As news of the devastation of Tropical Storm Jeanne filtered north, the emails from friends and family quickly moved south. “Are you ok? Have you been affected the storm? We’re concerned.” Having just arrived in Haiti the day before the flooding in Gonaives - for a three-year term with the Mennonite Central Committee – we understood and appreciated people’s concern for our well being. At the same time, however, it raised some important questions for us. How will news of the Goniaves flooding impact the perspectives Canadians have about Haiti and the Haitian people? What do average Canadians living in Niagara and the region really know about this place? How are the stories being told? What role can we play in deepening global awareness of this beautiful island, our new home?
Much of the coverage of the storm that we have seen from Haiti has focused on the devastation that Jeanne has left in her wake. Mass graves, mounting death tolls, public health emergencies, looting and violence – these are the headlines that Canadians have been seeing. These are important stories to share, but is there more to the picture? Of course there is.
The picture can be rounded out, in part, by our experiences this past weekend in our new home town, Dezam. The town of Dezam has a population of about 10,000 people. Like most Haitians, the people of Dezam are agriculturalists and most houses are shaded by plantain, banana, papaya, avocado, lime and other wonderful trees. People harvest the fruit from their trees in season and sell them at the market so that they can buy the ingredients for the staple Haitian meal of rice and beans with a few spices. Education and healthcare costs more and are often not adequate, accessible or affordable. Life is not always easy in Dezam. However, when members of local churches heard of the suffering in Gonaives as a result of the flooding, it took them less than a day to collect water and food packages. Someone even donated their truck to carry the goods on the three hour drive to Gonaives. Haitians helping Haitians. People who struggle day to day helping people much worse off than themselves. The concern and generosity demonstrated by our new neighbours in Dezam is commendable and a lesson for us. We are honoured to be here and to start learning from our new community.
On a professional note, this storm and flooding has brought a definite legitimacy to our work here in Haiti. It’s clear that deforestation played a major role in the flooding in Gonaives. It’s also clear that this will not be the last time that Haitians will experience the devastating effects of storms and other natural disasters. So, we feel affirmed about our presence in Haiti and our role in working closely with Haitians – leaders, teachers, farmers and regular community people – to encourage and support each other as we seek ways to live sustainable lives. Enhancing environmental conditions and building up Haiti’s tree cover are key to this process and we’re excited to be a part of it.
Our presence here during Jeanne, while Haiti is front page news, is a good introduction for us. We do hope that as the days, weeks and months pass and Haiti slips from the front page of foreign newspapers, we can continue to share stories that paint a deeper and broader picture of Haiti and the dreams of its people. We will share some of our experiences and stories, and the stories of our Haitian neighbours, friends and people in the communities in which we will be working. And, aside from a few too many mosquito bites for September, we’re fine – but please do send your thoughts to the people of Gonaives.
Matt Van Geest is a long-time Niagara resident. He and his wife, Esther deGroot are working with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Dezam, Haiti, three hours north of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Their work is focused on environmental education and reforestation in rural Haiti. This is the first in a series of periodic columns that will appear in the next three years. They will share about their lives and experiences in Haiti from a Niagara perspective. Matt and Esther can be contacted at greatspirit@gmail.com.
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