Haiti is in need, run or walk to help
- 80 percent of Haiti’s population lives under the poverty line; 54 percent in abject poverty
- 63.51 years is the life expectancy in Haiti; 79.68 years in the United States
- 47.98 infants die per 1,000 babies born in Haiti: In U.S.: 5.87 die per 1,000 births
- 47.5 percent of the rural population in Haiti has access to improved water sources
In Haiti, some people have to walk hours to access water. Many need medical care. And the country is experiencing a dry season, which makes it difficult for many of the small-scale subsistence farmers to survive.
“The animals begin to die because there is no food to eat,” he said.
Those are among some of the reasons why the Rev. Charles Jean Pierre’s parish in rural Baudin, Haiti, needs continued support, he said Monday during a visit to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center at Purdue University.
Jean Pierre is meeting with committee members who oversee the church’s Haiti Ministry, a long-standing commitment to mission work in Baudin that dates back more than 20 years.
The effort has expanded over the two decades to include medical, education, water quality and agricultural mission work.
In dire straits
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere with 80 percent of its population living under the poverty line and 54 percent in abject poverty, according to the CIA World Factbook.
The degree of risk for developing major infections is high, and the average life expectancy at birth is 63.51 years. For every 1,000 infants born, 47.98 die before their first birthday.
This compares to the average life expectancy of 79.68 years in the United States, and an infant mortality rate of 5.87 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the CIA World Factbook.
Jean Pierre’s visit comes on the heels of the annual Hunger Hike, a major fundraiser for the Haiti Ministry and local anti-hunger efforts, including St. John’s Episcopal Church and Lafayette Urban Ministry’s Food Pantry and Food Finders Food Bank.
‘You help the people of Baudin’
Joe Micon, LUM executive director, said the giving works both ways.
“Anybody who has ever been to Baudin, you know you don’t come back without being changed,” he said. “You come back with a faith that is strengthened.”
The organizations split the proceeds three ways. Last year, the walk and run raised about $95,000. This year, organizers aim to raise $100,000, Micon said.
The church donates about $50,000 a year to the Haiti Ministry, and 60 percent of the funding comes from the Hunger Hike events, said Rob Pahl, a member of the Haiti Ministry committee.
Although independence from aid is unlikely at this point, the church has seen improvements in Baudin.
Since 2005, the Haiti Ministry had placed 3,000 water purification units in Baudin, which drastically reduced the number of medications needed to treat gastrointestinal diseases, said John Ginda, agriculture subcommittee member.
Only 47.5 percent of the rural population in Haiti has access to improved water sources such as piped water or a public tap, according to the CIA World Factbook.
“In Haiti, a lot of people will die,” Jean Pierre said. “(But) with the water filter program, you help the people of Baudin fight infant mortality, disease and diarrhea.”
What can you do to help?
St. Thomas Aquinas donates about $50,000 a year to the Haiti Ministry, and 60 percent of the funding comes from the Hunger Hike events.
What: 5K Run and 3K Walk
When: 9 a.m. Sept. 19 (5K run); 2 p.m. Sept. 20 (3K walk)
Where: 5K starting point, Celery Bog nature area, 1780 Cumberland Ave. West Lafayette
3K starting point, Riehle Plaza, N. Second St.
Cost: $30 (5K); $50 minimum donation (3K)