More Than Inflation: A Description of Rising Costs In Haiti

Click Here if you want to learn how to partner with us on Giving Tuesday by hosting a Facebook Fundraiser or by having your donation matched $1-for$1.

Today is, of course, Black Friday, the day where traditionally retailers move from "the red" to "the black" in their profits. Black Friday got its name somtime in the early 1950s, but the importance of Black Friday has lessened considerably because of online shopping.

In the nonprofit world, Giving Tuesday has become one of the most important days of the year. In fact, in 2021, 11% of the adult U.S. population participated in Giving Tuesday raising $2.7 billion dollars for nonprofits in the U.S.

Our hope is that you will consider partnering with us for this year's Giving Tuesday in a few short days on November 29. Click Here to learn how to start a Facebook fundraiser and how Facebook, if you give at 8:00 am on Giving Tuesday, could match your donation $1-for-$1.

I wanted to take some time to show you why Giving Tuesday is so important for us this year. I talked to Lener and he gave me some of the prices that he has been paying for food and supplies over the past few weeks just to show you how much prices have changed:

 - Diesel is 675 Haitian Gourdes per gallon; it was 170HTG just a few months ago.

 - A sack of rice costs 5,500HTG; It was 2,000 HTG last year.

 - A gallon of oil is 6x more expensive today than it was 3 years ago.

 - Propane, what we use to cook with, has slightly more than doubled since last Christmas.

 - School tuition went from around 15,000HTG/year to more than 25,000HTG in two years.

This is more than inflation.

The price of most of these things, staples of the Haitian economy, are almost completely out of reach for the average Haitian. It is costing us almost double this year for a trip to the market than it did in 2021. Lunches at schools have almost tripled in price since 2019.

Thanks to all that you do for and give to our ministry, we have been able to keep up with the increase in costs, but we are definitely feeling it. 

It is for all of these reasons, and more, that we are praying for a good Giving Tuesday this year and we hope that you will partner with us by giving on Nov. 29, and by starting a Facebook fundraiser on your own account so that others see it and give as well!