Lubin, the director of the Haitian Connection Network’s Student Computer Center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, spent the last week in the United States.  Within the first 24 hours of him being here, he was interviewed in front of a live audience about his experiences, the differences, the things that shocked him, and more.  We expect to bring you this event in it entirety in the future, but for now here is a teaser and a news story about the event.  We also share news about our sponsor a student program.  You can find out more about HCN and how $30 dollars a month can sponsor 1/4 of a student’s eduction here.

If you have visited our website, you already know that 20 students are having their lives changes by their studies with University for the People at the Haitian Connection Networks’ Student Learning Center.  What you may not know is that there are almost 50 students waiting to enter the program.  HCN is looking to expand to a new facility to accommodate the need.  This video highlights the work HCN has been doing in Haiti.  If you want to find out more about the Haitian Connection Network and support this move, please visit wwwhaitianconnectionnetwork.org.

Meet Federson, another one of the students attending classes at University of the People’s Online University using our new HCN Student Computer Center.  He shares about how he came to HCN, about his family, and some of his hopes and dreams.

Meet Roodlyn, another one of the students attending classes at University of the People’s Online University using our new HCN Student Computer Center.  She shares how she hopes her education will change her family.

Meet Dany, another one of the students attending classes at University of the People’s Online University using our new HCN Student Computer Center.  He shares how this opportunity will potentially impact his life.

Meet Sadrac, one of the students attending classes at University of the People’s Online University using our new HCN Student Computer Center.  He shares how this opportunity will potentially impact his life.

Our discussion tonight comes out of Kris’s recent visit to Haiti and a conversation she had with Frederickson.  What is it like to grow up poor in Haiti?  We also update the status of the learning center the Haitian Connection Network is establishing.  15 students will start November 18th.

Kris and Scott sat down chatted with Joel and Yvonne Trimble, facilitators of Haiti for Christ and owners of Haiti Satellite. Joel shares about a kidnapping attempt, how Haiti Satellite was formed, and his vision for January 12, 2011.  Kris shares about the Haiti harvest fest on October 3rd, the Haitian Connection Network’s connection to Haiti Satellite,  and also shares the current status of the Haitian Connection Network.  This episode ends with a big buck deer hunting story. 8^)

Haiti for Christ

Haiti Satellite

Haitian Connection Network

This week in Haiti In Focus, Scott and Kris talk about the presidential debate that was streamed from Haiti.  This is only the second such an event was broadcast from Haiti.  They also chat about the 240 room hotel being built by the Port-au-Prince Airport and what that means for humanitarian workers and Haitians alike.   Also covered is how rebuilding in Haiti is like recovering from a war.

News on the 240 room hotel.

News on war recovery.

From Kristen:

This week, it is all about HCNU – the online learning center we look forward to opening for classes November 18! Keeping up with website changes, twitter, and podcast interviews, press releases, etc. has been a challenge. Then out of the corner of my computer screen, littered with paperwork and applications, a drop box pops out. “Hello Madam Kristen. It is me, Sophie.” Oh, no I am thinking, NOW who needs something?? “I just wanted to say that I appreciate what you are doing for us so much. Thank you for all you are doing.”

That’s it. No demands. No concerns. Just a simple thank you. That really keeps me going these days. Seventeen students, human beings no better than you or I, anxiously wait the day they receive my phone call saying; “YES! We now have the money to open the doors and keep this school running! Put on your ID cards, iron your shirts and let the first class of HCNU begin!”

Of course, I realize that day is not today. But it is soon! If eleven generous individuals commit to $ 30 per month for a year, that will cover one students entire yearly operational expenses and university studies! It is crazy to think about. I have American friends who are paying $40,000, per year for their university education here in the USA – these Haitian students need $4000 per year.

When I break it down this way, it does not seem so daunting. Maybe with that perspective, others will see the importance of higher education in a developing country. Our website www.haitianconnectionnetwork.org allows people to donate safely online. I can’t do this alone! Please help if you can.

Kristen

Tonight we talk with the NGO The Haitian Connection Network.  HCN endeavors to educate poor Haitian students with quality online university studies tuition free, and then actively assists them with job placement upon graduation. Their mission is to see each of their graduates gainfully employed helping themselves, their families, their community and their country!  To find out more about the Haitian Connection Network, please visit their website.

The music in this episode was provided courtesy of Abhi Ken and is from the album Haiti - We Are There For You.  100% of the proceeds from this album goes to support the children of Haiti.  You can purchase the album in iTunes and Amazon.  You can find out more about Abhi Ken at his website.

A Day in the United States…

My pediatrician’s office is three miles from my house. When my three year old son Kiefer is sick, I call to make a same day appointment without hassle. I am annoyed today as my plans for my monthly manicure and pedicure must be rescheduled. Upon driving my Audi convertible into the spacious parking lot, I enter an air-conditioned office smelling of cleaning supplies and casually hand the receptionist my glossy white Health Assurance card. Without considering the miracle of health insurance, I sit in the plush waiting room, complete with the latest in children’s toys to entertain already overly entertained minds. Fifteen minutes later, a trained physician with credentials and diplomas on the wall come in briskly looks over my son, cracks a few jokes and casually hands me a white piece of paper with indecipherable words. Without thinking I hand over my co-pay, and my little prince is rewarded for being such a good little boy with a red lollipop. I strap my son into his three point harness, hop back into my Audi, and speed down the smoothed paved road to a fully stocked pharmacy. Here the antibiotic my son needs to get better will be presented, paid for, then off we go to our spacious home where my son will enjoy a lunch of his choice and an afternoon diet of Toy Story and Thomas the Tank Engine while I surf Ebay from my pink iPhone.

Back in Haiti…

When Haitian mother Rosalind’s 3-year-old Francois is sick, she gets up before dawn. She and her son board a rickety sailboat from La Gonave for a two-hour boat ride on a wooden piece of scrap that serves as a bench. Her child must be severely ill, for a child in Haiti does not have the luxury of visiting a doctor for every sneeze and sniffle.

Upon arriving at the crowed dock, she hands the last of her money over to a selfish bus driver who is charging 12 gourds instead of 10. The bus to Port-au-Prince is packed. Over 50 Haitians with sunken cheeks travel shoulder to sweaty shoulder in an old school bus. The overpowering smell of BO, fried plantains, smells of burning rubber, sewage are mixed together into a rancid tossed salad of smells.

