It's disingenuous to say the situation in Haiti is simple. It's just not.

As an implementing aid agency on the ground, we're constantly living in the in-between. It's wrong to say that nothing good has happened, because it has.

On the whole, people generally have better healthcare access and more food to eat than before the earthquake. There are numerous areas where schools have been rebuilt and homes reconstructed. And debris has been removed from the capital city of Port-au-Prince at a faster pace than what was accomplished in New York City after 9/11. Aid agencies, like World Vision, have helped feed over a million people, provided clean water to hundreds of thousands and built close to three thousand of transitional shelters.

On the other hand, we owe it to Haitians and our donors to face challenges head on and deal with the difficult realities on the ground.

I am frustrated and irritated that the situation in Haiti still remains dire two years after the devastating earthquake. More than 520,000 people are still without homes and tens of thousands still don't have jobs. Government action is painfully slow – from delayed elections and a lengthy appointment process for the Prime Minister, to limited capacities in most government ministries. The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC) has proven to be inadequate. And donor countries, with Canada being one of the exceptions, have failed to deliver the funds they promised to help Haiti.

Governments around the world made big promises of major funding for Haiti's reconstruction, but rather than work together to implement an effective recovery plan, they got mired in controlling and approving projects without pursuing bigger picture reforms. To rectify this, World Vision has been pushing all major players in Haiti to set up working committees of technical experts, aid agencies and government representatives to push for system-wide reforms, under the leadership of Haitian government ministers. This 18 month process is just getting underway, and only in fits and starts.

The Haitian government must also be more disciplined and effective. Many would argue that the greatest strength of the Haitian people was their ability to survive the interference of previous colonial masters. And yet this great strength can become a weakness if it leads to a belief that Haiti must soldier on alone if it is to enjoy sustained economic growth and recovery. There is a need for partnership based on equitable and just collaboration between all parties working in Haiti. The alternative is to continue muddling forward making huge promises and expecting better results, but knowing that we risk the status quo.

Lastly, private investment is vital for Haiti. Aid dollars can only do so much to reinvigorate an economy – as well as bolster crucial infrastructure – that was already struggling by any account before the earthquake.

In the end, our hope is that we can get it right. Or at the very least, we can get it better.

Yes, there has been progress in the last two years in Haiti. But it has been painfully slow and the next two years will see more of the same unless we learn from our failures as much as we laud our successes.

The children of Haiti deserve more. In my last visit, I was reminded that it's often those who haven't been jaded yet that continue to teach us how to dream. Children were drawing pictures of new schools, living in new homes, and working as doctors and teachers when they grow up. In the midst of all these challenges, there is still room for hope and for dreams. The children of Haiti will never let us forget that.

Dave Toycen

President and CEO, World Vision Canada