Thursday, May 30, 2013

May 30 A Priest's story

May 30 A Priest's story


Sitting around the dinner table sipping beer after a long, hot day, the evening breeze can often waft in a good story, some poignant, tragic.

Paola Trevino is the national director for a Catholic youth NGO, Mission Youth International, that offers teens and young adults all over the world the opportunity to do good works in Haiti, as well as other developing countries. A week or two of soul and faith building experience with the flavour of summer camp at the guesthouse in the evenings. Paola has been in Haiti for three years and has seen a lot. Somethings she is lucky to have not seen, but came to know about, and shares.

Father Tom Hagan68, is a Catholic Priest, a member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, who operates alone in Cité Soleil, the city centre slum with a hellish reputation of for gang control and violence. He spent seven years as Princeton University's chaplain, and started coming to Haiti in 1986.  For more than twenty five years Father Tom has been feeding up to 5000 people a day and running school programs for the slum's families and children. This is a priest, excuse me, with balls.

Cité Soleil (see the documentary, 'The Ghosts of Cité Soleil') was originally developed as a model inner city community by Duvalier. It eventually fell into disrepair, despair, disrepute -  closed off from the rest of the city by competing gangs holding both the authorities and often the residents hostage to their crimes and lifestyle. Part of their self-acclaimed mandate, inherited from generations and centuries of oppression from all sides, is to keep foreigners and authorities out of their lives.

In effect they are kind of nationalist bandits, an alternative to the corrupt authorities and foreigners they detest, who take and control everything by every means at their disposal - shooting, murder, beatings, theft, hate. I might be oversimplifying or not; this slum is a complex cultural phenomenon penetrated by very few organizations, first among them Médicines sans Frontier who play anyway they have to, to do their acute and preventative medicine and life saving programs.

It's a tough game with no favourites allowed and a delicate balance of street diplomacy. Two years ago the country made a huge effort to clean the place out. The UN and Police Nationale d'Haïti stormed in and took back the slum street by street until every gang member they could find was captured or killed or fled. For a while you could go in and bring water trucks and aid workers. No, it's all back to normal.

Against this backdrop works Father Thomas and Hands Together, his own foundation, very

independent of the Church. He refuses to leave, because no one else would replace him. 

He deals with the gangs head on, as they deal with him. They tolerate him because he has the courage that they do not and his work is effective and he is well known and accepted. But tolerance is all on their terms.

To assert their authority sometime ago, Paola tells me, they killed his right hand man in front of him while holding a gun to his head so that there was nothing he could do, but stay. This man was his best friend and had saved his life in the earthquake of January 11, 2010 when Father Tom was buried under rubble along with some 300,000 other victims who died in the 30 second calamity.

No authority or justice here to deal with rage and terror confined in a city slum with no moral sunlight from above to shine on it - only the harsh Haitian one, relentlessly blasting tin roofs, cooking anyone inside, burning the souls of their young ones, testing the resilience of every cell in every body.

Father Tom stopped bringing in Haitian assistants, he now employees large numbers of only Haitians from Cité Soleil to run and learn how to run the programs. This, all second hand from a woman who knows and meets with him. Her deep convictions and beliefs in his holiness stem the sadness and pain of the human condition existing just on the other side of the street from the regular, broken, struggling Port-au-  Prince.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

May 29 Cabaret - the orphanage

May 29 Cabaret - the orphanage

It's Haiti and we need help. Heading out of Port au Prince, we break down. Long time at the side of the road fiddling with the battery terminals and electronics. Ironic that Haitians are moving quickly in all directions all by themselves, but we aren't going anywhere. A miracle turns the engine over but we crawl with almost no power for miles, then run out of gas. The driver hadn't filled up or tuned up, apparently. It's hot and discouraging, especially after the team's 24 hour flight delay to get here. But spirits are buoyed by a little humour and faith that we'll get there eventually. We do, in due course. 

