HURAH!

POST-QUAKE REPORT – $14,103 For Human Rights Defenders

by Tom Luce, President of Hurah, Inc.

Front yard needed to be made ready for the rains since the office was still not secure.

During my trip to Haiti I delivered $14,103 into the hands of our targeted quake survivor groups, the human rights defenders associated with AUMOHD. We have connected with these community leaders for 5+ years as they worked with the most poor and marginalized inner city victims of violence. Many of these leaders are victims themselves and have risen up to fight for the common good.–as followers of the non-violent, non-partisan tradition. Instead of donating to huge anonymous disaster relief programs we thought it would be more meaningful to help these leaders to get back on their feet to continue their much needed work…. Sadly our partnership with AUMOHD which had formally ended in June 09, is not expected to be renewed.

Most of the money was raised since news of the quake circulated among our 71 Hurah donors (Hurah!!!!).$6,330 purchasd a second hand Toyota pickup with larger rims and tires to handle the worsened road conditions after the quake. The AUMOHD crew used the pickup to connect with, and carry materials to, the hundreds of people needing relief supplies. $3,200 went directly to aid AUMOHD volunteers, including the four (4) Community Human Rights Councils (CHRC). These people suffered themselves, some with loss of family members, many with loss of homes, schools, businesses/work.

The new AUMOHD mobile is filled up with supplies for 26 families who had to evacuate the city, connected to AUMOHD

$1600 went to help restore the AUMOHD office that has become a gathering place for neighbors and a safe haven for all labor groups in Haiti. Coverings for the courtyard were purchased where office equipment, sleeping bags had to be placed and meeting space had to be made due to the dangers threatening the building.from aftershocks. Finally we provided, as requested, Tee Shirts and Caps ($353)with identifying words, AUMOHD, Human Rights, Solidarity Non-violence, Justice, Peace, Unity.

In addition to the financial assistance, I participated in meetings with various individuals within the AUMOHD sphere: the labor movement, the women’s’ movement, the CHRC networks (Community Human Rights Councils), as well as in the larger coalition of small NGO’s mentioned in the next article. (Haiti Response Coalition). I donated my entire travel and lodging expenses as well as several gifts to associates there (camera, solar panel chargers, etc). This was an intense time, sleeping on the ground with these survivor-human rights defenders. It was an inspiring time collaborating with these valiant people moving forward in their own lives and in the rebuilding of their country. Another big part of my time and energy was nurturing our special “seedling” project, the SIHRH (Sustainable Investment and Human Rights in Haiti), the long term socio-economic reform plan for a new Haiti. (More on the cessation of our involvement is available below.)

FIGHTERS FROM THE INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS

Representatives from three inner city zones: Grand Ravin, Pele Simon, Croix-des-Bouquets,

We met with representatives from 3 of the inner city “Community Human Rights Councils” -CHRC, from top left clockwise, Pele Simon, Croix-des-Bouquets, AUMOHD Lawyer Atty. Toussaint, and Grand Ravin.  All these courageous people have worked for years fighting for their neighbors rights, following massacres, house burnings, illegal jailings, beatings.  They believe in non-violence, have the unwavering patience to stick with the politicized and lengthy process of justice.  And now they are victims of the mammoth seismic blow, but still bouncing back. One important topic I wanted clarification on: would they recommend that people move to the countryside to take up a new way of living, a sustainable, green, democratic, inclusive, cooperative?  The answer was a resounding yes!

Gaëlle Celestin, Organizer of a women's group, meeting with victims of domestic abuse and exploitation as household workers.

Gaëlle Celestin, far right in green shirt, is leading a women’s group in the courtyard.  Gaëlle came to work with AUMOHD last year, did some reporting for Hurah and then was recruited by the Irish human rights defenders group, Frontline, to do training for leaders of women’s groups.  She founded a group named GFANM (Women’s Group) which now meets at AUMOHD, domestic violence being a chief issue.  Another issue for the women is the terrible labor conditions for domestic workers.  Gaëlle and her family lost their home and are living at the AUMOHD office.