The bumpy dusty rides gives views of mile upon mile of refugee camps, some equipped with army tents and outhouses, but most are, a mish-mash of blue tarps, scraps of metal and garbage bags tied together to make a shelter place over three million people call home. Everywhere children of any and every age beg for food, water and money. She waits, calmly, son in her arms on the side of the road for anyone who might be able to help her. She spies a pickup truck and a Haitian man putting water into an overheated radiator. Inside the truck are two white mission workers. She has never asked for money; her pride is too great. But with her love for her son and the urgency of the situation, she cautiously approaches the two. “Excuse me” she whispers in Creole. “My son is sick. Has a high fever and diarrhea and has not eaten in two days. Look at him please! Can you help me to pay for his hospital bill and medicine?”

The two Americans look at the little boy, asleep for now in his mother’s arms, sweat pouring down his scrunched up face. The woman hands her a $20 bill and an uncomfortable smile. Perhaps she is a mother too in her country and understands. With a grateful whisper of “merci”, she walks on foot towards the hospital.

When she arrives, a giant mound of debris greets her. The building is no longer there, as the earthquake wiped out all three stories. She can see the accordion like levels, as medical equipment, wires and steel peek out from the layers. Nearby is an army tent, serving as the hospital since the earthquake.

The sun is high in the sky now, and beats down mercilessly on her feverish son. But still she waits one hour, then two. On the third hour a handful of nurses exit the tent, complaining loudly. They sit under a nearby palm tree leisurely eating their lunch. Three hours goes by as children wail, mothers try in vain to comfort their hungry, ill children. There is no toys, no seats. Just a long line stretching out to the road.

When it is finally her Francious turn, she hesitantly enters the tent. All around are children lying on mats haphazardly thrown on the floor. IV bags hang from wire hangers, and dust covered medical equipment sit idle in the center of the tent. There is no doctor on duty. Only a handful of overworked and apathetic nurses doing the work of two dozen. There is no medicine available for her son’s sickness; there are only wet rags to place over his little face, and a recommendation by the nurses to see if she can find children’s Tylenol in the marketplace. So she leaves the tent as she wanders among the masses of expressionless, glassy eyed people move aimlessly through the marketplace that is surrounded by collapsed buildings as the setting sun colors the sky.

Ironically, both mothers expect their situation and accept it as their fate.

– Kristen Hertzog

Executive Director Haitian Connection Network

kristenhertzog@gmail.com

www.haitianconnectionnetwork.org

www.haitiinfocus.com

“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”

-Albert Pine, English Author, d. 1851

Day 1 - My First Time in Haiti After The Earthquake

The Internet connection is so bad here. Last night, I was even plugged into a phone line, and it still was horrible! So, I am awake again at 4 AM, and my first thought was “I can’t wait to tell the Scott all about this!”

I CAN NOT imagine being a first time visitor here in this recovery time. To our surprise, there were hardly any whites/foreigners on the plane ride down. I have in fact, seen few foreign women anywhere. From the air you can see patch after patch of blue plastic tarps – the refugee camps. The baggage claim was located in a make shift warehouse building because the airport building had huge cracks in it from top to bottom. There were virtually no immigration, customs, security checks.

Because of the change in our location, Do Do and Arnold could not find us. It was about 30 minutes of complete madness – and over 200 lbs of baggage, CJ was trying to keep track of. Finally I borrowed a cell from a nice guy and connected with Do Do and told him where to find us.

His car looks like something out of a war. The trunk, back seat and doors were completely smashed from the earthquake, but he had it partially fixed so he could fit me, CJ, Arnold, and all our stuff in the car. No windows, no locks, no shocks and the car overheated every 10 minutes, so we had to keep stopping and asking people for water to pour into the carburetor.

Tent city after tent city was everywhere, along with lots of begging children. On one of our carburetor stops, a new mother came up to me with her one-month-old baby girl and BEGGED me for money so she could get her daughter to a hospital. The baby was throwing up, diarrhea, and barely moved. I found it amazing that she had the faith to start the journey from where ever she was calling home these days, hoping to find someone to help her on the way. We hadn’t even exchanged money yet, but gave her $20 USD. I prayed hard that her daughter would make it. I think the thing that struck me was how she approached me. This woman was not used to handouts. She was polite, quiet, and surprisingly calm, but her eyes were earnest.

The earthquake has affected countless here, yet life does go on here in many ways. Everywhere you look there are signs of life. Women selling fruit on the side of the road, guys selling water bags, cars honking, people walking with water buckets on their heads. What was so striking to me was that people were doing life – directly next to or on top of mass graves. The mass graves are unexplainable. You can see the mishmash of stuff. Flip-flops, concrete, papers, and clothing. The living around have blank expressions everywhere. The smells are unlike anything I have ever experienced in all my years of coming to Haiti.

Houses flattened, buildings on an angle that defied logic. How could they still partially stand and not slide into the streets? The Caribbean Market (Like Giant or Weis in Haiti) was unrecognizable. Three stories of grocery and furniture - I have shopped there countless times over the years – a huge mound of cement blocks and God only knows how many dead.

Our hotel is located one block from an enormous tent city in the center of Petionville. People bathing in buckets on the street, TONS of UN, Red Cross, and Haitian Police with machine guns are EVERYWHERE. Every third vehicle is some type of aid. Our hotel is far better than

I expected. We had never been here before. We were pleased to find that we had a two-room suite! Air conditioning, electricity, a small patio, two restaurants, a TV (CJ of course had on some basketball game…), a fan, two sinks, and private bath with WARM water!!!! YAY!!!!! Even though it is offensively hot here and I have been here many times, I have never gotten used to a freezing cold shower.

After checking into the hotel, we made our way up to Haiti Satellite, near Baptist Haiti Mission. One of our goals on this trip is to do some research on what it would cost to start our own tuition free online university location, instead of sending our students to poorly ran or now nonexistent computer trade colleges. The first step is to find out about costs of internet, find a classroom location, etc.

Haiti Satellite  is owned and operated by an American guy, a pastor and the host of a Haitian TV show, highlighting on location segments of all the great things about Haiti. Haiti Satellite is THE Internet provider in all of Haiti – 97% rate of all Internet connections to its customers. All the big organizations use this company because it is reliable. So we sat down with the head IT guy and were disappointed to hear that an internet connection like this is sticker shock times10! $4,000 initial start up and $800 per month. This is JUST for internet needed for kids to take their on line classes.

As we were getting ready to leave, the Joel Trimble, the owner, came in and introduced himself. We sat down and had a lovely chat about our vision, University of the People, the type of space we were looking for, etc. Of course, upon finding out I too was a host of a TV show and

podcaster, he took us into his studio to show us his current show being post produced. DoDo and Arnold said this guy’s show is the number one show in all of Haiti.

After throwing around some of our connections in Haiti, a few business cards later, a view of our website and a clear understanding of our vision, he has offered us a 16X12 office/classroom space – at his corporate office ALREADY EQUIPPED WITH SATELIGHT POWER – on the side of a mountain 15 degrees cooler than the town below – 10 minute drive to Baptist Haiti Mission on the same road – 5 minutes from a Guest House that he owns which is almost a mansion – electricity –  a private locked entrance for our students – shared bathroom for our offices – RENT FREE.

