October 2020 Newsletter: Haiti’s long history in the fight for social justice

Dear Friend,

We wanted to take some time this month to acknowledge the incredible collective action we have witnessed this year, with protests around the world highlighting the ongoing struggle for social justice and accountability.  As an organization based in Haiti and run by a community of Haitian staff, board members, partners, beneficiaries and donors, over the years our team has borne witness to similar calls for action and protests against policies and complex systems of power that disadvantage the majority of Haitians.

Haiti’s long history of collective political action can be traced back to its independence from France in 1804 – when an enslaved nation revolted. In fact, Haiti is the only nation in the world founded as the result of a slave revolution; the fire that ignited this revolutionary defiance against injustice still burns today, in large part because of the ongoing historical injustices Haiti continues to face. Over the past year, Haitian demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest corrupt power structures that once again have not delivered on promises to provide Haitians with the most basic access to essential services. We recently spoke with Daniel Tillias, new SOIL board member and co-founder of Sakala in Haiti’s Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Cite Soleil, and he explained that Haitian’s are ready for their country to move forward and have the same access to those same services that are available in developed countries. He sees SOIL’s work as not only “build[ing] a bridge..but is currently the only option” for dignified sanitation in Haiti.

At SOIL, we are committed to being an active part of the social justice movement in Haiti and around the world. By providing dignified and globally replicable sanitation solutions for some of the world’s most vulnerable urban communities, we are filling an immediate gap in basic services in a sustainable way, providing livelihood opportunities in our communities, and promoting clean and healthy urban spaces. Our transformative waste treatment process is designed for maximum environmental impact to revitalize degraded soils and create a model for resilient food systems.

We remain in awe of the tireless, committed, and motivated individuals who make their voices heard in protest against the undue injustices so many people around the world face. At SOIL we fight to bring essential services to communities that have been historically unheard and oppressed, and we are proud to play a role in helping people build resilient futures for themselves and their communities.

To all of our supporters, thank you for your commitment to easing the burden of poverty and providing safe and dignified sanitation to the communities we serve in Haiti. We can all do our part and our work is possible because of you!  

With love from Haiti,

The SOIL team

 

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