"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