We pay for utilities and monthly internet KBs, between $500 and $700 per month total!!! It was so obviously a God moment and nothing short of a miracle to us! There are a few logistical issues to work out. For exampleI am not sure how many KB I will need to run 5 laptops simultaneously, date of semester start times, etc., but the most challenging prayer and major purpose of this trip was answered 5 hours after we arrived on Haitian soil.

Curt and I are looking now at a budget, etc – we need to bring down a small team this summer to build a wall separating this huge office space he has into two separate rooms, build some work stations, paint, and of course start interviewing potential students.

Pastor Joel - everyone knows him; both the heads major organizations and the poor Haitians who has a TV and can watch his show – he is a man of good character and has been in business decades in Haiti. Did I mention he is married to a feisty Italian!!??

Once some of the details are ironed out logistically we will make a contract, so everyone is on the same page. He has been praying for years for tuition free online university to come to Haiti’s poorest! How cool is that???

After that, we went up to Baptist Haiti Mission to see all of our missionary friends. Deborah and Kirk had a baby girl last week at the Baptist Hospital. This makes 5 kids for them. Chris Lieb is – as usual – running from pillar to post trying to get it all done. Prior to the earthquake he had a sound studio built outside his office that he is very proud of. We saw all the damage to the mission compound – the brand new convention center, bathrooms, and workers living spaces fell into the side of the mountain during the quake. About 2 dozen Haitian men were still removing all the rubble with small shovels while we were there.

Back at the hotel, Curt and I were just in shock about the whole day. It was A LOT to process in one day. And now, as I sit here in my queen size bed under the air conditioner typing furiously I wonder what today will bring.

The plan is to go to downtown and see the damage, visit Crann computer college to speak with the Dean about how our students are doing, eat, then go back to Do Do’s house for a meeting with Veronique (the mother of our adoptive daughter), our students, and graduates, then eat a big meal prepared by Geraldine (DoDo’s wife).

Pray for safety, for me not to be overwhelmed. I sensed God speak to me and say: “Welcome to your new job. A new vision to help my people.” It was confirmation to me in my spirit that we are on the right track.

Talk to you soon,

Kris

–

Kristen Hertzog

Executive Director

Haitian Connection Network

kristenhertzog@gmail.com

www.haitianconnectionnetwork.org

www.haitiinfocus.com

The Road to Fondwa tells the powerful story of a rural Haitian community poised to change the future of Haiti one University student at a time.

When Haiti is not forgotten or ignored, it is seen through a tinted lens. The small, impoverished nation shares an island with the Dominican Republic just 500 miles from the shores of Miami. It is Haiti’s proximity that brings it into our national conscience in short, periodic bursts. When a dictator is overthrown, a group of ‘boat people’ is lost at sea, or a coup is staged, it gets our attention. Reporters rush to the scene, horrific tales are told, and we feel sympathy… or is it pity? And then, as quickly as the news cycle churns, the moment disappears.

From the very beginning of the film, it is clear that The Road to Fondwa does not follow this pattern. The first interview introduces Sandelwi, a farmer and a mystic, who is riding on top of a bus that is speeding around the treacherous curves of the mountainous road to Port-au-Prince, mindless of the precipitous drop to the valley below. ‘When you’re in Haiti, I consider you Haitian,’ he says. ‘It’s up to us, we have to put our heads together to do development.’

From that point on, there is no turning back. It becomes evident that The Road to Fondwa is not a one-way street, but rather a conduit between two very different, yet intricately connected nations.

Justin Brandon is a filmmaker/actor living in Los Angeles, CA. Originally from South Bend, IN he graduated cum laude from the College of Arts and Letters at the University of Notre Dame in 2004.  After spending several months as a public relations volunteer at “La Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico,” Justin returned to the US to Associate Produce the 2005 season of Irish Weekly, a show which followed the Fighting Irish football team at The University of Notre Dame. He made his first short film in 2006, a documentary called The Volta Youth Project.  The film has been used to acquire funding and supplies for education projects in the Volta Region of Ghana.

Justin has also worked at Google and BetterWorld.com.  He wishes he could surf better and hopes to meet Jack Johnson someday.

**Be sure to check out Justin’s account of “The Making of The Road to Fondwa”

Contact: justin [at] fondwa.org

You can watch the Road to Fondwa here.  Be sure to visit the Road the Fondwa website.

This week we interviewed Alain Armand, a Haitian American from Florida, who land in Haiti 48 hours after the earthquake.  He shares about his journey there, what he observed as he arrived in Port-au-Prince.  He worked as a bouncer and a translator in the main Port-au-Prince Hospital and talks about the shock and the horror of what he saw.  His disturbing descriptions share what we would rather not see.  He ends our time together by explaining that he believes that Haiti needs outside oversight in the rebuilding and that the most important thing they can get out of this is renewable, sustainable energy.  You can find out more about Alain at http://thehaitian.com.

We continue our discussion by looking the types of shelter the displaced Haitians are living in and the targeted bulldozing that is supposed to be happening.  We also clarify how badly different sections of Haiti were hit and what people call Port-Au-Prince. We talk more about the first responders to the earthquake. We look at the media presence that is still down there. We share our thoughts on the “Idaho 10″, the ten missionaries that were accused of child trafficking  Last we talk about the many nations involved in debt forgiveness of Haiti.

Due to listener questions and comments, we decided to invite Alice Backer back to chat about her experiences since we last talked with her. This is Part 1 of that interview.

We started off by talking about how representative Citizen Media is of the country of Haiti, and therefore its value.  She discusses how Citizen Media though used by those with education and money still has value and provides a different perspective than what the major news networks provide.  She goes onto talk about the challenges of bringing Citizen Media to those in poverty and helping to get their voices heard. She discusses how social media has helped in a post quake Haiti.  She talks about the New Haiti Project (link is below.)

We also talk about who is in charge of Haiti right now.  The dilemma of this ambiguity and how it has impacted those most affected by the earthquake.  Alice talks about how this has played into the distribution of aid.  She also looks into why aid has been so slow in reaching the Haitian people.  She talks about how the Red Zone plays into this and how the assignment of such zones is many times political.

She postulates what can be done to get the aid moving faster and how targeting the tent cities should be the areas to start. This of course not to say that there are not/were not other areas affected.

