{"id":43049,"date":"2020-04-12T01:25:43","date_gmt":"2020-04-12T05:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging21.finca.org\/uncategorized-en-ca\/why-covid-19-in-haiti-could-be-devastating"},"modified":"2024-11-04T02:06:55","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T07:06:55","slug":"why-covid-19-in-haiti-could-be-devastating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finca.org\/en-ca\/why-covid-19-in-haiti-could-be-devastating","title":{"rendered":"Why COVID-19 in Haiti Could be Devastating"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Sunday, March 8, 2020, FINCA International\u2019s marketing director, Bob Price, flew from Washington, DC to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Bob had originally planned to visit Haiti in November of 2019, but violent protests against the government had forced him to push the trip back. While the protests had ended, Bob now was flying out in the days just before the full reality of the coronavirus in Haiti (and United States) descended.<\/p>\n

The purpose of the trip was to check in with local staff and clients on a suite of activities that\u00a0FINCA Haiti<\/a>\u00a0had launched over the previous year: a new branch in Cabaret focused on\u00a0agricultural lending<\/a>, a \u201cvirtual branch\u201d for the growing number of clients who were finding out about FINCA via the internet and social media, and the roll-out of a\u00a0digital field automation (DFA) system<\/a>\u00a0that would relegate paper applications to the dustbins of history, reduce the cost of loan processing and allow credit officers to give clients real-time credit decisions.<\/p>\n

The itinerary had Bob working his way up the country\u2019s western coast \u2013 Monday in Cabaret, Tuesday in St. Marc and Wednesday in Gonaives with a quick trip inland to the tiny town of Savane Carree. On Thursday, he\u2019d be back in Port-au-Prince to discuss takeaways with the local management team and to visit clients in the bustling market of Croix de Bouquets.<\/p>\n

The Coronavirus in Haiti has Changed Things<\/h2>\n

More or less the trip happened as planned, but the rising threat of the coronavirus in Haiti changed the focus. When Bob purchased his ticket in mid-February COVID-19 seemed far away. It was devastating China but hadn\u2019t traveled much beyond. There were fewer than a dozen confirmed cases in the U.S.<\/p>\n

By the time Bob boarded the flight in Washington, DC on the morning of March 8, it was clear to many that things were going to get worse. But in consultation with FINCA management it was assumed that not much would change before he returned on March 13, a mere five days later.<\/p>\n

That turned out not to be the case. Italy went on lockdown on March 9.\u00a0On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the virus a pandemic<\/a>\u00a0and the first U.S. travel restriction went into effect. President Trump declared a national emergency the day of his return. And\u00a0Haiti began closing its borders<\/a>\u00a0just two days AFTER he returned.<\/p>\n

What all that meant for the trip was that COVID-19 coloured all conversations. It also made it abundantly evident \u2013 quickly and forcefully \u2013 just how vulnerable Haitians were going to be when COVID-19 arrived. Haiti isn\u2019t ready for the coronavirus.<\/p>\n

Why COVID-19 in Haiti Could be Devastating<\/h2>\n

Haitians almost uniformly live in close quarters, have minimal access to health care, little or no savings or other form or financial security, and rely on daily face-to-face interactions for their livelihood (market selling, light manufacturing, food stalls). They are paid and pay for pretty much everything with cash.<\/p>\n

\"Haiti