Hope for Haiti

Jerry art damaged by political posters that have been removed. Fiona and I are on a mission to collect photos of Jerry's art.

After school art school.

Team with artists
Tebo, far left was teaching children, many that lived in the streets in the poorest neighborhoods to give them something to do and possibly some skills with which to make a living.
Contemplation Day...Sunday. Its like a family day. Maggie is sitting on the porch playing cards with Isaiah and his friend. Melissa, Corissa and Cristy are reading and relaxing. I'm no sure what Fiona is doing...earlier we were all out at the pool working on tans. Sun was hot. Nice.

I did a little 'work' in my creole workbook. I've been too busy or distracted to work on my creole. I had a nice Skype conversation with my daughter. I love it now that I don't get cut off after the first hello!!

Yesterday Team Portland arrived. Maggie is making her 3rd trip. Corissa is a PT coming from Portland for the first time. The other 2 girls are OT's from Las Vegas on their first trip as well. This team will have to be called Port Vegas or Las Portland. It seems strange to have only 1 of the old team here. Life changes happen there as it does here. We went to an art school that I learned about. Its just past Al's house in Nerette, and is a small school for children. Its after school when about 75 children show up, receive some food and learn to become artists. They had the usual paintings like one sees in the streets along with some wood carvings, sand paintings, crocheted clothing~ I figured I would buy one of the childrens' paintings since it is to support the school however the price was a bit out of my budget. They wanted $30 for a small 7x9 painting done by an 11 year old. I saw another larger painting I really liked and it was painted by one of the art teachers, Mike. I was told it was an original painting and was for sale for $800 US. I probably should have bought the small one. (No I didn't buy the big one either). At least not yesterday.

Friday night Fiona and I went to the Press Cafe with a couple of HI friends, Carli and Brooke. We had a pretty good time, music was good and we danced a little. Nice just to get out occasionally.

Last night someone asked us if we had hope for Haiti. Yasmine said it was hard to have hope, because nothing ever changes. However, she said maybe a little bit is tucked away. Magnus, journalist that has been here for a month said in his first 2 weeks here, he couldn't feel hope but the past 2 weeks, as he's met and talked to more people, he is beginning to feel more hopeful. He said the people he has met are trying to make changes happen. I have a sense of hope (most days anyway, or I probably wouldn't be here). The 2 days of manifestations in December, which could have lasted much longer was more like a statement for change. Since then the January 16 run off elections did not take place; there was the announcement that it would be Martelly in the race against Mrs. Manigat rather then Celestin. Jean Claude Duvalier returned after 25 years in exile and February 7 - the day Preval was supposed to leave passed~ all with minimal to no disruption. I have a sense people just want to see a change without constant disruption, without violence. Thats what gives me hope.

Here is an interesting story about a sustainable project in Haiti- another sign of hope.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/13/comprehensive-development-project-plants-8-million-trees-in-hait/

Wedding Bells, Haitian style.

Cutest little couple!!!
Madeline, the bride

the flower girls with their baskets filled with candy...
The kiss....with all the cell phones trying to capture the moment it was like the paparazzi chasing celebrities. The bride looked terrified...

Haitian weddings are interesting. The invitation said it started at 4 pm however we did not leave home until after 4 pm. Luckily the church wasn't far. However, few of the 40 or so invited guests had arrived so we sat in the car and waited with the air-conditioning keeping us all cool, calm and collected. This is the second wedding I have attended since being in Haiti but the first that I was an actual participant being the 'first lady' or Brides Maid and as well the role of John's mother. I felt honored but not very prepared as we climbed out of the van only to wait another 30 minutes outside the church. We could hear that they were trying to get the music set up properly....meaning to play the Celine Dion cd over the big speakers set up at the edge of the stage. When the first song began 4 couples in matching red wine colored dresses and shirts began a slow practiced dance down the aisle. This seems to be the rage for weddings- they did it at Mercia's daughters wedding too. Steps to the left, steps to the right, cross in front of your partner, turn in a circle and step out, repeat. As they reached the end of the aisle they lined up, waiting. The two flower girls also did a slow dance down the aisle, not to be left out of the show. The Bridesmaid did a slow stroll to Celine and was followed by the cutest little couple ever. As we waited our turn I noticed the decorative balloons, green 'vote for ...', red hearts with 'your a hottie', happy birthday, and even some black over the hill balloons. Plastic flowers along the stage, some still wrapped in plastic. The red carpet down the aisle. Next up the bride, with me at her side. I kept asking shouldn't I go in, walk ahead...no I was her escort and halfway we met John and Al, the best man. John completed the walk up the aisle with Madeline and Al and I followed to two sets of chairs in front of the stage and in front of the crowd, facing each other. We listened the Pastor gave a sermon, another friend gave a reading, several different groups of women sang, more preaching, the vows, more songs, more preaching, exchange of rings and more preaching and more songs. Throughout the show, John looked alternately distracted (as when someone came up to whisper we need to move the van) or like a frightened rabbit caught it the headlights. Madeline was unsmiling and sober, I wasn't sure if she was nervous or felt it wasn't proper to smile at such a serious event. Through out the ceremony, people walked up to take pictures on their cell phones, a little disconcerting at times but less distracting than when they actually were talking on them. When it came time for the KISS, everyone flooded the couple with their phones to capture the moment like paparazzi. Poor Madeline looked like she wanted to flee...but after the 3rd attempt to get it just about right, everyone began congratulating them, surrounding us and she was able to smile. Shortly after 7 pm we were back in the van and heading to the guest house for the reception. Tables were set with food, music blasting from the big speakers and everyone waited while pictures were taken around the cake and we had opened the champagne. Amazingly enough as soon as the food was devoured, everyone departed at once. Jean and Madeline saying good bye, came back to say they needed a ride home, so those remaining piled in the van and Al drove them home. They took the cake with them.

