Piton News

A tribute to a dear friend provides 50 Haitian Creole Bibles for Piton "John Kersey was a man of integrity, whose priorities were family, faith, and friends. When John spoke, it was a pleasure to listen because one could hear from his stories and advice how he was grounded in Biblical wisdom. John was a special person in my own life. For 15 years, he sent birthday cards to me which I greatly cherish. John's consideration of others is shown even in his obituary as he invites m

Note: Due to formatting limitations, the spacing is irregular. To receive these emails in their intended format, sign up here! 1) More Arrivals in Piton & Piton West 2) Summer Camp Helps Give Students Structure 3) Haitians in the US lose Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

Thanks to the support of a generous and practical-minded supporter, we built our first public latrine in July 2026! It is situated between the two villages we serve, Piton & Piton West, on the footpath used by the local villagers, and those coming from further away. Activities in Piton have increased greatly. The population has more than doubled due to the arrival of refugees from the Port-au-Prince area and villages in between. More people visit these two mountain top villag

Casual observers of the Temporary Protected Status crisis for Haitians and other nationality groups, including a senator from Ohio, enjoy saying "the T stands for temporary," as though we aren't aware. To emphasize only that T is for Temporary and ignoring that P is for Protected is short-sighted, self-serving, and completely misses the main point of the program. These are people who are fleeing situations in their home country that you nor I can imagine. They flee, learn ano

**Note 7/17/2026: Scroll down to read the new bill to extend TPS and to see language for a letter to your senators! Reaction to the Haitian TPS Revocation These are our non-lawyer thoughts based on 15+ years of experience working in and for the country of Haiti. First, let me point out that our own State Department says "Do Not Travel to Haiti," providing warnings with such strong language as "murders, kidnappings, robberies, assaults, sexual assault..." Our own FAA has banne

US Department of State Haiti Travel Advisory - 16 Apr 2026 Note: This is the exact language posted on the Department of State website regarding travel to Haiti as of today. It excludes links; for that you should click on the link above. Haiti - Level 4: Do Not Travel Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest, and limited health care. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Advisory Summary On July 27, 2023, the Department of State ordered non-

We all know how team sports provide powerful benefits for kids' mental health and behavior. Here's a few: Mental Health Benefits Mood & Emotional Regulation Physical activity releases endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin — natural mood boosters that reduce anxiety and depression Kids learn to manage frustration, disappointment, and excitement in real time Regular exercise improves sleep quality, which is foundational to mental health Self-Esteem & Confidence Mastering a skill

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This page will be updated. The Haitian Times Note: If these articles are paywalled for you, let me know at katherine@aidtoinfrastructure.com and I'll get a copy to you. Beyond the media circus, Part 2: Where federal government leaves void, others step in. In the absence of federal intervention, local employers and staffing firms fuel Springfield’s economic integration of immigrants, but challenges persist. 1 Oct 2024. Source: The Haitian Times. Haitian diaspora groups sue Tru

Our clinic is in desperate need of support With the dangerous conditions roiling Haiti, our little country clinic is more important than ever. It's the only real option for many of the villagers who live on the mountain to receive medical care. Please help us shore up 6 months' supplies so there won't be an interruption in care. As of the typing of this blog, we are out of medications.

In 2022, Aid to Infrastructure launched a coffee initiative. Two years later, Samuel and a group of ladies are reinvesting in their program, selling seedlings to others who want to grow for themselves and selling ground coffee in the market. We're so proud of their initiative and hard work! Samuel's report on the coffee project - June 2024 Translated from Haitian Creole and lightly edited I've sold coffee seedlings for 40,000 gourds (~$300 USD) to members of the community who

Ten years ago, Tom and I had just met the year before. We began spending significant time together late in the year 2013. By January 2014, we had two trips planned to Haiti together in about as many months. We were going to Tom's friend Pastor Pierre's mission, La Croix New Testament Mission on the northern peninsula of the country. For the second trip we decided to meet up with a Haitian friend of mine that I'd met a few years earlier and who had stayed in touch with me thro

Quoting a friend's recent statement: so much heartache for such a tiny island. We receive disturbing reports weekly. One day last week I received scary news from three different areas I know well. in my communications with our supporters, I try not to focus on the negative. It's important to show you that amidst the chaos, there are good things happening and there are good people in Haiti who just want to live good lives. Now it's to the point I feel irresponsible by not add

New Student Sponsorship Program The Story We began our most important programs early in our journey as ATI. To this day, the lunch program is our most important one; begun in 2015. I tried out a very unstructured version of a sponsorship program early on, but didn't have the resources to do it much justice. I know of other sponsorship programs and the administrative work it requires can be overwhelming - particularly for one person. Then I was diagnosed and there were defini

This month marks the 10th anniversary of Aid to Infrastructure; tomorrow to be exact. A decade ago, Tom and I traveled up an impossibly beautiful, quite steep, and inhospitably rugged-to-vehicles mountain to visit Samuel Pamzou's village. He wanted us to visit because his village needed healthcare. When we arrived on foot, we found the village-center community school with it's roof in the floor. That moment is when Tom and I silently committed to create Aid to Infrastructure

Widespread protests against the Prime Minister Please keep Haiti in your prayers. Protests against the prime minister are rampant in the area of Petit Goâve and all over the country, gaining momentum. More families are arriving in Piton fleeing violence not in the capital of Port au Prince, but in the nearby town of Petit Goâve. Samuel has vowed to welcome them. Pray for everyone's safety and for cooler heads to prevail.

Time Travel --> 2017 Samuel & Leandro You know how Facebook likes to remind us of what happened on this day in whatever year by featuring a photo. January 6th's memory was from 2017 and it brought back great memories of time spent in Piton. In 2024, Samuel and I speak daily on Messenger regarding our work and Leandro has changed his life; now living in Florida but still integral to ATI. Here is what I wrote that day on Facebook when I shared it: These two. Samuel Pamzou Lean

Often in our newsletters we include a message from Samuel, discussing a particular program and/or expressing thanks to our supporters. His messages are important enough that they are posted in our blog. These reports are translated from Haitian Creole to English as close as possible to retain Samuel's voice. Due to translation, some of the syntax may read awkward to American eyes. Report from Samuel included in the Winter 2023 Newsletter We thank our donors for the support