Ralph I was in that same boat when I went to Haiti in 1995 to...

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Ralph

I was in that same boat when I went to Haiti in 1995 to offer my help to my hometown.

The people who would benefit the most from the help, were the ones discouraging me from doing anything at all. Some were in favor, some were scared for me being hurt by trying to do something for the community.

A great percentage, was even angry with me for coming with such suggestion to help them. They claimed that I wanted to do something because I wanted to fullfil my political ambitions.

Well, the trip ended and I came back to the state.

I returned six months later with a group of 15 Americans.

We took with us loads of schools and medical supplies.

We then built a big clininc and beginning of this year we took over the state hospital.

I created the project in 1995, which is providing basic health care to the town and its surroundings, a total of 75,000 people.

We're helping in education by giving training to the teachers, suppying the schools with school materials, sponsoring kids for school from 1st grade to baccalaureat (retho), and providing economic development as well.

This has become a big project with a pretty large staff of doctors, nurses and lab techs, etc...at a price tag of $95,000 annual budget.

We do fund raisings and also get donations taxe deductable as ways to raise money.

There is no overheads and 98% of all the fund goes directly to the project and the other 2% is used to ship supplies and equipments to Haiti.

Ralph, perhaps here's what you failed to understand: Haitian mentality and their way of thinking.

For decades, Haitians have been conditioned to be skeptic, persemistic, not trusting, not to open up, not to believe, and to be dellusional about anyone making promises to them. Why?

Because that has been the practice they are used to, People come from all over the world, Haitians as foreigners, would make all kind of promises to them and never fallow through, once these people leave they never hear from them again, therefore, regardless of your good intent to follow through in your promises, they don't believe you and for that they will not participate or contribute to anything to you project.

They believe you are just another person who wants their money to pay your bills and live large out of their sweat and hard earned money.

You cannot blame them for that because that has been the common practices, that is what they know.

I came back to my hometown in a very short time (six months late) to do what I had promised them. And because I came back to follow through on my promises, I was able to earn their trust even the heart of the skeptics, they love me down there.

I take groups of people down there once or twice a year to volunteer in the project, everytime I get down there, these people are the ones buying me a soda/pop instead of me buying them a soda. They now want me to run for some public office.

The other element that represents another big barier is that Haitians who live abroad and have learned the system of their host countries, like US for example, believe that the US system is the best there is therefore they would come to Haiti and try to impose that system on them. It doesn't work and will never work. Anyone who wants to go to Haiti needs to understand to respect the culture and not coming down there with their head all inflated and their chest all pumped up with arrogance thinking they're going to this or that just because they are from another country.

Regardless of the poverity, the misery and many other variables they are facing with, after all, Haiti is also a nation with a culture, a system and like any other countries, its people too do live with dignity, integrity, pride as well. They too have a way of life, and therefore you must work and try to help within the context of these sets of values.

Least but not last, anyone who has the willingnes to do anything in Haiti to help the people must understand the fundamental principle and philosophy "You're not going to do for them, but doing with them." Haitians like to feel part of something and not standing by watching somebody doing it alone nor telling them what to do.

Some of these Americans that I brought down there had to learn it the hard way.

Tiba, December 25 2008, 11:31 AM

Topic: Haiti's uncertain future

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