AMNESTY International reps visit AUMOHD

There was a day when Amnesty International didn’t have an on-the-ground connection with alternative human rights groups.  Around the time of the coup against Pres. Aristide, there were only a couple of “traditional” human rights groups being depended on for information except for the groups affiliated with Pres. Aristide. This began to change in early 05 when AUMOHD supporters began pressing AI to check out other sources. Since then Gerardo Ducos, left, has regularly consulted with AUMOHD and has defended AUMOHD, including Pres. Evel Fanfan, second from left, when he was being besieged with death threats for his support of victims
of massacres perpetrated by anti-Aristide forces.  Gaëlle Celestin is third from left, now the leader of the Womens’ Group – GFanm, and another staffer from AI.  Gerardo and his other AI staffer were going to spend 3 weeks doing research for AI’s report on the reaches of the quake’s damage to people and their rights, especially the women.

Small solar energy system donated by Hurah with two 80w panels that ran the ISP router and a couple of laptops until the quake.

At the very beginning in 2004 it seemed to me that one thing we should get free is electricity from
the sun.  We were taken early on by the bogus ads (there are still some of these products around
which I brought even this year) that touted a small single panel you could put in a backpace would
power a laptop!  Then Namaste Solar supporter, Stephen Kane, came to our rescue and showed us how 2 80W panels with a bank of 4 batteries could run an internet router and at least one computer efficiently during the day and into the night.  Because of safety concerns the system was set up at Pres. Fanfan’s house and from there our internet communications flourished.  When we learned about the Hainet (an ISP) “magic box”, a little wireless router that can be carried anywhere, it could be brought to the office during the day where it was powered by the diesel generator–bought by friends of AUMOHD without ever trying to work collaboratively on a real solar system.  Last year Namaste gave us a new, custom built inverter and battery metal case and that worked even better.  Luckily the system did not get damaged by the quake.  So thanks to the folks at Matthew 25 House–site now of a 1300 person tent city– we were driven in a van to pick up the batteries and bring them to the office to be used until the new system gets installed. This house has been a guest house for people working in parish-to-parish programs for 30 years.

New solar system to meet entire electrical needs of AUMOHD office incuding a refrigerator.

Twelve 80w panels will power all of AUMOHD’s electrical needs thanks to Hurah’s promoting of solar power with a cooperating agency.  Another great benefit from the earthquake!

UN tank and soldiers are protecting the temporary quarters of a variety of NGO's near the airport.

Among the many meetings I went to was at the temporary headquarters of UNICEF.  Almost every
government agency was demolished by the quake, the UN itself suffered total destruction and 200 killed.  UNICEF is now housed down near the airport on the land occupied by the Haitian Judiciary Police.  I rode on the back of a broken down motorbike with Gentilhomme– our new trainee in communications–down the crowded streets to this office.  We were lobbying for getting more adequate tempoary housing for a home for boys —three houses- destroyed by the quake.  This UN tank and soldiers are guarding the perimeter.

Senator Moïse Jean-Charles -left- (ally since 2004), chair of the Agriculture Committee, and Senator Youri Latortue -raised hand, supporter of credit unions, in the makeshift quarters of the Haitian parliament (their new building was demolished).

Directly facing us is Senator Moïses Jean-Charles from northern Haiti.  Gesturing on the right is
Senator Youri Latortue known probably best of all as the nephew of Gerard Latortue the interim Prime Minister when Pres. Aristide was ousted.  We were making contact with the senators on the
agricultural committee because of our support for a resettlement program that would place refugees on country land in green, cooperatively owned land.  Moïses is someone I personally helped when he was being harassed up north shortly before the elections in 2006.

AN IDEAL SOLUTION FOR QUAKE VICTIMS: MOVE BACK TO THE LAND HOWEVER, IT HAS NOT COME TO PASS.

