28533: Rigdon: RE: 28529: Lindley (comment and request): The Haitian Economy (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

FROM: John Rigdon
(jrigdon@researchonline.net)

Having just returned from Haiti I concur with Lin that these grass roots
kinds of things such as employing a painter is the way we all can help
the people in Haiti and the Haitian economy.

One of the things that really impressed me this summer was how little in
American dollars could make such an impact.  For the money I typically
spend over a weekend eating out, etc. I was able to find dozens of men
and women who eagerly volunteered to do the translation work and ESL/CSL
(English as a Second Language / Creole as a Second Language) program
development.

Having said that, the need for us to go and see for ourselves is
critical to forming the long term relationships that lead to real
involvement and solidarity with the people of Haiti.  This is why it is
so critically important that safety for tourists and humanitarian
workers must be a top priority for the new government. While it is not
stated explicitly in the director's request for someone to come paint
the kitchen, the real plea is for you to come and see for yourself how
you can help.

Ayiti te met yon wanga sou mwen. (Haiti cast a spell on me) is the way
Dr. Arthur Fournier described his first visit in his new book, "Zombie
Curse: A Doctor's 25-year Journey Into the Heart of the AIDS Epidemic in
Haiti" (http://darwin.nap.edu/books/0309097363/html/R1.html).  I went
down last summer with the stated intention of being a cook's helper for
the week and I had a lot of fun helping prepare meals for 75+ people
every day, but what I learned is that they don't need more cooks (or
painters) in Haiti, what is really needed is a long term commitment to
help in whatever way we can.

Enough of my preaching... NOW is the time that we all need to help.
Spending $750 for a plane ticket and probably that much again in
expenses for the week puts the cost of painting a kitchen on par with
what it would cost me here.  It just doesn't make sense if that is all
we are going to do (especially when we can probably throw $100 at the
problem and "fix it").  We have a small window of opportunity to give
Preval and his government our support.  Regardless of our political
bent, I think we can all agree and the Haitian people certainly know
that any king of government is better than anarchy.

John Rigdon
Tools and Resources for Haiti
http://www.researchonline.net/haiti