Wednesday, July 27, 2016 - Day Five - Visit to Haiti Communitere, the Posh Community of Belvil, SOPUDEP School, and Fort Jacques
Gabi Brito reports:
Waking
up this morning was stickier than usual-literally. You'd think the humidity
would become easier to deal with over time, but instead it seems to be hitting
us harder each and everyday. The cold showers are seriously so so good. Our
scheduled pick up time from the hotel is usually around 9, but knowing our
fellow Haitian friends, it ends up being closer to 10 due to "island
time." We saw some pretty interesting sights on our way to our first
destination.
#1
US Embassy, which consisted of a gigantic building with a long line full of
well-dressed Haitians awaiting their visa approvals. $160 for a visa is not
cheap, and rejection is quite common among these hard-working people.
#2
The UN. We asked Daniel, our guide, what exactly does the UN do for Haiti? His
answer? Absolutely nothing. They spend almost $2 million each day to drive
around and checkpoint different areas, when that type of money should instead
be going to infrastructure, education, health, etc., something that Haitians
would actually benefit from! It makes me frustrated that the government seems
to be just absolutely absent from providing to its citizens.
Upon
arrival at Haiti Communitere, our first stop, I immediately saw some pretty
cool structures all around. Samuel was the manager at the place and started
explaining to us what their project was all about. They made houses and other
projects like gardens, chairs, and mosquito catchers all out of recycled
material people would find as trash on the streets of Haiti. One of the houses
in particular was made entirely out of tires and 10,000 plastic bottles. This
house was beautiful, and even I would buy it! It was nice and cool on the
inside, making it perfect for the hot, humid weather of Haiti. The ingenuity of
using trash to build sturdy houses for Haitians is sustainable, economic,
environmentally-friendly, and totally cool! I was really inspired by Haiti Communitere
and would love to someday buy my own home following the same blueprint Samuel
had for the houses he built.
Back
on the road we got stuck in some traffic at an intersection going four
different ways with no road lights. People just trying to squeeze by whenever
they could was total chaos. But the irony of it all was these two woman on the
side of the road carrying about 50 eggs on their heads, absolutely unfazed by
the noise and disorganization happening on the streets: maintaining grace and
elegance at all times.
Next
up, we embarked on a road trip around the outskirts of Haiti. It was then how
the contrast between the rich and the poor became so prevalent. We saw huge
mansions with beautiful gates and porches all around. Belvil, one of the rich
communities we drove around, had security guards, paved roads, and even
sidewalks. Rare sightings.
We then stopped by one of the biggest projects we've
seen yet: a new school being built by a beautiful, determined Haitian woman
named Rea. This school was massive, providing 18 classrooms, a computer lab, a
library, and even a garden rooftop. So far 837 kids are awaiting their spot at
this amazing school soon to be open in 2017. Rea's work is truly inspiring,
creating this school entirely off of donations. Hungry for lunch, we stopped by
a Haitian fast food restaurant where most of us ate crepes with either chicken
squeezed out of plastic bags or a crepe of ham and cheese. Some of us just
stuck with a power bar lunch!
The
last stop of the day was Fort Jacques. The ride there was stunning. We saw the
more rural parts of Haiti, towns where there weren't as many people roaming the
streets and more peaceful all around. The mountainside was green and the
crevices ran deep. After a long car ride we finally arrived to a group of
teenagers who were very excited we had come. It seemed as if very few foreign
tourists frequented the area. You'd think the tourism would be booming at fort
Jacques, especially since it's such an important historical ruin in Haiti. It
was built after the French left Haiti as a form of protection from their
return. We went through pitch black rooms where soldiers slept and tried to
lift 4,000 lb cannons. We even had a funny conversation with a couple
creole-speaking kids using hand-signals and some broken French. The views we
saw were breathtaking; Haiti may be vast and full of beauty from afar, but when
we are up close in communities such as Cité Soleil we also remember the immense
poverty and struggle most Haitians have to deal with on a daily basis. We said
our goodbyes and mesi to our 17 year
old tour guide who did a great job practicing his English and made our way back
to our comfortable guest house, Wall’s, in Delmas.
It
was a long day full of financial disparities, inspiring people and ideas, and
historical enlightenment. Haiti is so complex and difficult to fully
understand. Everyday new questions arise that seem impossible to answer. Why is it that the Haitian people don't do
anything much to change their dire situation? Start a revolution maybe? The
never-ending cycle of poverty and struggle Haitian people have to deal with
masks the bigger picture of absolute surrender and continued enslavement to the
corrupt government system. A
"miracle" is all Haitians need, or is it?