Will Preval leave?

Today is the day Preval is supposed to leave his office. Will he go? The senate has previously voted that he can extend his stay in office until May- the date he officially took office in 2006. I

expect he won't leave unless 'forced' - the same as every other president preceding him. Word

on the street suggested their may be manifestations today but the only thing I've heard is that a

tire was burning on a street in Petionville. Other people reported the streets are quiet; people are

getting on with their day. However, helicopters are in the air again. Emily, a reporter here

tweeted that there are fires and tires burning in several areas around downtown and

manifestations are expected around palace. We have word of other areas where problems are

beginning so heat up. People are looking for change in the government but is this going to do

it?Throw in rumors that former president Aristide wants to return and has asked for a diplomatic

passport. Will this throw another wrench into the political scene even as Martelly and Manigat

begin to campaign for the March 20 run off election?

25 years ago: “Baby Doc” Duvalier flees Haiti

Haiti

On February 7, 1986, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, fled Haiti, bringing to an end three decades of US-backed dictatorship that had begun under his father, Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier.

With the backing of the US, the Duvaliers were responsible, acting through their hated Tonton Macoutes secret police, for the murder of more than 50,000 Haitians, and the imprisonment, torture, or banishment of hundreds of thousands more. The brutal repression was used to keep Haitian workers in abject poverty to the benefit of US corporate interests and the Duvaliers and the Haitian elite, who looted the government and the economy to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The desperation of the population and its hatred for the regime led to revolt in 1985. Beginning in Gonaives, it spread across the country through the autumn and into January. Duvalier attempted to stop the uprising through police terror on the one side, and a 10 percent cut to basic food commodities on the other. These efforts failed, at which point the Reagan administration determined that Duvalier had to go.

A number of countries refused to receive Duvalier. He was ultimately whisked away on a US Air Force flight to Haiti’s former colonial master, France, where he lived in luxury in a villa on the Riviera.

A Toast for Happiness, Haitian Style

I am a few days late in updating my 'weekly' blog. But then again, its been pretty quiet around here. Most of the volunteers, board members and guests departed and Andrew the PT that has been with us for a month is leaving on Saturday. I think he is ready to go as he has been talking about the Superbowl on Sunday and watching the commercials. Since we don't have a television yet, we won't even be watching Haitian soap operas.

Saturday is a pretty big day around here. John (Jean) aka Frankie Superman is getting married to Modaline. He's getting pretty excited- a bit distracted even at times. Its easy to tease him. He seriously replies 'oh I understand madame gail' but its obviously I would have to explain further so we just laugh. Al and I are the Best Man and Best Lady (or Mother or Lady in Waiting) which means we get to be in a Haitian wedding. This is another first for us both.

I asked John, 'will we get to actually eat some of the wedding cake?' I explained that at the reception following the wedding it is traditional for the bride and groom to cut the cake and feed each other the first bite. Then their guests will each get a piece of the cake. He very seriously said ' Oh no we don't do that but you are my moder so you will get some of the cake. '

I have been to a reception in 2009 and then to the wedding and reception of Mercia's daughter last December- neither time did they cut the cake or eat it. Apparently, it is traditional divided and given to special people and family members and eaten the following week. Not sure I should mess with tradition but holy cow who wants to wait a week to eat wedding cake?

Today the Haitian electorate council is supposed to make the announcement of accepting or declining the OAS recommendation for the presidential run off race in March. Who will be running in the second round election? We know Mirlande Manigat won the first round but not by enough votes to win outright. Thus the necessary run off elections. The 2 runner ups, Martelly and Celestin were mere thousands of votes and percentage point apart. Because of suspected fraudulent balloting, OAS became involved with a recount and review. All of the people we talk to say that Martelly should have won, he is the more popular candidate. Celestin is Prevals' party candidate (and in fact, seems to be in a relationship with one of the presidents daughters). No one wants more of the same...from the ineffective government of the past year and not more of the same of the past 5 years. Interesting to note, Preval is the only president that has completed both of his terms. So while he probably has been ineffective in many respects, during this two terms, it has been relatively peaceful and he has obviously not skipped to France or South Africa with millions of Haitian tax dollars. So we watch and wait and expect that with the news, there will be manifestations again. Helicopters are crisscrossing the clear blue skies since early morning, no doubt looking for possible trouble spots.

One can only hope that the Haitian people will accept the news peacefully but determined to elect the president of their choosing in March 27. It means that they need to be strong enough in the face of the challenges they will meet as they go to the polling stations. They have the strength as we have seen this past year, but only if they can see the benefits that new leadership can bring to Haiti. For most, this is the difficult part. People in Haiti tend to live for the day; past history doesn't give them hope for a better tomorrow.

So for John and Modaline, I will toast their happiness, wish them many better tomorrows and hope they will voice their desire for this by voting in March. Love to them, peace to Haiti.