Cowboys and Haitians

Everyone and I do mean everyone, has a plan for Haiti. Too few organizations are concerned with collaboration instead seem more interested in increasing their brand and placing their logos prominently in tent cities, make shift hospitals or schools. It has me seriously questioning what the motives are here. If the UN can't serve as a coordinating body for the more than 10,000 NGOs in Haiti that what are they good for? Its been widely reported that the Haiti earthquake presented the greatest challenge to the international community; I do not doubt that. The environmental, social and political fabric of Haitian society was already outstretched and weak. With little capacity to begin with, Haiti needs the international community but it is time to have a REAL discussion about egos, motives and agendas. I don't want to be a cynic, I really don't but I wonder if any of the organizations that have been in Haiti for decades or those that recently started to prop up and set up shop hope to work themselves out of a job. Or is Haiti doomed to be a leaderless country dependent on foreign aid and intervention?
As you can see, I have many questions. I honestly didn't think deeply about humanitarian interventions before the quake. But naturally I am concerned with Haiti because I am her granddaughter. I don't know what is best for Haiti; I am not a development expert; nor do I have a Master's degree but my gut tells me that not everyone is in Haiti for the right reasons. And that is a troubling feeling. Some individuals and groups have their own agenda and see Haiti as an opportunity to get rich or advance their careers. And frankly that pisses me off.
Due to a confluence of environmental, social and political factors Haiti has remained mired in a delicate and precarious situation. The absence of an effective and trustworthy government has created the space for powerful international organizations and religious groups to organize themselves the way they see fit; build a school here, hospital there and return home to their donors highlighting all of the great work they are accomplishing. In practice this has meant a disjointed and incoherent national development strategy because everyone is doing their own thing.
This has to change. Its time to build the capacity of local actors (ordinary Haitians, civil society, business elites and the Haitian government). The international community can and should be a partner but no longer the driver.

A Trip Deferred

On Saturday, March 27th I was suppose to board a plane from BOS to JFK, JFK to PAP but Delta Airlines had other plans. I received a call from a Delta representation saying, "I regret to inform you that your upcoming trip to Port-au-Prince, Haiti has been canceled due to the earthquake."
I am thinking this CAN'T be happening--- I have been preparing myself mentally and getting all of my necessary immunization shots to go. And in less than a week's notice I find out that I actually won't be seeing my aunts, uncle, grandma or cousins. Delta didn't offer to rebook me on another flight, they simply said they were sorry for the inconvenience and would refund me my money. Since I was going to travel with 3 others, we were all in the same boat and decided to postpone the trip to June. I called my grandma to let her know; she didn't seen too disappointed and reminded me that everything happens for a reason but it killed me to have to say I was no longer coming.

So now I look to June in eager anticipation.

Measuring Time

I have always enjoyed talking and learning from my elders. They have seen so much in their many years on earth and I figure if there is anyone I should listen to it should be my elders and especially my grandmothers. My grandma Ita is from a small village in the north called Grand Riviere while my grandma Yolande (pictured) is from Jacmel in the south. When the earthquake struck, my heart and mind immediately when to them; thankfully they and all members of my family survived.

A few weeks after the quake my grandma Ita came to Boston. Her best friend died, they had been friends for over forty years.We were very worried about her. When I asked her how she was doing she said fine. But Haitians never express themselves or talk about their feelings at least those born in my parents and grandparents generation.

My aunt Rose says my grandmother is lonely and wants to return. She doesn't have any friends here, although she has scores of grandchildren and 4 children that all live in Boston. She passes the time with her rosary beads, her thoughts and memories. She is due to return to Haiti in April.

My grandma Yolande in Jacmel lives with her brother Joubert; they look after each other in their old age. I am close to them both, we usually speak every Sunday. The anxiety since the quake hasn't left their voices; it makes me anxious. We try to cover pre-quake topics: work, family, friends, politics, the weather, cooking and cleaning but it doesn't feel the same; its not as light-hearted. Although, my grandma and great uncle are curious about my life and daily routine, I am curious about their mental health. I wonder how they are processing everything, how they are making sense of it all.

