Jan. 17
Tents, Tarps, Houses, Homes- just a few of the many dwelling
places one will find in Haiti. Especially in Port-au-Prince, the contrast in
housing is very evident. Walking up to Kenscoff a couple of days ago, we passed
beautiful mansions outlined with palm trees and green courtyards. Driving out
of the city today, we passed Cannan (“promised land”) which is an informal
settlement for people displaced by the earthquake. There are somewhere from
250,00-500,000 people who have created their own infrastructure, community
governance and the necessities they need without any reliance on the
government. We learned about this last night by watching a great documentary
film (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lvqy0QDtVk#t=174
). Just across from Canaan, is a brand new $29 million Olympic training
stadium. As we passed, we were frustrated at the lack of the government’s focus
on housing and the many failed NGO housing projects but amazed at the
resilience of those who have settled in Canaan.
Further along our drive to Dezam, we were able to stop at
the Jan. 12th 2010 Memorial for victims of the earthquake. It is
still under construction and is being built at the mass burial site. Normally
when one visits a memorial site (like the WW2 and Vietnam War) in DC, you feel
a sense of commemoration and remembrance for an event that has happened in the
past. On the front of this memorial, there was an inscription reading “Nous
sonje” (we remember), that signifies an event only taking place in the past,
something you are looking back on. But
the remnants and repercussions of the earthquake are still unfolding and are
very apparent today. This can be seen in the unintended harm of the flood of
NGOs in the country, failed aid projects, a government heavily influence by
foreign powers, and the continued but unwanted presence of MINUSTAH and
cholera.
We continued on our drive along the incredible coast of
Ayiti with a beautiful view of a sparkling blue ocean on one side and the
mountains on the other. We arrived in Dezam to settle into our second home
during the trip. After a little bit of time to relax and do some lesson
planning, we are excited to get to know a new community and meet students at
EPD school tomorrow!!
-Mathavi & Courtney
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