Tom Luce with the Galette Chambon land cooperative after they signed the request to initiate the new plan to resettle 15,000 refugees with our plan, SIHRH. Feb. 24

The day after earthquake hit we began working on long term resettlement program first entitled, “Sustainable Safety Response-SSR.”  I have never worked so long, late into the early morning and up before dawn, trying to develop the rationale and the connections that this forward-looking solution to the 400,000 refugees we knew were going to appear very soon.  We developed this in concert with Haitians and Haitian-Americans who sought us out because of our non-violent, non-partisan work for human rights.  They wanted human rights to be central to the coop they envisioned.  This long range plan became clearly something that was being left out in the early days after the quake.  The plan was actually an offer by an existing land cooperative, Galette Chambon, to incorporate 15,000 refugees.  With the proper backing, disaster relief agencies, financing institutions and donors this expandable model could be handled.  This model was following some of the most classic Haitian solutions to social structures: cooperative, sustainable agriculture, solar powered, education for all children.  And it could be replicated around the country creating a new Haiti.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?  I DIDN’T THINK SO.

There are those, I’m sure, who thought this was pie-in-the-sky or worse, a scam project.  I personally checked out the major angles: did such a coop exist, were they really making this huge offer, what experience was available from financing and managerial services?  I engaged AUMOHD in working on the project and we made personal visits to the actual land coop where the model concept had already been begun, Galette Chambon. There was a really volatile issue clouding our work–a credit union “ponzi” scheme in the early 2000′s that soured everyone on people oriented banking. The closure of the Haitian Development Bank (BHD) in 2002 which was conceived and created to support the economic needs of over 100 coops who wanted to settle the countryside back in the early 2000′s was what our consultant was willing to bring back to life.  It meant getting the Haitian president to execute a court order to open the BHD.  Now with the urban slums squashed, what better solution than planned agriculturally based comunity living?  We put out informational e-mails, bulletins.  We sought endorsement from leading human rights groups.  What more just solution to slums than real land ownership–cooperative — to make ownership more accessible to the poor?  And real ownership of economic enterprises such as AgroTourism.  Sharing the wealth of the land and people’s work.  Early on, of course, we got rejected by those folks who don’t believe in cooperativism–even progressives don’t buy it.  Not to mention those who think “that’s socialism!”

SEAN PENN WAS INTERESTED!  PROSPECTIVE SETTLERS INTERESTED!

After receiving positive feed back from a couple of donors, including Sean Penn, who seemed to grasp the genius of the “back to the land” model –now called by us Sustainable Investment and Human Rights In Haiti SIHRH — we thought we were going to move ahead.  However, our real shortcomings in terms of dealing with the logistics of managing became glaringly clear.  We needed to find an alternative to the BHD, in my opinion, because we were getting nowhere with the campaign to reopen it.  We had no staff to handle the meetings and visits on site just to get preliminaries going.  And then how were the 15,000 IDP’s (Internally Displace Persons) going to be recruited and selected.  I had been confronted with even progressive people with the objection that people wouldn’t want to leave their familiar surroundings, they shouldn’t have to find new ways to find a way to earn some money.  That turned out to be the easiest argument to refute.  When I met with our 4 CHRC (Community Human Rights Council), the very people and places affected the most by the quake, they said they would have the 15,000 people the next morning for the move.  We talked about forming screening committees, working on education about the requirements for cooperative living, commitment to green living, etc. etc.

FELL APART UNDER OUR OWN WEIGHT

It all came to a halt on March 25 when after a week of dealing with our management failures in communication, nailing down responsibilities and especially a switch in dealing with the reopening of the BHD, I became convinced that we had to slow down and solve these problems before we began setting up meetings with donors.  My fellow allies couldn’t agree, so I had to withdraw my support.  I felt Hurah’s integrity was at stake.  I was unwilling to bring donors to our unprepared state of management and risk getting into agreements that we couldn’t fulfill.  At this writing it is unclear whether anyone will keep the project going.  I feel as though I’ve had someone die in the family, more though, because of the jeopardy the 15,000 people are now in of losing this opportunity.  I’ve said I’m still open to working out the problems in collaboration with donors who would really understand our shortcomings.  We will continue to promote solutions like SIHRH.

My bedroom for 3 weeks, on gravel, not as bad as I thought. Actually I was comfortable.