Both the Washington Post and New York Times covered the elderly in Haiti this week, they were poignant especially the New York Times article. Naturally my heart ached. To make it to old age in Haiti is a rarity; the elderly only make up 3.4% of the population. They have seen so much in their many years. I am beyond lucky to have two living grandmothers and a great uncle in my life.

My dad's side of the family had just celebrated my grandma Ita's 86th birthday party, she was surrounded by 150 loved ones and just days later returned to Port au Prince with her party photo album in hand, only to have her life turned upside down. I cannot imagine how my grandmothers Ita, Yolande and great uncle Joubert must feel.

I am going to Haiti in less than two week's time to volunteer and check on my family. As much as I want to go, I worry about what I will see and how I will make sense of it all. But I also worry about seeing my elders, how I can be strong for them in this trying time? It is a lot to take in, but I figure, being a witness is the very least I can do.

Let Them Eat U.S Rice

Agriculture in Haiti is dead; there are few farmers left-- too much heartache associated; little irrigation, access to seeds, fertilizer, but most importantly unfair competition from the U.S. which floods the Haitian market with cheap subsidized products.
Believe it or not, Haiti was once a bread basket! A self-sufficient producer that could feed its people. But in the 1980s domestic agriculture came under the threat of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank as they discouraged investments in Haiti's agriculture. Then in 1995 former President Aristide as part of the conditions for him to be reinstated with the backing of the US government agreed to decrease tariff rates to the lowest level in all of the hemisphere to 3%. This was the final nail in the coffin for Haitian farmers. This further devastated and sent domestic agriculture into a tailspin. Instead of planting seeds, Haiti's poor were to fill factories in Port-au-Prince making T-shirts, baseballs and jeans for Western consumption. But the jobs were not enough. People toiled in the city, in the hopes that more work would come but with each coup or security breach fewer and fewer factories remained to provide much needed jobs.
This former bread basket is a net food importer, 75% of all food is imported according to the US Department of Agriculture. Haiti cannot feed itself and because the US corners the market they are susceptible to rising food prices.
President Rene Preval will meet with President Obama tomorrow. It is expected that over the course of their discussion he will bring up Haiti's long term goal to rebuild its agricultural sector to lessen its reliance on food aid and cheap imports. It will be interesting to see how these two leaders deal with this potentially contentious issue.

Some are Guilty; All are Responsible

Seems like in recent days there have been numerous news reports, leaked internal memos and water cooler conversation (in some places) about how Haiti got to be the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere as well as lots of pointing fingers; namely at NGOs, the Haitian government, the elite, international financial institutions, donor countries and the Diaspora (especially those that left and never came back).
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once said "some are guilty, but all are responsible." Ever since I heard that quote I haven't forgotten it. Its applicable to any situation, whether living in a community, working on a team or advocating for a cause. We can enumerate the many, many ills committed against Haiti in the name of selfish greed, foreign policy, bad governance or free market economics and the like. And I would be the first to provide the laundry list of grievances. All of this is very important, people need context and a frame of reference to understand the contributing factors; the visible and invisible actors and the role they each play. History is invaluable.
But when its all said and done, what is most important is that those of us that truly care about Haiti and want to ensure equity not only in the reconstruction process but in society as well find fellow supporters and allies that don't just want to line their pockets, that don't just want to impose their ideas, or start up yet another organization to compete with the more than 1o,000 NGOs on the ground but rather are committed to a sustainable Haiti and one where ordinary Haitians are driving the process. We are responsible, whether we realize it or like it. If you don't like the way things are organize yourself and work to change it.

White House on Line 1!

On Monday afternoon my friend sent a email stating that the White House was hosting a conference call on Tuesday for the Haitian Diaspora. The call would feature key representatives from the White House, USAID, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Homeland Security. I jumped at the opportunity!

I took an early lunch so that I could participate. This post is mostly not editorial just the notes of the talking points the US officials gave.

The call was moderated by Tina Tchen, of the White House office of Public Engagement (public@who.eop.gov)

Patrick Gaspard, White House Director of the Office of Political Affairs, spoke about his love for Haiti as a Haitian American and praised the Haitian Diaspora for our involvement in the relief effort. He then restated the administration's sustained commitment to Haiti and said they welcomed our feedback. He said the US government is encouraged by the progress made on the ground. But they recognize they are under intense pressure and a tight deadline with the rainy season approaching.

