Two deaths as protesters burn tires, block roads in Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Protesters denouncing corruption blocked roads and paralyzed much of Haiti’s capital Sunday as they demanded the removal of President Jovenel Moise, while police reported two people killed and five injured.
Demonstrators burned tires and threw stones during the march in Port-au-Prince, where the scent of burning rubber filled the air. Many stores and gas stations were closed and travel between some cities was impeded as protesters blocked roads with cars, stones and other large objects.
Police erected barricades near the presidential palace and fired tear gas to drive away demonstrators who tried to breach them.
Police spokesman Michael-Ange Jeunes said gunshots caused the two deaths and wounded four people. He said a police officer was injured by a thrown rock.
There was no information on who fired the shots.
Louis-Jeunes said protesters set fire to two police cars and two buildings. He said 12 people had been arrested.
Similar protests were held in the Haitian cities of Jacmel, Cap-Haitien, Saint-Marc and Gonaives. Demonstrators came from a wide cross-section of society, including political parties, religious groups and community organizations.
Protesters were demanding further investigation into the fate of funds that resulted from subsidized oil shipments from Venezuela under the Petrocaribe program. A Senate investigation recently determined at least 14 former government officials allegedly misused $3.8 billion under the administration of former President Michel Martelly.
Venezuela’s collapsing economy has forced the South American nation to halt or drastically curtail Petrocaribe shipments, leading to problems for power generation. Many Haitians now receive electricity for only a few hours a day.
Haitian American Swimmer Sets Sights on Tokyo Olympics
WASHINGTON / MIAMI — When Naomy Grand'Pierre was a child, three of her mother's cousins drowned in an accident in Haiti. The event sparked such fear in Grand'Pierre's mother that she made sure her own children would never meet a similar fate. So, she enrolled them in swimming lessons, which changed their lives.
"Swimming lessons led to training, then competitions, and that's how I learned about the Olympic Games and decided I wanted to represent Haiti in this sport," she said.
Grand'Pierre, 22, is Haiti's first female Olympic swimmer. She represented the country at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where she competed in the 50-meter freestyle event. She finished 56th with a time of 27.46 seconds, not fast enough to advance to the semifinals. Now, the Montreal, Canada-born Haitian American who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, is training to race in Tokyo, Japan, in 2020.
"The most valuable lesson (I learned from the 2016 Olympics) is that dreams do come true," Grand'Pierre said in a 2017 interview with her sweat, a digital platform dedicated to women's health and fitness.
"It's super cliché, but when I was 10 years old, I really wanted to go to the Olympics. I would tell everybody and would always get negative feedback. People would say, 'You know how hard it is to do that? You're not fast enough.' So, I learned very early on, dreams are super fragile and you only share it with people who are there to encourage you and share that journey with you."
The swimmer, wearing a white jacket adorned with Haiti emblems, was all smiles as she sat down for a conversation with VOA Creole at the Caribbean Marketplace in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood.
"I train every day," she said. "It takes a lot of dedication, mental strength, but I'm doing everything I can to represent Haiti in the best possible way."
Grand'Pierre currently lives and trains in Atlanta. Her workout routine is a mix of swimming, running, weights and core exercises six days a week.
Haiti's Rio team was the country's largest since 1976 and included 10 athletes (seven men, three women). But they did not medal. In fact, the country has not won an Olympic medal since 1928, when Silvio Cator won silver in the long jump competition and became a national hero.
Budgetary constraints also pose a problem. VOA Creole was unable to get specifics on this year's budget from Haiti's Olympic Committee. But the budget for 2016 was a paltry 4.5 million gourdes (about $45,000), according to a report published in Haiti Libre newspaper.
Some members of the Haitian diaspora in the United States are trying to help. Haitian Ballers, a nonprofit group launched by Haitian American basketball coach Yves Jean, traveled to Haiti with friends in May to announce an initiative to refurbish swimming pools where local athletes can train.
"We're thinking about possibly hotel pools, doing a partnership at hotel pools. Wherever we can find a pool, we would love to get in, but we really need sponsors at this point," said Stacey Blitch, an American sports and fitness specialist who accompanied Haitian Ballers to Port-au-Prince.
Grand'Pierre participated in one of the group's events in Port-au-Prince at a swimming pool at Adventist University of Haiti.
Although the odds seem to be against her, Grand'Pierre remains positive and undeterred.
"I feel very supported by the Haitian community. They are very proud of me, and I get a lot of positive feedback," she said.
Grand'Pierre says the Olympic swim team has launched an online fundraising campaign on HaitiRoadToTokyo.com. Their goal is $150,000. To get the word out, the star swimmer posed for photos, shook hands and gave interviews in Little Haiti. Her next meet and greet with the Haitian community is set for June 13 in Chicago.
SEAL vet dishes on mysterious arrest in Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — An American security contractor at the center of a mysterious case roiling Haitian politics says that he and a group of fellow veterans were sent to Haiti on a mission to protect a businessman signing a more than $50 million contract at the country’s central bank.
Chris Osman, a 44-year-old retired Navy SEAL, told The Associated Press that he and six fellow contractors were arrested by Haitian police during what was supposed to be a simple Sunday afternoon reconnaissance of the route their client would take to the bank the following day, Feb. 18.
"It went bad for us," he said in the first on-the-record interview by any of the arrested men. "I don't know what the real truth is."
Osman said he and his fellow contractors — carrying a dozen semi-automatic rifles and pistols, along with satellite phones and other gear — had pulled away from the bank when they were stopped by police and detained for three days before they were set free by Haiti's Justice Ministry and allowed to fly home to the U.S., where they were released without charges.
The contractors’ unexplained release and the still-murky nature of their mission have helped fuel political chaos in Haiti, where President Jovenel Moise has faced months of protests over his government’s failure to prosecute the theft and mismanagement of $2 billion in subsidized oil aid from Venezuela under the administration of his predecessor and political patron, Michel Martelly.
Neither Moise’s administration nor the American ambassador in Haiti, Michele Sison, has offered any explanation of the U.S. contractors’ mission in Haiti or the reason for their release, which appeared to violate Haitian criminal procedure. Moise’s allies in the lower house of Parliament dissolved the Haitian government by dismissing Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant on Monday hours before he was due to testify in the Senate about the American contractors’ case.
Communications Minister Jean-Michel Lapin was being named interim prime minister Thursday, but there seemed little likelihood that the government would be able to bring stability to a country gripped by rising inflation, energy shortages and popular discontent.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio flew to Haiti Wednesday for meetings with the president and opposition in which, the senator said on Twitter, he discussed the formation of a new government and the need for “good faith dialogue” and parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
News site The Intercept reported Wednesday, citing anonymous sources, that one of the contractors, 52-year-old Marine veteran Kent Kroeker, had been told the mission was to escort presidential aide Fritz Jean-Louis to the Haitian central bank, who would electronically transfer $80 million from the government’s Venezuela oil fund to a second account controlled solely by the president in order to give Moise greater power over the government’s limited funds.
Osman said that report did not match his experience in several key ways.
Osman said he received a call from Hawkstorm Global, a security company based in Dallas, Texas, about a job in Haiti to provide private security for a client of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti for $1,000 a day. He said he didn't know the client until he arrived in Haiti on a commercial flight on Feb. 16 and was introduced to Josue Leconte, a Haitian-American businessman with ties to the Moise administration.
Leconte's civil engineering firm, Preble-Rish, has done millions of dollars of business with the Haitian government over the years, according to Jake Johnston, a research associate at the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research who recently published a three-week investigation into the contractors' case. Leconte's partner is related by marriage to former president Martelly.
"These are not just acquaintances, but people who for decades are basically family," Johnston said. The only Haitian arrested in the case, Michael Estera, is a driver who has worked for Preble-Rish for many years, according to his lawyer.