I slept inside the new AUMOHD office the first 3 nights of my stay, thinking that it was safe, having weathered the big quake and many aftershocks.  But on night #3 there were two aftershocks in a row that shook my bed and the whole room.  I moved out and down into the courtyard on the gravel with what turned out to be a great little solution, a one-person tent that was very nicely ventilated–as long as I had the big rain tarp covering the whole yard.  A 3/4inch blow-up mattress turned out to be just fine along with an expandable pillow.  I never had any aches or pains.  There were probably a dozen sometimes sharing the courtyard in several larger tents.  Most Haitians were not trusting the buildings at that time. I intentionally focused on what we could do to help people get back on track.  I saw a lot of devastation, but no dead bodies as was the case early after the quake.

The mother of a friend of ours lived in this house pictured here completely flattened except for the rear left.

Here is the rear of this elderly woman's house.

And here is the reason why the woman wasn't killed. One beam held up.

The armchair in which she was sitting and from which she was rescued.

As most accurate reporters have written the Haitian people have quickly, those who are able, returned to their normal routines, selling wares in their sidewalk stalls, going shopping, to work, to the banks. Even those who are housed in tent cities have to get about and continue on.

Taptaps (you tap on the drivers window to signl him to stop) are busy ferrying people up and down the huge avenue of Delmas with its ruins on every block.

Tom Luce in front seat of a “tap-tap” heading down Delmas Ave. the day before he headed back home via Florida (Mar. 7). In the cab with him is Gentilhomme Jean-Gilles who has worked with HURAH since 2007.  HURAH has offered him a scholarship of computers and a motorbike to become a Trainee In Communication.  With his reporting HURAH will be able to keep in touch with what is going on among our human rights defender friends and their future plans.  Gentilhomme lost his home and a family member in the quake and one of his legs was injured.  Before the quake, he had been enrolled in a technology school, which was destroyed.  HURAH and Gentilhomme will help each other in the months to come.  Please consider this “Trainee” program when you think you might like to support HURAH’s efforts financially.  By helping him with gasoline for a motorbike and phone bills he will be able to do more keeping HURAH up to date with work on the ground in Haiti.  Your HURAH donations have already provided Gentilhomme with a laptop and other communications gear. We also have asked him to work with the Haiti Response Coalition, the coalition of small grassroots Haitian relief agencies trying to fill the inevitable gaps in international relief efforts.

Jean Luc “Djalòki” Dessables co-founded the Haiti Response Coalition (HRC) to bring Haitian grassroots agencies  into the decision-making processes of foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The challenge is to connect traditional NGOs–from the Red Cross to UNICEF to other international agencies–with the priorities that Haitians set for themselves to enable institutional change – to help Haitians help themselves.  HRC is an attempt to give local Haitian agencies a place at the table by uniting grassroots community groups as they prioritize, organize, and strategize for the future.

Djalòki Dessables Addresses the HRC

The national HRC meeting lasted two exhausting days.  All the proceedings will be posted on the HRC website.  HURAH provided English translation services for the HRC‘s press release.  The attendance the first day of the retreat was around 80 and grew to over 100 the second day.

HRC National Meeting Attendees

The format used for the meeting was “Open Space” – a disciplined meeting methodology in wide use internationally.  The idea is to provide a work space – through groupings of like-minded folks driven by the same passion – for people to move together.  Participants were encouraged to write down a question or goal they are passionate about – given the general theme  of rebuilding Haiti.  Then these papers were posted and people “shopped” around to find like-minded individuals.  If a proposal attracted two 0r three people, it became a sub-group.  These groups then met and hammered out full proposals, and the members of the group become accountable for the actions they defined.

HRC Members in Action

After each small group met a representative presented the small group’s recommendations.  The plenary group had the right to accept or reject the requests.

Community-based change in action - HRC Proposals

Read more about the HRC here.

After the HRC meeting, HURAH was invited to visit a tent city set up in a soccer stadium near AUMOHD‘s headquarters in Delmas.   Despite continued difficulties with aid distribution, the camp was very calm and organized, and each resident is identified according to the neighborhood they evacuated and their family connections.  Far from chaotic, the tent communities HURAH has visited have been impressive.

