Haiti: An Ethnographic Study of the Effects of International Aid on Haitian Life

Abstract

Haiti has seen an increasing number of non-governmental organisations (NGO) and intergovernmental organisations (IGO), providing structural and emergency aid in times of conflict and weather-related events. This was intensified in 2010 when Haiti regained international attention from a ravaging earthquake that shook its core. This ethnographic study analyses the effects of NGOs and IGOs a decade after this natural disaster. We attempt to venture beyond the statistical evidence grounding most analyses provided by NGOs and IGOs to reveal perspectives from individual Haitians that are impacted by the policies and decisions of these organisations. In doing so, we examine the local standard of living, infrastructure, and social dynamics through four in-person interviews conducted in their respective geographic locations. These interviews set a basis for a discussion and examination of organisations’ allocation, dependency, and sustainability. The voices of local Haitians reveal the profound, yet subtle impacts that go unreported by foreign scholars that are crucial to understanding the day-to-day challenges faced despite foreign aid. We conclude that Haitians face a stasis of social mobility despite the copious work done by aid organisations that is often inconsistent and misaligned with the needs of Haitians.