Alice Backer’s blog:

http://www.kiskeacity.com

Alice Backer’s Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/kiskeacity

Alice Backer article about Haitian-American volunteer Regine Zamor (Global Voices):

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/01/31/global-voices-in-haiti-talking-to-volunteer-regine-zamor/

New Haiti Project website:

http://newhaitiproject.ning.com/

Rachel Maddow Show segment on history of Haiti’s debt and current debt cancellation proposal:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/34928496#34928496

Salon.com article showcasing Haitian expert who predicted quake:

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/02/03/haiti_capital_open2010/index.html?source=rss&aim=/news/feature

Article about how Haitians provided first response to quake:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/haitis-elite-offers-an-unlikely-source-of-hope-1876412.html

Translation of recent Miami Herald interview by President Rene Preval:

http://kiskeyacity.blogspot.com/2010/02/preval-on-his-legacy-translation-of.html

http://www.francotechnogap.com/

Haiti in Focus had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Alice Backer, former Global Voices Editor for french-speaking world, and who is  currently on a mission from Global Voices to help Haitians with Citizen Media in and around Port Au Prince, Haiti. We caught with her in Petionville, Port Au Prince at a place called Cafe de l’Europe.  Although Skype got wiggy on us at times, we had a surprising good signal and more importantly had a wonderful discussion.

She gave the real story of the earthquake aftermath.  She not only shared her background and how she got into Haiti (since no commercial flights are flying into Port Au Prince), but what the news has shown and not shown us regarding the situation there.  She talks about the importance of hearing not only what CNN and the networks are saying, but hearing the voices of the citizens of Haiti, those whom have largely been ignored by the media.  We have provided many of those links below sent to us courtesy of Alice Backer.

She also shares the disturbing news that many Haitians have not been seeing the relief reaching the Haitian people.  On a positive note, she talks about the debt cancellation of Haiti’s debt being considered by many nations.

If you want to find out more about Alice Backer, please visit her blog here and visit her Twitter.

***********

List of Tweeters tweeting live from Haiti assembled by Georgia Popplewell of Global Voices Online:

http://twitter.com/georgiap/live-from-haiti

Recommended Haitian Tweeters from the ground to follow:

Port-au-Prince:

http://twitter.com/carelpedre (Carel Pèdre)

http://twitter.com/RAMhaiti (Richard Morse)

http://twitter.com/thehaitian (Alain Armand)

http://twitter.com/fredodupoux (Frédéric Dupoux)

http://twitter.com/kiskeacity (Alice Backer)

While many here are horrified by the earthquake disaster in Haiti, for some at Penn Manor, it hits a lot closer to home.

Penn Manor teacher, Scott Hertzog, and his wife, Kristen, recently adopted a little girl, Taicha, 8 years old, from the impoverished country of Haiti and, although they were relieved to discover her sisters are fine, they are still awaiting news of her birth mother.

The rest…well you’ll have to go the Penn Points website.

http://www.pennmanor.net/pennpoints/?p=1958

I feel as though a part of me has died. All that our organization has worked for – education one student at a time…they may all be dead. For three days I have tried calling Pierre, Rose Bertha, Jean Rene, Gregory, Azar, Marilyn and Nadia. For three days NOTHING. And the world, this world of comfort, security and abundance keeps on moving. Unaware that the professional looking woman, sleek black suit, Italian leather shoes- tapping away on her laptop… is not really here.

I haven’t been “here” for three days. The places I have known, the friends I have made over a ten year period of time are gone. The Presidential Palace – one proud symbol is gone. The Caribbean Market where I have bought countless groceries of Haitian coffee, vanilla and peanuts is gone. The houses in which I have been invited to dinner, the hotels that I slept in, the roads I have rode on perhaps a thousand times are gone.

Kristen

By the way, you can also share your experience and join the discussion at our Haiti Connection Network Facebook Fan Page

We have a new phone number 1.888.508.4343.  We would love to hear your thoughts on our shows, your stories, your questions, and will try to play many of them on the show.

In this podcast we chat about why Kris was in Haiti (again), what the Haitian Connection Network is up to, a new place for you to stay called the Ocean View Beach Resort and Tennis Club, what it is like to be down in Haiti in July, and driving in Haiti.

Tonight, we have a very special interview with Taicha, our adoptive daughter.  We ask her what its been like for her to transition into our home, what she has liked and what has been her struggles.  We also discuss what it was like to live in the orphanange from her point of view.

For more information about the What if Foundation, please visit their site.   To find out about Margaret’s book, please visit here.

In our conversation with Jimmy, we chatted about where he was born in Haiti and some of the places he’s lived since then.  We briefly touched on his film career (Tears of the Sun and others) and some of the TV shows he’s worked on (The Shield and most notably Heroes).  I found it interesting that he still considers himself part of the cast in Heroes. I hope that means we’ll see him again in the show.

But the real focus of our conversation was about what drew him back to Haiti, what made him start Hollywood Unites for Haiti, some of the celebrities that have been involved, and the purpose of the organization.  He also shares his hopes for Haiti.  If you would like to know more about Jimmy Jean Louis and Hollywood Unites for Haiti, click here. Hope you enjoy the show!

The following is a brief description of Mission Manna from their website.

Mission Manna’s Core Values:

• Integrity
• Respect
• Humility

Mission Manna is a faith-based organization providing medical care for malnourished children and continuing health care education for adults in and around the Haitian town of Montrouis, while nurturing relationships through respect and creation of understanding between our two cultures.

The stories we tell…Mariam, who works as a physician’s assistant, saw the dire medical need in Haiti and traveled there three years ago to work in the remote villages of Haiti, meeting their medical needs.

Then there are the stories of the Haitians themselves, the people that lived there or still do, each one with a different unique perspective, on their own country.  I think of Arnold who came across on a skiff the the US, struggled the eight years he lived there, and used a forged passport to get back to Haiti.  He believes that Jesus and education are the only way to help Haiti.

And what of those stories of people like Chris Lieb, who sacrificed a six-figure salary in the computer industry to go live on a mountain in a mission that focuses on helping Haiti holistically?  Five years he has lived there with no thoughts of turning back.  He has been there in the midst of political upheaval, serving the Haitian community.  The organization he works for helps reforest Haiti, helps educate Haitians, provides a hospital with a 100 beds, and much, much more.

The stories we tell, the perspectives we share, the means and the way we all arrive in Haiti and grow to love the country are all different.  Some see the poverty and react, others go because of some religious experience calls them to go, while still others end up in Haiti because of jobs and adoptions.  Everyone’s story is different. Everyone’s story worth telling.

And we at Haiti in Focus want to tell it.  This means that we will at times have widely varying opinions and perspectives on the show.  Some will come across very religious, some will convey passionately a certain niche of work they are doing in Haiti, and some will share they way they see Haiti.  We lay out all out there, believing that some how the truth lies somewhere in the midst of all this.

