Ferguson and Ice-Buckets

I try not to follow the outside news while I am down here in Haiti - I often find it too depressing and distracting from the work at hand.  But over the past two weeks it has been impossible to avoid being engulfed by the stories about Ferguson, MO and the ALS ice-bucket challenge.  I'm pretty sure that if you are reading this blog post, I don't have to explain further.

The ALS ice-buck challenge has been remarkable to see unfold.  A single act that has infected the world, in a positive way, and has led to millions of dollars being raised towards fighting ALS - truly remarkable.  (If you haven't donated yet, you can donate here.  Remember, ever dollar counts.)

words of wisdom from MLK

But the larger story, the much larger issue, is that of the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, MO.  The pictures I see and the stories I read are reminding me of old photographs from the Civil Rights Movement.  Tear gas, dogs, smoke, riots.  It is truly wrong - on many levels.

So much so that even the attention it is receiving is racially divided.

from the MLK memorial in DC

But thinking about the civil rights era and the peaceful protests led by Martin Luther King Jr. and so many others, I am also saddened by the response to this tragic event - from both sides.

I can only imagine what is going through the minds of the people who are angrily protesting and those people are trying to ensure safety.   I don't have the answers, or for that matter, even the questions.  But must we try to fight fire with fire?  Can we try to do more of what Captain Ronald Johnson did?  Please, more peaceful ways to address this issue.

Sooner or later I hope we can all treat each other with respect and peace.  Sooner or later I hope that we will all know that....

We are all people of the human race.

There are no poor people, just people who happen to be poor.
There are no rich people, just people who happen to be rich.

There are no disabled people, just people who happen to be differently abled.
There are no white people, just people who happen to be white.
There are no black people, just people who happen to be black.

There are no other people, just our people.  

My accidental running lesson on "vagabons"

Learned a valuable lesson about running in Haiti today....unintentionally of course.

I've done a decent amount of running in Haiti.  While at times, the surrounding conditions can make a run feel uncomfortable or out of place, I always feel that running down here is well worth the mental and physical benefits.  I've gone running in the mountains and streets of Thomonde, and the beaches and the city streets of Jacmel.  And now that' I have been here for a little over a month, I have gotten into a pretty good running routine - going about four times per week.  I like to believe that I am pretty familiar with running in Haiti.  

Due to the heat and my daily schedule, I usually go running at six o'clock in the morning.  I would go earlier, but I can't because there isn't enough sunlight yet (the mountains delay the sunrise here in Jacmel).  And, typically, I don't go any later because it is just too hot.

But today I went running in the late morning.  I was planning on running for an hour.  And if I went at 6 am, I would have been late for the scheduled breakfast (something I most certainly didn't want to do).  So I decided to go running after I went to church with the group this morning.  So I headed out around 10:30.  I knew it was going to be hot.  And because of this I went without a shirt.  And as I found out, apparently this is a big no-no here in Haiti.

A lot of people seemed to be looking at me differently and saying things that, while I couldn't fully understand, I wasn't used to hearing.  I knew something was up.

No matter whether you are native or a foreigner, when you go running in Haiti, many people will say you are crazy.  When you are a white foreigner running in Haiti, many people will stare at you.  These are both things that I am well aware of.  However, what I did not know was that running in the street without a shirt on will upset people.

At first I couldn't really tell what people were saying, but I knew it was more than the usual, "look at this crazy white person running."  I was only running in the short running shorts, sneakers and my visor (sorry for creating that image in your mind), so my appearance probably would have gotten some weird looks even in the states.  But based on the tone of voice and body language of the people, I new something was up.  I thought it might have been the fact I was running when it was simply too hot to be doing any activity, let alone running.  Or the fact that since I didn't have a shirt on, I was going to get burnt.

It wasn't until two gentleman kindly stopped me and explained to me that being out in the street without a shirt on is a big no-no here in Haiti.  They told me, without a shirt on in the street, people will think very negatively of you.  They will think you are a "vagabon".

Now, based on the American definition of the similar term, vagabond - a person who wanders about without a home, it doesn't seem to bad and I would even argue that it could be an accurate description of me.  But here in Haiti, the term vagabon has a harsher meaning.   

