Maggie Dugery ‘23 | Sarah Kotopka ‘23
Haiti’s St. Marc’s school has been a partner of Episcopal since 2012. In those years, many students and faculty have visited the troubled country annually for service projects. for service projects and experiences intended to foster community and a connection with Episcopal’s partner, St. Marc’s School. These trips have consisted of construction projects, such as building a school, creating medical forms, building a water purification system, and working on local farms. The last trip to Haiti was in February of 2020 and there is not a trip planned in the foreseeable future. These trips have been cut short not solely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of the political upheaval that has consumed Haiti in recent years.
Photo courtesy of Cecilia Murphy ‘22
Head Chaplain Timothy Gavin confirms, “The trip to the medical clinic in Haiti scheduled for April of 2020 was cancelled because of the uncertainty and violence there before the COVID-19 pandemic became a large issue.”
According to an October 27th article from New York Times reporters Maria Abi-Habib and Ruth Graham, from 2017-2021, the legitimacy of president Jovenel Moise was questioned for a plethora of reasons relating to the election process, which, in turn, induced demonstrations, riots, and a critical decrease in safety. Since then, gangs have taken over the city of Port au Prince and have contributed to a large number of kidnappings that continue to increase in both severity and quantity. On Saturday, October 16th, 2021, seventeen people belonging to an Ohio missionary group were kidnapped by a gang on their way to a local orphanage. While instances like this have occurred in Haiti for some time, they have become more frequent in recent years.
This worsening situation in Haiti has resulted in safety concerns for the EA community who attend the trip. Gavin, who usually leads the Haiti trips, described the previous circumstances of the trips in comparison to now. “The location of the school is safe, but getting there can be dangerous. The likelihood of going on a trip soon is very slim. [The trip] won’t happen until everyone’s safety is completely guaranteed.” On previous trips, EA students and faculty flew into Port au Prince and had to drive to the church outside of the city immediately. From there, they drove further and walked to the school which is situated in a small and safe village.
The trip has been wildly popular among EA students. Kevin Landaiche ‘23 says, “I’ve wanted to go on the Haiti service trip since I learned it existed. I think having the means and the opportunity to assist our community partners both locally and overseas is one of the most special things about Episcopal, and the Haiti trip is an incredible opportunity to lend support to those who need it.”
Ava Petillo ‘21, who went to Haiti with EA in February of 2020, notes, “It’s super interesting how the general population needed to see the kidnappings of American people to really see the situation. The violence there is regular; if a situation like this opened my eyes before the trip, I most likely wouldn’t have gone but I would have looked for other ways to help from home.”
Mahliat Tamrat ‘23 agrees, remarking, “I think that our trip to Haiti and our partnerships are super cool, and I wish I could go, especially since with the current situation, help is even more important.”
Landaiche shares this sentiment and reflects on both the impact of the trip and the safety concerns, saying, “As both a Vestry member and a French student, I’ve always seen the trip as a great chance to be part of something bigger than myself and to have an impact on something beyond the bounds of campus. That being said, safety is a priority and the concerns surrounding the trip are understandable. I just hope that soon the opportunity will present itself again and we can return safely.”
Petillo recalls her positive experiences in the past as well, saying, “The main purpose was to strengthen the relationship between the leaders and children, and to get a feel of what the school was like. We felt safe the whole time with Father Tim and our peers.”
With the situation in Haiti escalating, it seems unlikely that students will go on one of the trips in the near future. Currently, Haiti has a level four travel advisory, meaning do not travel. According to Gavin, “we will be unable to make a trip to Haiti until the travel advisory is a level two.”
Fortunately, however, there are many ways to contribute to and support Haiti without actually traveling there. Gavin comments, “Our tenth anniversary is in 2022, so we’ll probably have some sort of community event or fundraiser. We also collect eyeglasses, school supplies and things like that… I encourage anyone who is interested to reach out to me to see how they can help out.”