We hope that such interviews will not be a deterrent to you listening to this show.  As always we welcome feedback and thoughts on all interviews we have and would love for you to share your perspective in writing or audio format to us. You can email us at haitiinfocus@gmail.com or call our listener line at (206) 600-482.

My first gut response is to exclaim: what do you mean let Haiti fail?  That is absolutely ludicrous!  Haiti needs our help.  We can’t just stand idly by.  What about our responsibility to the poor? The sick need to  be healed, farmers need to be taught, and orphans need to be loved.

But say for a moment that what we are talking about is not what we physically do in Haiti, but the money government and organizations throw into Haiti.  When we look at it from this way, Punchinello may have a point.  After all, the World Bank, the United States and many, many other organizations have dumped money into Haiti in an effort to help ease the poverty.  The effects of all our efforts are that while there have been pockets of change, over all Haiti remains the same.  Blame it on corruption with the Haitian government or whatever you want, the millions that we have thrown at Haiti already has largely not reached the masses.

So would it make a difference if we stopped pouring government finances into Haiti?  it doesn’t seem so, unless I am missing the picture somewhere.  I certainly don’t consider myself an expert on the issues surrounding Haiti.  I do know that the average Haitian could be given a bag of rice that would last them the month for around 50 bucks.  Divide that by a million dollars and you could feed 20,000 Haitians for a month.

There are many humanitarian organizations that are making a difference in Haiti.  Giving to these organizations makes a bigger difference than the money that is handed to the Haitian government.

Perhaps it is not so much giving up on hait, but rather giving up on the government.  However, its catch 22.  Can Haiti change without its government? Questions, questions, questions.

Do Haitians have a responsibility to help themselves? Certainly.  But I also believe that we need to walk alongside of them as they develop and progress.  We need to use the knowledge that we have to help them build a better, more effective, more sustainable country.

Thoughts?

Recently I was shocked to find that seventy years ago, a different Port-Au-Prince existed, one in which the streets were clean, where the cars that drove them were beautiful, where the people dressed cleanly and proudly.  The following video came to my attention once again from my friends at AIDG. I have never scene the Haiti that is in this video.  Yet I have hope, hope that if Haiti was once beautiful, that if Port-Au-Prince was once the glorious representative for it’s nation, that it can be so again.

It has been wonderful to see some of the attention Hollywood has been paying to Haiti recently. The Burn Notice recently had an episode focusing on Haiti. Heroes, of course, has had the reoccurring role of the Haitian.

Recently AIDG brought to my attention an humanitarian organization, founded by none other than the Haitian himself, Jimmy Jean Louis. He founded “Hollywood Unites For Haiti in 2008 as a means of helping the people of his beloved native land Haiti.” Born in Petion-Ville, Haiti, he knows what it is like to grow up with little, and has apparently not forgotten it. What follows is a brief interview with him. To find out more about Hollywood Unites For Haiti, please visit their website at Hollywood Unites for Haiti.

About two weeks ago, we were chatting about the possibility of using Carnival to foster tourism in Haiti.  However; now that Carnival is past and we find out that it has left one dead and 540  injured, there is a problem with this.  And this was our concern about the idea from the start: the safety of people and tourists traveling to Haiti for Carnival.

Sebastian said it well when he wrote “But for a country to receive high numbers of tourists, its infrastructure must be up to par, it must have both political and social stability, but most importantly it must reduce the insecurity that has plagued Haiti for the past 15-20 years. Additionally, there are not enough hotels in the capital to accommodate an influx of tourists and there are still today too many isolated instances of crime and kidnapping. Before tourism can be a significant part of Haiti again, it needs to have some basic transformations. Although I agree that the initiation of the tourist industry is the only way of developing it, who will come to Haiti when the basic infrastructures and basic security is not in place? I think most would rather be in the Bahamas or elsewhere.”

And we can not agree more.  He later goes onto say that Carnival might work in the tourist trade if we move it out of the capital city of Port-au-Prince.  Yet in a city in which 1 million people participated in Carnival, it would be wonderful to see the infrastructure of Haiti strengthened so that it could remain in the place with the most hotels and and the main avenue into Haiti.

I reposted the article about Carnival below from Sina English.

One dead, 540 injured during Carnival in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) — At least 259 people were reported injured in the concluding hours of Haiti’s Carnival 2009,bringing the total casualties in the festivity to one death and 540 injuries, local police said on Thursday.

The sole fatality was identified as 15-year-old Sandra Pierre, who suffered several fractures in the skull after a gigantic carriage rolled over upon her during a street concert in Port-au-Prince, a police spokesman said on Thursday.

According to official statistics, around one million local residents participated in this year’s Carnival, which began on Sunday.

In order to guarantee social order and security, Haitian police had sought the cooperation of the Red Cross and UN peacekeeping forces, Gary Desrosiers, Haitian police spokesman, told Xinhua.

Olsen Jan Julien, Haitian minister of culture and communication, said that Carnival celebrations help create employment and consumption in sectors like tourism and transportation, which implies considerable economic profitability to the Caribbean country.

He deemed the cultural-social event to be positive despite the casualties, and said that a permanent committee is to be established for the conservation and promotion of the Carnival, which he called a cultural-material heritage of Haiti.

Finally, after weeks of wanting to do this, and after one botched recording session, we finally have Curt, Co-founder of the Connection Network and Haiti for the Kids, on the show.   He shares with us how he got involved in Haiti and what has drawn him back into Haiti year after year after year.  He shares stories of the an orphanage fire and the time an American Airlines flight down was turned around due to a supposed fire.  He and Kris comment on the current status of the Connection Network and the future of the organization.

These are the words of Maxis, a girl whose life mirrors closely the life of the protagonist of “Slumdog Millionaire.”  Now attending Luther College, she remembers growing up hungry in Haiti, though her mother made sure she had at least one meal a day.  Now her ambition is to return to Haiti and help her country.

This is really what we love to see.  It is certainly great that foreigners jump in a help Haiti.  No country in the Western Hemisphere needs help more.  But the thing that warms my heart and that of the Connection Network is seeing Haitians trained, schooled, and released to help their own country.  This is why Maxis, if she follows through with her ambition, will be worth so much more than an 8 Oscar movie.  Blessed are those who do not forget their own.

For more on Maxis, visit The Gazette Online.

We interview Steph, who was a first time traveler to Haiti last year and find out about her experiences there.  We also talk about navigating the Port-au-Prince Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

Cow on the back of a tap tap as referred to in the show.

Steph and crew waiting to get into the airport as mentioned on the show.

I think this is a phenomenal opportunity for any Haitian national who longs to better their country.  This is part of the grassroot’s efforts to help the infastructure of Haiti.  Below is the press release.  Even if you are not Haitian, I would encourage to check out AIDG and their work in the third world.

