Haiti’s future

When out walking it is common for me to hear, “Foto! Foto!”. Seeing my camera the children call to me asking to have their photograph taken. I have learned that immediately after taking the photo I need to turn the camera around and show the children their picture. There is great delight and often laughter when the children see their image. You see, there are few mirrors in Haiti and the children don’t often get a glimpse of themselves. Small children can easily identify their friends in the photograph but are somewhat surprise to learn they are the person standing next to their friend …the awe and wonder of self discovery.

Computer Class

One of my ministries here in Jean Rabel is teaching a computer class three days a week. Many Haitian people are curious about computers and very eager to learn how to use them. Unfortunately, access to computers is very limited. We requested and received permission to use the computer lab of one of the local high schools for the class. The computer lab includes fifteen desktop computers with Microsoft Office 2003 software. With access to a computer lab I was able to enroll over a dozen people in the class, including men & women of all ages. Each student was asked to contribute 250 gds ($6.25 US) to cover the cost of the gasoline for the generator needed to provide the electricity for our twelve classes. Each day before class I would listen for the sound of the generator. Once I heard the generator I would throw the circuit breakers in the computer lab and class could begin. These past few weeks the students have made great strides in advancing their keyboard skills and their knowledge of Word & Excel. However, what is even more exciting is their increased self confidence and self esteem. 

Celebrating the Women of Haiti!

As part of "International Women's Day", March 8th, we celebrate the women of Haiti in pictures!

school cafeteria cook

neighbor in Gros Morne

Church ladies

laundry down at the river

micro-credit group

Christmas party

crossing the river at Port de Paix

mother & child in Sunday best

making patterns in the sewing workshop

Follow the river to the sea

The sea is a two hour walk from our house in Jean Rabel.  If you follow the river you will find the sea. Initially you walk on the dirt road that runs alongside the river. After an hour of walking past houses and banana plantations you turn onto “river road”. River road leads you down into the river bed. This time of year the river is a small stream winding its way to the sea in the expansive river bed carved during the rainy season. You must ford the river a half dozen or more times before you reached the sea. This time of year the water is shallow, just up to my ankles. When you are about twenty minutes from the beach you round a turn and come upon a spectacular sight; the place where the river meets the sea.

where the river meets the sea

I’ve made this trek a couple times; once alone and again with friends. There is always plenty going on along the river... and after a two hour walk it is refreshing to …wade in the shallow warm water …watch the fishermen …and listen to the surf.

Home sweet home

Traditional construction on the left with the concrete house on the right

Five or six years ago the area around Jean Rabel was ravaged by hurricanes. As part of the relief efforts a Spanish organization gave $100,000 to build houses for the people. The RJM Sisters in Jean Rabel helped facilitate the project and were able to build 20 houses with the original grant. Through their connections with the local community they continue to identify families who they feel would most benefit from a house. Families with special needs children are given priority. Large families are also given priority. The family receiving the house is asked to contribute about $1000 while the remaining $5000 is provided through various grants. To date the Sisters have been involved in the building of approximately 500 houses in the Jean Rabel area. The walls are constructed of rocks taken from the area or concrete block. The roof is tin. The houses are very simple, often two or three rooms; about 400-500 square feet.

Home owner and a friend in front of his house made from local stone 

A family (plus one neighbor child) and Sr. Rose on their front porch

 I have visited a number of the homes the Sisters helped build. The people take great pride in their homes and are much appreciative. A sturdy home in Haiti provides not only shelter but helps boost self esteem and economic stability. 

peal the bell…peals of laughter

Sunday I arrived in Jean Rabel; the third stop on this three stop tour. In Jean Rabel the Religious of Jesus and Mary live on the second floor of Saint Mary’s school; a “national” primary school for girls, first through sixth grade. I have a bird’s eye view of the school yard from our balcony. The school is located next to St. John the Baptist Catholic church.

My room is the last one on the right, half the house is hidden by a large tree

St. John the Baptist Church, Jean Rabel

The days In Jean Rabel are punctuated by the sights and sounds of church and school. A little after 5 AM the church bell rings, a wakeup call! Around 6 AM the bell rings again, a call to 6am mass. After mass we have morning prayer followed by breakfast. At 8 AM the school day starts with a flag raising, the singing of the national anthem & prayer. Throughout the morning I can hear the girls reciting their lessons in French. Around 10 AM there is recess …and you hear peals of laughter and the shouts of little girls at play. Jump rope seems to be a favorite pass time. Around noon the girls can be seen taking their lunch in shifts, by class. At 1 PM the students leave for the day. Shortly thereafter another group of students arrive. There is an alternative school in the afternoon for the restavek children; the children who work as domestic servants. The Religious of Jesus and Mary were instrumental in establishing the alternative school for these children whose life situation generally prevents them from attending school. By 5 PM the school yard grows quiet. At 6pm, the church bell rings the Angelus. No real need for a clock in Jean Rabel!

St. Mary's girls at play

Bon Fèt La Chandeleur!

On February 2^nd you may have celebrated Candlemass , the feast of the Prurification of Mary, or perhaps Ground Hog’s Day. Here in Gros Morne on February 2^nd we celebrate the Feast of Notre Dame la Chandeleur, the parish patronal feast. The feast runs for nine days with a novena to Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Light. Every night for over a week you would hear singing coming from the church until about 11pm. On Thursday, February 2^nd, three masses were celebrated; pilgrims & parishioners filled the church to over flowing for each.

