Hope Beyond Displacement – a Story of Survival in Haiti

Elena currently lives with her aunt, Estimène, in Mirebalais, a city in the Central Plateau region of Haiti. When gangs – which now control 90% of the capital Port-au-Prince – started killing people and burning down houses in the city,  Elena’s parents made the difficult to decision to send  the 11-year-old and Estimène to live with family friends in Mirebalais. 

Elena and Estimène are not alone in having their lives uprooted. More than 1.4 million people have been internally displaced in Haiti because of the surge in gang violence, and 5.7 million people – over half the population – are currently experiencing acute food insecurity.

Violence and unrest has also spread beyond the capital to areas that were previously considered safe, including Mirebalais, adding even more pressure and uncertainty onto Elena and Estimène’s situation. This is their story. 

How has the insecurity caused by gang violence in Haiti affected the lives of you and your family? 

Estimène: When the armed groups attacked, I was forced to leave my home with two young children. I had to leave with them for the Central Plateau because we could no longer live there. Everywhere I go, I have to bring them because their mother trusted me with their care.

Elena: [Gang violence] has affected my life and my family because they are killing people and burning houses. A large part of my family lives in Port-au-Prince. If they are killed, I won't be able to go to their funeral. My aunt has family here [in the Central Plateau], and that's why she came here with us. Where I used to live in Martissant [a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince], they are burning houses. My family and I left the house where we lived because some bad people burned it down. Armed groups were shooting bullets, and we could not get enough food and water. I have a cousin who was forced to join a gang. My aunt talked to him and told him not to do that. He told my aunt that he couldn't stay at home all day. I miss my mother's old house very much because that's where my sister and I used to play – and now it's burned down. She [used to have] a small business, but she can't sell anymore because of the problems.

Estimène: It wasn't easy because I lost my husband in 2001, and now gangs are forcing us to flee. And when I heard that Mirebalais had been taken over by gangs, I was very shocked. I thought to myself: ‘Where will I go now if I have to flee?’

Why is receiving food from Mary’s Meals at school important for you? 

Elena: Some of the children do not come to school with food, and they don't eat at home in the morning before school. Food is important for the children. It's important to continue going to school because in the future I can be someone important in the society, like a doctor or a nurse. 

Estimène: Thinking about the children's future, I want them to progress academically. Their education is important to me. No matter what happens, I will always send them to school, since I'm a strong believer in education.

What most worries you about your future in Haiti?

 Elena: Here's what I am currently afraid of. Some of my family members are in Port-au-Prince. My dad too. If the roads are blocked, they can't come back to see me because there are many dangerous places. If my mum dies, I won't get what she used to give me. If these two important people in my life die, I won't be able to go to school. 

Haiti’s children are running out of options. Hungry and surrounded by violence, many are being recruited into armed gangs – lured by the promise of food. 

School meals give them a lifeline, and a donation of just $25.20, will help us to continue providing crucial nutrition to children in a safe place of learning. Together, one meal at a time, we can restore their belief that a life beyond the chaos is possible.