Despite the slight decrease in Haiti’s overall abject poverty rate, the number of men living in extreme poverty is still alarming. Especially in the rural part of the country, the number is flying high. Haiti remains one of the most poverty-stricken countries in the world and also one of the backward counties in terms of financial inflows and outflows. Based on facts and figures, one in every two Haitians is living below $2.21 per day, and one in every four men in Haiti lives below $1.23 per day being the national extreme poverty line.
Since the January 12 disaster that worsens the already collapsing economy of the country, a few progress has been in action. Over the years, the extreme poverty rate has declined 41 percent to 31 percent. However, the present socio-political crisis is a challenging factor that is threatening the economy of the country. Only a few out of the entire population can afford daily necessities constantly. Generally, access to basic services is hard due to inequalities. People residing in urban areas have more options than those living in rural areas.
The fact that a larger percentage of men in Haiti are jobless contributes immensely to the high poverty rate in the country. It’s no more news that the unemployment rate in Haiti is constantly on the rise. Many of the Haiti men are engaged in informal self-employment which is characterized by undefined workplaces, unsafe working conditions, low levels of skills, low and irregular incomes, lack of access to high paying jobs, lack of access to information, absence of markets, finance, adequate training and more.
The root causes of the informality in the Haiti workforce
1. Poverty. Haiti remains the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, with about 27 percent living in abject poverty. On the CIA World Factbook, Haiti ranks fourth for income inequality. Many families cannot afford to feed themselves even with one meal per day. Haiti has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of $756 in 2019. The overwhelming poverty rate in Haiti has pushed many men into informal employment in the efforts to make daily survival. Many hawks on the street, become day laborers, domestic assistants and more.
2. High level of illiteracy. Haiti is facing shortages in educational facilities, supplies and qualified teachers. The high level of illiteracy in the nation is a major factor pushing most Haiti men into informal jobs. For men, the illiteracy level in Haiti is 64.3%. Many men cannot apply for formal jobs due to low level of education. To worsen the case, the high level of illiteracy made several topnotch organizations refuse the proposal to establish in Haiti. Meanwhile, poverty is also one of the reasons for the low level of education among the in the country. About 60% of the schools in Haiti are privately owned and expensive making it difficult for Haitians to enroll for quality education. The 2010 earthquake has destroyed most of the government-owned schools that people can afford.
3. Lack of access to economic resources. Haiti land has suffered much as a result of the various damages made from the series of natural disasters in the country. Many Haitians are engaged in several agricultural practices, but the lack of fertile land to practice agriculture is killing the economy. Due to the bad condition of the land, the country is short of local agricultural produce. Haiti also lacks capital goods which make them lagging in terms of productivity. Because there’s no access to financial resources and cutting edge technologies, the country seems not a good destination for industries and organizations.
These problems have been prevailing in Haiti for several years now, leaving Haiti men in poor critical conditions. Informal jobs do not bring good income, especially in a Haiti where the economic condition is down flying. Every other reason suggests that Haiti men are in a critical vulnerable condition.
The approach
Men are important elements of society. Building men amounts to building a nation. The Illuminating Lives Foundation, through the men empowerment program, is raising men in Haiti to become a major influence in rebuilding the new Haiti. Our programs focus on equipping men with skills to help them become more efficient fathers who are taking proper care of the family. Through seasoned education and training, we develop men to make them financially buoyant and become actively involved in the economic transformation of the nation.
Over the many years, we have empowered thousands of men through skills acquisition, responsibilities and leadership training. Our kind donors play a vital role in contributing to the development of the male gender in Haiti. Our men empowerment program includes:
Education
Lack of education is the foundation for the socio-political violence that is presently appearing in the country. Most of the Haiti men lack quality education from their early stage of life. To solve this problem, we are organizing adult education for men to make them enlightened, qualified for formal employment and fit into the modern world.
Employment
Many of the men who are partakers of our empowerment programs can secure formal employment after the completion of their education. We are consistently driving towards increasing the Haiti workforce with well-educated men. We also teach men how to become a successful entrepreneur.
Skills acquisition
We have a host of qualified artisans who are ever ready to instil knowledge into people. In our programs, many have learnt several vocations which have become a good source of driving home considerable income constantly. Those idle and jobless men are now able to stand on their feet, creating wealth for themselves with ease. As we equip men with skills, we boost the Haiti local economy and decrease the poverty rate of the country. Financially able fathers can now feed their families, provide the necessary care and pay bills conveniently.
Effective co-parenting
Many homes are broken because of inadequate parenting. Research showed that many of the children wandering around the streets of Haiti are not orphans. Many of them left their respective homes because of one abuse or the other. In our programs, we are teaching men how to effectively train their children and work for hand in hand with their wives to establish an honorable family.