Delmas Tent City

HURAH also visited Evel Fanfan’s Delmas neighborhood, very heavily damaged in the earthquake.  He and his family are lucky to be alive.  His home, only half-completed before the quake, was severely damaged.

Evel Fanfan's damaged home

Other buildings in the neighborhood were completely destroyed.

Another complete collapse.

These homes next door to Fanfan’s house were totally demolished.

The stairs on the side of Evel’s home.

Miraculously, no one in Evel’s family was injured in the quake.

After a two-day retreat held at the Cannes à Sucre public park, the press committee of the Haiti Response Coalition (HRC) – a collaboration among Haitian progressive, social, and human rights groups  – met at AUMOHD‘s meeting space.  HURAH funds provided lunch and new tarps for the meeting.  Leading Haitian human rights lawyer Mario Joseph and Djaloki Dessables, long time Haitian-American promoter and HRC co-coordinator, were among the many attendees.

Press Committee Meeting at AUMOHD HQ

The HRC is designed to increase the influence of grassroots Haitian social justice groups over the decision-making processes of international relief organizations.  The United Nations and other relief agencies have created dozens of NGO “clusters” that are essential to getting services to those on the ground.  HRC will attempt to provide better access to these clusters.

Tent Cities – Not a Permanent Solution

HURAH visited several of Port-au-Prince’s tent cities, temporary home now to hundreds of thousands of displaced Haitians.  It should become clear from these photos that these camps are not a permanent solution.  HURAH is advocating for a massive civilian relocation project, and is working with several partners to to establish a new community at Galette Chambon in the countryside for at least some of these people.  Overcrowding in Port-au-Prince was overwhelming before the earthquake, and the quake has added new energy to efforts like HURAH’s Sustainable Investment and Human Rights in Haiti project (SIHRH).

Matthew 25

First up is Mathew 25, a tent city that is home to more than 1000 displaced Haitians.

Mathew 25 Tent City

Matthew 25 has a small field hospital (below), but no functioning toilets yet.  The International Lions Club provided most of the tents.

Matthew 25 Tent City Field Hospital

Of course, the dilemma is that the more that facilities are developed with amenities, the more likely its residents are to want to stay.  How do you provide immediate relief services to people in desperate need without encouraging permanent settlement?  Simply moving shantytowns from one part of the city to the other is not a long-term solution.

Alleyway in Matthew 25 IDP Camp

Pétionville Tent City – Home to More than 60,000 Displaced Persons

Next HURAH visited the tent city that arose on the grounds of the Pétionville Golf Club. This tent city grew from some of the first aid airdrops from the 82nd Airborne soon after the quake.  Built on a hillside, more than 60,000 people live here now.  These photos truly cannot convey the sprawling nature of this encampment.

Pétionville Tent City - 60,000 residents

The Pétionville camp is run by Catholic Relief Services, and they have begun to install basic services like the latrines below.  However, the entire encampment is built on a hillside, and when the spring rains come, one can only imagine what the conditions will be like.

Pétionville Latrines

Hillside in Pétionville encampment

In spite of the conditions, Haitians are still able to manage to keep up their spirits, they have even built a cinema to distract from daily deprivations.

Pétionville cinema

One of AUMOHD’s most pressing needs after the earthquake was transportation.  AUMOHD headquarters is located in mid-Delmas (49) separate from, but part of the capital sprawl of overcrowded city housing and burdened with end-to-end traffic and the crush of sidewalk vendors.  With cellphone service spotty and electricity non-existent, in order to effectively communicate with the various groups it supports, AUMOHD needed to be mobile.  The previous AUMOHD vehicle purchased with HURAH funds was destroyed in the quake. With financial support from HURAH, AUMOHD was able to secure this used, but beautiful Toyota pickup truck (the engine in this vehicle, the 1994 Toyota 22RE, is the most reliable gas-combustion engine ever produced, and should serve AUMOHD for years to come) .  Pictured also is the bullhorn AUMOHD President Evel Fanfan requested for use in addressing mass meetings.  HURAH President Tom Luce transported the bullhorn all the way from in Berkeley, CA.