Leconte told the AP when reached by phone that he could not talk about the case and had no comment before hanging up. Meanwhile, spokesman Jean Baden Dubois said the governor of Haiti's central bank was on a business trip in Qatar and unavailable for comment.
The contractors were told that they would be escorting Leconte from his Port-au-Prince home to the central bank to sign an infrastructure deal with Moise's administration, Osman said, adding that the deal required the signature of at least one high-ranking central bank official, hence the location.
"We were all told that it was a huge contract with (Leconte's) company ... and that his company provides engineering contracts for the government of Haiti and that they were really close friends with the president and that the money was for infrastructure and rebuilding Haiti," Osman said.
On the day they were arrested, the group of four Americans, two Serbian nationals and two Haitian drivers got into two cars owned by Jean-Louis for a reconnaissance mission and to swing by the bank so some team members could talk to people there and let them know what they were doing, he said.
"The actual job didn't even start until the next day," Osman said, adding that he never met or saw Jean-Louis during his time in Haiti, and that the only time he heard the name was when police asked if he knew Jean-Louis while he was in jail.
He said team members Dustin Porte and Talon Ray Burton got out of the car to speak with bank officials or security while the rest of the group stayed inside with weapons nearby. Porte and Burton could not be reached for comment, and Burton's brother did not return a message for comment.
As they pulled away from the bank, Osman said a group of Haitian police officers stopped them and called their superiors. At that moment, Leconte and another man whom Osman identified as team leader and retired Navy SEAL Mike Phillips showed up in one car, and then Kroeker showed up in another car. Osman said police told Leconte and Phillips they could leave, and that Kroeker, a former KC-130 pilot, stayed with the group.
"They literally abandoned us," Osman said of Leconte and Phillips.
Phillips declined to comment and referred requests for interviews to Kroeker, who did not respond to a request for comment.
The group was released Feb. 20. Osman said a police officer simply opened the cell doors, led them to diplomatic vehicles that took them to the airport. He said he didn't know who ordered their release or authorized it. Once they arrived in Miami, he said the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security interviewed everyone separately for several hours.
"We asked what was going on," Osman said. "They said, 'Nothing, man, you're not going to be charged with anything. ... Welcome home.'"
Haiti's tourism industry hard hit after days of violent street protests
PORT-AU-PRINCE (AFP) - With flaming barricades and widespread looting, 10 days of street violence in Haiti have all but buried a tourism industry that managed to resurrect itself after a devastating earthquake in 2010.
Ugly, violent footage beamed around the world has again sent the message that this impoverished Caribbean country is politically unstable and no place to go on vacation.
The final straw was the helicopter evacuation last week of around 100 Canadian tourists, trapped as angry protesters demanded the resignation of the president, whom they accuse of corruption.
"We have been through 12 days of hell. We managed the crisis but today we are suffering from the aftershocks," said Tourism Minister Marie-Christine Stephenson.
BLACKLIST
Beside the direct effects of the demonstrations, the United States delivered another crushing blow on Feb 14 when it urged its citizens not to travel to Haiti, which thus joined a no-go list with war-torn countries like Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan.
Ms Stephenson said the US travel alert for Haiti was too harsh, calling the riots something that flared up unexpectedly and are now over.
"OK, they lasted 12 days but I am not sure that other Caribbean countries, which have had riots of their own, have been punished as severely and quickly as we have," said the minister.
Overnight, the decision by the US State Department hit the tourism industry hard. Travel websites simply stopped offering flights to Haiti's two international airports.
Hotels are reporting cancellation of reservations and many empty rooms.
Officials in the industry have yet to tally up the damage, but say that for the second time in less than a year, they will have to lay off workers.
In July of last year, three days of riots over a government attempt to raise fuel prices ruined the summer vacation season for Haiti's tourism industry.
It is not just hotels that will suffer again, said Ms Beatrice Nadal-Mevs, president of the Haitian Tourism Association.
"This is going to affect everyday people because these are direct jobs that are going to be lost and supply chains will be threatened: farming, fishing, crafts, transport," Ms Nadal-Mevs said.
MARDI GRAS CANCELLED
With the opposition planning more demonstrations to seek the resignation of President Jovenel Moise, the sector got yet more bad news with word that Carnival celebrations have been called off in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.
City Hall said it could not guarantee revellers' safety.
The festivities, which this year were planned for March 3-5, usually draw many Haitians living abroad and fleeing the winter cold in Canada and the eastern US.
Another major Carnival celebration is scheduled to take place in the city of Gonaives, but the government has not said if it will go ahead.
As grim as things are, some foreign tourists have gone ahead with visits to Haiti.
On Wednesday, a group of Australians under police escort visited a square featuring statues of heroes of Haiti's independence from France. Days ago, demonstrators at the same plaza were throwing rocks at police, who responded with volleys of tear gas grenades.
A woman named Carole, who did not want to give her last name, said, "I trust the company we're travelling with. They not only want to take us but they want to bring us back."
Mr Kevin McCue, another of the people in the group of 20, said he was glad that their tour operator had not opted for Plan B, which would have meant skipping Haiti and spending the whole week in the neighbouring Dominican Republic.
"Tourism is alive and well here. People should come. The more they come, the better they spread some money among people who need it and the better for Haiti," said Mr McCue.
Armed Americans Arrested in Haiti Returned to US
WASHINGTON —
Five U.S. citizens who were among eight men detained over the weekend in Haiti with automatic weapons and other arms have returned to the United States.
U.S. and Haitian officials say the men departed the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, Wednesday afternoon before their scheduled court appearance.
"The return of the individuals to the U.S. was coordinated with the Haitian authorities,” a State Department spokesperson confirmed to VOA.
The men were arrested upon arrival in the U.S., although it is unclear what they are being charged with in the United States or where they are being held.
The spokesperson told VOA that State defers to law enforcement for answers to those questions.
Three former servicemen
Earlier Wednesday, the Miami Herald quoted a police source s saying “they left,” referring to the five Americans. The men are identified as: former Navy SEALS Christopher Michael Osman and Christopher Mark McKinley, former Marine Kent Leland Kroeker and Americans Dustin Porte and Talon Ray Burton.
Two Serbs were also arrested, Vlade Jankvic and Danilo Bajagic, one of whom is a permanent U.S. resident, according to a photo of his green card sent to VOA Creole reporters. They were also on the American Airlines flight to Miami. A Haitian national, Michael Estera, whom the United States deported, remains in Haiti.
The men were found with automatic rifles, pistols, drones and satellite communications equipment in their vehicles, which had no license plates.
Violent demonstrations
Their arrests followed more than a week of violent demonstrations by Haitians demanding the resignation of President Jovenel Moise, who has been beleaguered by rising inflation and accusations of corruption.
News of the men’s departure came on the same day Haitian National Police (PNH) spokesman Michel-Ange Louis-Jeune told VOA Creole a report would made public on the findings of the investigation following the arrest of the eight men suspected of “conspiracy.” He announced Wednesday that the report had been delayed.
In an interview with the U.S.-based cable news network CNN, Haiti Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant described the men as “mercenaries” and “terrorists” seeking to destabilize “the executive branch of government.”
Citing police sources, the Miami Herald reported that when questioned, the men said they were on a “government mission” and were under no obligation to talk to Haitian law enforcement. They said their “boss would call his boss,” referring to the police commissioner.
The U.S. consul general visited the detainees at the Port-au-Prince police station shortly after the arrest. Haitian Justice official Paul Eronce Villard also saw them. He denied Tuesday reports that he was pressured to free the Americans.
“I personally was never pressured to free the men held by the Port-au-Prince police station” he told local reporters. But Villard told the Herald that the National Palace had pressured police to release them.
Stunning departure
News of the departure of the five Americans stunned the nation.
The men were spotted by Haitian social media guru Carel Pedre, who hosts a popular radio and television entertainment show in Port-au-Prince. Pedre tweeted video of the men aboard his flight, American Airlines flight 1059.
