Trip to the North

March 18 - 20th, 2011

I was very excited to have the opportunity to go back to the North for work. There are a lot of places in the North that I really wanted to visit, but didn't get a chance to when I was there back in September. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity to go back.

There has been a lot of talk in Haiti that the former president, Aristide, would be returning. Aristide was the first democratically elected Haitian president and is very much a hero to many Haitians. However, he has been in exile since he was overthrown during the 2004 coup d'etat. People were uncertain what kind of demonstrations might arise, etc. upon his return The news reported that he was scheduled to arrive mid to late afternoon on the day I was supposed to fly to the North. I knew that if I could just get to the airport before he arrived, I would be able to fly out. Therefore, I left early in the morning even though I had a late afternoon flight to try and get to the airport before his arrival. However, typical to Haiti, nothing ever works out as planned.

When we were about 10 minutes from the airport, we saw groups of people just running towards the airport and then we heard on the radio that Aristide had arrived. My driver immediately started calling his friends and family to tell them the news. I asked him if he liked Aristide and he said he didn't like him as much as many other people, but that today, he was obligated to be excited for his country. I wasn't sure what to expect as we drew closer to the airport. There were huge crowds of people shouting with excitement, embracing and dancing in the streets. The crowds were so dense that we could not get our vehicle through to make it to the small airport that I was hoping to fly out of. We had to turn around and attempt to go another way. As we were pulling out, doves were released into the air, and people were cheering and then Aristide began addressing the country on the radio.

As we drove along, I saw people everywhere displaying their Haitian flags and celebrating in the streets. By the time we reached the road that led to the other entrance to the airport, the crowd had begun to march. They held signs and pictures of Aristide, many had made t-shirts to commemorate his return, rara bands marched along playing music, cars were decorated and packed full of people. I had never seen anything like it before. It was refreshing to see Haitians so excited, happy and proud of their country. After waiting for most of the thousands of people to pass, I was able to make to the airport and catch an earlier flight to the North.

Upon arriving, I called the driver that had been arranged to come pick me up. He was clearly one of our staff member's friends on a moto. I hopped on, arranged my suitcase and backpack and off we were to Miguel's, the supervisor for our programs in the North, house. As we were stuck in traffic, one of the other men whom I had spoken with on the plane passed me in his nice, new car. He just looked out the window and laughed at the site of a blan on a moto with all her things. It was a reminder to me of how far I had come since last time I was in the North. Back in September, I arrived in the North and had been picked up in a car and had only really been able to communicate with the driver in English. Here I am, almost 7 months later, navigating the city on a moto, communicating without a problem in Kreyol.

A view of Cap Haitien from the mountains above

While I hate the traffic here, Cap Haitien itself is a really cool town. I can't imagine what it looked like back in its prime. It had been a vital city during the colonial period serving as the capital of the French colony. Much of the French colonial architecture has been well preserved and the city sits between the Bay of Cap Haitien and mountains to the West. It had once been a town that attracted a lot of tourists due to its beautiful beaches, historic towns and proximity to Milot.

The center of town in Cap Haitien

I met up with Alliance, DSI's Coordinator for the Parish Programs and Miguel. We were able to get some stuff for work accomplished and I got settled in at Miguel's house. Later that night, we went out to dinner at a restaurant that was right on the water and had live music. I had a cheeseburger and fries. I felt like I was somewhere else in the world - not in Haiti.

While in the North, I really wanted to go and see some of the main tourist attractions, the Citadelle and Labadee beach. Saturday we got up early to go to the Citadelle. I really wanted to go and even though both Miguel and Alliance had been several times, I was at least able to convince Alliance to take me for my first time. We had a long moto drive and some unfortunate mechanical problems with the moto. We stopped several times and got off, and at one point even paid someone to bring cooking oil from their house to put on the chain, but it still didn't fix the problem. The moto couldn't make it up the steep inclines so, Alliance and I started walking until we could hopefully find another moto driver to help us with the ascent.

