“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.” This quote by Camille Pissarro is the exact reaction I had to recent negative statements which brought the country of Haiti into the spotlight right before my third trip there in January 2018. Compared to my two previous medical mission trips which you can read about here and here, this one was much less busy perhaps due to unclear advertising. As proud as I am of the 22 surgeries we performed, we had hoped to do much more. Initially I was disappointed until I realized perhaps my purpose on this trip was less about the medical care we could provide, but more about the importance of seeing and sharing the Haitian culture and countryside with the extra time available. Allow me to set the stage for our trip:
Jan 1: Haiti celebrates Independence Day marking the 1804 end of French rule following a 12 year long slave uprising
Jan 11: President Trump refers to Haiti amongst others as a “shithole” country
Jan 12: Haiti remembers the 2010 earthquake and mourns the over 100,000 people lost and 3 million people affected on this day 8 years prior
Jan 14: I lead a team of 11 medical providers to Terrier Rouge, Haiti with some trepidation as to how we would be received
Jan 15: America honors civil rights activist Dr Martin Luther King Jr on his birthday
Jan 17: I get my first of many emails from the US State Department about protests in Port-au-Prince (many hours from where we were)
This is not meant to be a political post or a statement about the President. My intention is to share with you a side of Haiti that is not often seen. I am not going to tell you there is no trash on the ground, because there is. I am not going to tell you the Haitian people from the officials on down don’t scam you for money, because they do. What I hope to get across is that by having empathy and compassion for their circumstances, you can recognize we are all really the same; just humans created equally in God’s image (should your belief system allow) seeking health and happiness for ourselves and those we love. The means and surroundings might look different, but once that commonality is achieved and expectations are aligned, beauty abounds in every place and person.
In general, the people of Haiti are some of the kindest I’ve ever met, and there was no apparent animosity towards us despite the recent comments. We were always greeted with a ‘bonjour’ in the morning and ‘bonsoir’ in the afternoon. When we could not communicate with words, we spoke a common language through bright smiles and compassionate eyes. Curious looks flashed both ways as we peered into their lives and they looked upon the foreigners walking their streets. When it came to the children, inquisitive hands wanted to hold ours, feel the differences in our hair, touch the colors of our tattoos. A delicate travel point comes up around taking photos of local people, particularly in a country like Haiti where 80% live in poverty. Common etiquette is to do so with permission and even with an offer of gratuity especially if you plan to showcase or sell the photos. As for sharing them on social media, we must do so thoughtfully and with intention or not at all. Though I spent much of high school making fun of our motto, the Golden Rule applies well here: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
There is a great national pride and sense of community that is apparent among the Haitian people. They value education and want their kids in the best private schools, somehow presenting them in pristine uniforms despite living on dirt floors and lacking running water. Every morning the school children sing the national anthem as the flag is raised, sometimes with the accompaniment of the school’s band. After school, the children play together in the streets, not holed up in front of video games or television. They make games out of whatever they can, exercising their creativity. The adults also gather together outside in the evenings as the weather cools finding more comfort than their small dark home can provide. Previously I have avoided looking into or going inside any homes, my imagination filling in the blanks based on the outside. This time on an evening walk around town, we were invited into the home of a mother and her children. Sadly, the inside was even worse than I imagined, containing only a twin bed they all shared and a small coal-burning basin for cooking with one pot sitting on the dirt floor. No table, no chairs, no light, no toilet, no water (it comes from a well in town). The small 4 room transitional home provided by a missionary group was squared off into quarters which will eventually hold 4 families as they work to better their lives. But in striking contrast to the squalid conditions was this proud beaming mother welcoming strangers into her home and grateful for the opportunity to live there. As we smiled and told her it was beautiful, I kept my sunglasses on to hide the tears.
The most important lesson I’ve learned traveling the world is not to place the expectations of your home and lifestyle on the countries you visit. For Haiti, this is something I am continually adjusting to with each visit and even starts during the planning process with the level and frequency of communication being much less. In the US, we are accustomed to timely email replies containing an over-abundance of information, but with the limited internet access and language challenges in Haiti these expectations cannot be met. The phrase “we are on island time” was created for good reason, and Haiti is no exception with frequent delays which again leads back to differences in communication and expectations. On the flip side, I would become concerned when our patients had to wait a long time to be seen, but that is a normal part of Haitian culture. Likewise service is at a slower pace and somewhat confusing with a separate bartender, server, and cashier whereas in many countries that would all be performed by one person and done so quickly for a separate tip. Food preparation also takes a while and menu items may be not available. You just have to go with the flow, you are on an island after all, and recognize these cultural differences are not a personal affront towards you. And of course they think some things that we do are odd too, such as talking during a meal and allowing dogs into our homes. It’s all about perspective, and we can learn a lot by stepping back and seeing the world through the eyes of others.
One of the most difficult things to see in Haiti is the trash piled up everywhere in large dumping grounds, even lining the beach where it has washed up. Expectation would tell us they must not care about their environment. Though some trash is burned, it does not appear there is any central garbage collection or even awareness of the unhealthy conditions this breeds. Furthermore, the society benefits from the free grazing grounds for the goats and pigs which in turn feed the people. I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen in the US if the garbage trucks just stopped running, if the landfills reached capacity and they said ‘that’s it, you’re on your own.’ On my way home the other day, I noticed a bunch of trash along the roadside in front of my neighborhood. I guess we all drove by it with a ‘not my responsibility’ attitude, myself included. The trash problem is one of Haiti’s many obstacles to rising up from third world status, but fortunately the government plans to work on this issue. Unfortunately, the Haitian government does not have a good track record on following through with promises.