"Neg yo te arete yo te sou vol mwen an (AA 1059). M’ap konfime ke otorite ameriken vinn pran yo nan avyon an e yo menote yo!"
After landing in Miami, Pedre broadcast an eyewitness account of what he saw and heard on his Facebook account.
According to Pedre, most of the passengers were unaware that the Americans were on board. He said some suspected it might be them but they were not sure. Upon arrival in Miami, their flight, which landed early, was held on the tarmac for 30 minutes before proceeding to the gate. Pedre said an announcement was then made that law enforcement officials would be boarding the flight before anyone could get off. He said the men were rounded up and handcuffed, one by one, before being led off the aircraft.
“Since many of you have seen the video posted on social media showing the men very relaxed, hands unencumbered — I have to tell you that they also boarded the plane very relaxed — I didn’t even notice it was them and many of the other passengers were suspicious but we didn’t realize it was them,” he said.
Pedre said one of the men was smiling as he left the plane.
“Since they are now in the hands of U.S. law enforcement, and there is more transparency in America than in Haiti, we may learn more (about why they were in Haiti),” he said.
Reaction on social media was scathing. “#Haiti has no justice. Was there even an investigation into this??? This country is really messed up” @lynejea tweeted.
“What a HUGE surprise,” @micfrd tweeted. “Like we really expected The Haitian Government to Keep American Citizens Prisoners?”
@Lamytheman1 tweeted “No surprise here. You trade those 5 guys for a larger humanitarian aid package. Haiti government knows why those guys were there. Didn’t they get caught with a member of the Palace? It’s sad all those politicians made up bs to keep the people guessing.”
And @Moniclesca tweeted “I wonder how @DG_PNH (Haiti’s National Police Chief) will explain this one? What will @jeanhenryceant (the prime minister) say? Was this also part of the deal to vote against Maduro in Venezuela?”
Heavily armed Americans claiming to be on ‘government mission’ arrested in Haiti
Five Americans who claimed they were on “a government mission” in Haiti were arrested by local authorities after being found with a stash of automatic rifles and pistols, according to a report.
The group was picked up Sunday at a police checkpoint in Port-au-Prince driving in two vehicles without licence plates, the Miami Herald reported.
Inside their cars were six automatic rifles, six pistols, two professional drones and three satellite phones, cops told the paper. Images of the guns have been circulating on WhatsApp.
Asked what they were doing in Haiti, the men told police “they were on a mission, and they didn’t have to speak to us,” Port-au-Prince police chief Joel Casseus told the paper. “They said they were on a government mission.”
Three of the men — Christopher Michael Osman, 44, Kent Leland Kroeker, 52, and Christopher Mark McKinley, 49 — are US military veterans, the paper reported.
A fourth man, Talon Ray Burton, 52, once worked as a federal contractor for the US government.
Three other individuals, including a Russian, Serbian and Haitian national, were traveling with the Americans and were also arrested.
Local authorities said Tuesday they still don’t know what the men were doing in the country. They face charges of possessions of illegal arms and other crimes.
The State Department and US Embassy said they had been made aware of the Americans’ arrest. The embassy told police they had no covert operations on the ground.
There is currently a travel warning for US citizens in Haiti due to violent protests that have broken out in the country.
Rewriting Haiti's Narrative: Ten Haitian Entrepreneurs Helping To Reinvent Their Nation
Haiti's social and economic narrative is being rewritten by innovative entrepreneurs dedicated to championing sustainability and self-sufficiency while celebrating the vibrant and creative culture of the island and its citizens, which dates back to the Haitian Revolution that started in 1791 and represents the world’s first and only successful slave revolt.
Political instability, natural disasters and a lack of economic opportunities have contributed to mass migrations away from the island and a view of Haiti as a troubled nation in the eyes of the world. A generation of enterprising young Haitians are chipping away at that imposed narrative and replacing it with one that speaks to the strength, ingenuity and beauty of the country and its culture.
Haiti has a rich history and vibrant culture. Photocredit: GettyGetty
Here you will meet ten young entrepreneurs who are creating opportunity in this Caribbean island nation to uplift Haiti’s environmental, economic and social landscape.These inspiring Haitian entrepreneurs are demonstrating that a nation can overcome its challenges and rewrite its story, both for itself and in the eyes of the larger world. They also prove that a combination of innovative ideas, effective use of technology and a dedication to solutions that honor the integrity of both the natural and the human landscape can produce truly transformative results.
Jude Celiscar, Goodoo Courier, LLC
Jude Celiscar Speaking on Leadership.Used with permission.
In his travels between Haiti and the U.S., Celiscar became aware of the difficulties that many Haitians face in the purchasing and delivery of consumer goods. Recognizing that commerce is the backbone of an economy, Celiscar formed Goodoo Courier to address those issues. The company partners with small businesses and university students to help stimulate economic growth on both the individual and societal level. Concerned with the natural environment as well as the economy, Goodoo Courier uses recycled materials from other areas of the island for its packaging materials.In addition to being the founder of the company, Celiscar is also an author and international speaker on business and leadership. He is dedicated to changing Haiti’s narrative and inspiring young people to invest in themselves and their country by taking the lead in creating opportunities for success.
Don’t be so quick to think about the financial profit but think about the social impact, the social transformation that your company will have on your community and on your environment.- Jude Celiscar
Daphnée Karen Floréal, Bijou Lakay
Daphnée Karen Floréal.Used with permission.
With a talent for art and finance and possessing a strong business sense, Floréal merged her skills and passions in forming Bijou Lakay. Taking inspiration from Haiti’s native elements, Floréal uses wood and beef horns to create ethically sourced handcrafted jewelry pieces. While inspired by international trends, her pieces strongly reflect and celebrate the vibrant Haitian culture. Along with reducing unemployment and having a positive impact on the economy, Bijou Lakay’s community of artisans also strives to preserve and pass on the creative crafting processes and cultural heritage of Haiti.Floréal is actively engaged in promoting entrepreneurship and other activities that have a positive impact on the youth of Haiti, such as literacy and sports. In her love for her home, commitment to cultural authenticity and entrepreneurial spirit, Floréal is a reflection of the current reshaping of Haitian creativity and identity.
Always dream big. Even if you are living in one of the poorest countries in the world, your country can’t define your story. You are the only one who can decide what your life, what your family and what your business will be. - Daphnée Karen Floréal
Mike Bellot, Solo Bag
Mike Bellot Reading By the Light of a Solo Bag.Used with permission.
After losing a close family member in a fire started by a candle that was being used to provide light for evening schoolwork, Bellot was driven to invent the Solo Bag. The school bag, embedded with a solar panel and an integrated LED light, allows students in the rural areas of Haiti to study at night. As only 37% of the population has access to electricity, many children are unable to do schoolwork after nightfall. Poor lighting affects literacy and leads students to be less productive, with many often giving up on school entirely and perpetuating a cycle of poverty.
This revolutionary sustainable solution not only helps the students of Haiti, but can also help the 1.2 billion people worldwide who do not have access to electricity.
An economist, entrepreneur and innovator with degrees in International Trade and Global Political Economy, Bellot also invented the world’s first mobile aquaponic garden system, Ancora BoxFarm, a system designed to help farmers in areas that are vulnerable to natural hazards and disasters.
Nora Jeanne Joseph, RADIKAL
RADIKAL, Empowering Haitian Women.Used with permission.
Jeanne Joseph established RADIKAL to address the root causes of gender inequity and economic disparity with a business model that creates revenue opportunities for women in Haiti. RADIKAL creates micro-enterprises that offer organic beauty, wellness and environmental products to underserved consumers through a dynamic network of micro-entrepreneurs. Utilizing the internet, social media and mobile technology has transformed the ability of these micro-enterprises to create financial independence in marginalized communities.Jeanne Joseph is dedicated to changing Haiti's global image by demonstrating that the island can rely on its own resources to foster economic growth and gender equality. Embracing the use of only organic, high-quality local raw materials and using a circular economic model that allows Haitian women to invest in their own thriving micro-franchises, RADIKAL redefines sustainability in the current context of the country.
