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.
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Monday, September 27, 2004
Adventures in Haiti (2)
Dear friends and family:
So many of you have been writing to us in the last few days about the
situation in Haiti that we thought we would give you a quick update on
how we are and what is happening here.
So . . . as you likely know, the city of Gonaives and a few other
places in the northern part of the country were affected by Hurricane
Jeanne. Haiti did not take a direct hit and what happened was not the
result of lots of wind and rain that hit the city with a big force.
Rather, a fair amount of rain fell in the area and much of that rain
was channeled down towards Gonaives. The rain falling in the city,
combined with overflowing rivers and water rushing down the
surrounding hills created serious flooding. The death toll stands at
over 1000 with many more still missing and presumed dead. The
long-term implications are significant. Many lost homes and all their
possessions. Businesses, vehicles, roads and other already fragile
infrastructure have been severely damaged. Bodies in the water and
mud, along with carcasses of dead animals will create a major public
health nightmare. It will take years for people in Gonaives to
recover. And many will not because of lack of jobs, insurance and
adequate social services.
One of the best pieces I've read on the recent flooding is attached
below, from the Associated Press. It accurately describes the impact
of environmental degradation here in Haiti. Had there been sufficient
tree cover in the northern mountains, this disaster would most likely
have been averted.
And, that gives our work here much more legitimacy. The role that we
hope to play in environmental education and reforestation will
hopefully be seen by Haitians, especially Haitian leaders, as a
legitimate and useful form of assistance.
Anyway, we'd encourage you to stay up to date through the news to see
what is happening in Gonaives and the rest of the country. We'd also
encourage you to search out stories about Haiti and Haitians that tell
a different story, one that doesn't present everything in this
beautiful place in such a negative light. There are good stories too!
Hopeful stories. Stories of Haitians taking charge of their situations
and doing something positive with what they have. We'll do our best
to share some of these stories with you as well.
Just a very quick update on the rest of our life here in Haiti.
- we arrived safely last Saturday and were welcomed by our MCC team
here in Port-au-Prince
- we've been spending each morning in Creole lessons. We're both
moving along just fine
- we've been making visits to some of the other MCC partners based
here in Port-au-Prince to get a broader sense of the work that MCC is
doing here in Haiti
- Friday, we came up to Desarmes, the town where we will be living.
We're are really enjoying getting settled, getting to know our
neighbours and our way around town!
We hope and pray that you are all well.
Matt and Esther
Deforestation Exacerbates Haiti Floods
AMY BRACKEN
Associated Press
GONAIVES, Haiti - The torrents of water that raged down onto this
city, killing hundreds of people, are testimony to a man-made
ecological disaster. Poverty has transformed Haiti's once-verdant
hills into a moonscape of bedrock ravaged by ravines.
More than 98 percent of its forests are gone, leaving no topsoil to
hold rains. Even the mango and avocado trees have started to vanish,
destroying a vital food source in favor of another necessity for the
impoverished - charcoal for cooking.
"The situation will continue, and other catastrophes are foreseeable,"
Jean-Andre Victor, one of Haiti's top ecologists, said in the capital,
Port-au-Prince.
More than 800 are dead across Haiti from floods spawned by Tropical
Storm Jeanne over the weekend, with 1,000 more missing and presumed
dead. In May, light rains triggered floods that killed more than 3,000
people on Haiti's barren southern border with the Dominican Republic.
"When you remove vegetation, the topsoil washes away. The earth isn't
capable of absorbing rainfall," said Rick Perera of the international
humanitarian group CARE, which supports alternative energy programs in
Haiti to lessen dependence on charcoal.
Less tree cover also means less regular rain, since trees "breathe"
water vapor into the air. The result is a dropping water table, making
for even poorer farmers, the backbone of Haiti's economy.
A 90-minute flight from Miami, Haiti is one of the poorest countries
in the world. Most of its 8 million people don't have jobs, and
political instability discourages foreign investors.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged donors on Wednesday to help
Haiti recover from the "devastating natural disaster." But it's very
much a man-made one.
Most Haitians are descendants of African slaves brought over in the
late 1600s by French colonizers who destroyed tens of thousands of
acres of virgin forest to plant the cane that made Haiti the world's
largest sugar producer. More wood was cut to fuel the sugar mills.
Entire forests were shipped to Europe to make furniture of mahogany
and dyes from campeachy.
After rebellious slaves defeated Napoleon's army and Haiti became the
world's first black republic in 1804, great plantations were divided
among the slaves.
