Romnal Colas was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Before starting his new role as Tearfund’s Country Director for Haiti in January 2023, Romnal worked as a Church and Community Transformation advisor in Latin America and the Caribbean region.
He has 18 years of experience working with the church at a local level. en spoke to him about the situation there.
en: Last month the kidnapping of churchgoers in Port-au-Prince made world headlines. How big a problem is kidnapping right now?
RC: Gang kidnappings have increased significantly over the last two or three years, with reports of as many as 30 a day in some areas.
en: Have any Tearfund staff experienced them personally or been otherwise affected by them, or by any other violent incidents?
RC: We are all affected by this, sadly. Almost everyone knows a family member, friend or colleague who has been targeted by kidnappers or harmed by violence.
en: Can you describe what daily life is like in Haiti right now?
RC: People are having to live from moment to moment, as there’s so much insecurity. Can you imagine living not knowing from day to day if there’ll be gang violence on your street, if your loved ones are safe, if you’ll be able to earn any money, if the shops will have food, if the water you drink will give you cholera, if your home will have any electricity, if your kids can get to school or where to find help if you need a doctor?
en: Is the experience of Christians better or worse than average? Why?
RC: Life is difficult for all of us in Haiti. Churches have certainly been targeted by violence and some have even been forced to move to try to find safer places to meet.
en: What can be done to halt the violence? What role could/should the Haiti govern-ment/UN/NGOs/others all play?
RC: There’s no short answer to that question. Sadly, violence has become part of daily life.
There has to be willingness to solve the problem at the highest levels of decision making, both nationally and internationally, there is no room for passivity or complicity.
What we can do is pray. For those in power, or with power, to take steps to stop the violence and insecurity, and to educate and empower people and communities.
en: How are Christians responding to what is presumably near-anarchy in Haiti? Are churches growing or shrinking in these circumstances? Any examples?
RC: 52% of the population in Haiti go to church, so the church could – and should – be a real force for change. The church has a key role to play in advocating for justice, helping people realise their God-given potential to transform their lives and communities.
Many churches have been displaced, many programmes have had to stop. But God always finds a way – the situation has inspired some churches to work in different ways to reach and help people, such as online or remote programmes and services.
We are seeing churches develop new prayer initiatives, and Tearfund is working with partners and churches in peace-building work.
en: What does the future hold for Christians in Haiti, do you think?
RC: At Tearfund we believe poverty is not God’s plan and there is always a hope and a future. Tearfund equips local churches to help communities escape poverty with holistic, sustainable empowerment programmes, such as ‘self-help groups’ which encourage and support each other with group savings, for example.
Our ‘Church and Community Transformation’ work equips young people with the skills they need to address injustice and underdevelopment, as well as building disaster resilience and sustainable ‘green job’ projects which give them hope for their future.