I am passionate about sustainability, women's empowerment and Haiti! – Nora Jeanne Joseph
Stephane Jean-Baptiste, Kreyòl Essence
Stephane Jean-Baptiste, Kreyòl Essence.Used with permission.
Endeavoring to tackle the socioeconomic disparities that plague Haiti, Jean-Baptiste formed Kreyol Essence, a company with a business model that benefits the country both economically and environmentally. A high-end product available to the global market, Haitian Black Castor Oil is helping to ignite an aggressive reforestation plan that propels the growth of undervalued native tropical vegetation. Imported commodities from around the world have crippled the agricultural economy of Haiti and Jean-Baptiste is driven to correct that problem, creating prosperity and self-sufficiency through the use of the island’s natural resources.Using ethically sourced and organic ingredients to craft a luxury brand that celebrates the vibrant and bold imagery of the island, Jean-Baptiste is working to rewrite Haiti’s narrative and change the global image of the country using sustainable materials and practices.
I consider our work as an opportunity to develop new marketing strategies to help me visually communicate our multicultural perspective with all people. - Stephane Jean-Baptiste
Jessenia Thimotee, Epis Kreyol
Jessenia Thimotee , Epis Kreyol.Used with permission.
Thimotee is promoting Haiti’s native vegetation, food culture and sustainable practices with Epis Kreyol. Made with non-genetically modified organisms and organic Haitian spices noted for their healing properties, the flavorful seasoning sauce is safe for almost all palettes. The ingredients are grown organically, making it equally safe for the island’s natural environment.
Epis Kreyol is putting Haiti on the map with its native spices, allowing food enthusiasts from all over the world to enjoy an authentic taste of Haiti.
Johnson "Blada" Desauguste, Kay Blada Recycling
Johnson Desauguste, Kay Blada Recycling.Used with permission.
Desauguste was inspired to form the nonprofit organization, Kay Blada Recycling, after growing up witnessing the extreme poverty and environmental devastation that plague Haiti. Kay Blada Recycling addresses both issues by providing sustainable employment to local Haitians in the mission to alleviate plastic waste on the island. Along with the direct recycling effort, Desauguste is also dedicated to educating Haitian citizens about waste management and environmental stewardship. Cleaner streets and waterways are a direct result of his mission to inspire and empower people to clean up Haiti’s natural environment.In the three years since its founding, Kay Blada Recycling has grown to employ 100 people and has recycled over 85,000 pounds of plastic. Desauguste continues to seek out ways to further the causes of lowering unemployment and decreasing plastic waste.
That's 100 Haitians that otherwise would not have anything to do with their time due to the high unemployment rate in Haiti, and 85,000 pounds of plastic that was going be burned or end up in the ocean. Think about it. - Johnson Desauguste
Wanda Tima, L'union Suite & The Haitian American
Wanda Tima, L'union Suite.Used with permission.
Tima created L’Union Suite to serve as an online platform for networking and connecting young entrepreneurs with established professionals in entertainment, sports, culture and humanitarian efforts. The platform gathers and curates authentic stories about Haiti, Haitians and Haitian-Americans to reveal the unique and inspiring life of the island and its citizens to the world. These accurate and authentic accounts excite interest in Haiti and attract tourists, boosting the nation’s economy.Dedicated to changing Haiti’s narrative, L’ Union Suite has created a wave of young ambassadors to tell and share the stories that no one else will tell. Sharing news and information about efforts and accomplishments allows the world can see Haitians and the Haitian diaspora with less focus on the country’s difficulties and more on the joy of a strong and resilient people. Tima’s ultimate goal is to inspire others and create a legacy of hard work, dedication, and community change.
Since launching in 2011, L’union Suite has attracted over 10 million visitors a week and gained more than 300,000 subscribers via the site and social media platforms.
Christian Tribie, 121 Consulting Group
Christian Tribie, 121 Consulting.Used with permission.
Focusing on sustainable development in energy, water and agriculture, 121 Consulting is comprised of a group of individuals dedicated to developing a better Haiti. The group’s first project was the engineering, procurement and construction of a 130 kilowatt PV system with a 196 kilowatt-hour lithium storage capacity. The system supports an office building that provides services to improve Haitian education, health, children and orphanages. The project developer, 10Power, promoted gender equality and the empowerment of the local workforce, along with providing valuable training on OSHA safety and code compliance (NEC 2017).The project represents the largest solar installation on a UNICEF base to date and was a Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) 2018 Industry Award Winner. It stands as a benchmark for the growth of renewables development in the Caribbean. 121 Consulting and 10Power continue to pursue more projects where local empowerment will drive economic success in Haiti.
With the continued tenacity and innovation of organizations like these, the Caribbean’s switch to a clean and resilient energy grid will be much sooner than many thought possible. Adam Carter- Advisory committee member, CIBC FirstCaribbean
Duquesne Fednard, D&E Green Enterprises
Duquesne Fednard , D&E Green Enterprises.Used with permission.
Fednard is a passionate social entrepreneur who seeks to break the cycle of extreme poverty by using innovative approaches in employing local resources to solve local problems. He has created several programs to address and successfully alleviate extreme poverty in Haiti and is always looking for new ways to solve social issues in a financially viable and scalable manner.Fednard built Haiti’s first and only business processing outsourcing center (BPO), providing training and high paying jobs to underprivileged youth. He has also created an automatic savings program (SxC) for ultra-low income people by harnessing their existing spending on basic food staples. Other successful projects implemented by Fednard and D&E Green Enterprises have been corncob- and solar-powered micro-grids that provide reliable power to more than 300 households and a factory for producing highly efficient cookstoves to slow the deforestation caused by the excessive use of charcoal.