Under an inherited French law, land is shared among a man's heirs. One
of the fastest growing populations in the world - Haitian women
average five births each - has reduced the average holding to little
more than a half acre. That's not enough to support a family of seven
even in a good rainy season.
Pressed for income, farmers chopped trees to make and sell charcoal.
From the air, you can see the border with the Dominican Republic,
which shares Hispaniola island with Haiti. Lush forests stop suddenly
and give way to barrenness. Vast stretches of the Dominican Republic
remain in the hands of a wealthy few.
The difference in vegetation also is reflected in the death tolls. The
Dominican Republic lost just 19 people to Jeanne, including 12 people
who drowned in swollen rivers.
In 1950, about 25 percent of Haiti's 10,700 square miles was covered
with forest, said Victor, the agronomist. In 1987, it was 10 percent.
By 1994, 4 percent. Now, foreign and Haitian scientists find only
about 1.4 percent of the Maryland-sized nation is forested, he said.
Here in Gonaives, where rebels launched the rebellion that forced out
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide last February, Jeanne deluged the
region with rains for some 30 hours. Water-logged valleys behind the
mountains funneled torrents of water that bloated the four rivers
surrounding the gritty city of 250,000 people.
After the May floods, interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, said,
"The root of the problem is that we have to go and reforest the hills
and until we do that, every two, three, four years after some heavy
rain, the same thing could happen again."
Over the past 20 years, the U.S. Agency for International Development
has planted 60 million trees in Haiti, but the poor chop down 10
million to 20 million trees each year, said David Adams, USAID
director in Haiti.
Perera, the CARE official, said small-scale replanting projects and
pilot programs using alternative cooking fuels such as solar energy
and propane are trying to change habits. Still, 71 percent of the
energy used in Haiti comes from charcoal, Victor said.
Though the deforestation is obvious, many steeped in superstition
believe the disasters are caused by a higher power, a belief that
officials say makes it hard to fix the problems.
"It was God who made this flood," said Eliphet Joseph, a 43-year-old salesman.
Other people blame decades of official corruption and mismanagement.
"The whole country's environment is messed up, that's why we had these
(floods)," said Cherly Etienne, 28, who lost her cousin and aunt.
So many of you have been writing to us in the last few days about the
situation in Haiti that we thought we would give you a quick update on
how we are and what is happening here.
So . . . as you likely know, the city of Gonaives and a few other
places in the northern part of the country were affected by Hurricane
Jeanne. Haiti did not take a direct hit and what happened was not the
result of lots of wind and rain that hit the city with a big force.
Rather, a fair amount of rain fell in the area and much of that rain
was channeled down towards Gonaives. The rain falling in the city,
combined with overflowing rivers and water rushing down the
surrounding hills created serious flooding. The death toll stands at
over 1000 with many more still missing and presumed dead. The
long-term implications are significant. Many lost homes and all their
possessions. Businesses, vehicles, roads and other already fragile
infrastructure have been severely damaged. Bodies in the water and
mud, along with carcasses of dead animals will create a major public
health nightmare. It will take years for people in Gonaives to
recover. And many will not because of lack of jobs, insurance and
adequate social services.
One of the best pieces I've read on the recent flooding is attached
below, from the Associated Press. It accurately describes the impact
of environmental degradation here in Haiti. Had there been sufficient
tree cover in the northern mountains, this disaster would most likely
have been averted.
And, that gives our work here much more legitimacy. The role that we
hope to play in environmental education and reforestation will
hopefully be seen by Haitians, especially Haitian leaders, as a
legitimate and useful form of assistance.
Anyway, we'd encourage you to stay up to date through the news to see
what is happening in Gonaives and the rest of the country. We'd also
encourage you to search out stories about Haiti and Haitians that tell
a different story, one that doesn't present everything in this
beautiful place in such a negative light. There are good stories too!
Hopeful stories. Stories of Haitians taking charge of their situations
and doing something positive with what they have. We'll do our best
to share some of these stories with you as well.
Just a very quick update on the rest of our life here in Haiti.
- we arrived safely last Saturday and were welcomed by our MCC team
here in Port-au-Prince
- we've been spending each morning in Creole lessons. We're both
moving along just fine
- we've been making visits to some of the other MCC partners based
here in Port-au-Prince to get a broader sense of the work that MCC is
doing here in Haiti
- Friday, we came up to Desarmes, the town where we will be living.