Things seldom go all right in Haiti. Patience and lots of plan Bs are essential. And often so many resources are required to do so little. 13 people lost 10% of their mission time because a plane caught fire at Port-au-Prince airport, backing up everything. 13 people were held up a whole day due to faulty transportation. 12 day's of plans have to be compressed into fewer than 10 and precious donor dollars were depleted. And like Haitians, everyone gets hungry, tired and thirsty. 

At the Welcome Home Children's Centre orphanage the volunteers quickly fill in the balance of the schedule with giving out cloths, colouring, games and reading stories. Lunch of beans and rice, bananas and water restore some of our energy. The children start singing; the girls lead and boys are coaxed to join in. In the heat, and during a lost hour, these angels silence any doubts about working for and with Haitians in Haiti.

The van is being worked on at a mechanic's and won't be ready for the 2 hour drive back to the city before dark. Another vehicle is commissioned. In Haiti, all things can be fixed in time, we hope.  And after all, the children were never aware of the logistical complexities befalling their surrogate parents. They were happy with sincere attention and love, a few gifts and relief from boredom of the hot, early summer afternoons after school. 

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

May 28 Waiting in Haiti

May 28 Waiting in Haiti



My iPhone doesn't sync properly on Haiti time, so, late and missed breakfast again. But wait, the nice lady again brings me breakfast and that strong black coffee. This place is spotless and run very well. The Catholic youth group were up late last night behaving like 10 year olds, not the 19 to 25 age group they are. Loud but very well behaved. Totally innocent and wonderfully naive. They left very early now that the airport is open again. So it's quiet now, too quiet. 

Again, I'm waiting in Haiti - for the team to arrive after flight cancellations, for Haitian friends to show up, for ideas to percolate for the documentary I am thinking about. Time to rest and think and wonder at the characters wandering in and out of Wall's International Guest House, like in a novel or on a movie set.

There is a dentist working on the ubiquitous laptop across from me from Germany, who is setting up terribly needed dental clinics in Haiti. Teaching basic dental hygiene - just simple brushing, like hand washing, would  prevent so much suffering. To prevent awful infections, teeth are just pulled regularly at a young age because they are not cared for. A drastic and permanent solution. 

As we talk, a handsome,  elderly man dressed for a safari strides through - (later I find out he and his wife have built homes for 5 families in the countryside); a plump grey-haired nun, minus the habit (or an NGO matron?) arrives on the scene to announce the planes are flying  this morning; Paola, organizer of the Catholic youth group, Mission Youth, returns form the airport with one poor girl who didn't get on as stand-by; beyond the pool, construction workers are building the establishment's 15-room addition, artfully planing planks and pouring fresh cement.

What exactly am I doing here? Waiting in Haiti. 

I hit pay dirt. Chatting with Veniel, the long time guest house manager, who is in charge of the building project here, I get a short course in managing construction successfully in Haiti; and he has reliable (Baptist!) supplier contacts. Time to set up a meeting with them and Welcome Home Children's Centre and see what happens. Time for a swim. What's that I hear? The clinking of fresh bottles of Prestige going into the beer and pop fridge? Then I'm going to go outside the wall and walk to Joseph's school alone and see what the kids are being taught. 

I find it by wandering a little and asking, but the kids are coming home from school! Joseph is not there. I'm late again, But I'm greeted by two teens who are his students. Again, such refreshing youth, Haitian youth this time. One wants to be a doctor, the other a lawyer - 'there is no justice in Haiti' he complains sincerely. We chat in the shade of the intense heat and meet some family. I had brought along a big box of reader glasses and sunglasses. Each picks a pair. John, the future doctor, follows me back to the guest house because he wants to practice English; he's already pretty good. He wants to meet again. I tell him, I'll try to be on time tomorrow or the next day. We get some pics taken - it's an event for both of us. 

What a nice thought Cathy sent me today:
'it's nice for you to have some downtime in the place you love most on earth.' 