Here in Haiti, vagabon refers to a person who has no respect for others, who has no morals, who is a bad fellow.  

Lesson well learned.

(photo one) http://occasionalvagabond.blogspot.com/2010/11/bum-hobo-vagabond-eccentric.html
(photo two) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Tramp_smoking_cigar_with_cane_over_arm_-_restoration.jpg

"What do they need down there?"

This is a question I often get when people here about my experiences in Haiti.

I don't always have a great answer, but there is one thing I now know for sure, the people of Haiti need more people like Rubinste St. Louis.

Rubinste is the In-Country Director for Community Coalition for Haiti (CCH, the organization I am interning for down here in Haiti).  Rubinste has been working for CCH for over six years now.  He is their longest tenured in-country employee. He is the glue that holds CCH together.  He is CCH.

But there is no reason why Rubinste needs to be working for CCH.  No reason why he needs to be working in Haiti.

Many of his friends from college work in the USA or Canada.  Rubinste tells me that they are always telling him that he is crazy for staying in Haiti.  And they have a valid point.  Having a college degree, Rubinste could be considered part of the upper tier of the social system here.  College degrees in the US are in abundance, but here in Haiti, they are a rarity.

The primary significance of the U.S. Haitian diaspora for Haiti lies in their human capital.  While 93 percent of the Haitian diaspora in the United States over 25 years of age have had schooling, only about 40 percent of Haiti’s population of a comparable age has had schooling. And while close to 32 percent of the U.S. Haitian diaspora has at least attended college or hold associate degrees and 18 percent hold a bachelor’s and higher degree, only about 3.5 percent of Haitian nationals have attended college and only about 1.4 percent hold university degrees. In terms of sheer numbers, the gap in educational attainment is striking. In the U.S. alone, the Haitian diaspora count close to 65,900 holders of university degrees in 2010 census, which is quadruple the number that the entire nation possesses. According to a 2006 Inter-American Development Bank report, Haiti has a university enrollment rate of less than 1 percent, and 84 percent of university graduates subsequently leave Haiti. (1) 

Rubinste could have just as well taken his knowledge, skills and talents (he has many of them - you should hear him play guitar and work with kids) and found work in a different country.  He could have found more lucrative jobs here in Haiti. He could have forgotten about the people in need - like many others do.  But no, he has dedicated his life to serving the people in Haiti.  This is not easy.

Aside from the daily challenges that can come with directing work here in Haiti, Rubsinte has a wife and son who live on the other side of Haiti.  They live in Cap Haitian - a stomach-turning, seven hour drive from Jacmel.  CCH used to work near Cap Haitian, but after the earthquake, the need brought CCH to Jacmel.  Because of this, Rubinste does not get to see his family very often.  Rubinste could have starting looking elsewhere for work, but he stayed committed to CCH and to the people of Haiti.  Did I mention that he helps direct an orphanage too?

Having worked with him for little over a month,  it is easy to see that Rubinste truly is a remarkable person.

What does Haiti need?  They need more people like Rubinste.

Rubinste, it is an honor to work with you.

(1) Engaging the Haitian Diaspora

http://www.aucegypt.edu/gapp/cairoreview/pages/articleDetails.aspx?aid=333

The sun is strong down here!

NO, it's not what you're thinking...I didn't get a bad sunburn.  I am just really impressed with how strong the sun is down here.

This afternoon I walked back to the clinic after lunch.  It's about a 25 minute walk from the Isaiah House (that's where I stay.  usually we drive back and forth).  I've done this walk a few times before, but it has always been in the morning or late afternoon, not in the middle of the day.

Looking beyond the fact that I was absolutely drenched in sweat and got goosebumps when I stepped into the shade of the clinic, I think I got a little sun burn today.  OK, maybe it's just a strong tan, but it reminded me how powerful the sun is down here.

While most of the local Haitians barely break a sweat when walking around in the heat, I am still waiting for my body to acclimatize.  Maybe it will happen one day...keep your fingers crossed for me.

Almost forgot to mention, at 90 degrees, yesterday was considered a cooler day.

A little more sun than I'm used to up north

whoops!

UV chart 1: http://promote.fmi.fi/
Skin damage picture 2: http://wowow.ws/os01/wo/media/skindamage.gif