We're are really enjoying getting settled, getting to know our
neighbours and our way around town!
We hope and pray that you are all well.
Matt and Esther
Deforestation Exacerbates Haiti Floods
AMY BRACKEN
Associated Press
GONAIVES, Haiti - The torrents of water that raged down onto this
city, killing hundreds of people, are testimony to a man-made
ecological disaster. Poverty has transformed Haiti's once-verdant
hills into a moonscape of bedrock ravaged by ravines.
More than 98 percent of its forests are gone, leaving no topsoil to
hold rains. Even the mango and avocado trees have started to vanish,
destroying a vital food source in favor of another necessity for the
impoverished - charcoal for cooking.
"The situation will continue, and other catastrophes are foreseeable,"
Jean-Andre Victor, one of Haiti's top ecologists, said in the capital,
Port-au-Prince.
More than 800 are dead across Haiti from floods spawned by Tropical
Storm Jeanne over the weekend, with 1,000 more missing and presumed
dead. In May, light rains triggered floods that killed more than 3,000
people on Haiti's barren southern border with the Dominican Republic.
"When you remove vegetation, the topsoil washes away. The earth isn't
capable of absorbing rainfall," said Rick Perera of the international
humanitarian group CARE, which supports alternative energy programs in
Haiti to lessen dependence on charcoal.
Less tree cover also means less regular rain, since trees "breathe"
water vapor into the air. The result is a dropping water table, making
for even poorer farmers, the backbone of Haiti's economy.
A 90-minute flight from Miami, Haiti is one of the poorest countries
in the world. Most of its 8 million people don't have jobs, and
political instability discourages foreign investors.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged donors on Wednesday to help
Haiti recover from the "devastating natural disaster." But it's very
much a man-made one.
Most Haitians are descendants of African slaves brought over in the
late 1600s by French colonizers who destroyed tens of thousands of
acres of virgin forest to plant the cane that made Haiti the world's
largest sugar producer. More wood was cut to fuel the sugar mills.
Entire forests were shipped to Europe to make furniture of mahogany
and dyes from campeachy.
After rebellious slaves defeated Napoleon's army and Haiti became the
world's first black republic in 1804, great plantations were divided
among the slaves.
Under an inherited French law, land is shared among a man's heirs. One
of the fastest growing populations in the world - Haitian women
average five births each - has reduced the average holding to little
more than a half acre. That's not enough to support a family of seven
even in a good rainy season.
Pressed for income, farmers chopped trees to make and sell charcoal.
From the air, you can see the border with the Dominican Republic,
which shares Hispaniola island with Haiti. Lush forests stop suddenly
and give way to barrenness. Vast stretches of the Dominican Republic
remain in the hands of a wealthy few.
The difference in vegetation also is reflected in the death tolls. The
Dominican Republic lost just 19 people to Jeanne, including 12 people
who drowned in swollen rivers.
In 1950, about 25 percent of Haiti's 10,700 square miles was covered
with forest, said Victor, the agronomist. In 1987, it was 10 percent.
By 1994, 4 percent. Now, foreign and Haitian scientists find only
about 1.4 percent of the Maryland-sized nation is forested, he said.
Here in Gonaives, where rebels launched the rebellion that forced out
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide last February, Jeanne deluged the
region with rains for some 30 hours. Water-logged valleys behind the
mountains funneled torrents of water that bloated the four rivers
surrounding the gritty city of 250,000 people.
After the May floods, interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, said,
"The root of the problem is that we have to go and reforest the hills
and until we do that, every two, three, four years after some heavy
rain, the same thing could happen again."
Over the past 20 years, the U.S. Agency for International Development
has planted 60 million trees in Haiti, but the poor chop down 10
million to 20 million trees each year, said David Adams, USAID
director in Haiti.
Perera, the CARE official, said small-scale replanting projects and
pilot programs using alternative cooking fuels such as solar energy
and propane are trying to change habits. Still, 71 percent of the
energy used in Haiti comes from charcoal, Victor said.
Though the deforestation is obvious, many steeped in superstition
believe the disasters are caused by a higher power, a belief that
officials say makes it hard to fix the problems.
"It was God who made this flood," said Eliphet Joseph, a 43-year-old salesman.
Other people blame decades of official corruption and mismanagement.
"The whole country's environment is messed up, that's why we had these
(floods)," said Cherly Etienne, 28, who lost her cousin and aunt.
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