July 6, 2010: A few months ago as we launched our shelter initiative for Sous Savanne, Haiti, we knew from the beginning that we would need to garner prayer support as we raised funds, especially for the process of shipping & distribution. We didn’t know exactly what to expect, but we knew to expect challenges.
We learned on Monday that the Haitian government stopped allowing our consignee to use their franchise to expedite shipments. According to our contact person, this now means “the process of clearing a contain
er will take much longer, will be unpredictable, and will create a lot of headaches.” He went on to say that the most recent container they helped facilitate had to pay taxes. They are no longer able to process shipments on behalf of other agencies due to these new policies.
Our consignee has agreed to assist HFI as planned because our shipment is already underway. However, it is now likely we will have to pay taxes and customs charges. They will investigate the estimated amount but he did tell us to expect around $5,000.
HFI is providing 112 tents 18’ in diameter, (254 sq. ft.) to be used for interim housing in Sous Savanne. The community has requested space for a children’s activity center so we ordered a large 30’ tent, (706 sq. ft.) to fulfill this purpose. These are very high quality tents, designed especially for the grueling environment in which they are destined for use.
The shipment is scheduled to arrive in mid-July. Up to this point, shipments on behalf of many charities have enjoyed favor from the Haitian government, but it appears things have changed dramatically for many international organizations in Haiti with no warning. As a consequence, clearing our container/tents from customs will take an unknown length of time and could have financial implications as well. Once the tents have cleared customs, we plan to have a team in Haiti within seven days.
Please pray for:
- The people of Sous Savane, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the tents
- Wisdom and safety in the distribution process.
- Clarity as to possible ongoing involvement
- Safe and prompt arrival of the ship with our 20’ container of tents into St. Marc
- The favor of God upon our cargo -- and our consignment agent -- as they serve to facilitate the process of clearing customs, etc
- That the tents would not be subject to any customs or tax charges
- A swift process of clearing customs
The challenge we are facing is a common occurrence across the country of Haiti. Now we must join hearts and hands to pray and work toward a “successful” execution of this important undertaking.
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