Thanks for all the inquiries and moral support.
Normal day to day activities go on as usual in Haiti except for the days when there are sporadic out breaks of demonstrations, gang activity or other disruptions. It is almost always unclear which areas are going to be affected so most people wait for the signs that it is going to be a normal day before they go out to fetch water, buy food and charcoal for daily cooking, or send their kids to school. Are the street vendors out today? Are there any cars or other vehicles on the street? Friends and families call each other to ask “How are things in your area? Is it safe to go out?”
Most or our partner preschools are functioning most of the time, except when there are violent disturbances in their area. Luckily for us our teacher training center is in an area which is mostly quiet so our activities go on as usual most of the time.
In the meantime, most people are just trying to pursue a better quality of life for themselves and their families, and holding on to hope for better days ahead.
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Students and teachers tending their gardens -
Students and teachers harvesting tomatoes -
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The senselessness of violence – 13 February 2019
Things are crazy here in Haiti. Road blocks, burning tires, and gun fire.P-a-P is just wild. I am house bound since two weeks. All the roads are blocked.All schools and most business are closed. People who work on a daily basis, like street vendors and day labourers have no money.Yesterday on of my teachers called me and said that they are out of drinking water.I have lots of drinking water but I cannot get to them because all the roads are blocked. I am sure their food is also low. Most Haitians do not have refrigerators ( 60% of Haitians do not have electricity!) so most people buy the things they need on a daily basis. I feel terrible because I know that there are many in that situation.Since out teacher training center is in a sleepy town outside the capital, our trainer managed to keep classes going through it all, but on Monday we closed because all the schools in Liancourt closed as well. We cannot seem not to be in solidarity with the demonstrators.One of our partner preschools opened and demonstrators stoned the school as a warning. I am so against violence and it breaks my heart that this is what children are learning as a problem solving solution.