Haiti Ahead

As we are about to celebrate the birth of the Haitian Flag, I wanted to say something positive and fitting for the occasion. I wanted just for this occasion, to forget about all of our misdeeds and transgressions, misfortunes and malaise, set forth on a new journey, envision a new Haiti, find myself a new role in it. Thus, a new pledge of allegiance, a new man within oneself is what is required for the success of this immense undertaking. Brothers and sisters it is our duty to enlighten our politicians, to exhort them and guide them as they take on the biggest project since our Independence, not only to rebuild Haiti but, to build a country that can stand on its own two feet. They are not geniuses or miracle workers. They will make mistake for it is of our domain but, we shall not fail to make Haiti the jewel that it once were. For too long we have been bystanders in own country. We are very good at letting others take the lead and decide for us what our future ought to be. But, the b...

EDUCATION IS HAITI’S SALVATION “ Action Plan for the Recovery and Development of Haiti ” is title of the document put together by the government. You will find it in whole at: http://www.haiticonference.org/Haiti_Action_Plan_ENG.pdf The Vision as conceived by President Preval consists of the following 4 parts: 1. Territorial rebuilding , including identifying, planning and managing new development centers, stimulating local development, rebuilding affected areas, implementing economic infrastructure required for growth (roads, energy and communication), and managing land tenure, in order to protect property and facilitate the advancement of large projects. 2. Economic rebuilding , which, along with developing key sectors, will aim to modernize the various components of the agricultural sector, providing an export potential in terms of fruits and tubers, livestock farming and fishing, in the interests of food security; develop the professional construction sector with laws and regul...

Dear President Rene Preval, All my efforts to renew my allegiance to Haiti would be futile if I did not take a moment to speak to you directly. Call it luck of misfortune, destiny or simply life; but, this devastating earthquake has given you and your government the unique opportunity to elevate your country out of the abyss that it has been descending for so long. Knowing that your time is very precious these days, I will try to be brief and to the point. The world responded with outpouring sympathy and help to Haiti's crisis after January 12 th , 2010. In unison they cried: Haiti has been down for so long and now it's the time to fix it once and for all. They all have their eyes on you, we have our eyes on you, for we don't have faith; or this letter would not have had any purpose. For every dollar pledged, there was a mention of corruption. Some misinformed racist even blamed the catastrophe on a pack that our for-fathers might have made with the devil before our indep...

So fitting was last week's finding of the only printed copy of Hayti's Declaration of Independence. In a week where the UN declared the 10 Billions dollars pledged for the country's rebuilding, "Haiti's 2 nd Independence"; it could not have been sweeter. This famous document accompanied by the speech given by General Dessalines on that famous day of January 1 st , 1804; the second of its kind, give us a glance at the difficulties that was laid ahead for this newly created Republic. Right in the backyard of the United States of America, a "rag tag army" made of ex-slaves and mulatoes stood tall, head raised to the skies, eyes fixed on the future, gave birth to a nation they baptized Hayti. I read through both documents 3 times on Friday April 2 nd , 2010 and I must admit: never I encountered or heard a more passionate speech than that of Dessalines. On the 3rd time, I challenged myself to read it aloud; my voice quivered many times. Give it a try, p...

Despite all, life goes on as abnormally as it can be in Port-au-Prince today; see the pictures I just posted. The people there seems to be assimilating more and more with their new found realities; living in tents, sleeping outside, living through after-shocks, standing in line for their food, etc. Let me state first of all that I purposely did not attempt to visit any of the nearby camps for having seen enough of the horrors on TV, I was looking for something positive, something that would not rob me a the few hours of sleep that would manage to get through all the noise, the dog barking all through the night, and the roosters and ducks singing in the early hours of the morning. My family lives in a little known area across from the main airport, right on the main boulevard, 20 minutes from the city center, named Sarthe. We landed at 2:00 pm sharp on Friday afternoon (March 19, 2010) on small plane by way Porto Rico. I snapped a couple pictures from the air as we were getting closer ...

Here we are 2 months since the devastating earthquake hit Haiti and not much to talk of in lieu of rebuilding. The humanitarian aids have been concentrated exclusively in food and medical care. The government is silent and secretive on its plan for the country. Although, some tents have now been distributed; it is for the most part inadequate. I have heard prices ranging from $75.00 US to $4000 for a tent; no wonder some are going without. Already we heard of countless horror stories when it rains. In my post dated January 22, 2010; “Call for a Nouvelle Port-au-Prince”, I called for tents to be distributed right away and the government’s buildings to be rebuilt in a different location; effectively moving the city. It unfortunately failed onto deft ears. I wish I knew how much money has been collected on our behalf so far? Not only that the Haitian Prime Minister claimed he cannot forcefully move people from the rubbled city, trying to appear democratic; he now claims that it is going ...

“If you don’t know my name, you don’t know your own”; James Baldwin . Now, I can’t say for certain that the Department of Agriculture has a picture of George Washington Carver on its wall; I used to roam the hall of that building at lunch recess for many years and I don’t remember seeing one there. As for the School of Agriculture, I attended a couple of parties there; but I failed the entrance exam but, I’m not so sure they know who he is there hero either. The previous sentence might put me in the company of those who have the least to say about agriculture in Haiti. But, that is not all. I was once a farm boy in the area known as “La Plaine”. The vast and lush sugar cane and banana plantations in that area contributed handsomely in getting me where I am today. I can honestly say that there is not one of the cash crops raised in that area that I did not plant myself or at the least watch others plant. Now that we have established the fact that I am at the least bit familiar with the...