A New Kind of Diaspora

Over the last year, many, many people have spent time in Haiti as a future parent, aid worker, or mission volunteer. I am among one of many diverse people who now have an emotional connection to a place that might have not even registered on their consciousness a few years prior. One question I have that will be fascinating to see answered is how these new social connections make an impact. It's not just about me, there is a whole web of people connected to me who are now invested in the welfare and future of Haiti. How many of us will change the course of our life or others' lives because of our time in Haiti?

I would love to hear from my readers on how you found my blog and your interest in Haiti. Comment on this post or send me an email at cristinagarmendia@gmail.com.

Also I have several unfinished blog posts that I could be motivated to finish:

The Diaspora and Remittances
Self-Reliance
Streetscape as Public Space
Gender in Haiti
A Cushion from Catastrophe
Cultivating Democracy in Haiti
Rural Sprawl in Haiti
The Politics of Language

Port-au-Prince, I love you.

I unexpectedly returned to the US from Haiti almost 2 months ago. I'm honestly still mourning from saying goodbye to this amazing country but I thought I should write. On one of my last nights, I and two dear friends climbed up an iron latticed door to the roof of their house in Delmas to watch the sun set over Port-au-Prince. We lugged up lawn chairs and deliciously ice-y sodas purchased from a street-side cracked foam cooler. The breeze was cool as we talked about the many names of Haiti. Potoprens, Port-au-Prince, PAP. Cap-Haitien, Kapayisyen, Okap.

Limitations of Gifts-In-Kind: A Day Without Dignity

Aid bloggers across the world are writing on behalf of "A Day Without Dignity," a counter-campaign to TOMS Shoes advertising-campaign "A Day Without Shoes" being held today. TOMS Shoes give away a pair of shoes to someone in a developing country for every pair of shoes they sell. This is otherwise known as "gifts in kind," which all sort of individuals and corporations do with their cast-off items for tax benefits.

The Value of Education

"I spent all of my savings to send my 4 children to school this year. Education is an investment for the future, it is something my children will always have and no one can take away. I was not educated, but my children can be. I am so proud of this.”

Delmas 32

Last Friday at Architecture for Humanity's monthly meet-and-greet, we were shown a wonderful film by Frederick King of Fountainhead Films that documents the participatory planning process in the community of Delmas 32. From my own personal experience, community engagement is not easy because communities are not organized in a normal situation and scattered post-disaster. The number of people shown in the film is a real testament to the leadership present in this community and the effort put forth by its organizers.

Organizing Haiti

This week, a graduate architecture studio from University of Pennsylvania is visiting Haiti, hosted by Architecture for Humanity. Last night, five student groups presented their studio projects on Haiti for critique and discussion. They developed theoretical infrastructure projects around ideas of rubble, ravines, voodoo, tap-taps, and IDP camps. The reviewers, including Leslie Voltaire, were kind since none of students had ever been to Haiti before. The first half of their study back in Philadelphia was accurately named, "Remote Sensing." I'm sure their projects will develop new depth and understanding after their visit here.

Laughing at Monsters

Boys sing at the beach.

I spent the weekend in Jacmel for the Kanaval (Carnival) festivities. It felt good to openly gawk with wonder and to participate in a cultural celebration with both Haitians and ex-pats. What a simple pleasure it is to be able to take photographs of a magnificent and proud Haiti. I pointed my lens and instead of it saying, "You are sad and foreign to me," it sang, "You are beautiful and I admire you."

Fonkoze, Fonkoze

Snapshots of rural Haiti

The rice fields of Haiti

This week, I traveled to Limbe for an in-depth orientation to the work of Fonkoze. Limbe is near the northern coast of Haiti, and takes about 5 hours to get to from Port-au-Prince. I was able to attend two client meetings. The Solidarity groups meet twice a month: to make payments on their loans, apply for the next cycle, submit deposits to their savings accounts, and to learn about various topics (literacy, business skills, health). As well, it is a time for them to come together and share their experience. In contrast to my journey to the Dominican border, this trip was very scenic.

