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Before I start this post, I want to ask my readers and supporters some questions. What does occupation mean? Well, I checked dictionnary.com on my phone and I found it means: The term of control of a territory by foreign military forces. So what about the UN (United Nations) forces in Haiti? Is it an occupation or not? I know the UN do not call it occupation because they always say they are helping Haiti to get out out poverty. Huh poverty! Lets see what has happened with this help!

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) replaced the Multinational Interim Force led by the U.S. after a rebellion overthrown President Jean Bertrand Aristide in 2004. Haiti is an independent country and the constitution does not authorize and recognize any foreign military force on the national soil. Therefore, MINUSTHA is a violation of the Haitian constitution. They have been in the country for about eight years now. There are over thirty countries that have troops in MINUSTAH. According to un.org,the budget for the troops was $793,517,100 (1 July 2011 - 30 June 2012). It’s almost a billion dollars, so this is a lot of money. What is the real goal of MINUSTAH? This is a big question because they cannot not stay forever. They say that they came to help Haiti, but they have been accused for bringing cholera into the country, committing sexual violence on both women and men and also shooting Haitians during riots. Is this the goal of MINUSTAH?

 A few months after the quake, a cholera outbreak began in Haiti and it has killed over 7000 people.The Nepalese force keepers have been accused as the main folks who dumped waste into a river and contaminated it, but the UN still deny the accusation and don’t take any responsibility for it.
In terms of culture, the UN troops do not know the Haitian culture. In fact, occupy a country which is not yours always does not  seem to work because it’s a different culture with a different mindset. Peace does not always come with machine guns and tanks. I believe it takes help that could develop a nation with its own ideology.

This budget could have been used to build hospitals, roads; schools, provide clean water and power electricity etc… But the goal of the international community is keeping Haiti under their influence, begging for money all the time and putting division between the Haitian politicians and regular citizens. They want the troops to be there so that their affiliated companies can make money. Does this help? What does it take to stabilize Haiti? I don’t think machine guns count. It takes good economic development and reform of the justice system etc... When will Haiti have a break from this international hegemony? I think the idea would be helping Haiti through its difficulties and not making decision for it. The result of this occupation is fatal and the money that they are giving Haiti is basically returned back to the U.N. I say this because, the money is being used to paying for the troops and covering their expenses.

The presence of MINUSTAH in Haiti causes too much bad outcomes. The country does not need machine guns and military force. However, it does not  help and I would call it imperialism which does not do any good for the Haitians.It's about time for this caribbean nation to have its sovereignty back. Haiti needs some breath!

Heartbreak

May God bless and protect Haiti

It's very sad to write about a hurricane threatens to hit Haiti severely.I am praying for all the people in Haiti including my family and friends. The condition of Haiti is vulnerable. No infrastructure. It's a country trying to survive. Haiti has been through so much: four hurricanes in a row hit the country in 2008 and many people died,an earthquake in 2010, about 300.000 people were killed and left more than 1 million homeless and a cholera outbreak that has killed more than 7000 people. Today, there are more than 400.000 people living in camps in bad condition while hurricane Isaac is getting close to the country.I wonder why all of these are happening, but only God has the answer.I am optimist that God has a plan for my island.I am keeping the government in my prayers and hope God will give them knowledge to handle this situation. God bless Haiti!

Loving Haiti Will Never Be Faded Away

Haiti is a beautiful country and the Haitian people are wonderful. Life in Haiti is difficult,but the Haitian people are very strong. They are waiting on change by holding onto their faith and hope every single day. I cannot describe how strong the people of my country are, despite poverty,earthquake and cholera they are moving on.

I have been living in the U.S. for almost two years,but my heart is still in Haiti. I check the news about my beloved country almost every day. I talk with my family and friends on the Internet via facebook and skype. I still remember the past journeys and I remember the hard life as well.

As I love the medical field, I am going to school to be a nurse. I want to do it for my country as well because I want to go back and help those who need medical care. It takes a lot to tell when it comes to talk about medical care in Haiti. The country’s medical system is obsolete, there are not enough care providers and medical facilities. Most of the hospitals and clinics are in Port-au-Prince. Sometimes, it takes two days for many people to get to a hospital or clinic, then there comes an issue; no doctors,nurses and even medicines. As a result, people die in these circumstances. Life is so important and beautiful, why is it so many people do not have the chance to survive when they are in need of medical care?

I was diagnosed with a heart problem eleven years ago.But thanks to God and Dr John Carroll who took me to the U.S. for care. I wonder how my life would be if I did not meet Dr John.I think I would have died because I did not find medical care that I needed in Haiti. Every time I think about that, I realize there are so many people in Haiti who are in the same situation like I was a few years ago. There are people who need assistance,but they suffer and die because they cannot find any help.

I carry the tears of my people in my heart like I carry mine. I love my country and I can’t stop thinking about it. Haiti is where my heart belongs. I look forward to going back and continue to be involved. May God bless my beautiful island!

We Are Paying The Price

Does Haiti have food to feed the country? is one the most frequent questions that i have been asked for the last eighteen months. People asked me this question because they had heard the Haitian children are starving to death. Food has become a major problem throughout Haiti. The national production has decreased seriously because of so many issues: infrastructure,foreign food importation and displacing farmers from the country sides to the capital,Port-au-Prince.

I have seen an enormous raise in the food prices over the last twelve years. I remember when i was younger, my mother used to complain about the prices of rice,corn;beans,wheat and sugar. But Haitians are very strong people;therefore, they cope with any situation that comes through. As the national food production goes down,foreign food invades the Haitian food market tremendously. For instance, it is cheaper to buy rice from overseas than the Haitian rice. But the majority of the population still cannot afford to buy food because they live with less than $2 US a day.

The country spends millions of dollars buying food from overseas especially from the Dominican Republic and the United States. The U.S. has been subsidizing the American rice farmers to keep the price of rice low so they can import rice into Haiti whereas they do not assist the Haitian farmers. Is this a good policy? I don't think the U.S. is helping Haiti to boost its economy and increase the food production in Haiti. As a Haitian, i have never had chance to eat the Haitian rice as much as i used to eat the American rice because my mother could not afford our country’s rice. I think it would be better if the U.S. helps Haiti overcome this situation by helping the Haitian farmers. There is plenty of rice and beans in Haiti,but most of them are from overseas especial the U.S. However,Haiti is a country with foreign food,but a population with no money.

The question is, does the U.S. have a plan to help end this problem in Haiti? About three decades ago, Haiti used to produce enough food to feed its population. But now the Haitian bellies rely on tons of food that’s coming from overseas. We are paying the price of a policy that has been in place for years. It’s time for change to come before it gets worse. Haiti cannot continue to pay such a price. Nou grangou=we are hungry!

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