Scott

Zogpod.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Catherine Lainé, 800-401-3860 x703, claine@aidg.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Boston, 12/30/08 –  The Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG), a technology R&D and small business development non-profit, is calling for innovative and dynamic ideas for its 1st business plan competition in Northern Haiti, KonKou Biznis Ayiti. The purpose of the competition is to help smart and passionate Haitian entrepreneurs solve some of the most pressing issues facing Haiti today.

This year’s contest focuses on biogas, a form of renewable energy that can hold an important place in the sustainable development of Haiti. This methane-rich carbon neutral biofuel can be substituted for charcoal, propane, kerosene and other combustible fuels for the purposes of cooking, heating or even electricity generation. The by-product of its production is a nutrient rich liquid fertilizer that can significantly increase yields of certain crops.

The team with the most promising idea for commercializing biogas in Northern Haiti will receive US$50,000 in grants and early-stage business financing for implementation over 2 years. In addition to the cash awards, the winning team will receive technical training on a number of biogas systems as well as training on the best practices of enterprise management.

Applications are accepted until March 6th. Five finalists will be announced March 16th and will compete in Cap Haitien for the grand prize March 29 - April 4. To learn more about the business plan competition or to apply, visit http://konkoubiznisayiti.com/

Key Contest Dates

• March 6, 2009: Deadline for submission of all business plans (5PM EST).
• March 16, 2009: 5 Finalists announced.
• March 29 - April 4, 2009: Finalists compete in Cap Haitien, Haiti for the grand prize.
• April 14, 2009: Winner/winning team announced.

AIDG (http://www.aidg.org ), founded in 2005, is focused on small and medium enterprise development to bring renewable energy, sanitaiton and water to underserved communities.

Copyright 2008 Konkou Biznis Ayiti - All Rights Reserved

#travel

Anyone traveling to Haiti knows there is virtually only one way to get there and back:  American Airlines (well, unless of course you are going to take a skiff across).  This is why the news that Delta is going to start offering flights to and from Haiti is such good news.  No longer will AA have a monopoly.

Best yet, “Delta is offering an each-way introductory discount fare to Port-au-Prince for $129, exclusive of taxes and fees. Book and buy by Feb. 23 and fly between June 20 and July 31. You’ll have to make a round-trip purchase on Delta’s Web site for the lowest price.”   Deals like this are once in a life time.

I have included the press release below.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Delta adding routes to Haiti, Bermuda

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Delta Air Lines Inc. is adding flights from New York to the Caribbean, including its first flights to Haiti in about 50 years.

The Atlanta-based airline will start new nonstop daily service between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on June 20. The new flights are the first Delta service to Haiti since the 1950s when Delta (NYSE: DAL) flew from New Orleans to Port-au-Prince.

Delta also will bring back daily nonstop service between New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Bermuda beginning May 22.

“Delta’s long-standing commitment to the Caribbean basin is now reinforced as we provide the growing population of Haitians in the tri-state area with more options to visit friends and loved ones in their native country,” said Gail Grimmett, Delta senior vice president, in a news release.

Thanks to AIDC for pointing this out.

Grassroots Efforts in light of Préval’s Visit

The response to my blog on Préval’s visit to Washington demonstrated two things: people are dissatisfied with what is currently happening economically in Haiti and that current solutions being pursued by the government have not worked.  Yet I believe it to also important to state that I am not anti-Préval, as some people took my blog to be.   My intent was nothing more than to state a belief that no government, whether it be the United States, Haiti, or otherwise is or can be the economic savior to its people; nor do I think it should.

One person suggested that the Haitian government, instead of asking for money, should pursue a tourist marketing campaign, inviting the world to come see carnival in Haiti, taking place February 22 – 34.  This way, it would allow Haiti to showcase itself to the world and bring in tourists who would stay in hotels, use Haitian transportation, eat at restaurants, and buy goods to bring home.  This would obviously benefit the Haitian people and the economy.

This is not a bad idea.  Of course this would require Haiti to find ways of guaranteeing the safety of all tourists in all respects (physical, property and otherwise).  It would also require Haiti to clean up the area where carnival is occurring.

One of the ways that I like to hear about Haiti revitalizing itself  is through the grassroots efforts of individual Haitians themselves.  One such site that highlights such individuals is the Lambifund of Haiti. They have a few videos on their site, some of which have won national/international awards.

One video focuses on a grassroots effort of Haitians combating the deforestation of their country.  Another, and the one that really stands out to me, is the video that highlights a peasant woman and a project she is running with breeding pigs to become financially independent.  Pigs in some of the rural communities of Haiti function almost like a bank account.  No pigs means no money. It is this video I wish to share with you today.  Enjoy the video and please visit the Lambifund’s website.

Now I have no problem with Préval asking for aid.  If any country needed aid, Haiti is certainly it.  The fact that he is asking for $75 to $100 million  to specifically help create jobs appears to be a good thing.  In a country where people are earning under two bucks a day, getting better jobs; well better paying jobs is obviously key.

He goes on to state that if nothing is done and no economic aid is rendered, Haiti risks losing all the progress that has been made under Préval since he was elected in 2006.   Here I smell a rat.  I wonder if he’s not more concerned about his own legacy than the people of Haiti? Especially since things in Haiti seem to have gotten worse, not better, under his governorship.  Now that may or may not be his fault, but the point remains.

Is Haiti on the brink of disaster?  When hasn’t it been.  Yet Préval touts the idea that if we don’t do something now, then all is lost, like some doomsday prophet.  I know I am coming off as some anti-Préval wacko.  It has less to do with Préval and more to do with his association with the Haitian government, one which has been corrupt in the past.  So much money has been dumped into Haiti over the years and to what avail?  No notable progress has been made and what has been done, has been more the results grassroots humanitarian efforts than that the government.

Throwing money at the issue of Haiti will be only a bandaid on the problem, especially if we trust the government with the solution.  A much deeper healing needs to happen within. For this we need the many humanitarian organizations that work in Haiti.  Its these organization I salute; these organizations I give my money to.

Well our second episode of Haiti in Focus is up and live.  In it Kristen and I explore the idea of the Haitian upper-class, commonly known to the Haitians as being bourgeoisie.  Many times this judged solely by skin color because typically the middle and upper class of Haiti are of lighter skin.  As a result, we Americans are also dubbed with the same term.  Our chat in this episode highlights the reaction of poor Haitians being brought into a bourgeoisie setting, their reactions to that, and their perspective on us.  Enjoy the show.