We finally reached the parking lot and were immediately bombarded by people trying to sell things and

people asking to be our guide. We refused and started our hike up to the Citadelle. The Citadelle is a mountaintop fortress whose construction was started by Henri Christophe, one of the key leaders to the slave rebellion that eventually led to Haiti's independence. The Citadelle was built in order to protect the newly independent nation by serving as a fortress should they be invaded by the French. It is said that it took over 200,000 workers to build the Citadelle and it is believed that 20,000 men died during its construction due to exhaustion. It was designed to have over 360 cannons, house 10,000 soldiers, store enough food for 5,000 men for 1 year, and house the King and his family. It covers an impressive 108,000 square feet and the walls rise over 130 feet high. Despite being built for 15 years, it was never completely finished and was never actually used.

I really enjoyed just exploring all over and was just in awe over the size and construction of the Citadelle. Most impressive were the phenomenal views from the top! I wish I could describe it better, but I think the pictures below will help you get a feel for just how incredible it is!

A view from the top of the Citadelle looking down on the stockpile of cannon balls below

After exploring the Citadelle, we stopped at the ruins of Palace Sans Souci, which was also built by

Henri Christophe. Palace Sans Souci had served as King Henri's residence. It was said to have been very impressive during its time with immense gardens and he hosted many dances and feasts at his Palace. Some say that part of the reason why King Henri built so many elaborate structures was to prove to foreigners the power and capability of the black race. Unfortunately, the Palace was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1842 and was never repaired. Today, it is mostly in ruins.

After exploring both the Palace and the Citadelle and gaining a glimpse into early Haitian history, it was time to head to our next destination - Labadee. We found our second moto driver and he took us back down the rest of the mountain to meet up with our other lovely and not very functional moto and driver. After two stops for repairs, he drove us to Labadee beach. We drove along the coastline and the view was so beautiful. On one side was the ocean and the other were mountains with lots of trees (unlike many other places in Haiti). At one point, I looked up and saw a rollercoaster ride along the ocean and then noticed that it was

gated off and the we followed the gate all the way down to the water. I soon realized that the area behind the gate was the land the cruise line Royal Carribean uses. I looked over at their beach and they had lounge chairs everywhere, inflatable toys and activities in the water. It was completely crazy. There is definitely no other beach in Haiti like it!! It is said that the cruise line does not even tell people that they are in Haiti, which is a real shame. They are afraid that people will not want to stop in Haiti due to fears of security. People should know that the beautiful beach they are enjoying is in Haiti!

Some of the activities for Royal Carribean passengers at Labadee

After some negotiating, we took a small boat to the place where we would be staying for the rest of the weekend, Norm's Place. Norm's place is a restored plantation that was once run by a French colonial used to produce a rough mortar and indigo. It was abandoned by the French in 1791

during the slave uprising and restored by an American and his Haitian wife in 1970. It is a beautiful place tucked right on the cove by a small coastal town. Alliance and I had fun exploring the small town. There wasn't much besides a dock with a lot of boats, a small town park with a basketball court and lots of trash from the Royal Carribean cruise ship, but I absolutely loved it. We enjoyed our time there, relaxing in the hammocks, reading and took a day trip to the island of Ile-a-Rat. After entirely too much negotiating, we finally convinced two guys to take us on their boat. It was definitely worth the trip. We ended up being the only ones on the island and were able to relax and enjoy the crystal clear water.

Our view looking out from Ile-a-Rat

Me and Alliance with Angelique, the owner of Norm's Place

The dock in town

It was such a wonderful weekend and I definitely didn't want it to end. However, I think the best part was when Alliance thanked me for showing him "the way my country was supposed to be”.

Boukan Lion

Sunday, March 13th, 2011

My friend Courtney has been back in Hait

i for the past few weeks. It has been so wonderful to have her around. I forgot how much I missed having her and my other

frie

nds here. Courtney and I have been able to get to spend time together which has been great, but it has been very different and awkward because I am not allowed to be in the CNP house outside of working hours and she is not allowed to take a moto to where I live, so it makes getting to see each other outside of work a bit challenging. Luckily, Kat gave us her "blessing" and let me come over one night. We made cookies and watched TV shows on the computer like old times.