“I believe if we can create financially viable systems to provide universal access to basic services such as clean energy, health care and education, extreme poverty will be a thing of the past.” - Duquesne Fednard
Fun-raising! Comics raise cash for Haiti
The joke’s on Haiti.A Haitian comedian has recruited three high-profile stand-up stars to join his comedy show benefit for the Caribbean country. The third annual “Jokes for Haiti” at Littlefield on Nov. 11, will feature Caribbean-born Brooklyn comedian Janelle James, “Saturday Night Live” writer Sam Jay, and rising local stand-up Tim Dillon. The show’s organizer and host, Tanael Joachim, says that he is a big fan of all three artists, and that he knows that they will pack the room for the charity event.“These are all funny people that I like and funny people that I know will get attention, and they are all doing great things,” said Joachim.”Joachim created the show after Hurricane Matthew ravaged parts of southern Haiti in 2016. He wanted to help his native country, but was frustrated by reports of wasted money by the Red Crossand similar humanitarian groups, so he wanted to donate to a reputable grassroots organization.“I started this because I wanted to do something and I wanted to find a good charity,” he said. “But I was very careful because a lot of them go down there, and abuse their names and the power they have.”After doing some research, Joachim discovered Nova Hope for Haiti — a New Jersey-based group that organizes medical mission trips and operates two medical clinics in the rural southwest Haiti towns of Cavaillon and Boileau, which supply Haiti’s most vulnerable populations with vaccines and other medication.The group has a proven track record, and it employs healthcare professionals with a direct connection to Haiti, said Joachim.“They only hire Haitian nurses, doctors, and most of their staff is Haitian, and that was even more an incentive for me to support them,” he said.Joachim created the fund-raising comedy show to support the medical group, and also to spearhead a movement against major non-profits in favor of smaller one. And his stand-up set during the show will make light of many organizations that have profited from money intended to help Haiti’s people, he said.“I will definitely be making a jokes about them,” he said. “And this goes beyond the Red Cross. I find that generally speaking when a charity is big, a lot of things get lost in translation and the money goes into too many hands leading to a lot of weird things happening.”The night will not only be a great time, but it will go to a good cause, said Joachim.“People should come first and foremost because it’s good entertainment, it’s high level comedy, and what makes it better is knowing the entertainment you’re getting comes with the added benefit of doing something good,” said Joachim. “The money from the show is going directly to the organization, the community, and the people left behind by the government.”“Jokes for Haiti” at Littlefield [635 Sackett St. between Third and Fourth avenues in Gowanus, www.littlefieldnyc.com]. Nov. 11 at 8 pm. $15 ($12 in advance).By: By Alexandra Simon | Courier's Life Brooklyn Daily | November 1, 2018
Has Haiti Lost Nearly All of Its Forest? It's Complicated
The cloud forests of Haiti’s Macaya National Park are believed to carry the world’s largest concentration of endemic amphibians. Island ecosystems are hotspots for biodiversity, and historically, Haiti was no different.But a dire new study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims the Caribbean country has less than 1 percent of its original primary forest left. By around 2035, all that forest is estimated to be gone, leaving Haiti’s wildlife—from endemic orchids to the Mozart’s frog—with no safe place to go.Or so, that’s the story the study tells. Other researchers who’ve spent time in Haiti studying its forests aren’t sold on the methodology or the narrative around the need for untouched forests to support biodiversity.The study authors, who work with the Haiti Audubon Society, Temple University, the U.S. Forest Service, and Oregon State University, expect Haiti to lose up to 83 percent of its species by 2036. By their estimates, the country is in the throes of a mass extinction event.The researchers examined satellite images of the country’s forest cover from 1984 to 2016. In 1988, their analysis showed primary (aka undisturbed) forest made up 4.4 percent of Haiti’s total land cover. By 2016, that number had dipped to 0.32 percent. Only eight mountains in Haiti contain primary forest now, compared with 43 of the island’s 50 mountains in 1988.
The data shows that the secondary growth that’s largely replaced Haiti’s original forestland supports a fraction of the biodiversity. The team checked out the 10 highest mountains firsthand between 2009 and 2015, and they found “significantly more” endemic species and species, in general, in primary forests. When looking at specific sites on these mountains, the average total species richness per site dropped 66 percent without primary forest. For endemics, that number stood at 88 percent.Why has primary forest become nearly non-existent in Haiti? It’s complicated.The nation’s deforestation woes trace back to the 17th century when French colonizers invaded the land and cleared forests for slave plantations, per VICE. Since colonial times, modern agriculture and charcoal production have only exacerbated the loss of primary forest. The major 2010 earthquake didn’t make anything better.While many environmentalists have historically blamed poverty and the people of Haiti people for the loss of trees—in 2016, a meteorologist even made the wild (and false) claim that starving Haitian children eat them—some researchers who have spent time on the ground in Haiti have called claims of dramatic deforestation, including those made by the new study, overblown.Peter Wampler, a geology professor at Grand Valley State University, is one of them. He’s spent time in Haiti since 2007 and has seen firsthand the way community members take care in handling and protecting their trees. He knows that tree cover and biological diversity have decreased in the study period the authors examine, but Wampler also found the methodology “subjective and biased to ensure that Haiti will eventually reach 0 [percent] primary forest cover,” he wrote to Earther in an email.That, in turn, creates a hopeless situation for the people in Haiti who are the ones actually impacted by a loss of biodiversity and trees, he said.“This article’s use of a new forest cover definition, ‘primary forest,’ makes it virtually impossible for Haitians to restore Haiti’s forests,” Wampler said, “as it seems by the definition applied, one cannot restore a ‘primary forest.’”Wampler also pointed out that the study used a very strict definition of forest cover that only included primary growth and areas with 70 percent tree cover—much higher than standards the United Nations uses. Other studies that have used 10 percent as a threshold, for example, peg the country-wide forest cover at 32 percent.Andrew Tarter, an anthropologist who’s studied the relationships people in Haiti have to trees, said in an email to Earther that this strict threshold represents a “conservationist” viewpoint. And he emphasized secondary tropical forest that’s regrown should still support biodiversity.“Thirty years of regrowth in the tropics represent trees of significant stature,” he wrote to Earther. “Even 10 years does.”In response to these criticisms, author S. Blair Hedges, the director of Temple University’s Center for Biodiversity, said the “paper is only about facts (science), which should always be the basis of policy.”No one disagrees that deforestation is a problem in Haiti. That doesn’t make it any less complicated, though, especially in a place wrought with the scars of colonization and slavery. And many would argue hopeless numbers and expiration dates solve nothing. What Haitians need is an opportunity to restore the land they live and depend on every single day.By: Yessenia Funes | Gizmodo | November 1, 2018
First of Its Kind, Women Owned Factory Creates Sustainable Jobs in Haiti
January 14, 2019 factory grand opening in memory of Haiti earthquake victims, and in celebration of survivors perseverance PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, October 23, 2018 (Newswire.com) - In less than 100 days the world will remember the 200,000+ lives that were lost in the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Frontline news will marvel at the 1.5 million people who became homeless overnight and the aid dollars that seemed to vanish. One company, however, will not only honor those lost, they will celebrate the livelihoods created due to the tenacity of the survivors. deux mains, an ethical fashion brand, is using innovation to invest in the long-term development of Haiti. Combining industrial manufacturing with handmade craftsmanship, deux mains introduces an ethical production system that is sustainable.
Days after the earthquake, deux mains President, Julie Colombino was on the ground to assist survivors. Since that time, she has transitioned from a disaster responder into a fashion entrepreneur, supporting dozens of dignified jobs in Haiti. Marrying locally-sourced Haitian leathers and repurposed tires, deux mains manufactures high-end footwear and handbags for companies such as Kenneth Cole, Faithbox and Norton Point.
"We have beaten all the odds of growing a business in Haiti. Our vision to create an innovative and competitive manufacturing system has come to fruition. We have doubled production, as well as, doubled our environmental and social impact by creating more jobs and repurposing more tires. Haiti may be poor in many ways, but access to the limitless sunshine is not one of them. We have increased impact by outfitting our building with solar so that we may harness the power of the Haitian sun, reducing C02 emissions," -said Colombino
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 14, 2019 will mark another milestone in the deux mains story of creating sustainable employment in Haiti. With dignitaries and ambassadors in attendance, deux mains will showcase local manufacturing, blending their industrial and handmade processes. The eco-brand also uses 100 percent solar energy to run their facility. deux mains is a registered Haitian business transforming the manufacturing industry by creating a set of standards that ensures products are designed to defend the environment, craftsmen and women are protected by policy, and consumers have the power to shop responsibly.First investors in the company are institutions working on global poverty such as USAID, Clinton Global Initiative, and the United Nations. Ethical fashion brand, Eileen Fisher, has also invested in the scale of the business.The deux mains factory grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony takes place on Jan. 14, 2019 at 10 a.m. in Port au Prince, Haiti.Via: Newswire.com | October 23, 2018
Sean Penn, Rainn Wilson And Soleil Moon Frye Launch Digital Recovery Campaign For Haiti
Rainn Wilson and Soleil Moon Frye hosted a special evening on October 11 in conjunction with Sean Penn’s J/P Haitian Relief Organization. Held at Gjelina restaurant in Venice, the intimate occasion included cocktails, dinner and discussion of ongoing disaster relief efforts, including the newly launched campaign, The Long Run For Recovery.
Also present was Wilson’s wife, author Holiday Reinhorn. The couple’s foundation, Lidè Haiti, provides academic support and arts programs to Haitian girls ages 11 to 21. Lidè is one organization partnering with J/P HRO for the Long Run campaign. Additional hosts included Ann Lee, CEO of J/P HRO, and Bill Baumgart, CEO of WRLDX Funds Without Borders, who made the evening possible.
