Let's Go To Haiti

God's world is a big place, so we're going to explore the faces and places of Haiti and sit with them at their place at God's Global Table.

"Crick! Crack!"- that means,

"Are you ready? Yes, let's go!"

Where is Haiti?
Haiti is on the western part of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. The eastern part of the island is a country called the Dominican Republic.

Many people from the United States go on vacation to the islands in the Caribbean! Haiti is only 90 minutes away from Miami, Florida, in an airplane.

What does Haiti look like?
There are many different kinds of places in Haiti like there are in our country. There is the ocean and lakes, mountains and dry areas, and areas with lots of plants. There are big cities and small villages.

How BIG is Haiti?
The country of Haiti is not very big in size, at least compared to the United States. It's almost the size of the state of Maryland!

Port-au-Prince is the capital city of Haiti. Look for the star on the map, and you'll find Port-au-Prince.

What happens in Port-au-Prince?
Celebrations in Port-au-Prince! One of the biggest celebrations in Haiti each year is the Port-au-Prince Carnival, taking place on the days before Ash Wednesday. There are lots of bands, dancers, trucks, musicians, and many people joining in celebration!

What do people do for fun?
Most people in Haiti do not have televisions or video games. But they still like to play all kinds of games! Many people like to sit outside and play games with their friends. What games do you like to play? People in Haiti play card games, board games, and sports.

What's one of their favorite sports?
Soccer! (They call it football in Haiti.) Do you play soccer? The national soccer team was the first team from any Caribbean nation to play for the World Cup finals in 1974!

Do a lot of people live in Haiti?
7,063,722 people live in Haiti. Over 43% of the Haitian population was under the age of 15 in 2000. That's a lot of children and teenagers! Most people in Haiti are poor and do not have enough to eat or clean water to drink. 8 out of 10 people in Haiti are poor.

How do people live if they are poor?
It's hard for many people in Haiti to earn enough money to live. Some people have farms and gardens to grow their own food for their families and sell crops to make a little money. One of the best ways they to take care of their families is by raising animals, like goats and pigs. With help from our church they can buy their first pigs. After taking care of the first pigs, they can raise lots of pigs!

Is everyone in Haiti Christian?
No, not everyone in Haiti is Christian. Almost half of the people who live in Haiti practice some kind of traditional religion. But many of these people also practice Christianity. Almost 96% of Haitians are Christians.

Do children go to school in Haiti?
It can be hard for children to go to school in Haiti. It costs money to go to school to pay for uniforms, books and other supplies. More than half of Haiti's children do not go to school. But families are working hard to raise animals and crops to take care of each other and send their children to school.

How can we help?
You already are helping by being a part of a very big Lutheran family! The Lutheran World Federation is made up of Lutheran churches all over the world, including yours! Together we all help families in Haiti start raising animals and crops. With a little help from us and a lot of hard work, the people in Haiti are taking care of their families.