Alzuphar wrote a startling article citing statistics that, while I know some of them and had heard them before, I had not thought about them or heard recent updates on them in a while. Here is a run down of some of the key Haiti statistics she mentioned:

• 80 percent live under the poverty line
• 70 percent are unemployed
• 50 percent are illiterate
• Majority of all fresh water sources have been polluted due to the poor sanitation systems
• More than half the deaths in Haiti are due to water-borne diseases

One almost expects, though does not want, such high statistics in Haiti.  In comparison to the United States and the rest of the world, they seem even worse.  We havevirtually no issues when it comes to clean water for drinking.  Only 12.3 percent live under the poverty line in the United States.  According the the World Bank, the number of people living below the poverty line worldwide is 26%.  Haiti is way above that. In 1996, the illiteracy rate around the world was 16%.  Worldwideunemployment is on average 30%. 20% of all people lack clean drinking water.  These statistics help place Haiti’s numbers in perspective.  There is no doubt that Haiti is acountry teetering on the brink of disaster.  In today’s economic crisis, things do not look good.

But the statistcs, as startling and shocking as they are, are not what really struck me about Alzuphar’s article.  What struck as being ever more important was that she wanted to see the faces behind the statistics.   It is so easy to forget when the staggering numbers come rolling in; yet this is really what it is all about.   The people.   Seeing the faces.  Building the relationships with the families.

This is where I want to be.   This is what the Connection Network is all about.  Focusing on the individual, getting to know them, helping them individually get further training and networking them into the job force.   This is how we fight poverty.

One face at a time.

Scott Hertzog

Zogpod.com

Is Haiti dangerous?  Flipping the question around, is Haiti safe?  Certainly, Haiti has had its share of political unrest; some of that has resulted in rioting, home invasions, and kidnappings.  The food shortages have made people desperate.  Hurricanes have disrupted travel, even affecting the last team we had down, stranding them in Haiti for 5 days (like that was a bad thing.  Inconvientient maybe, but not necessary bad).

But in my opinion, Haiti is no more dangerous than any other place provided you take some precautions.  After all, my wife would never think of walking the streets of Port-au-Prince alone.  Whenever she travels out and about, she always travels in a group or with a Haitian escort.  She is always aware of where she’s at and her surroundings.   Perhaps this is due to her growing up in New York City.  She carries herself in Haiti as she would there.  After all, the same types of people who take advantage of Americans in Haiti are the same types of people who would take advantage of American’s here.

Perhaps this it is the lack of independece we struggle with when going to Haiti.  I mean we actually have to depend on other people and can’t move about like we own the place.

Here’s the thing.  I would hate for people to advoid Haiti just because there is a little bit of danger involved.  Haiti is beautiful.  The people, though needy, have huge hearts and are friendly.  The culture is exquisit.

Please travel to Haiti!  But do understand where you are traveling to, and don’t throw your caution to the wind.

The poverty and the danger is what makes what Hands Together is doing so remarkable.  It was actually over 15 years ago my wife got the urge to adopt from Haiti, a story which she tells in our first podcast. I’ll let the video speak for itself.

In the past two weeks, we have had over 250 people visit our blog and over 60 people downloaded our first show!   A big thank you to all of you who participated in that.   We are always looking to hear from you, get your ideas, or hear your stories about Haiti.  We will use them on the show.  You can contact us by calling the listener line at (717) 983-4314 or e-mailing us at: haitiinfocus@gmail.com.

Now I am sure she was not really experiencing Haiti in its raw,rustic sense; I’m not sure I would expect her too.  What excited me was she was visiting a third world country in which her government had invested time and resources to help make it a better place.  And its not like Haiti provides Spain with some huge commercial value.

I tried to place this in context for myself.  This would be the equivalent of Laura Bush or Michelle Obama visiting the impoverished streets of Haiti.  It didn’t happen in Laura’s time and I doubt it will occur in Michelle’s.

Now I am assuming that Spain has no commercial interest in Haiti.  I don’t know my Spanish economics or politics.  But if Spain is being truly altruistic, I  am looking for the time when the United States heads into Haiti to help the Haitian people just because its the right thing to do and not because they get something from it.

On our Live! page located at Haiti in Focus, we will be using Ustream so you can observe us recording the show and a Chatango so you can ask questions, comment on what we’re saying, chat with other folks listening, and join the overall discussion we are having about Haiti.

Curt Edwards, from The Connection Project and Haiti for the Kids, will be joining us and sharing his perspective on Haiti.  The podcast will start sometime between 8 - 9 PM.

Come join us and we’ll see what happens!

Using pictures to teach reading is not a new concept.  When I first set about learning Italian, one of the first tools I used was the Rosetta Stone, a computer CD that taught me through pictures that the words I was  hearing had visual and written meaning.  Yet using comic books is a bit more cutting edge than the traditional text book approach.   Will this revolutionize Haiti? Probably not.  But any step in the right direction, any way we can help Haiti and Haitians, is always a positive thing.

Click on link below to listen to the story.

Here is the story.

The entire article is below.  Please visit the NPR site for more information.

Haiti Fights Illiteracy With Comics

by Kenny Malone

January 15, 2009 · Comic books are being used to help fight illiteracy in Haiti. We explore the efforts of artists, schools and publishers to improve the percentage of the population able to read.

Story is copyright of the NPR site.

When we travel to Haiti, there is the idea of American time versus Haitian time.  Americans are typically punctual where as Haitians, if they tell you they will be somewhere at 5 o’clock, it might be 6, or 7, or even 8 till they show up.  That day in the bank, my wife was on American time.  She had come to Haiti to spend time with her future adoptive daughter, not to be in some bank line.

Call it my nievity of the whole adoption process, but I remember thinking when we started adopting it would be a year and a half and then we’d have Taicha.  This was based on websites we were reading at the time.   Now three years later, we are no longer reading those websites and we know that that timeline must have been Haitian time.

This is frustrating to Americans who feel like their adoptive child is growing up before their very eyes.  I would often joke that Taicha would be through college before we get her.   However, more and more I have taken the approach that this is Haiti.   To me, that explains it all.

But Taicha is coming.  Yesterday, we just received news that her passport is done and that the adoption is entering the American side of the process.   This is good news because once it hits INS, it takes about four weeks, give or take. That means that by the end of February, Taicha will be here.

We are ecstatic.

Yet we feel for the hundreds, if not thousands of families moving through the Haitian adoption process.  Its hard when you start the adoption  and the child is age four.  Then three years later, she is seven and you feel like she will be in college and driving before your get her.  Its hard when you hit road block after roadblock.  Someone forgot a signature.  The archive of a father’s death certificate is missing.  The lawyer spelled her name wrong so it needs to go back to her and then resent.

With all the hiccups we have felt in adopting from Haiti, we have wondered at times whether Haiti wants to help their orphans get a better life. You would think that in a country as impoverished as Haiti, they would be finding ways to expedite the process and move children from orphanages into their adoptive home as quickly as they can. We have felt all these things and I suppose we will eventually podcast a bit more about our experience and thoughts about adopting from Haiti.