The philanthropic evening’s focus was on The Long Run for Recovery, a virtual marathon throughout Haiti that allows participants to join as digital runners, syncing their personal supporter page to FitBit, MapMyFitness or Strava to track their progress on the virtual course. Funds raised support relief efforts in Haiti and in United States areas recently affected by hurricanes.
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for WRLDX
Sean Penn founded J/P HRO in 2010 following the massive earthquake that devastated the Caribbean country. The organization has worked tirelessly to improve the situation there, having relocated 60,000 people, administered 4,000 vaccinations, and placed 6,000 students in school programs, among other milestones.
Although not present for the evening in Venice, Sean Penn shared with Haute Living his thoughts on J/P HRO’s progress. “Of course, we’re very proud of what we accomplished in Haiti, in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, again after Hurricane Matthew, and in years since,” Penn said. “However, we at once recognize that the destruction which disasters inflict is really the symptom of bigger problems that need to be addressed — poverty, inequality, and broken systems. Crises like earthquakes and hurricanes uncover underlying problems that have always been there, and it’s incumbent upon us to address not only the symptom, but also the cause of this suffering.”
Photo Credit: Photo by Donato Sardella/Getty Images for WRLDX
Sean Penn also shared his thoughts on how the American government and American businesses could improve in the approach to assistance, both worldwide and close to home. “In terms of our government’s aid policies, we’d like to see a focus on preparedness,” Penn said. “Every dollar spent on disaster preparedness is six times more effective that post-disaster spending.”
Of this desired emphasis on preparation, not just recovery alone, Penn continued: “At J/P HRO, we want to work with local governments, businesses, and communities to invest in preparedness; so future disasters have less deadly, destructive, and expensive impacts. That’s exactly what we’re piloting in Savanah, Georgia. We’re partnering with local stakeholders to train young people as certified disaster preparedness advocates in their communities.”
Echoing Sean Penn’s remarks that relief efforts in disaster-stricken areas can uncover problems that require long-term aid, hosts Rainn Wilson and Soleil Moon Frye shared with guests their own personal experiences assisting the cause.
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for WRLDX
“I first went to Haiti about 10 years ago,” Soleil Moon Frye said, recounting the story of how a conversation with Sean Penn was the catalyst for her involvement. “I bumped into Sean, who had been a lifelong friend of my father’s. And I said, ‘I really want to go see what’s happening.’ And he said, ‘If you’re serious, pack up a suitcase, meet me there on Tuesday.’ And I packed up as much medical supplies as I could find … I didn’t even know what to expect, but I walked into a situation that was unlike any I’ve ever seen — 65,000 people living in a tent city.”
Rainn Wilson also addressed the small gathering at Gjelina, relating how his involvement began long before the 2010 earthquake, through his work with The Mona Foundation, for which he served as a board member. Following the natural tragedy, he and his wife established Lidè, which translates to “leaders.” He said, “[I realized] that education was where my passion was, that I wouldn’t be where I am without the education that I have — the teachers and mentors who stepped in at the right time to show me and help me along the way. And I wanted to give children around the world those same opportunities.”
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for WRLDX
Wilson says he and his wife were so inspired by the Haitians’ vibrant culture, humor, language and music that they wanted to find more ways to help. At a J/P HRO camp, the couple participated in a United Nations-supported arts workshop for adolescent girls. “It was an extraordinarily powerful experience to see these shy, frail, girls who had no voice utterly transform over the course of 10 days … and these girls had gained confidence and a sense of themselves, a pride in who they were and in their work and we were really struck,” Wilson said.
To close his remarks, Wilson shared a memory of his very first visit to Haiti, when he saw a little girl trying to do her homework by the light of a trash fire. And he stressed the importance of supporting, in particular, female youth in Haiti to encourage positive societal changes. “If you want to impact the world in the best possible way, just micro-target girls’ education, because that transforms communities,” Wilson said.
BY: MARIE LOOK | HAUTE LIVING | CELEBRITIES, NEWS, PHILANTHROPY | OCTOBER 16, 2018
Sigora Solar powers homes in Haiti with give-back program
Sigora Solar is proud to announce the launch of their “Sigora Gives Back” program which will provide clean, renewable electricity to underserved families in Haiti that have never had electricity before.Through this program, Sigora is promising that with every U.S. home that receives the Produce and Reduce package, a whole home solar and energy efficiency solution, the company will provide 24/7 electricity to a family in Haiti. The Sigora Gives Back program utilizes a partnership between Sigora, Sigora Haiti and a non-profit, HADPRE.Sigora Haiti was founded in 2016 and serves over 20,000 people with clean, reliable, and fairly-priced energy. The company was founded by Andy Bindea, the founder of Sigora Solar, with a mission to sustainably electrify underserved communities in Haiti and give access to the 87 percent of the population in Haiti that does not have access to electricity. It has been recognized by Forbes, Fast Company, and Renewable Energy World Magazine. Sigora Haiti is currently the only privately held utility company in the country, providing 24/7 grid-tied electricity to homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses sourced from renewable and clean energy.Sigora Haiti partners with HADPRE (Hummingbird Academy for Disaster Preparedness & Renewable Energies) a non-profit, to provide energy access for all and answer persisting social problems that many rural Haitian communities face in terms of education, access to healthcare and natural disasters. HADPRE aims to guarantee inclusive access to electricity and to foster gender-equal, sustainable economic and social development in rural Haiti.The positive impact that these partnerships have had on Haiti, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, is immense. Hospitals that are now able to power life-saving medical equipment, students can now read and study in the evenings, and business are opening due to the ability to sell refrigerated and frozen goods.Logan Landry, CEO of Sigora Solar said about the program, “We are dedicated to ensuring our impact on the community and the world is an embodiment of our values of integrity, diversity, respect, and support”.After the hurricanes in 2016, relief efforts in Virginia initiated by Sigora Solar supported emergency relief and the grid repairs in Haiti. These efforts restored power to Sigora Haiti customers within six hours of the hurricane passing and provided relief for over 15,000 people. These efforts included repairing homes, reconstructing a local orphanage, and providing clean drinking water.Sigora Solar continues relief efforts in North and South Carolina after the flooding of Hurricane Florence, drawing from the long history and company values of disaster relief, community outreach, and philanthropy.By: Billy Ludt | October 16, 2018
Councilman Eugene celebrates Haiti Day
Councilman Mathieu Eugene (D–Flatbush) celebrated New York City Haitian Day at Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan on Oct. 6. Students, clergy, and local community leaders joined the Flatbush politician for a flag raising ceremony of the Haitian banner, honoring the Haitian soldiers that fought for American independence.The councilman said the celebratory day acknowledges the importance of Haitians in American history in current times, and in the past.“Today we are going to celebrate the contribution of Haitians to American history, and we’re also going to celebrate the contributions of Haitians who currently live in the United States to the fabric of America,” he said.Two years ago, City Council passed into legislation a resolution designating Oct. 9 as Haitian Day. It marks a significant date in Haitian and American history, commemorating the Battle of Savannah — an important combat during the American Revolution that more than 500 Haitian troops participated in.Eugene said this fun fact of history was a moment of pride for Haitians everywhere, and should be recognized by the global community.“This is such a wonderful moment, not only for Haitian people, but also for the friends of Haitians, and for people from the United States and those residing all over the world,” he said.By: ALEXANDRA SIMON | Caribbean Life | October 9, 2018
Quake Reminds Haiti Its Structures Are Still Vulnerable – And Its Fault Lines Mysterious
Folks on Haiti’s north coast are still shaken after Saturday night’s strong earthquake there killed at least a dozen people and injured almost 200. The quake was produced by a Caribbean fault line that’s been relatively quiet for centuries.The 5.9-magnitude earthquake’s epicenter was in the sea northwest of Haiti. It was the first strong jolt to hit Haiti since the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people. And it was a reminder that too many of Haiti’s houses and other structures still aren’t sturdy enough to withstand large quakes.David Diller, an American Mennonite missionary in Port-de-Paix, on Haiti’s north coast, says some of his congregants lost their homes.“One of the people in our church, their house – I mean, it took the whole thing," Diller told WLRN. "They ran out of the house, but they had forgotten one child. And when the thing stopped they went back in – and it was God’s protection, because that child was on the floor, there was a pile block on both sides of that child and that child did not have a mark on it.”Like the fault line in southern Haiti that caused the 2010 earthquake, the Caribbean fault involved in Saturday’s quake had been relatively dormant for the past few centuries. It’s called the Septentrional Fault. And it’s a bit of a mystery to scientists, says University of Miami geophysicist Falk Amelung.“This fault is supposed to rupture," says Falk. "We know from GPS measurement that it’s moving relatively fast. But there was very little seismic activity in the last 500 years – and that is surprising.”Amelung says data show Saturday’s earthquake involved a lot of vertical thrust instead of the horizontal push expected from that fault. And that adds to concerns about tsunamis should the fault move in that fashion under the sea again.
