April 2026 Newsletter
Dear Friend —
In recent weeks, we’ve been organizing to prevent mass deportation of Haitian families and to confront rising hunger in Haiti – two urgent issues with real consequences for thousands of people.
As we celebrate Easter and Passover, we’re reminded that what once seemed impossible can become possible—and then inevitable. We’re also highlighting new organizing in Honduras, Colombia, and Namibia, as well as the resolve of COFOA leaders to continue organizing despite government pressure in El Salvador.
Thank you for being part of this journey of liberation, and for your prayers, advocacy, and contributions.
Haitian Diaspora: Two Positive Developments in Efforts to Protect Haitian Families
March saw two breakthroughs for Haitian families. First, 218 Members of the U.S. House — including four Republicans — signed a discharge petition to force a mid-April vote on extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350,000 Haitian families. This progress reflects sustained organizing by Haitian diaspora communities and faith leaders across the country.
Second, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Haiti TPS on April 29. Faith in Action is organizing an amicus brief from Haitian clergy and faith-based organizations to bring the moral stakes into the case. Loss of TPS would lead to mass deportations of Haitian families in the U.S. and further destabilize Haiti — especially the North, where OPODHA is organizing to fight hunger and hold communities together.
We still have a long way to go, but this moment shows what organizing can make possible.
➡️ Read the full story
➡️ Take action to help protect Haitian families
➡️ Register for our April 15, 5 pm ET National Call to Protect Haitian Families
Haiti: Farmer Organizations Coordinate to Fight Hunger by Shaping Agricultural Investment
In Haiti, OPODHA leaders are fighting rising hunger by organizing to shape a new $44 million agricultural project financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). They are working with partner organizations to develop a shared platform focused on irrigation, seed banks, credit, and support for farmer cooperatives.
They plan to use this platform to influence how IDB and Haiti’s Ministry of Agriculture approach agricultural policy. Past projects relied on foreign contractors and vouchers distributed to randomly selected farmers. OPODHA and its partners want IDB to work through farmer associations and address the lack of irrigation, high-quality seeds, and access to credit that limit farmers’ ability to produce and sell their crops.
As the campaign grows, diaspora communities and allies in the United States and other countries will play an important role in pushing IDB to listen to smallholder farmers and focus its funding on local food production.
➡️ Read the full story
➡️ Donate to support grassroots organizing in Haiti
El Salvador: “Todos Somos COFOA” — Leaders Step Forward to Sustain Organizing
On March 28, 408 COFOA leaders from across El Salvador met to chart the future of their movement after government pressure forced COFOA to close as a service center of the Diocese of Zacatecoluca. They made a clear decision: to intensify their organizing and take on greater responsibility as volunteer leaders in their communities.
This is what “Todos Somos COFOA” looks like in practice.
Colombia: COFOA’s Organizing Model Takes Root in Soacha
For the first time, COFOA’s organizing model is taking root in South America—in the hills above Soacha, Colombia, where communities face limited access to water, roads, formal jobs, and secure land. In just eight weeks, local leaders have begun forming eight organizing committees and are building the relationships needed to take action.
Honduras: Organizing Expands Across Francisco Morazán
Organizing is gaining momentum in 18 communities across the Francisco Morazán Department in Honduras. Grassroots leaders are organizing for water, health care, sanitation, and roads — holding meetings, forming committees, and engaging local officials. With support from the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, they’re continuing to press for progress on constructing a regional hospital.
Namibia: Organizing Begins in Rehoboth
In Rehoboth, Namibia, a rapidly growing town with high unemployment and increasing social issues, a new organizing effort is taking shape. Local leaders are coming together across churches and the community to address unemployment, housing, and access to public services. Led by Rev. Colin Gertze—who is being mentored by Pastor John Rutsindintwarane from Rwanda and is drawing on lessons learned from his 2024 visit to El Salvador—they’re building relationships and beginning to take action.
➡️ Read more about grassroots organizing in Namibia
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With respect,
Fr. John Baumann, S.J.
and the Faith in Action International team
