A line of men stretched along the Haitian mountainside with their backs bent to the task, swinging their wooden-handled picks. They were working to widen the narrow mountain trail to a remote village accessible only by foot traffic or donkeys. Without power tools or large equipment, the men on this Work-for-Wages project relied on machetes, picks, shovels, and sledges. Some people believed it would never be possible to drive a vehicle or motorbike to this mountainous village.
After weeks of working together to carve out the mountainside and haul rocks, the workers completed the “impossible” task. When our national staff member overseeing the project drove his truck to the village for the first time, the people were overjoyed! Soon after the road was finished, the villagers used a motorbike to transport a woman with a leg injury to the hospital.
Beyond improving a road, this project gave men an opportunity to earn an income. This is the goal of Work-for-Wages. With Haiti entangled in gang violence, government collapse, poverty, and economic disaster, people have few opportunities to make a living. One worker on the road-building project said there are no jobs in his area. “Many people have gardens, but even gardening is hard without an income,” he lamented.
This lack of jobs and opportunities is leading some young men to join the gangs terrorizing Haitian communities. These gangs offer what many of these men desperately want—comradery, money, and purpose.
The program responds to this need by organizing projects where men can earn an income to pay for their families’ food, schooling, and other needs. One man used his money to buy several goats and pay his daughter’s hospital bill. Another worker used his money to help others earn an income by paying them to work in his garden.
These projects also provide a sense of purpose. Our national staff and contacts who oversee the program choose projects that help develop and improve Haitian communities. These include digging ditches to control erosion, building water cisterns, clearing waterways, and improving roads.
Opportunities to share truth and distribute Christian literature are also opened by these projects. Each morning a local pastor holds a time of Bible reading and prayer with the workers. One man gave his heart to Christ and begged our staff members to start a church in his area. Please pray that this spiritual influence will last far beyond repaired roads and improved waterways.
To help cover the costs of wages, materials, and other aspects of the Work-for-Wages program, click the donate button to give a gift.