It is hard to believe that her three weeks back is almost up. Before she leaves, we decided that we wanted to try and make it out into the mountains to visit a very special family. I met Guerline during the summer of 2008. My friends Nathan, Evan and Louis were helping CNP with a nutrition survey in Leogane and found a very malnourished Guerline on one of their household visits. Guerline was 18 months old at the time, one of 8 children in her family, and only weighed 11lbs when she entered into the hospital. She stayed for about a month until she was able to be sent home with Plumpy Nut to be treated at her house. While she was in the hospital, I would go down and visit her frequently and take a break from the study I was working on. Despite her health condition, she was always so happy and would light up the room with her smile.

Guerline in HSC, 2008

I was not the only one who became attached to Guerline that summer. My friend, Nathan, helped the family to build a home and would go up and check on the family every once in a while when he was living in Leogane. After the earthquake, we had heard that Guerline and her family were okay, but no one had actually made the trip to go visit her in the mountains. Courtney and I had tried to go once before back in the Fall, but Kat wouldn't let us due to her perceived "security concerns". After some scheming with Albert, we decided that we needed to make this trip happen before Courtney left and it would be a perfect activity for her on her last weekend. Kat was making it very difficult for us to go, but we jumped through the hoops, sending a scout to check the road conditions and take pictures, filling out a security report, and most importantly finding another means of transportation because Kat was keeping the LandCruiser in Jacmel for the weekend for her own personal use.

Artis, Courtney & me with the moto on our way to Boukan Lion

Courtney and I were soo excited that it was actually going to happen! We got up early Sunday morning

when Albert and Artis came to get us in the dump truck

with a moto strapped to the back. We hit the road and drove up into the mountains. We drove as far as we could in the dump truck and then took turns walking and riding the moto until we reached a point where the moto couldn't drive any further and we all hiked the rest of the hour and a half to Guerline's house. We had called ahead so the family knew we were coming. Guerline was beautiful as always with her infectious smile. She was wearing the dress that Nathan had given her and her Mom had bathed her and fixed her hair in anticipation of our arrival. She looked so beautiful!

It was so wonderful to see her again. I just sat and played with her, loving every minute of her laughing and smiling. The family had faired the earthquake well and the home that Nathan had helped build was still standing and beautiful as ever. We talked with the family and got updates on how things were going as well as checked on Guerline's health. It turned out that she hadn't received any of her vaccines yet and was still slightly underweight, but otherwise in good health (We have since arranged for her vaccinations, which she has now received. She is also now enrolled in CNP's PD/Hearth program). We shared stories and talked before having to head on back to Leogane.

Guerline with her Mom and Dad in front of their house

Me playing with Guerline

The hike back was all up hill and a little brutal, but it was just so wonderful to actually get out into the mountains and remind myself of where the people that we are serving live. It was relaxing to get out of the intense working environment in Leogane, enjoy the laid back lifestyle in the mountains and be able to spend quality time with Courtney, Albert and Artis. It was a wonderful reminder of the Haiti and the people in Haiti that I love.

Courtney, Artis & Courtney on our hike back

Kanaval

February 27, 2011

Carnival is an exciting and colorful event that is celebrated throughout the Carribean, with each island having a unique method and timing of celebrating it. While each are unique, they are commonly known for their elaborate costumes, bands, and parades. Carnival is rooted in European history and falls prior to Lent. It is believed that Carnival in the Carribbean began in the 1700s with slaves blending African traditions in using masks and dancing to scare away bad spirits with mocking the masquerade balls of their plantation owners.

In Haiti, Carnival ("kanaval" in Haitian Kreyol) is celebrated both in Jacmel and in Port-au-

Prince. Kanaval in Jacmel occurs two weekends prior to Fat Tuesday and the Kanaval in Port-au-Prince occurs the weekend prior to Fat Tuesday. Kanaval in Port-au-Prince draws more people, but mostly showcases Haitian Kompas music while Kanaval in Jacmel is known for its traditional paper mache masks, costumes and ra-ra bands.

I was lucky enough to be able to go to Jacmel to experience Kanaval this year. I learned just how creative Haitian artists and people are. I was able to see what they created and what a blend of history, politics, current events and so much more they were able to create and express through this amazing event.