Then Cheryl Mills, State Department Counselor got on the phone and spoke at length about the current situation on the ground. She has been working on Haiti since she joined last year. She stated that the US government has a very good relationship with Preval's administration and noted that prior to the quake there was relative calm, political stability and a few years of economic growth. She herself had been to Haiti 5 times since the quake. She stated that the State Dept. is working to make sure the Haitian community in the US has access to up-to-date info and also wants to make sure we can partner together for the long term recovery of Haiti. In terms of specifics she said, access to water was increasing daily but sanitation is still a problem. She also mentioned that there is increased levels of coordination on the ground; and that contrary to what the media says, the Haitian government is leading this effort with support from the international community.

Ms. Mills then spoke of the work of USAID and the leadership of Rajiv Shah. He had search and rescue teams on the ground within 24 hours. The US government has donated 3 million to the UN World Food Programme and so far 3,000 people have been employed through the UN Cash for Work program. Some NGOs have Cash for Work but Ms. Mills didn't have their employment numbers.

There will be a UN donor's conference in NY on March 31st. The Haitian government is drafting their reconstruction plan to present to donor countries (should have final draft by the 15th of March). Haiti's needs are long-term, this will be the first of many donor conferences. It will focus on funds for foundational work and cover year 1.

At the end the lines were open for a short Q& A (there was only 10 minutes for this). I listed the questions below that there was time to answer.

1. What is available for people seeking Temporary Protection Status (TPS)?
Visit www.uscis.gov for questions on Temporary Protection Status (TPS) or general humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti (in Kreyol and English)
Or call 800-375-5283.
TPS: US has received 25,000 applications majority from FL and NY. 15,000 from FL alone. The government has waived the fee for people applying (fee is usually $400). They were hoping more people would apply-- like 100,000. Trying to get the work out.


2. Where can people that have newly arrived go for assistance?
For newly arrived Haitians looking for assistance they should inquire about the Cuban Haitian Entrance program-- the two orgs more familiar and capable to help are Church World Service and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

3. The rainy season will begin in earnest in April, what are you doing to prepare?
State and USAID working with UN Shelter cluster-- working to distribute safe building materials/structure. Want to conduct training about transitional housing ans setting new building structures.

I have to say, even though I was bummed that they didn't get to all our questions, it was great to be engaged as a community. It was a good call and the White House in particular seem like they want to engage. In fact, they encouraged people email them with follow up questions and comments. I say, take them on their offer. We have to increase access to information about reconstruction plans and make a big stink if ordinary Haitians do not have a formal way to feed into the plans. I highly encourage you to email the White House office of Public Engagement with your concerns/questions.

A Mind is a terrible thing to waste

Before the quake it was reported that only 50% of children in Haiti when to school. Now approximately 90% of the schools from Port-au-Prince to Jacmel have collapsed. School is suppose to resume in April. Half a million people fled Port-au-Prince for the countryside. Those schools will face overcrowding and relatives with meager resources may be forced to kill their livestock instead of selling it to feed the extras mouths.

In the meantime, I wonder how students pass time. What will happen to all of the university students studying to be engineers, nurses, doctors, teachers or lawyers? There was already a small number of students in college. Can we afford to let their futures hang in the balance? Haiti needs them to rebuild. Will they finish out their school year? I read in the New York Times that Dillard University, a historically Black university in New Orleans, LA has agreed to open its doors to Haitian students. I hope others step up to the plate as well.

Shock and Awe

Where to start.
It took an earthquake for Haiti to get the world's undivided attention. Some people knew what was going on but turned a blind eye or viewed the country with contempt. Others grew tried of Haiti and its many antics: boat people, corruption, AIDS, coups, food riots, dirt cookies and severe environmental degradation. The place seemed like a lost cause. Some believed Haiti would sink under the sea or burn up in flames, but alas none of that happened. Instead an earthquake leveled and shattered hopes, dreams, livelihoods, homes, schools and hospitals. All of Haiti's problems (many not of its own making) and deficits were in plain view for all the world to see.
People were forced to look; this was the ultimate shock and awe.