The AUMOHDmobile, and the new bullhorn, purchased with HURAH donations

The AUMOHDmobile was put into immediate service, transporting women labor organizers from their homes all across Port-au-Prince to a labor rights training session.

Women labor organizers arrive for labor rights training meeting

In partnership with ACILS, AUMOHD conducts trainings on labor rights for Haitian workers.  Sweatshops abound in Port-au-Prince, and basic labor rights are often ignored.  Part of AUMOHD’s mission is to educate labor organizers on their rights.  This poster hanging at AUMOHD headquarters depicts rights for domestic workers.

Domestic worker rights poster

Here are a few more shots of the AUMOHDmobile:

Durable Bed liner and Roll Cage

Room for four passengers in the cab

HURAH arrived in Port-Au-Prince via the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, February 17th.  Fr. Ricardo Santileses of the St. James the Apostle archdiocese in Santo Domingo, a seminary classmate of HURAH President Tom Luce, assisted in making travel arrangements to Haiti.

Tom Luce with Fr. Ricardo Santileses of the St. James the Apostle Archdiocese in Santo Domingo

Originally the plan was to fly directly to Port-au-Prince, but many commercial flights have been cancelled.  The primary route into Haiti is over land through the Jimani Mountains.  Bus fare was $40 one way plus a $29 exit tax.

At the Haitian border

Tons and tons of relief supplies and materials pass through every day. Here is a bus with a trailer full of goods on its way into Haiti.

Relief Supplies headed for Haiti

The earthquake damaged much of the interior of the country as well.  As you can see below, the tremors altered the contours of a lake near the Dominican border and submerged several houses on its shores.

Submerged homes

With no running water and only intermittent electricity from AUMOHD’s generator, alternative means for purifying water and cooking are required.  HURAH brought along this donated solar oven.

Solar Oven for cooking and boiling water

AUMOHD’s headquarters in the Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, rented with funds donated by HURAH supporters,  survived the earthquake largely intact, and has become a hub of relief activity.  Its courtyards are now filled with tents, tarps and relief workers from several different groups, including members of the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (ACILS), an international labor organization affiliated with the AFL-CIO.

AUMOHD HQ Tent City

ACILS generously donated equipment to AUMOHD to replace the computers, printers and office equipment destroyed in the quake, shown here.

AUMOHD's outdoor office and tech center

AUMOHD’s headquarters has become a “safe” zone for Haitian labor activists receiving organizational assistance  and tactical advice from ACILS.  Either they didn’t have offices before, or their offices were destroyed.  Labor representatives can come here to use the internet, telephones, printers, and copiers – all essential tools to organizing for worker rights in the aftermath of the quake.

AUMOHD President Evel Fanfan facilitating a labor rights meeting

The offices are secured by are wall surrounding the entire compound, and have quickly become a center for conducting meetings, organizing among relief groups, and providing shelter for Haitian and international volunteers.  Tom Luce ran into Michael Brewer, who has worked with Haitian street children for years, and to whom AUMOHD provides legal assistance.

Tom Luce, HURAH president, and Michael Brewer of HSKI at AUMOHD HQ

Here are a few more photos of the AUMOHD compound and surrounding area – miraculous that it survived the quake at all when compared to damage to adjacent buildings.  An urgent fundraising need for AUMOHD will be next year’s rent on the facility, which will come due in a few months – last year’s rent was donated entirely by HURAH supporters.

Rear courtyard and generator

First floor meeting room

View from the front gate

And now a few shots of some of the destruction in the surrounding neighborhood:

Collapsed home down the street from AUMOHD HQ

Why some buildings collapsed and others didn’t is a mystery.  Most Haitians are still afraid to sleep in buildings that survived, and for good reason – strong aftershocks are a daily occurrence here.

Remains of a bedroom

Vehicles were few and far between even before the quake, making functioning ones quite the commodity.  Up next: The AUMOHDmobile and a visit to one of Port-Au-Prince’s Tent Cities.

