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By José Luis Soto, Member, WACC-Caribe
(translation by Cándida González-López, Vice-Chair, WACC-Caribe) 
| | Port-au-Prince, January 28, 2010: This is the second time I visit Haiti, two weeks after this Caribbean nation was devastated by a 7.1 earthquake. Nevertheless the tragedy did not destroy the will power of the people of Haiti who still exude courage and pride, even if their hearts are wounded.
This was my impression during this second contact with the people of Haiti when I crossed the Dominican-Haitian border after a trip of more than 250 kilometers to get to Port-au-Prince.
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Today the country is “invaded” by international media and more and more countries are seeking funds for reconstruction of the country’s communications infrastructure.
Food and aid is pouring into the country, but still not reaching all the affected areas. In spite of this, Haitians are beginning to walk the streets of Port-au-Prince to find their means of subsistence. They are not just waiting passively for the so much publicized humanitarian aid.
Traders are out on the streets, located on strategic corners, selling all kinds of items, from locally made bread to the traditional products that come from the Dominican Republic such as canned soup, sauce, and others. They keep on working but there is a lot of sadness and sorrow in their eyes.
The country that was beginning to see an improvement in its power supply today is darker than ever, a situation that exacerbates the levels of insecurity that already existed in the Haitian capital. There are just a few places with electricity, like the area near the Toussaint Louverture Airport, the military headquarters, and the United Nations Mission for the Stabilization of Haiti (MINUSTAH, French acronym). But for the most part, in the city, and fundamentally in the most impoverished areas, the people manage to get a little bit of light with kerosene lamps.
It would seem that the population is recovering from the loss of its more that 200,000 dead and more than 600,000 wounded by the earthquake. However, I was amazed when I reached the proximities of Fonds Parisien, the border town closest to Jimaní, Dominican Republic, and I saw the most beautiful and unique sunset that welcomed us and reminded me that the night was close and that after a few hours the sun will rise on a new day, full of hope, love and solidarity. José Luis Soto is a personal member of WACC as well as the Director of Espacinsular, a WACC partner news network based in Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, a long time project partner of WACC, SAKS (Sosyete Animasyon Kominikasyon Sosyal - Society for the Animation of Social Communication), a small non-profit that works with community radios and promotes popular communication in Haiti, has launched a series of video dispatches chronicling latest updates in the country. To watch the first dispatch, click here... See more photos from Haiti by Jan Sochor, an international photographer who participates in WACC’s Photo competitions. Follow this link…
---------- See WACC's appeal for solidarity with Haiti here…
Anyone with information about other WACC members and partners in Haiti is requested to contact:
Cándida González-López
Vice-Chair, WACC- Carribean Region
José Luis Soto
Espacinsular
See updates in Spanish on our partner network Espacinsular See updates in French from WACC member Alter Presse in Haiti Follow WACC on Facebook: WACC-Global and Twitter: @waccglobal |