Saturday's earthquake epicenter was in the Caribbean Sea just to the northwest of Haiti, along the Septentrional fault line.By: TIM PADGETT/WLRN/OCT 8, 2018
Death toll in Haiti earthquake rises to 15; at least 333 injured
PORT-DE-PAIX, Haiti — The death toll from a 5.9 earthquake that hit Haiti over the weekend rose to at least 15 people with 333 injured, according to updated figures released Monday by authorities, as rescue crews worked to help victims spooked by strong aftershocks.Haiti's civil protection agency said in a statement that it will soon deploy 70 soldiers to the Nord-Ouest and Artibonite provinces that were hardest hit, noting it already sent 14 soldiers along with nurses and doctors to the area over the weekend.
Thousands of people along Haiti's north coast have dragged mattresses and chairs outside, fearing new aftershocks. Many wondered how they were going to rebuild from Saturday night's quake and a strong 5.2 magnitude aftershock on Sunday that had residents in the coastal city of Port-de-Paix and elsewhere worried about returning to their cracked cinderblock homes for fear they would collapse.
Among them was Marc-Sena Docteur, a 24-year-old carpenter whose girlfriend died in the earthquake."Now I'm left with a 9-month-old baby with no aid at all," he said. "I'm still crying. I don't know what I'm going to do without her."The walls of the room that the couple had been renting for a year collapsed, and he and the baby have been sleeping outdoors since the quake.
Sunday's aftershock caused panic on streets where emergency teams were providing relief to victims after cinderblock homes and rickety buildings toppled in several cities. The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the aftershock was located 9.8 miles (15.8 kilometers) north-northwest of Port-de-Paix.Among the dead were a 5-year-old boy crushed by his collapsing house.Impoverished Haiti, where many live in tenuous circumstances, is vulnerable to earthquakes and hurricanes. A vastly larger magnitude 7.1 quake damaged much of the capital in 2010 and killed an estimated 300,000 people.Etanvie Dimorne, a 50-year-old mason, said people have to rebuild stronger given the earthquakes that have hit Haiti. He lost his home in Saturday's quake and is now sleeping under a tarp in someone's yard."Last night it rained," he said. "I have to sleep under difficult conditions."
President Jovenel Moise urged people to donate blood and asked international aid agencies to coordinate with local agencies to avoid duplicated efforts. The government did not provide an estimate of the damages.
The USGS said Saturday's quake was centered 12 miles (19 kilometers) northwest of Port-de-Paix, which is about 136 miles (219 kilometers) from the capital of Port-au-Prince.It was felt lightly in the capital, as well as in the neighboring Dominican Republic and in eastern Cuba, where no damage was reported.In Haiti, officials have struggled to shore up buildings despite the two major fault lines along Hispaniola, which is the island shared with the Dominican Republic.
The damage from the temblors was visible. In Gros-Morne, one bed was covered in rubble, while the exterior walls of some homes were cracked. Others tilted at precarious angles.Pierre Jacques Baudre, a farmer and father of seven, said he was afraid to return to his home after one wall built with rocks and cement crumbled."The house can fall at any time," he said.The civil protection agency issued a statement saying that houses were destroyed in Port-de-Paix, Gros-Morne, Chansolme and Turtle Island.Damage was also reported at the Saint-Michel church in Plaisance and the police station in Port-de-Paix. Parts of a hospital and an auditorium collapsed in Gros-Morne, where parliamentarian Alcide Audne told The Associated Press that two of the deaths occurred.By: Associated Press via NBCnews.com | October 8, 2018
Fire of the power plant of Digicel Data Center
Early Sunday morning a fire broke out in the power plant that feeds the Data Center of the Digicel, which affected some customer services (Internet services and phone calls).Sunday on his Twitter account, Maarten Boutes President and CEO of Digicel in Haiti indicates that the fire could be controlled thanks to the intervention of the firefighters of Pétion-Ville and that a backup generator had been installed in order to the resumption of the services affected.On its Facebook page, the Digicel indicates that technicians are working to restore 100% service.By: HaitiLibre | 08/27/2018
Haitians protest alleged misuse of PetroCaribe funds, demand accountability
Haitians hit the streets to call for an investigation into the alleged misuse of Venezuela-sponsored PetroCaribe funds by previous administrations.A social media campaign drew attention to the issue and led hundreds of Haitians in front of the Superior Court of Accounts with some holding signs that read, “Where is the PetroCaribe money?”“We’re here to ask the court, the (Ministry of ) Justice – I want to know where the fund given by Venezuela is, the fund that should be invested in development projects in the country? A fund estimated at more than 3 million dollars. It’s unacceptable that a small group of people, the (Ministry of) Justice, the parliament can’t understand this dynamic. This morning we’re mobilizing to ask where is this fund”, an unidentified protester said.
I want to know where the fund given by Venezuela is, the fund that should be invested in development projects in the country?
