I need to know about Haiti

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I feel the need to drop everything in my spoiled american life and buy a plane ticket to a troubled country. I would basically go with a few sets of clothes and a small amount of american money and just see what the heck happens…if i could possibly build a life there. Haiti seems to be a good choice as of now, but i want to learn all i can before i make such a decesion.

  • How much english speaking goes on there? What other languages are prominant?

  • What are the odds that i could find work or take up lodging with a kindly family

  • How dangerous is the country right now with politcal upheavels and all

  • Should i expect any discrimination against my american heritage?

Any info or tips would be appreciated…as well as good sites to find information. I don’t expect this to be easy, i partly want adventure and partly want to learn and possibly teach…have the experience of living in a very different culture from what i was raised in

2

Not a great idea IMHO.
I visited Haiti years ago during the Baby Doc years. The people are incredibly poor. We stayed at a ritzy resort - it was popular with the jet set at the time. A married couple was provided to each villa to cook breakfast and clean up every time we left the villa. They were paid $2 a day plus tips and were the envy of the island. We rented a car and driver to take us into the hills for a whole day. The charge was $16 plus gas. Saw no cats or dogs while there. When we asked why, we were told that people who are starving will use them for food rather than feed good food to pets. Military men armed with machine guns threatened an old woman who asked us for money in the mahogany market in the city.

Do a google search for news about Haiti. There was recent trouble (last month or so) with insurgents deposing yet another corrupt elected leader. A Haitian cab driver in NYC told me he believed it was a good thing.

More recently, I was in the Dominican Republic which shares the island with Haiti. Many Haitians were regularly risking their lives to cross the border to get work in the D.R. I wouldn’t count on getting a job there or finding people willing to take you in and feed another mouth.

On the bright side, however, I found the people to be very pleasant and friendly to Americans. Most people in Haiti speak French or Creole but many speak English and we had no trouble being understood.

Check with the State Department to see if there are any restrictions on or warnings to Americans traveling there.

So, nice people, cheap prices, no jobs, almost constant political turmoil. Up to you.

3

Check out the Peace Corps in Haiti

4

Friend of mine that was in the Coast Guard tells me that Haiti is so filthy that, while he was on his ship, they could smell it a long time before they even saw the coastline.

Bon voyage.

5

Haïti is poor, French-speaking, and turbulent. I echo Beadalin in recommending that, if you feel a driving need to experience Haïti, to do so in the Peace Corps. Both you and hopefully a few Haïtians will benefit far more from the experience.

6

In his book All the Trouble in the World, P.J. O’Rourke devotes a chapter to Haiti – its history, its politics, and what a shithole it is now. The word picture he paints of the slum Citi Soleil is sobering, to say the least. Despite my grim description, the chapter is a fun read (as is the whole book, if you like O’Rourke’s brand of political humor).

Unless Haiti has changed a lot in the last few years, I would strongly recommend picking someplace else to go for your adventure.

7

A military civilian friend of mine had to go to Haiti about a year ago for work. One of the things that stuck out most in her mind about the trip was seeing a woman climb up a pile of trash in the roadway, hike up her dress, and take a dump.

That’ll pretty much stick in my mind too.

8

My intentions were good, but by execution left something to be desired.

Here’s the second link again, spelling and code corrected:
Questions and Answers

… and I noticed just now that the Peace Corps program in Haiti has been suspended. It ought to tell you something, when even the Peace Corps is unwilling to operate somewhere.

9

I spent some time in Haiti in the mid 90s and have a fairly good knowledge of the culture, language and politics of the island. I would be very careful about going now, and I love the place. For what its worth I will try to give you the basics should you decide to go.

First, you need to decide where in Haiti. Port-Au-Prince is chaotic, polluted and shockingly poor. You would be staying in Petionville, in the hills above the city, and would need to find transportation. The locals use Tap-Taps, buses filled to overload with people, only the very brave will go without their own car. You will want a driver. Traffic is ungodly, and in an accident there is much shouting in Creole until everyone drives off. You will need someone to do the shouting for you. I would stay in Jeremie, or Jacmel, which though just as poor, are more rural and slowly paced.

Language can be a problem. English is fairly widely spoken in the capital. Outside of POP French can get you by, but Creole is the only language for most Haitians. Haitian Creole and French are mutually unintelligible, so don’t be surprised that many Haitians don’t have a clue what you are saying when you speak French to them.

You will need to decide what you are doing there before you just take off. Work will be hard to come by, unless you are attached to an aid mission, or a development project. If you are not with one of those groups I would go as a long vacation rather than as someone intending to expatriate. I am sure a family would take you in, but the accomodations would be far below the worst motel in the US. I would stay at the Hotel Oluffson if you are in Port-Au-Prince, or at a moderately priced hotel outside.

Street violence is more of a problem now than when I was there and I would urge you to get more up to date information than I could give you. You should always keep a close eye on your belongings and keep your money with you at all times. The intensity of the begging can be unsettling as well. You should never give money to beggars. This is a personal safety issue and you disregard it at your peril. There are many organizations, including local churches and charities, that do excellent work. You open yourself up to robbery and you make yourself stand out by giving away money openly.

I would expect you would be welcomed, but you will always be a Blan, which means foreigner (white or black). Your wealth, and obvious status as a tourist or journalist isn’t easily shaken. A trip like this can be a life-changing experience, but going into it without a full investigation is foolish. Try to decide what you want and decide if Haiti is the right place for that. Feel free to email with any other questions.