Story number 1 for 15 Feb 2002

(Haiti)–Topping the news, the U-S resisted pressure from Caribbean leaders to free millions of dollars in aid to Haiti. Officials argue that Haiti has made too little progress in addressing serious issues. Floresta’s Executive Director, Scott Sabin doesn’t wholly agree. “The government in Haiti is really at an impasse right now, and until that’s resolved, the U-S State Department is not going to be releasing the foreign aid. My gut feeling is that the Aristide government is, in many ways, paralyzed by a lack of resources, and that this may not be the best response.” Sabin says people are learning about the hope of Christ as they study agriculture. He’s cautious about the U-S decision. “That could severely affect our access to our program, and it could severely affect the stability of the work that we’re doing. We’re doing a lot of long-term work with loans and community groups, and community co-ops; any kind of instability is going to tear that apart.”