Wake Up Call

The morning was off to a bad start. It had rained heavily the night before, making our steep backyard more slippery than usual. It's slippery to start with because the soil is loose, and crumbles beneath your feet. No one else really attempts to navigate it but Eric and I, to walk our dog Lady.

The Future of Dreams

Is this a metaphor or something?

We drive by the Place St. Pierre, and I am surprised by the brown, compacted, desolate parts, where the people have been paid by the mayor to leave (and go where?). The occupied parts are as dense as ever, raggedly concealed from the street. Catching a glimpse through the outer barrier, I see a little open area with children and a woman, crouching down in her underclothes. It is starting to get hot again, but I wonder if she knows she can be seen, whether it even matters in the context of her situation. All these people, so tightly packed together, with crude doors that cannot be locked. Their privacy is violated on an hourly basis.

Update on Eau (Water)

UPDATE Feb 14, 2011: Beatrice Lindstrom, a human rights lawyer who works with the IDP camp population has written a great article on water rights.

I'll be posting again soon.

Darkness and Light in Haiti

Life here is highly regulated by natural light and darkness. I see people moving around in the darkness, walking home along the side of the road, and I think, do they have a light where they are going? Are they afraid of the dark? More than half of Port-au-Prince and 85% of all Haitians lack access to electricity. Electricity is a poorly run state-operated monopoly, Electricité d’Haïti (EdH). For reliable electricity, one must have a generator (which I learned recently cost $800 and up).

Haiti 2.0 Economic Drivers for Growth

Earlier this month World Vision and the Harvard Business School held a workshop on the economic growth in Haiti with Haiti's business leaders. I am happy to share the results of this workshop. Economic growth potential was discussed in the areas of foreign investment banking, import/export, tourism and sustainable employment.

The Plan for Port-au-Prince

Detail of the Urban village concept

Tonight at the Hotel Montana, Andres Duany presented his firm’s plans for the redevelopment of downtown Port-au-Prince. The event was in English, and ably translated into French by Ricky of the Prince’s Foundation. The audience was almost exclusively elite Haitians, so French is not a problem for them. Duany emphasized that his job was to present possibilities for redevelopment and that all decision-making must done by others, he implied by those in the audience. He presented various scenarios for infrastructure construction, urban village, public buildings including civic, schools, and churches, green space, hotels, ecological features, and transportation network. I left after 3 hours before the end of the presentation.

Iron Market

Downtown Port-au-Prince

Yesterday, I went with a posse of Architecture for Humanity volunteers to tour the Iron Market prior to it's public opening. We thought it would have been open by now, since it was commemorated on the anniversary of the earthquake by Bill Clinton himself, but there was still painting equipment here and there. It took us a few false starts before we were able to find the well-disguised entrance in between two booths. We had to wait until the Prince's Foundation and the Duany Plater-Zyberk planning firm joined us to begin the tour. 

Baby Doc

Baby Doc Duvalier's arrival in Haiti yesterday after nearly 25 years of exile has shaken everybody up. We all have so many questions, perhaps some of them will be answered by Duvalier's press conference that is supposed to be today at the Hotel Karibe. UPDATE: Press conference was cancelled for nonsensical reasons. The three big questions:

Fonkoze

I'm sorry it took so long to get my last post out, I am just about to turn in my 4th (and nearly final) graduate application! As well, I have been furiously reading up on the work of Fonkoze, where I start next week.

The Importance of Property Rights

I believe explicit property rights are essential to the recovery of Haiti. One of the challenges organizations involved in rebuilding (like Architecture for Humanity) is simply ascertaining ownership of land. Gregg MacDonald, the lead coordinator for the UN Shelter cluster, has identified a lack of clear land title as one of primary delays in producing shelter for the internally displaced. In Port-au-Prince, there is little to no legally available land. The vast majority of open land around the city is owned by a few elite families who demand compensation. For individual properties, owners are unable to be located and proof of ownership is nonexistent.

Haiti-Dominican Republic Border

Over the winter break, I took the popular Caribe bus from Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The route illustrates much of the complexity of Haiti, its relation to its neighbor, and what it could have, should have been.