So much of Haitian celebrations are an intermingling of religion and social occasions. The beauty of the Haitian people shines through, their elegance and their sense of color and festivity always comes through. Who would have thought that after hurricane Matthew this would even be possible. A feast for the soul, but also for the…
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Truth and Consequences
Many outsiders have a hard time understanding why it is so difficult to obtain information from Haitians, and once they have the information they are looking for, it turns out it is not exactly the truth. But rather it is part of a narrative that can be repetitive and adjustable. For Haitians in poverty (and even…
Read MoreJeremie ou nan ke m
After hurricane Matthew struck Jeremie on October 4, 2016 it was difficult to recognize the town and the Grand’Anse region. To look at so much destruction was depressing, and I could not wrap my head around it. Little did I realize that I also had become traumatized. My beloved Jeremie was no longer the city…
Read MoreFarmer’s Longevity
“At the core of Farmer’s longevity and success is his ability to see the problem for its stark reality. Instead of always expecting to win—a trait he says is common to the American idea—Farmer advocates that a better approach when dealing with situations like Haiti is to be prepared for what he calls the “long…
Read MoreResilience
This is a land so vibrant and alive that laughter will come bursting through as imperious as the sun and the spirit will survive resilient as the soil. – Dennis Brutus, 1978, “Love; the Struggle” This poem so aptly describes Haiti. We are in a new year now, we have commemorated the 4th…
Read MoreChristmas
Before I came to Haiti, I only knew poinsettias growing in a pot. Here in Haiti they get over six feet tall and they always bloom in December. No wonder we adopted them as Christmas flowers. While I am enjoying myself in cold and wintry Chicago, I think about why I am in Haiti. And…
Read MoreMental Health in Haiti
The Haitian concept of life is essentially religious. Haitians tend to see the world as a vast spiritual arena. For them life is precious. They celebrate life and preserve it.Here there is no room for a purely naturalistic or physical notion of illness. So doing psychology here is quite different than in the States. The…
Read MoreCitadel
“Good things don’t get lost.” Barbara Kingsolver For all the years I have been in Haiti, I have been wanting to visit the Citadel. I heard so much a bout it, and was finally able to make it up North to Cap Haitian and Milot to fulfill this dream of mine. Haiti is such a small…
Read MoreStark Beauty
Beautiful view from the Benedictine Monastery north of Port au Prince. Whenever things get too chaotic, which they often will, I retreat to the Benedictine Monastery, the only monastic community in Haiti. The hospitality of the monks, the periods of silence, and the natural, stark beauty of the mountains calms me, and at the same time…
Read MoreRumors Abound
In Haiti, rumors abound. Therefore it is near impossible to get a good handle on what is happening in the country, and especially in the government. There are a few hopeful signs, but others are not. Some programs that the government takes pride in appear good at first glance, but when analyzed more closely, one…
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