As Leah Gordon describes, "The characters and costume partially betray their roots in medieval European carnival, but the Jacmellian masquerades are also a fusion of clandestine Vodou, ancestral memory, political satire and personal revelation. The lives of the indigenous Taino Indians, the slaves' revolt and more recently state corruption are all played out using drama and costume on Jacmel's streets... [Haitian culture] is a vibrant, living avatar for not only Haitian history, but for all our histories.

During Kanaval, many people walk the streets in masks made from paper mache, singing, dancing and acting out skits. Below is a video of a group who approached us while we were on the beach.

Next, we headed to the parade in town where people showcase their creations.

One of the standard groups present in the parade each year are the "chaloska". They dress in military gear, stove pipe hats and wear masks that have large red lips and animal teeth. They march in rememberance of the 1915 massacre of political priosoners, carried out by the chief of police at the time, Charles Oscar Otienne. They perform politically charged mock trials and read lists of offenses that satirize the Tonton Macouts, secret police of the Duvalier era.

Another staple in the parade are the lanse kòd "rope throwers". They cover themselves in a concoction of cane syrup and powdered charcoal and dart at the crowd, swinging long whips in the air. They often wear Beelzebub's horns and are demonic representations of the experience of slavery.

The political history is always present within the parade, changing from year to year, but always present. Kanaval becomes an open forum for the people to discuss and depict the political struggles and instability as well as the catastrophes and other things the country has endured. Above is a photograph of Aristide along with his passport upon his "return" to Haiti (this did actually happen in March, but prior to his return, it was just joked about). Also above they are dressed as the UN troops who have a very controversial presence in Haiti.

These are the Zel Mathurin (Wings of Mathurin) who are winged devils that act out the battle between good and evil.

The parade also embraces events of current concern. This year, it featured cholera. They had a person depicting the microbe of cholera, a water tap, a bar of soap, a piece of poop, a trash can, a fly and skeletons. The fly flew around showing different means of contamination leading to infection and death by cholera. I thought it was particularly clever.

Other characters that were depicted in the parade included birds, prophets and saints, traditional dancers, heroes of the Haitian culture, creatures of the imagination and so much more.

Above are some of the ones I found impressive from birds to the dinosaurs "fighting" for the crowd. It is hard to believe it is all made from paper mache! I was amazed at their creativity and artistic excellence.

I should also mention that Michael and I got to meet Sweet Mickey (now the incoming president of Haiti) and Wyclef Jean at the parade.

It was a wonderful weekend and experience. I learned how amazingly creative and talented Haitian artists are as well as was able to experience an event that was able to showcase so many different aspects of Haitian culture and history. Kanaval is not just a fun event, but an event that provides a means of expressing the many things they have endured over the years.

Tragedy and justice?

February 2011

Alliance came into my room at 5am, awakening me saying, “I have bad news. Clyford is dead.” I was confused and couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I got up and went outside to find two other staff members sitting outside. I asked what had happened and they said he was killed last night, but they didn’t know much more. They said they had all received messages from other people and everyone heard the same thing, so it must be true. I was instructed to get dressed because we were going to his house. When we arrived, a women was on the floor wailing. They had to restrain her and put her on a bed. His family was walking around in a panic, as if they were looking for him. A group arrived from down the street and went to the club where he had been last night and confirmed everyone’s fears. He had been killed last night.

People were just pouring into the house to see what was going on and to offer condolences to the family. As shocking as it all was, it became all the more real to me when I saw his mother and she grabbed onto my arm and just started shouting and began to collapse. I helped her to a seat and she sat down next to me, wailing and rocking back and forth, yelling – “Where is my son? No, No, he is supposed to be here with me eating right now. Where is my son? This can’t be true. He survived January 12^th. He can’t be gone now!” My heart just ripped into a million pieces. How do you ever console someone at a time like this? Their loss was so profound and their emotions were so deeply expressed, all I could do was sit there with tears streaming down my face.

