From August 5, 2018
When I left Haiti last Sunday, I was facing an even worse financial situation. I didn’t think we could survive the year. My credit card debt for Santa Chiara was almost equal to the funds in the bank. I could not fully pay off the credit card debt because I need actual cash in Haiti to purchase much of what we need. Haiti is still essential a cash society. The credit card is used for food and supplies from the supermarket and for needed materials from a building supply store. Virtually everything else, from propane gas to gas for the car to oil for the generator to water for drinking and bathing to hospital visits to salaries for most of the staff is one a cash basis. (Only 4 or 5 of our 30+ employees even have a bank account.) If I paid the credit card off in full, I would not have the cash I need to operate each day. Balancing our limited funds and managing the available credit on our three credit cards is the most stressful thing I face in Haiti.
But the extreme generosity of just three people turned the financial night into day by Thursday. For the first time in a long time, I was able to take a deep breath and relax a bit.