Destroyed vehicle in driveway adjacent to AUMOHD HQ

I put this blog together in my head as I walked around the area taking pictures, getting money and attending a meeting on Friday.

What was on my mind is the controversy over home demolition here in PAP, specifically, last summer in Cité Soleil, and recently close to where I’m staying in Delmas 10 plus in Petionville.

It is reminiscent of home demolition in Gaza because it is the government bulldozing homes without any recourse on the part of the dwellers.

Some say that the government must have the right to take property for installing, e.g. a police and UN barracks (Cité Soleil). Some are upset that poor folks have broken zoning laws by building on the sidewalks and violating code regulations. There are those, and I naturally tend in this direction, that see this as a matter of social justice, 1)anyone is entitled to recourse and compensation; 2)the forced immigration of hordes of poor from the countryside into the cities was only to cater to the monied class’s interests (ruining local crops and spawning sweatshops in the cities).We did issue a complaint last year, but have not been involved in this year’s actions.

Our car broke down as it went to get me at the airport Thursday, not for the first time. That’s why I’m documenting the road conditions a bit here as the basis for having to mount a campaign to buy another automobile.

As I walk around the ‘hood and live the life of ordinary folks, I certainly can identify with the plight of the poor. Houses on top of one another, absolutely no open space. Pictured first left above is the street where I live. Next down is a fairly common washed out street which we have to navigate everyday to get to the office. Next is the water trough–no running water in any of these dwellings. Cold water bird baths are what we have to give ourselves. Electricity is on now almost every day for a couple of hours, a little more on Sunday. But then it comes and goes without notice. Our push for solar energy has made us self-reliant. (See further in this post.) And tonight the next door neighbor has started up the noisiest electric generator I’ve ever heard. I can only hope it will shut down so I can sleep.

And back to the theme of fear. It’s really so true about the worst fear of all is fear itself. I said I was beginning to fear being here–due to lack of being in touch mainly and listening to the bad stories–but now even though conditions have probably not changed all that much, I’m not afraid. Today we–an AUMOHD person– walked to the bank, about 15 minutes through the elbow to elbow crowds on market streets and we walked back with a bunch of cash, split between the two of us. This person shrugged off the idea that there might be a problem but he went along with my idea of splitting the cash so that we might save at least half of it in case of a heist or kidnapping (I’m really not hysterical, believe me.) It was pretty hot and crowded as usual. But everyone was so civil and responsive to my “bonjour”.

The culmination of the day was meeting with 3 reps from the Grand Ravin CHRC, Marc-Lucann Ducasse, Patrick Estimphil, and Jean Ernest Point du Jour. Marvelous, thoughful persons with the same dedication and skill and concern I’ve seen consistently with the Grand Ravin and other CHRC’s. These are experts without the credentials in non-violent justice advocacy. If only we could get a smidgin of the funding that so many other undertakings receive. I’m thinking of the USAID funded operations for weapons and defense for one example. These men recounted the numerous shootings of innocents just in the recent past and how they are still succeeding in negotiating with armed men to cease the violence. They were very happy with the justice Tees I brought. They want visibility to help them be recognized and respected. They are ready to open an office for which we will be donating the first CHRC solar powered communication system.

Finally back home Saidel, Evel’s brother and the techie among us went at the new solar equipment donated from Namaste Solar–Stephen Kane co-owner. I was able to read the manual and find out at least for my amateur mind what it was for. It’s called the “Booster” and by that they mean it captures energy, conserves and distributes energy from solar panels in a much more efficient manner. That’s good enough for me.

We’ve been using a tiny (red box in the picture) “inverter” and jury-rigged (is that just for nautical makeshift?) electrical connections. The solar power is still outlasting the public utility power even though it is on more regularly than when I first was here.

It’s now 10 pm and the devilish diesel electric generator which came on right under my window around 6pm is relentessly banging my eardrums. Will I ever sleep? Do we take out a suit against the neighbors for noise pollution–and air pollution? Do we go over and smash it? Maybe they would be marvelling at our silent and free solar system and would gladly buy their own!