Haiti: the poverty is extreme and every Christmas commercial stereotype of emaciated children is a reality here.  According to an article in the Miami Herald, Haiti’s problems are expected to get worse (See here).  When one flies over Haiti or walks the streets of Port-au-Prince, one might say the land is dull, worn, and destitute. The same, however, cannot be said when it comes to their art.

I remember walking the streets outside Baptist Haiti Mission this past summer and seeing rows after rows of vibrant paintings, depicting scene after scene of Haitian life.   The resilient canvases painted a proud Haiti, a beautiful Haiti, a Haiti that if only judged by her paintings would be much like her Caribbean neighbors.  This is one of the reasons we chose a Haitian painting for our logo.

And this is another reason why I was excited by Bryan Schaaf’s blog “Experiencing Haitian Art.” I will not recap the article here, but please do visit his post. It contains many links to places at which to see Haitian Art online.

The one thing I do want to point out is the Aid to Artisans site, which provides Haitians with an outlet to sell their art in various stores and online.

Talking about interacting, we got a new number that you can call and ask us anything or share anything about Haiti.  We WANT listener interaction and will make it apart of the show.  If we don’t know the answer to something you ask, we will certainly ask people who do.  You can call us at (717) 983-4314. Thanks for your support.

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-77272a12514b2dbc2f39ef0df8c41dc5}

The feast of “Los Reyes Magos” (The Three Kings) is a Christmas associated holiday I first heard about while living in Mexico and Guatemala. Celebrated on January sixth, the day commemorates the coming of the three wise men or kings to visit the new born baby Jesus.  Children traditionally lay out grass and water in bowls for the wisemen’s camels.  In the spirit of St. Nicolas, the wisemen in turn give the children gifts, typically toys and treats.

This holiday is mostly thought of as a Latin American holiday, due to the huge influence of the Catholic and Christian traditions there, but it is celebrates in haiti as well.  The tradition is celebrated three different ways by the three main spriritual groups there.

Darlie writes: However, the Epiphany still remains controversial in Haiti for the country’s three most popular religions (Protestantism, Catholicism, and Voodism).

To mark this day, Catholics celebrate the Eucharist. For the voodooists, it’s a day to visit the “ougan” (voodoo priest) and take their lucky bath. While the Protestant christians don’t join in because for them, the holiday is for the Catholics…

If there is one thing about the holiday Haitians agree on, it’s that the Epiphany is the bridge between Haitian Independence Day and the festivities of Carnival. Yes, Haitians wait every year for this day to kick off Carnival. It’s surprising, but true. Haitian Carnival begins next Sunday on the Champs-de-Mars were numerous traveling music groups [buskers], called “bands on foot”, will gather to make the hundreds of thousands of people, coming from all four corners of the country, dance.

I suppose that no matter what their belief is, the core thing here is that Haitians are finding reasons to celebrate.   In a country like Haiti, with itd poverty, hurricanes, and school collaspes, any celebration and dance is wonderful.

Miami Thousands of shoes left on a road in Miami will be sent to families in Haiti. The Florida Highway Patrol said that workboots, slippers, trainers and in-line skates appeared mysteriously on a busy road, disrupting traffic for hours. The charity Soles4Souls, based in Nashville, said that it would redistribute them. (AP)

No, I did not empty my wife’s closet on the shoulder of a Miami Road. Nor was I in Florida.

While I would never condone littering in any fashion (even cigarette butts thrown out of car windows bother me), what impresses me about this event is that someone from Soles4Souls took the initative to claim the shoes for a Haiti, a country that has great need.  My hat is off to them, though I know little about them.

Now my only hope is that they dont end up on the side of an already cluttered Port-au-Prince street.

Some French-speaking Haitian bloggers pay homage to the anniversary while readying themselves for the difficulties their country will have to face in the future:

Darlie explains the historical events which led to the island’s independence but also tells of the traditional celebration inherited by Haitians: eating “soup joumou” on January 1st [Fr]…

On raconte que du temps de la colonie, à Saint-Domingue, la soupe était très en vogue et réservée uniquement aux maîtres d’esclaves et dans la plupart des cas à certains esclaves domestiques communément appelés esclaves talentueux comme par exemple Toussaint Louverture. Le parfum envoutant du mariage des légumes exotiques et de la viande bovine ajoutée sur les multiples revendications que les esclaves des champs murmurèrent déjà, suscitèrent chez eux le désir de révolte.

It is said that at the time when Santo Domingo was a colony, soup was in fashion, but only for the slave masters and mainly some house slaves, called Talented slaves, like Toussaint Louverture. The enticing smell of local vegetables and beef meat added to the numerous claims that slaves had already secretly provoked their desire for revolt.”

While she wishes her people “a good meal”, her Season’s Greetings sound more like a plea for solidarity [Fr]: Vivons en vrai, vivons ensemble, marchons unis sur le chemin de la fraternité, de la paix et de la réconciliation Let’s live truely, together, let’s walk united on the path to brotherhood, peace and reconciliation

These words from Darlie are all the more interesting given Haitian President René Garcia Préval’s forecast that 2009 will be “a difficult year…for Haitians” (as reported by Romandie News [Fr]) during his official visit to Gonaïves in northern Haiti. Coincidentally, Gonaïves is the historical birthplace of Haiti’s independence - and also the region that suffered most from 2008’s devastating hurricanes.

In the blog HaitiRectoVerso, Decky Lakyel relates with a certain amazement the early arrival of the Haitian government officials in Gonaives, one day before the official date of the celebration. Blogging about an interview heard on Radio Kiskeya, he explains the double motivation of this early visit: Le ministre confie que le séjour inhabituel de 48 heures des membres de l’Exécutif dans la Cité de l’indépendance pour marquer les 205 ans de l’épopée haïtienne, représente une « manifestation de reconnaissance de l’importance symbolique » de lieux fondateurs de l’histoire nationale. Outre les activités officielles, le Président Préval, la Première ministre Pierre-Louis et leurs principaux collaborateurs auront l’occasion de s’entretenir avec les victimes des intempéries qui avaient durement frappé les Gonaïves.

The Minister confesses that the surprising 2 day visit of the Executive officials to Independence City (Gonaïves) to celebrate the 205th anniversary of the Haitian epic, represents the “acknowledgement of the symbolic importance” of those founding places in Haitian national history. Besides the official program, President Preval, Prime Minister Pierre-Louis and their team will have the opportunity to talk with the victims of the disasters which struck Gonaives so brutally.

But after reading the last post of Haitian blogger Stanley Lucas in Solutionhaiti, it is quite obvious that not everyone is convinced by these efforts.

by Fabienne Flessel