Two years later, many find comfort at Codman Square support group

Victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti continue to find solace and medical treatment at Dorchester’s Codman Square Health Center, which has created a special program to focus on the specific needs of the Haitian clients still coping with the after-effects of the disaster. Olivia Appolon, a social worker at Codman who has worked there since 2001, estimates that the behavioral care staff saw an increase of 80 new Haitian patients in the first few months after the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake.

Gengel family among honorees at annual HAU gala

Karen Keating Ansara of The Haitian Fund at The Boston Foundation, was the keynote speaker at the Jan. 7 gala dinner hosted by Haitian-Americans United, Inc. The 11th annual gathering was held in Randolph and paid tribute to a number of individuals and groups including Sen. John F. Kerry, whose award was accepted by Boston City Councillor Ayanna Pressley. Also honored for their continued dedication to the people of Haiti was the family of Britney Gengel, who was killed in the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake while on a humanitarian trip with her college.

Our national identity in limbo

Patrick SylvainTwo hundred and eight years ago, brave Haitians declared an end to slavery, giving birth to a new nation where each person was a human being. Tout moun se moun. This move advanced the notion of human rights for the first time in modern history, and was a vast departure from the values that were held in high regard during French colonial rule. While at its inception, the revolutionary ideals of the newly formed nation called Haiti held great promise, the reality as understood today detracts from this plesant image. Still, our rituals and their symbolic associations mirror these revolutionary ideals. For example, soup joummou, the New Year’s and Independence Day celebratory pumpkin soup, signifies the communion of equals through the consumption of the once forbidden delicacy reserved for the colonial masters. Today, as family and friends gather around the dinner table, we are clearly proud of our freedom and accomplishments, yet know that there are countless Haitians who are hungry, sleeping under tents. Two hundred and eight years after independence, many Haitians live in abject poverty and have no rights as humans.

A closer look at the Red Cross response

Following the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake, the American Red Cross raised more money than any other American relief organization working in Haiti – a whopping $486 million from 60 percent of American households. In its newly-released update on its response to Haiti’s earthquake, American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern writes, “…while there is still much work to be done, I’m proud to say that real progress has been made.” Upon initial review of the data presented in the report, it appears their work has indeed yielded significant progress – particularly in these three areas:

Student group brings Emeline Michel to Harvard

Emeline Michel performs at Harvard on Nov 18Nedgine Paul, a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), has admired Emeline Michel’s music since she was a child. “My passion for raising awareness about Haiti included inviting friends and colleagues to attend Emeline’s performances,” said Paul. When HGSE for Haiti decided to organize the Haiti Arts and Awareness Event to commemorate the historic Battle of Vertieres, the last victory before the Haitian independence, they invited Emeline Michel to perform on Nov. 18. The core theme of the event was the Haitian motto L’Union Fait La Force, In Unity there is Strength.

Traversiere is a Passion for Action scholar at Wheelock

Lyonel Traversiere's favorite proverb on responsibility: 21 an, pa 21 jou (21 years is not 21 days)On Nov. 16, Wheelock College hosted its annual Passion for Action Leadership Award Dinner. The event benefits Wheelock’s Passion for Action Scholarship program for students committed to service and the scholarship program awards $20,000 for four years. Since 2007, three to five students of each incoming first-year class are designated Passion for Action Scholars. The program provides leadership development, calls for a domestic service project and offers an international service opportunity. Students have worked in Ghana, Benin, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala. “Service is a part of our culture, curriculum, college ethos,” said Jackie Jenkins-Scott, president of Wheelock College. “At Wheelock, its core to who we are…as an institution.” Lyonel Traversiere, 21, is one of the Passion for Action scholars.

Can Conille control the President's men?

Fresh from a state

Prime Minister Garry Conille (AP) visit to Cuba, President Michel Martelly hosted a “Invest in Haiti” conference in Port-au-Prince that attracted some 500 foreign visitors and investors earlier this month. Flanked by former US President Bill Clinton and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Luis Alberto Moreno, Martelly broke ground on a free-trade zone in the northeast of Haiti backed by US, IDB and South Korean funds that at its peak would employ some 20,000 assembly factory workers. And the good news kept being rolled out at the conference: a Marriott-managed, Digicel-owned 150-room hotel in Port-au-Prince by 2013; a 250-room hotel near the country’s international airport by 2014; a 60-bed travelers hotel by 2012 — this one built with Haitian capital — also near the airport.

Reinstate the armed forces

Reginald ToussaintPresident Michel Martelly’s plan to reinstate the armed forces has stirred a lot of controversy in the international community. On the surface, the debate is about the allocation of resources and the army’s history of human rights abuses. However, a deeper look at this issue reveals the true nature of the conflict, which is who calls the shots in Haiti. The international community has a history of using the threat of sanctions or reducing its aid packages to Haiti as a way of influencing government policy. It would be another blow to Haiti’s sovereignty if they manage to, once again, prevent the Haitian government from making its own decisions and doing what it feels is in the best interests of its constituents. Since a document highlighting Martelly’s plan surfaced a few months ago, several foreign officials have publicly criticized the plan. Many suggested that such a plan is too costly ($95 million) and Haiti should, instead, focus on strengthening the National Police Force.

IDP camps are filled with 'real' people

In many senses the lack of progress following Haiti’s earthquake centers on housing. Assessing the damage, a team evaluated 382,256 housing units in Port-au-Prince. Of these, 205,539 were tagged “green,” ready for human habitation, 99,043 “yellow,” requiring significant repair, and 77,674 “red,” which were so damaged so as to require demolition. Anthropologist Timothy Schwartz led a team to write a report for USAID, who funded the housing evaluation. The report contained some important warnings; despite its technical successes and easy- to-understand coding system, the program didn’t noticeably alter people’s decisions to move back into homes.

Appolon’s dance class inspired by his unique journey

Jean Appolon leads dance class in Cambridge.Jean Josue Appolon grew up in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, where he began to dance at the age of 13. He began his training under the instruction of the iconic choreographer Viviane Gauthier. He performed with her dance company and the Folkloric Ballet of Haiti. At first he would lie to his family about where he was going because dance was generally frowned upon. “I used to say I was going to play volleyball,” said Appolon. “They even had my uncle follow me one time, to dance class. My family was against dance for many reasons, but mostly because they didn’t think you could make a real living. It’s not a real profession.”

Boston Haitian Reporter