The gate to the church courtyard

The feast spilled beyond the church to encompass the entire community. People return to Gros Morne for the feast, making it a time of “home coming”. Pilgrims from the surrounding areas also come to town for the feast. Tents sprouted up alongside the road and in the church courtyard to accommodate the many visitors.  Vendors also flocked to Gros Morne for the feast, so the market was greatly expanded this past week. Over the nine days there were many “special events”.  A soccer tournament was played over the course of a few afternoons which included teams as far away as Cap-Haitien. One evening a concert was held featuring a professional Haitian band.  Even the street lights were left on Thursday night to light our way as we walked home after the 6pm mass!

street vendors in Gros Morne

May ManMan Mari continue to shine her light on the people of Gros Morne.

Labadie

I recently had the opportunity to visit Labadie, on the north coast of Haiti. To reach Labadie we drove about a half hour north of Cap-Haitien, where we boarded the water taxis for the final leg of the journey. You see, Labadie can only be reached via boat. Once you arrive in Labadie you truly feel as though you are on a “secluded island”. The green mountains rise out of the “Caribbean blue” sea; small beaches dot the coast line.

Water Taxis arrive at the pier in Labadie, fishing boats in the fore ground

Labadie differed in many ways from other areas of Haiti I visited. This small coastal town has a population of about 5000 people. However Labadie has many amenities I associate with large cities; a central source of both electricity and non-potable water are available. All the children I encountered appeared well fed and in school. There is an elementary school in Labadie, but the children must go into Cap-Haitien for high school. The people of Labadie find employment on the water or in the tourist industry. I’m pretty sure I saw the watermen bring in the lobster Sunday morning that I dined on Sunday evening! Labadie is a far cry from the tent cities of Port au Prince. 

Life "off the grid"!

You don’t have to travel very far outside Port au Prince before you find people living “off the grid”, outside the power grid that is. There are no power lines in the villages, no gas or water lines either. In many ways a walk through the village is a step back in time. The people live as they have for generations; kerosine lanterns provide light and charcoal fires are used for cooking.

women buy & sell charcoal in the market 

Here in Gros Morne we live “off the grid”. For that matter, our house needs to be self sufficient when it comes to all our utilities: electricity, gas, & water. Unlike the villagers we do not rely on kerosene and charcoal. Our primary power source is 15 of solar panels on the roof of the house. Many of our energy needs are in the kitchen. Our solar refrigerator and freezer have a battery “back up” system that insures electricity 24/7. Our stove is fitted with a propane tank. Other household electricity needs include indoor & outdoor lighting …bedroom fans during the summer months …and a plethora wall chargers for, but not limited to, computers, cell phones, & iPods. In addition to the solar panels we also have a diesel generator. We run the generator approximately 45 minutes a day to supplement the solar power during our peak usage time; when the non-potable water is being pumped from our well & cistern to the roof for use throughout the house. Keep in mind the house has no central heating or cooling system …no hot water heater …no dish washer or microwave …no clothes washer or dryer …no TV. So far I’ve not experienced any power outages …although I have had a couple opportunities to change the gas tank on the stove.

Larger of two solar arrays on the roof

Solar freezer with battery back-up

Our house is not the norm in Haiti. Unfortunately, solar power is still beyond the means of the average person here in Haiti. Hopefully, as the technology becomes more affordable the Haiti people will have greater access to healthy, environmentally sound, sustainable energy sources.

We see from where we stand!

There is a Haitian proverb which says, “We see from where we stand.” Two years after the earth quake struck Haiti I find myself standing shoulder to shoulder with the Haitian people, praying …

Sacred Heart Parish, Port au Prince

Compassionate Jesus, you give us the mandate to alleviate the suffering of others.

Give us a new heart and a new spirit.

You told us to reach out to the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the ill,

the imprisoned.

Give us a new heart and a new spirit.

Help us to reach out to those in pain–friends, neighbors, and even total strangers.

Give us a new heart and a new spirit.

Teach us to join our efforts with those of others, to take actions whenever we can.

Give us a new heart and a new spirit.

Kaypòv

Shortly after I arrived in Gros Morne I heard about the Kaypòv. Kaypòv is Creole for “poor house”. The name conjured up for me images of the Dickensian institutions of the 19^th century which instilled fear into the hearts of my Irish ancestors. Much to my relief I learned that the Kaypòv is a long term homeless shelter for men and women, primarily the elderly who have no family to care for them. The structure itself is a one story, “U” shaped building constructed in stages by volunteers. There are dorms for both men and women; about thirty people call this building home. There is a pump in the courtyard, where the entire “neighborhood” comes to pump water.  The kitchen is in a neighboring structure, two meals are served daily. Behind the building are latrines and a concrete slab where the people do their laundry. Around the side of the building, affording a little privacy, is another concrete slab where people take their “bucket bath”; bathe with the water from a five gallon bucket. The Kaypòv is not simply a shelter it is a home that provides all the necessities of life.  

On Christmas Day we visited the Kaypòv, sang Christmas Carols, and served cake and soda.

Fortunately, this 21^st century poor house proved to be a kinder gentler place than the 19^th century institutions whose name it shares. In December a woman arrived in Gros Morne who needed a place to stay. She wasn’t pregnant, but she did need medical attention. The long term volunteers with whom I live took it upon themselves to care for the woman until we could find someone to provide the extensive medical care she needed. The temporary solution was to secure a “private room” for our friend at the Kaypòv. Although the woman was grossly disfigured by her injuries the people of the Kaypòv welcomed her into their community. We would go daily to administer her medication and help her bathe, but it was the people of the Kaypòv who provided her meals and kept a watchful eye over her throughout the day and night. In this case the community of the Kaypòv provided a temporary home for a person not only economically poor but also poor in body, mind, & spirit.