Whew, I can start feeling less guilty now. I admit - real happy to be here.

My oldest son's birthday, today. Happy birthday Paul. 47, no way! What does that make me? A very proud Dad.

Monday, May 27, 2013

May 27 Awakening to Haiti


May 27 Awakening to Haiti



Can I get this beautiful piece home?  Done it before.


May 27. I sleep in, no surprise there. Breakfast is over but one of the female Haitian staff brings me a tray of mango and watermelon slices, omelet and bread and local peanut butter. Coffee is sooo strong. Points for the guesthouse service.

I chat with David from PEI who has spent two weeks working on developing agri projects in mountain communities. I connect with my friend Antonio. He may drop over for a cold one later. Finish editing the new Welcome Home Children's Centre web site and send it LIVE, while their team is here in Haiti.

There is a group of 40 young people with a Catholic NGO staying at this guest house. They actually partied quite well last night to overcome their trauma of being  pushed around by over enthusiastic Haitians while distributing school supplies in a tent city. No surprise there, when there is never enough to go around, you're in trouble. A lot of noise and high testosterone fuelled tempers. Learning experience.

I'm stuck in the guesthouse compound for now, although quite comfortable, as there was an accident at the airport today and flights in and out were cancelled so my team is stuck somewhere. To keep busy I've offered to go to a nearby school to speak with the kids. How will I know what to say?

From outside the security gates, the sounds of barking dogs, motorcycles, truck horns, helicopters and blaring kompa music from  speakers mounted inside pick-ups. Peering over the wall, the street scene is dominated by giant dump trucks still hauling away loads of seemingly endless rubble from the neighbourhoods streets and back lanes. Looking a lot better. To close the day I get a surprise phone call from one of my former staff, Myrlene, a young guest house worker. Very sweet, she was excited to chat and catch up.


May 26 Arriving in Haiti

May 26 Arriving in Haiti

Molly, our jet black Labradoodle, is up with us early at 3:30 a.m. and is really frisky knowing something is up. Beautiful sunrise at Toronto airport. Toronto looks so green from above.

Sat near a young black couple in the food court in Miami airport. They noticed my Haiti bracelet. We got to talking and they are originally from Port-au-Prince. After schooling in Haiti, they were fortunate enough to leave to attend universities in the States. They are living in New York, just got married last night and on their way to a honeymoon in Cancun. Very sweet and happy couple, very interested in work with persons with disabilities in Haiti and expressed how they want to return someday to help. They represent the very lucky few, young, educated, energetic Haitians who will either escape their homeland or reconnect and be part of the promise of Haiti's future. 

On the flight I chat it up with a Haitian couple about my age returning from holidays in Mexico. Again, part of a fortunate minority but very conscious of hard circumstances in their country. After listening to why I come to Haiti, Remy, the husband, thanks me for my sacrifice in helping the Haitian people. Aware of how little I can do, I can only tell him I am honoured to do something - because I am.

We land in 89 F overcast sky. If I have been cold since last summer through this chilly Canadian spring, I'm not anymore. 

Wonderful to see the new American Airlines terminal in Port at Port-au-Prince airport. Sharp picture of Michel Martelly hanging on the freshly painted walls. And lots of  festive Haitian tourism posters and promotional murals. Nowhere near as chaotic as before. I'm singled out for a baggage check by a customs inspector. She rifles through the miscellaneous donated clothes, shoes, gifts and eyeglasses in my hockey bag without protesting. She ends our conversation by telling me in French, "you are handsome," no kidding. Her assistant translates in case I didn't guess it : "You're fine, you look good."

The usual airport helpers are there pressing to make a few American dollars by escorting you out to the parking area. All goes well as we head out into the city to Wall's International Guesthouse. The clouds are banked high like mountains on top of the mountains at the edge of the city. It's going to rain, as it often does in the late afternoon and evening in May and June.

But Port-au-Prince looks a little greener, and the bougainvilleas are in full bloom.