Dye Mon, Gen Mon

By Aiyana Taylor and Mathavi Sankar

Alo! Kouman ou ye? In case you don’t know that means “hello, how are you?” It was just one phrase we used a lot on our visit to TIMKATEC.

Day 3 in Haiti began with the now familiar call of our next door neighbor, the rooster. He’s just one of the many creatures we have befriended here in Port-au-Prince. After a delicious breakfast, Patrick navigated the treacherous traffic of the city on a busy Monday morning on our journey to TIMKATEC. TIMKATEC is a school that provides free education for low-income youth in Petionville, a region of Port-au-Prince. What’s really special about this school is that it teaches students in a language that they understand, Creole. Wouldn’t you think that would be normal? But that’s not the case here in Haiti. Education in Haiti is primarily French-based even though only 20% of the population speak and understand French. Another service that this program provides is a safe haven for some of the “street boys” of Petionville. These boys get access to dinner, shelter, and a social worker who stresses the importance of getting an education.

As we entered the school, all the girls welcomed us with a lovely song. “Bienvenue!” was the first word of the song, meaning “Welcome!” After touring the classrooms and talking to Rachel (one of the TIMKATEC staff), we were able to understand the education and financial situation of the people in Petionville. At the end of the tour, we were taken to the top and newest floor of the school, which was a colorful auditorium where the students’ artwork was displayed. From the window, we had a breath-taking view of the mountains. On the mountains were crowded stacks of houses that formed a colorful mosaic- the neighborhood of Jalousie. The colors abruptly stop as your eyes move across the mountains from left to right, the symbol of an incomplete government project. Rachel then explained to us that the government painted these houses without considering what the home owners wanted in an attempt to recreate the Brazilian favelas. Why was the government doing this? To create a beautiful view for the foreign tourists staying at the Royal Oasis, also known as Bill Clinton’s hotel. 

Today we truly came to understand the meaning behind the Haitian proverb “Dye mon, gen mon” – “Beyond mountains, there are mountains.”

A View of Jalousie