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.