feel the heavy weight of all that needs to be done if we are to truly run an excellent Catholic school system in Haiti's largest and poorest slum. This weight comes in the form of threats, kidnappings, angry protests from our teachers, pressure from local gang members for money or jobs, and constant arguments and fights among students and staff. The weight of stolen food and dishes, the frustration of broken down vehicles, the relentless pressure from hundreds of people wanting our help -- all these things we face as we consider our plans for "doing good work" in the year 2012.
Many Haitians suffer from acute malnutrition and very serious health issues. We operate a 3 room mobile medical clinic to bring health services to the ones who need it most. We provide over 11,000 school meals and elderly nutrition. We focus on preventive health and early intervention. We donate supplies and equipment to larger existing organizations whose primary purpose is medical and health related.
Education is the best way to overcome the evils of poverty and affirm the dignity of every human being. We run schools for more than 11,000 of the poorest children in Haiti. Our educational programs in the slums and agricultural training efforts rural areas give people hope and the ability to improve their life.
Hands Together believes that Haiti's hope for a better future lies in Agriculture and environmental change. We focus much of our energy and resources on promoting agricultural development, educating people on protection for the environment, and providing potable water and irrigation wherever we can.
Many people in Haiti endure inhuman suffering. We follow an ethic of "spontaneous charity" that is dictated by the most urgent needs of those closest to us. We seek to provide mercy wherever we can help prevent death or severe hardship.