Another protester said “We’re here to denounce the thieves. They should turn over the PetroCaribe fund. We’re starting a peaceful movement. If they don’t turn over the money this movement can take any form. It’s their obligation to turn it over.”Venezuela’s PetroCaribe scheme, launched in 2005, has furnished about 12 Caribbean states with oil supplies under a flexible credit mechanism. It obliging these states to pay cash for part of every shipment and finance the rest at low interest rates, or buy it with goods like food and clothing. However, a collapse in oil prices has caused a recession in Venezuela, and stalled many of the PetroCaribe shipments.Earlier this year judges were appointed to probe possible acts of corruption with PetroCaribe funds during the administrations of former Haitian presidents Rene Preval and Michel Martelly, between 2008 and 2016.Current President Jovenel Moise, who is from the same party that ruled during the period, has been criticized for not pursuing corruption as actively as he vowed to do.Haiti has a long tradition of corruption, and international partners and anti-graft watchdogs have often blamed Haitian politicians for failing to crack down on the menace.By: Reuters via Africanews.com| August 25, 2018
An investment opportunity for Haiti’s Diaspora
A Brooklyn-based Haitian-American entrepreneur is on a mission to lead her fellow country folk living abroad to invest in the city of Cap-Haitien, commonly known as Okap — Haiti’s bustling northern city. Maritza Boudoir spearheaded “Thriving Okap,” — an initiative that encourages the economic revitalization of her home city from other Haitians interested in investing in the Caribbean nation. She says the city is open for business and if Haitians wanted to seek out a location in Haiti outside of Port-au-Prince.“There are lots of opportunities for Haitians in the Diaspora to get involved. Okap has a rich history and a growing tourism industry which could be very lucrative for the local economy and entrepreneurship,” said Boudoir. “There are risks but the opportunities are also there, with hard work, faith, dedication, and tough skin — we can thrive as a community.”Thriving Okap aims to present the issues and possibilities the city have, connect prospective investors with major players in the city, and analyze the various industries and find ways those problems can be resolved with business creation. And the prospects the country overall can offer is abundant.“The land in Haiti is very fertile so there are opportunities to expand in several areas such as agriculture, environment, and manufacturing,” she said.To jumpstart on bringing the initiative’s efforts forward, she connected with fellow Haitian-American and founder of the Haitian cultural site L’Union Suite, Wanda Tima. She says the pair share similar aspirations on Haiti’s improvement, and Tima’s influence within the Haitian Diaspora could raise awareness about the project.“We are both from Okap and I always admired her work in promoting our culture and her drive as a social entrepreneur, so when I had the intention of launching “Thriving Okap,” I knew she would be an effective media partner,” said Boudoir. “Her company does a fantastic job at bridging the gap between the locals and the Diaspora.”Other than Okap being Boudoir’s place of birth, she chose the city as the location for this initiative because of it being the country’s urban hub in the north, its fascinating past, and her established connection to it.“Okap is the second largest city and it’s rich in history, and as we are talking about Haiti being the first black independent nation — most of that history stems from the north,” she said. “‘Why Okap? Why not Okap?’ I had to start somewhere so I went with what I love and know best. If there’s any social, cultural and economic revolution to take place in Haiti, Okap is definitely the nucleus.”She says very often Haitians living abroad show little interest in going back to create economic development because they may view the country’s problems as challenges, but Boudoir wants to shift those attitudes and show that there are favorable options.“I am an entrepreneur at heart and a woman who is deeply connected and committed to her country, and instead of focusing on the problems, I decided to focus on the possibilities which is why I launched Thriving Okap,” she said.One of Okap’s biggest economies is self-employment through the strong presence of vendors, according to Boudoir. And the existence of such an industry shows the desire the city’s locals have finding work for themselves. She said that other emerging industries such as technology is growing rapidly and helps ease the way business owners connect.With Thriving Okap, Haitians interested in starting a business in Haiti should make visits to the city to assess what is there, and the team will make contact with established businesses they are in collaboration with, to determine the avenue one can delve into.Boudoir added that Okap was like any city across the globe and with an uptick in investment and job creation, the city will grab more interest that will benefit its growth.“Part of the reason the economy of any country works is when people have the opportunity to buy, and part of that is creating jobs, and in order to create jobs, we need thriving businesses. With “Thriving OKAP,” the focus is on local entrepreneurship,” she said. “When we create jobs, we decrease poverty and elevate the standard of living. But if we can educate people, we can change their mindset, and let them know that they are valued because feeling valued is at the core of every human being.”By: ALEXANDRA SIMON | Caribbean Life | August 21, 2018
Widespread riots in Haiti over fuel prices
The Haitian government suspended a fuel price hike Saturday after widespread violence broke out across the capital and in the northern city of Cap-Haitien.Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant had originally said the country needed to raise prices to balance the budget and gave no indication he would back down.But his administration bowed to pressure after demonstrators took to the streets in protest.
A journalist from The Associated Press reported seeing several hundred people on Saturday attack a Best Western Premiere hotel in Petion-Ville, one of the capital’s wealthiest neighborhoods. Guests were forced to remain inside as rocks were hurled through windows around 10 a.m. local time.
Security manned the building, but rioters shattered the main entrance before moving to another hotel.By: Yahoo News Photo Staff | Sat, Jul 7, 2018
In Haiti, solar panels key part of plan to bring electric power to remote areas
In a small home in Chansolme, a municipality in northwestern Haiti, Frantzy Monfilston’s three children are finishing their homework before they head to bed.
Monfilston, a primary-school teacher at École Mixte Jérusalem d’Andreau, says that his home had no electricity for years, so his children were forced to finish their homework before sunset.Many in Chansolme and other remote, rural areas in Haiti have limited or no electricity, Monfilston says. Students are only one segment of those hard-hit by the lack of electricity; residents struggle to complete daily chores, start and run businesses, and access information during natural disasters.But some remote communities in the country will soon have a reliable electrical supply.
Frantzy Monfilston, a teacher who lives with his family of four in Chansolme, helps his children finish their homework. Before Monfilston became a beneficiary of “Ma Maison Eclairée” in May 2017, he says, his home had no electricity.
Frantzy Monfilston, a teacher who lives with his family of four in Chansolme, helpshis children finish their homework. Before Monfilston became a beneficiary of“Ma Maison Eclairée” in May 2017, he says, his home had no electricity.Credit: Marie Michelle Felicien/GPJ
“Ma Maison Eclairée,” or Electricity in My Home, a government initiative introduced in May 2017, is bringing electricity to an estimated 10,000 families in Haiti. “I can safely say that the electrification program will result in remote-area dwellers feeling less left out,” says Monfilston, whose family is one of 850 living in Chansolme who have benefited from the initiative, according to government officials.Cost and infrastructure challenges have long prevented Haitian people from getting regular access to electricity, hindering key national developments in health, education and the economy. Officials and beneficiaries say the initiative is improving safety, communications and the quality of life in remote communities across the country.Globally, more than 1.1 billion people have no access to electricity. In Haiti, only 25 percent of the population has access to electricity, according to a 2014 report from the Worldwatch Institute, an independent research organization. Many rely on nonrenewable sources of energy, including charcoal, wood fuel and traditional lamps.The government’s goal of bringing renewable sources of energy to remote communities includes the use of solar panels, says Evenson Calixte, government special adviser on energy and director general of Autorité Nationale de Régulation du Secteur de l’Énergie, the nation’s energy-sector regulatory agency.Les Irois, a municipality in western Haiti with an estimated 23,374 residents, was one of the first communities to receive electricity through the government initiative. A total of 380 solar panels, 36 wind turbines and a standby generator have been installed in the municipality, Calixte says.Ma Maison Eclairée also supplies inverters equipped with solar-panel-powered bulbs, which can charge phones and which double as radio receivers, to people living in communities without electricity, Calixte says.The device is rechargeable but can be used for up to three days without recharging. The device, when used as a radio receiver, will allow families to access information instantly, instead of having to travel long distances to urban centers to charge their phones in order to contact relatives and friends in emergencies.During the 2010 earthquake, the most devastating in the country’s history, Haitians without electricity were among those most affected, Calixte says.The initiative, which costs 52.6 million Haitian gourdes ($820,000), requires beneficiaries to pay 125 gourdes ($1.94) each month over a two-year period to help cover the expense, Calixte says.For some, this is a cheaper way to power homes. Before receiving the solar-powered device, residents would pay up to 15 gourdes (23 cents) to buy 6 ounces of gas to use in traditional lamps.Though beneficiaries are required to pay, the devices are sustainable and free to maintain.“In case any equipment breaks down, there’s always a technician ready to provide a repair solution that works free of charge, and people don’t have to pay a single penny for the service,” Calixte says.To become a beneficiary, families in the communities where Ma Maison Eclairée is being implemented must register with their local government. Currently, 3,000 families either have received the solar-powered device or have access to electricity through the installment of solar panels, wind turbines and the standby generator in Les Irois, Calixte says.For Rasita Mesi, electricity in Chansolme has improved the way her children are learning. The mother of three says her household has been a beneficiary of Ma Maison Eclairée since November. Before that, her three sons were forced to do their homework with a wick-fed lamp in the evenings.But other remote communities across the country remain without electricity.St Anne Estil, who resides in Bassin Bleu, a municipality in northwestern Haiti, says she and her neighbors have lived without electricity for decades.But bringing electricity to the country’s remote communities takes time, Calixte says. Ma Maison Eclairée is in its first year of what will be years’ worth of improving Haiti’s electrical networks, he says.By: PRI | Marie Michelle Felicien | Global Press Journal | July 2, 2018