What really keeps Haiti in poverty is the lack of job opportunities. Without going into the corruption and infrastructure issues I truly know little about, the bottom line is that there are significantly less jobs than there are people. Transportation is a big industry as most individuals lack personal vehicles making gas liquid gold and a big problem when it runs out like occurred the week before our arrival. Motorbikes for hire and overcrowded ‘tap-tap’ trucks bring job opportunity as does the auto repair business. Working as a teacher or medical professional are valued jobs but require an education that not everyone has. We worked with many missionaries and translators, yet English is not taught in school, but rather by music and the internet so limited to those with access. While many run small shops or stands and others find work in the local industries such as farming or distillery, many others have to make opportunities for themselves. I did not see any homelessness or panhandling, but rather a crowd gathering to take your luggage a few feet expecting a tip, bombarding you with souvenirs for purchase, or playing music in the hopes of receiving a few dollars. Oddly even when surrounded by men who could have easily taken my bag or my whole person for that matter, I never felt that they would. They don’t want your handouts, they want to provide you with something in exchange. And they are fair; if 4 people carry your luggage and you only tip $2, they won’t take it because they can’t split it. Those with access to paying visitors such as the customs officials, tour guides, and other service providers will overcharge tourists without providing written documentation of pricing and likely keeping some for themselves. Yet culturally they also charge each other that way, for example at the clinic where we volunteer the price is determined by what you can pay. This can be very off-putting and was a source of frustration for me in the past, but getting used to their ways and understanding why breeds more generosity and compassion.
As for tourism in Haiti, there is a little with the cruise ships but most visitors are missionaries or volunteers. That being said, there is still much to see in Haiti’s beautiful coastline, lush green mountains, and historical sites. I would not advocate solo travel or even renting a car, but rather hooking up with a trusted guide knowing he will overcharge you, accept it as the price of your safety. Though Haiti doesn’t actually have the problems of the US such as crime, violence, addiction, and mental illness, and I always felt safe, it was because I was with a local or within a private property. You will not find much English outside of that nor can you count on cellular service or correct gps/map functions and would need to be an extremely avid traveler to comfortably get around on your own. In our free time, we were able to visit a local farm, walk through the village, tour historical landmarks, and relax at the beach enjoying the local food and drinks.
One of our day trips was to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Citadelle Laferriere and Palace Sans-Souci outside of Milot. The Citadelle was constructed from 1805 to 1820 by controversial self-proclaimed King Cristophe following his successful leadership in the slave rebellion against French rule. Well actually it was built by the 20,000 workers, half of which died in the process which is sadly ironic as the mountaintop fortress never saw a battle. The walls were composed of limestone, sugarcane, and the blood and hooves of cows, which turned out to be pretty sturdy 200 years and few earthquakes later. As the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere at 110,000 square feet, the Citadelle contains apartments for the king’s family, sleeping quarters for soldiers, a bakery, water storage and aqueduct system, and a creepy dungeon. Cristophe himself is allegedly buried here after killing himself with a silver bullet following a stroke. The original 7 mile walk up the mountain from town was brutal, but there is now a new parking lot and restroom about ¾ of the way up. An entire town whose economy seems to rely solely on visitors surrounds it providing horses, guides, souvenirs, and music. Arrival is very overwhelming as they crowd around you then follow you up the mountain asking if you’re ok (because you definitely look like you are not) and offering tidbits along the way. Most give up and head back for more tourists if you don’t seem interested, but the final few will wait for you to exit and follow you back down for a tip. They seem to know the same few lines of English (I guess our questions are that predictable) because all their stories were identical when we compared later. We had arranged for an official guide from Milot to go inside the fortress who charged us $20/person plus tip, but there was no entry fee posted nor did we see money exchanged (researching and asking around I get the vague ‘small amount’ as the typical fee). Even the shorter hike was difficult for me being of average fitness, so I’d stop frequently to take pictures (wink, wink). The day was overcast and the clouds so low in the afternoon we were hiking right through them. Though this made for a more comfortable temperature, the amazing views from the Citadelle to Cap Haitien and even Cuba were lost. As is typical of Haiti construction, there is a partially completed museum inside the fortress, but luckily they finished the new bathrooms and they are by far the nicest I saw anywhere on the island. On our drive back down to Milot, we stopped outside the gates of Cristophe’s Sans-Souci Palace built in the same time period but which suffered an earthquake in 1842. Locals were walking in and hanging out, but it was getting late so we did not get a chance to go inside. Both landmarks are definitely worth the effort to see, but try to start earlier in the day and check for clear weather.
Another day trip included the beautiful Ducroix Plage (plage = beach) with fried whole fish and plantains washed down with local beer and rum. Fisherman stopped by to show us their latest catch and the beach dogs timidly approached when we offered to share our lunch, an act not typical in Haiti. We also stayed one night at Cormier Plage Resort to relax in the hammocks, walk down the beach, play in the ocean, and enjoy their full bar and tasty dinner buffet. I have a few local contacts for anyone interested in a trip around Northeast Haiti.
Show me your shithole and I’ll show you mine.