More April 2005 Updates from Cap-Haitien Haiti by Sharon Gaskell founder of Starthrower Foundation
More April Reports
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April 18, 2005 Cap-Haitien
(by telephone)
Mud, mud and more mud -- it's been raining since Friday. Laundry that was done then is still not dry, and the satellite link for the internet cafe is still down. Many roads are giant puddles and everyone is covered in mud. You just can't avoid it. Usually it's around Christmas that we get this type of weather. It's very unusual for this time of year.
At Lakay Fondasyon, we're getting a steady stream of visitors as more people are becoming aware of Starthrower, and that we are here much more of the time now. The other morning around 7 a.m., an obviously malnourished woman came to the door. I offered her something to eat, but she refused, saying she didn't feel well. I asked her when she had last eaten and she couldn't remember. I asked if she was able to cook at home, and when she said yes, I sent some food home with her to cook later. I then asked her, "What do you need?"
She told me she wants to do commerce again, and that when she used to sell goods in the street markets, she had been able to support herself and her kids. (She must have done well -- it's not easy.) But years of carrying heavy loads on her head was hard on her neck and shoulders. I explained that we needed the money for the kids for school, and although I couldn't just give it to her, I would lend it, and she could repay us once she got going again. She signed the book, as they all do.
One of our students came by to say her father had died, and that she wanted money to go home. Then two of the mechanic apprentices came over. One of them, Jetho, said his dad had just died, but I explained we had no money to pay for his funeral. So many deaths every week.
And, they said, the owner of the garage where they were apprenticing was now in hospital. It seems the car he had been working on had slipped off the jack and landed on him. With their apprenticeships, in effect, over for the year, Mirabele, the other apprentice, asked if he could instead go back to school in September.
I'll stop by the internet cafe every day and keep trying to get through. Until then, kenbe.
Sharon (
April 24, 2005 Cap-Haitien
Hello! This is the first internet service in about two weeks, and yesterday was the first day in two weeks without rain. And because of the rain, the cardman was unable to work, as nothing dries, and the artists' market was closed as each stall leaks like a sieve.
The U.N. troops are still much in sight, heavily armed and patrolling the whole city. The Hospital Justinian is now entering the second week of a greve general (strike). They have the same problem with the national schools -- the teachers have not been paid by the government for months and so no one is teaching. We have about 10 students in the Lycee.
We have six kids showing up each day to eat. Keep in mind many of our kids have to travel on two tap taps to get to our place then on two to get back home. That is four dollars they do not have. Also there have been several large blokis (roadblocks) each day due to the mud washing out what remains of the road surfaces. This means a lot of time is spent sitting in a tap tap. It takes them about three hours to travel, eat, then get back home to change for school.
Our response to the feeding crisis in Sen Rafayel is going well. Mme Joseph is cooking each day and Gastel is working and therefore receiving a salary so that he can feed HIS family. In Canada,
Pat Materiuk
is busy preparing Amy and Marisa for their trip to Haiti when they come back with me on July 1. The kids here are very excited about meeting (Canadian) kids their own age and about taking them places like the market, the book sellers, up to Sen Rafayel, and maybe to Labadie.
The painting on the house continues, and we are building shelves, rearranging beds, washing curtains and hanging moustikes (mosquito nets). It's crucial we have the nets right now as this is 'M&M time' -- Mud and Mosquitos.
M'ap kenbe,
Sharon
May 4, 2005 Canada
Sharon is now back in Canada until the end of June, 2005.
