Some Reflections for a New Haiti after January 12, 2010

Some Reflections for a New Haiti after January 12, 2010




As a baby survivor of one of Haiti’s main hurricanes, Flora, that badly hit certain parts of Haiti many years ago, I can understand what’s going on in the mind of today’s survivors who have witnessed the catastrophic results of this terrible quake… Not a gift at all for Haiti in the second week of the second millennium of the 21st century; it has brought over 200,000 deaths. Survivors witnessed the death of their loved ones for days and could not burry them properly. They witnessed the collapse of their houses, the loss of their possessions, the burial of their friends and relatives under concrete rubbles for many days where they did not have any means or get any help to pull them out, even their dead bodies in order to take a last look at them. Most of them could not get the immediate help badly needed from first-aid workers. Most of all, Haitians (in Haiti and abroad) could see a clear picture of the absence of leadership in Haiti to save thousands of lives on time and the lack of preparation of the Haitian government to come to the nation’s aid in time of crisis.

After each time a great crisis occurs in Haiti, many critics talk about “a new beginning” for the country. Will there be a new beginning for Haiti after January 12, 2010? Is this a wake-up call for all Haitians? Hello, everyone! Hello, all leaders! Hello, all those who will become leaders! Hello, those who were in power during the time of this catastrophe! Hello, those who were powerless during the quake and who survive? Hello, all survivors of this terrible seism!

Before going further, in my reflections, I would like to thank the international community for thinking of Haiti, all foreigners, and compatriots who have been helping, one way or another, during this greatest disaster that my homeland, Haiti, has ever experienced before. Tears can’t stop coming from my eyes upon seeing the horrific images of this earthquake on television and while reading horrible stories related to it.

This seism of such a high magnitude (of 7.3) has hurt all of us, Haitians, deeply. It also hurt the whole world, particularly when looking at a country that is already in a state of chaos for over 200 years after its independence, one that has been ruined by the absence of leadership (at all levels), absence of agriculture (something essential for it’s development), bad management, careless leaders, corrupted leaders, corruptions, coups, crimes, destruction of the environment, dictatorships, disease, drought, fighting to ascend to power, hunger, illiteracy, inexistence of infrastructure (at all levels), kidnapping, lack of care (at all levels), long-term (political) eradication, natural catastrophes, no future planning for the country, pillage of the country’s funds, political turmoil (since 200 years), selfishness, too much talking and no acting, underdevelopment, unsupervised construction throughout the country, violence… It’s a particular moment for of all of us, Haitians, everywhere to take a minute to reflect on these main problems that our country has been facing, a moment for self-criticism.

Many of us, who are following closely the effects of this catastrophe, notice first the absence of leadership in term of anticipation (there was nothing prepared on the spot to help facing any disaster: whether it’s big hurricanes, heavy wind, rain, tsunami, and this terrible quake).

A question that we may ask: is it “money” that Haiti really doesn’t have to provide itself the minimum of what it needs in such a catastrophic situation (e.g. ambulances, shelters, fire trucks, first-aid workers on the spot, etc.)?

Have our so-called leaders ever thought of creating what is called “back-up” where a city would come to the help of another in case of any disaster? For instance, Cape-Haitian (the second largest city), Cayes (the third largest city) etc. could help Port-au-Prince as back-up (to send first-aid workers, policemen, guards, firemen, potable water, food, etc.).

If the Haitian governments thought of these backups, they would not have to patiently wait for the international community to bring some tools to pull people under the rubbles. Many thousand lives could have been saved if the Haitian volunteers who were helping days and night have found these tools. There were people still alive (by miracle) after a week under the heavy concrete rubbles. We can think of their agony if we were in their situation.

Friends, the time has come to stop being political fanatics, to stop rushing to applaud bandits who are strutting around in power while Port-au-Prince does not even have four ambulances, while Port-au-Prince doesn’t even have four fire trucks, while Port-au-Prince doesn’t even have a mobile hospital in case of any disaster.