As the day went on, more and more details emerged about what had happened to Clyford. He had gone to a club down the street by himself and was inadvertently hit in the head with a bottle (whether someone was trying to start a fight or how that happened is unclear to me), he approached the group of guys responsible and they proceeded to beat him up and stabbed him twice in the chest. He was put on a moto to take him to the hospital, but he died on the way. The moto driver just dumped his body on the street and left him there (I later learned it was because the driver didn't want to be accused of having killed him).

All of this was so unbelievable to me. First, that my good friend and colleague was no longer with us, secondly that something like this would actually happen in a place where I felt so safe (the whole town was so upset about it because these things really don't happen here), but lastly that other people could have such a disregard for another person's life.

Me & Clyford at Kara and Guesly's wedding reception, December 2010

As the days following his death passed, I visited his house often. I would always find his mother sitting and rocking back and forth in a chair, sometimes crying and moaning and sometimes with just a blank look on her face, and the mother of his child was either crying, laying in bed or just sitting there with her head in her hands. The most difficult part was to see his 3 year old daughter walking around, unaware of what happened to her father. It broke my heart to hear her ask Alliance, "Where is my Daddy?"

Our whole team at work took this very hard and I just wish there was a way to console them and comfort them, but there wasn't much I could do. As difficult as life is already and as much as they have had to endure, I knew this was the last thing they needed. I soon learned how much more difficult it appears to be for many Haitians to deal with a death that occurs after January 12th. It is as if they seem to think that if someone made it out of the earthquake alive, that they've made it, so when a tragedy happens, they take it that much harder and it makes it that much more difficult to deal with.

While I had always known that one of the things that Haitians spend the most money on is funerals, I had never actually experienced a funeral, let alone one for my close friend. It is tradition to have a wake the night before the funeral where friends and family gather, play games and drink. The first time I saw one, I thought it was a party. The best way to describe a wake in Haiti is a celebration of life the night before the funeral. On the night before Clyford's funeral, I went with all of the guys from work to his wake. I saw the toll it took on the guys as they just kept saying, "You don't understand, tomorrow his body will be placed under the ground and Clyford will be gone forever." In Haitian culture, it is very important to bury their loved ones body and many believe the soul can not rest until the body has a proper burial.

Sadly, another tragic event occurred on the night of the wake. Alliance, his brother, Yvens, and several other people were being driven home from the wake. The driver had been drinking and was so mad about Clyford's death that he started driving too fast. They told him to slow down, but he didn't listen. He ended up losing control of the car, going off the side of the road and hit a cement lotto stand. They all went to the hospital, but tragically the driver (a good family friend of Clyford's) died. Luckily, the rest of them survived, but one had a severe brain injury, and others had stitches, lost teeth, etc. It is hard to understand why so many tragic things were happening - how much more can they stand to take? They all said to me that it meant that Clyford didn't want to go alone.

The car after the accident

What was left of the lotto stand

On the day of the funeral, everyone gathered in the Catholic church in town. They passed out programs and flyers that said

"Justice for the Rebecca family" with gruesome pictures of Clyford's dead body and the names of some of the known murderers to put pressure on the police who normally would not do much to convict the murderers. At the end of the funeral, we began the walk to the cemetery. The path chosen took us by his house and the club where he was murdered. Everyone stopped in front of the club and they lifted the casket up over their heads until they reached the cemetery. All along the way people were screaming, breaking down, collapsing and shaking violently. It all reached a climax at the entrance to the cemetery and many didn't have the strength to enter. I was walking with another employee, an adult male, and he just fell to his knees wailing and couldn't stand or enter the cemetery. It was heart wrenching to see. I was struck by this completely physical expression of emotion. I had never seen anything like it in my life. It is also strikingly different from the stoic way Haitians conduct themselves daily. I learned that it is as if there is this window for grieving, between when the person dies and when they are buried, after that, they must move forward, so they let out all their emotions before it is time to put it behind them.

The procession to the cemetery

Not only was I struck by this physical expression of emotion leading up to the burial but also what a lack of justice there is for the Haitian people To live in a country where there is very little hope unless you have power or money in order for someone who has brutally taken another person's life to be punished, was unbelievable to me. Everyone laughed when I asked if the police would find them. They said they are far away from here and won't be found. What kind of justice is that?

Clyford Rebecca: November 4, 1980 - February 5, 2011