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| Haiti |
(Same as Dominican Republic post)
This semester I’m enrolled in a class that engages a community in the Dominican Republic; and traveling to the community is a requirement for the class, once in January, once in March. This community is an informal settlement (i.e. slum) called "Los Platanitos" in the outskirts of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Though this "slum" has been around for almost two decades, there are still no basic services, such as water and sewer. Electricity is intermittent. Furthermore, there is no trash pickup, which is the focus of our class (i.e. "solid waste management").
Los Platanitos is built in a narrow canyon that was formerly a landfill, so the people are literally living in not only their trash, but trash from decades ago. This problem is exacerbated when it rains because the trash impedes the flow of water causing frequent flooding. As I mentioned, there’s no sewer system, so flooding is a serious problem, yet the people have nowhere else to go. I could go on and on about the few good things and the many bad things about the place, but basically the people are lovely and the place is a mess.
Our class spent two weeks working in Los Platanitos, doing surveys of and interviews with the community; then a week meeting and working with local and national government and NGO officials. Our goal is to eventually apply for grants that might provide "seed" money for some kind of grassroots, community-based trash pickup. In summary, everyone there knows there is a trash problem, but we're the first ones to quantify it in hopes that something might get done.This semester I’m enrolled in a class that engages a community in the Dominican Republic; and traveling to the community is a requirement for the class, once in January, once in March. This community is an informal settlement (i.e. slum) called "Los Platanitos" in the outskirts of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Though this "slum" has been around for almost two decades, there are still no basic services, such as water and sewer. Electricity is intermittent. Furthermore, there is no trash pickup, which is the focus of our class (i.e. "solid waste management").
Los Platanitos is built in a narrow canyon that was formerly a landfill, so the people are literally living in not only their trash, but trash from decades ago. This problem is exacerbated when it rains because the trash impedes the flow of water causing frequent flooding. As I mentioned, there’s no sewer system, so flooding is a serious problem, yet the people have nowhere else to go. I could go on and on about the few good things and the many bad things about the place, but basically the people are lovely and the place is a mess.
While we were there we had a bit of a reality check on January 12th, as we felt the earthquake in Haiti. We had just returned to our hotel and as I entered my room I asked my roommate, "am I drunk or is this building moving?" (Needless to say, I wasn’t drinking). This was a "reality check" because as we were trying to help 500 people with their "trash problem" some 100,000 people died less than 150 miles away. It took some soul searching to find the nerve to say what we were doing “mattered” anymore.
The crazy thing is I happened to be in Port-au-Prince the week before. And, as everyone now knows, Haiti was in a bad situation before the earthquake. I could not help but continually compare Haiti to struggling sub-Saharan African countries. The people, the language, the poverty ... the corruption … I could have been in Zimbabwe, I felt.
I was only there a few days, so I can and can hardly say I “know” Haiti, but I left Haiti bewildered and distraught. Haitians were already in the most desperate situation: stuck on this little 1/3 of an island with no resources, no infrastructure, no opportunities. But they have a beautiful country, with beautiful and prideful people who are still hopeful. Riding a bus to the Dominican Republic, I distinctly remember thinking to myself "all this country needs is some good news."
I have been amazed by the tremendous response the world has made to help Haiti recover from the earthquake. I hope this goodwill endures a full recovery, because the Haitian people were already desperate something good to happen, even if just a headline. But even that was too much to ask.
un abrazote,
George
HAITI
Photos of Haiti
Video of Street in Petion-ville, Hiati
What's left of the home/orphanage I stayed at (this was an amazing, 7-story home for orphans and "restaveks" aka child slaves)
(Once again, I regret not taking more pictures)
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Photos of Dominican Republic
Boy walking barefoot
Video of Cañada (1)
Video of Cañada (2)