The blow is hard for us, it hurt us in our bone marrow, but at the same time it’s a wake-up call for every single Haitian who has been sleeping. It’s a wake-up call for every Haitian leader to learn how to think. It’s a wake-up call for every leader to start thinking for real to help decentralizing the country. Yes, decentralization is something very important to think of because, if the country was decentralized, we’d not have all these people losing their lives in Port-au-Prince, we’d not have all the loss of materials (at all levels), and all that were part of the country’s national heritage.

The very same week of the tragedy, we have seen an exodus of survivors from the defunct capital, Port-au-Prince (severely hit), to the provinces or to the country (a safer environment for the people and where they don’t have to worry too much about getting something to eat the little it may be and have access to water even if they have to boil it before drinking it). Does this particular migration ring the leaders’ bell at all and us, observers? Does it tell them anything important in the future construction of a new Haiti? Does it tell them the importance of creating infrastructure throughout the country by not just concentrating on the capital?

By infrastructure, we mean the construction of good and main roads connecting the entire country (particularly the 10 political divisions of Haiti called depatman) in order to facilitate communication and development, good public schools free for everyone (to fight illiteracy), state schools that can also be used at the same time as shelters in case of other natural disasters that have been constantly hitting the country, electricity everywhere for everyone on a twenty-four hour basis, access to potable water everywhere for everyone, well-equipped medical centers everywhere for everyone, creation of centers to train first-aid people, creation of centers for disasters, and most of all, using Fridays as a particular school day to give students a “practical education” to help themselves and to be helpful to the country in time of need.

To conclude, this idea of a ‘practical education’ that should be part of Haiti’s Schools Curriculum, one that’s quite important for the country’s basic needs and development. We see the following: organizing fieldtrips throughout the country with students (so that they can become sensitive toward the country’s problems) and fieldtrips to the neighboring Dominican Republic (to compare and contrast the twin republics, to see with their naked eyes what exists and doesn’t in the two countries; teaching them a foreign and a regional language : be it Dutch – English – French – Portuguese – Spanish … the main languages of the Americas (to become interpreters and translators in order to ease communication among our neighbors and other people in the world); teaching them a trade (whatever it may be, it will be beneficial to them); teaching them computer skills (the internet has been playing such a great role in connecting Haiti with the rest of the world and in connecting Haiti with her economic backbone, the Haitian Diaspora, and particularly in communicating with Haiti during this catastrophic period); teaching them different skills (of which they can make a living tomorrow and use them to help their community); teaching them first-aid skills (so that they can be helpful to the population in time of crisis); teaching them how to swim (so that they can save their lives and someone’s life who can’t swim); teaching them how to be good leaders (because the new Haiti will need that), teaching them how to become technicians at all levels (because Haiti lacks technicians at all levels to make her moving forward) so that tomorrow they’ll be able to use these skills to help the country in return; teaching them how to work on micro projects by small groups (because self-centeredness has contributed only to Haiti’s underdevelopment); teaching them how to drive a car – a truck – a tractor (because we saw many victims who lost their lives recently because they were unable to be transported on time to few places to get first-aid); teaching them how to ride a bike – a motorcycle (as an easy and inexpensive means of transportation to help others in time of crisis); teaching them how to plant trees (because deforestation has been one of Haiti’s main problems) and how to farm (because the population needs food all the time and they have to get it from abroad most of the time); teaching them how to protect the environment (because it’s so important to them); teaching them how to provide for their community (because tomorrow they won’t have to wait for days, weeks, months, and even years for little help from others (particularly in time of great need); teaching them how tame animals like horses, mules, donkeys, bulls (to be able to ride them and use them as means of transportation in certain remote areas of the country where they are already in use for transportation and to help farmers; training them at all levels to help their country (particularly in time of great need). Shouldn’t this type of education be part of the national school curriculum in the New Haiti (after January 12, 2010)? Isn’t it the best way to teach Civics to Haitian youngsters to love and serve their country? Let’s work hand in hand for the reconstruction of a new Haiti!



E. W. Védrine Publications & Online Creole Publications
e_vedrine@hotmail.com, e_vedrine@yahoo.com