Reflections and Re-entry

My last few days in Cap Haitien were spent walking through the city and striking up conversations with the 12-14 year old teens who would predictably latch onto me.  The chats were mostly light-hearted, talking about Haitian music

“ I love reggae!  Who’s your favorite Haitian reggae artist?”

“Bob Marley!”

“Bob Marley is not Haitian, he’s Jamaican!”

“No he’s NOT!!”

But the question often came up,  why weren’t they in school?

“ My family can’t afford it..”

“I don’t have enough money...”

“I live on the street, they won’t let me go...”  

The replies were as endless as the kids on the street.  I was floored.

“ But you need to learn to speak English or French. You need to learn math. ”

“YOU can teach me!”

Clearly their truancy was not from a lack of interest or a lack of eagerness to learn. They wanted to be in school.  Sadly, the system made it difficult for them to attend.  

 In  Haiti,  there is a tuition to cover the expenses of school.  It amounts to a fairly nominal  $200 or so, however this exceeds the annual income of many Haitian families.   Add to this the cost of a mandatory school uniform and remember that Haitian families with more than six children are not uncommon and the problem is clear.  Families in Haiti simply can’t afford to educate their children.

In the vicinity of Port-Au-Prince the problem is compounded by the fact that there aren’t any schools.  Nearly all of them were destroyed in the earthquake.  Some opportunistic schools have taken to having outdoor lectures under tarps, but these appear to be the exception, not the standard.

It is my opinion that the one change that could improve Haitian society more that any other would be an improvement of their education system.  Observe countries such as China, India or most of the “Asian Tiger” countries.  Thirty years ago their development indices were on par with Haiti’s.  Recently these countries have made great strides in development and are no longer referred to as “frontier” or “third-world”.  Their common denominator is that they put great emphasis on education and their educational systems.

I believe that if Haiti started to take its education system seriously and could allow all of its citizens to attain a quality education, it too would rise from its current depressed state.  Haiti could finally be freed from the bondage of foreign aid by the talents and technology of its own citizens.   

I have had a few days to reflect on taking care of the victims of the worst natural disaster of this century to date.  I don’t need to reiterate what wonderful people the Haitians are and what a horrible tragedy this was for them. 

 The following, however, are points that do seem to keep sticking in  my mind......

• I completely underestimated the physical and mental exhaustion I would experience working with disaster victims.
• Disaster work attracts truly unique individuals.  I was fortunate to be able to work with such a flexible, resourceful, adaptable and talented team of individuals.
• It is incredible, even in society’s darkest hours, how humans can retain the ability to smile, joke, sing, dance and aid one another.
• Even though this may sound cliché, sometimes it takes an experience such as mine in Haiti, to realize the relative insignificance of some of the things we get riled up about in our society.

As I write this, I am already planning when I can return to Haiti.  Haiti is an incredible place that needs a chance of a fair educational system for all  and an uncorrupt government to help it get on its feet.  

Bon chans Ayiti!