The situation in Haiti Today

July 2006

By Josette Perard from Port au Prince, Haiti

In English and Haitian Kreyol

Touswit apre eleksyon Fevriye 2006 yo, operasyon kidnaping oswa vòl ak zam te fe yon ti ralanti. Sitwayen lan peyi a te konprann sekirite te pral retabli.

Right after the election of February 2006, the kidnapping operations and other armed violence took a little break. It was understood that the country's security situation needed to be re-established

Men, sibitman, apre anviwon yon mwa, operasyon kriminèl yo te rekòmanse lan plizyè vil peyi a, Gonayiv, Senmak, Okay, espesyalman lan Pòtoprens, bandi ame ap rantre lan magazen osnonn lan rezidans prive moun pou kidnape, vòlè, asasine. Lan sèten katye popilè, gwoup ame ap goumen youn ak lòt, lè se pa ak lapolis osnon Minista.

But, suddenly, after about a month, criminal activity started up again in many towns such as Gonaive, St. Marc, Les Cayes and especially in Port au Prince. Armed bandits entered stores or private residences to kidnap people, steal and murder. In certain quarters of the population, armed gangs fight each other, when they aren't fighting the police or MINUSTAH (the UN occupation forces).

Malge eleksyon Préval, tout moun konstate gen yon vid onivo Leta a ki panko konble. Enstitisyon Leta yo frajil; inite ki ta sipoze simante yo onivo politik ak administratif pa egziste. Pa egzanp, lè Andresol, Chef Lapolis la deklare ke bandi Lapolis arete jwenn liberasyon yo, sa gen yon grenn sinifikasyon : gen majistra lan sistèm lajistis la ki lan kondòday ak bandi yo.

In spite of Préval being elected, everyone declares there is a void on the State level which has yet to be filled. The institution of the State is fragile; the unity which is supposed to cement the levels of politics and administration does not exist. For example, when Chief of Police Andresol declared that the bandits the police arrested had been freed, that means the judges in the Justice system are in collusion with the bandits.

Ansyen premye Minis Jera Latòti sove, men li kite kèk kado pwazon pou Preval. Kominote Entènasyonal la di li debouse 960 milyon dola pou Ayiti sou Gouvènman Latòti - Bonifas, men kès Leta a vid, gen plis chomay lan peyi a, pri machandiz premye nesesite miltipliye pa 3 osnon 4 sòti 2004 rive 2006, plis lamizè blayi lan mitan ouvriye, peyizan ak klas mwayèn nan.

The previous Prime Minister, Gerard Latortue – [installed, not elected] – ran away but he left a few poison presents for Préval. The international community disbursed 960 million dollars to the Latortue - Boniface administration, but the State treasury is empty, there is very high unemployment in the country, the price of goods has multiplied 3 or 4 times from 2004 to 2006, there is more misery spread over all functions with the peasants and middle class being very effected.

Lè Préval te monte opouvwa le 14 Me 2006, li te di pèp ayisyen an “gade m lan je, m ap gade w nan je ”. Sa fè plis pase 2 mwa pèp la ap gade misye lan je, men mesaj yo wè lan je l pa di anyen. Ositou, chalè lari a monte, manifestasyon ap boujonnen babò tribò divès fòs sosyal ap chache eksplwate vid politik la selon enterè klas yo, gwoup yo. Atoufè tout kalite pwofite pou antre anaksyon.

When Préval took office on May 14, 2006, he told the Haitian people, “Look me in the eye and I will look you in the eye.” It has been more than two months that the people have looked in his eyes, but the message they see doesn’t say anything.

Immediately, the streets heated up, protests are growing everywhere, various social forces are searching to exploit the political void according to class interests, group interests. And so, all kinds can profit from the inaction of the State.

Jounen jodi a, peyi d Ayiti lan yon kafou difisil. Pwoblèm li anpil e yo konplike. Anpil moun ap defile lan radyo ak televizyon pou pwopoze sa yo kwè ki ka solisyon pwoblèm yo, tankou pa egzanp ogmante efektif lapolis, ba li bon zam pou l ka afwonte bandi, tabli yon lapè sosyal kreye travay, reyòganize administrasyon piblik kòwonpi a, apati yon priz konsyans jeneral.

Today, Haiti is at a difficult crossroads. Its problems are many and complex. Many people are putting forth on radio and television the proposals they believe can give solutions to the problems, for example, improving the effectiveness of the police, giving them arms to confront bandits, establishing a social truce, creating work, reorganizing from the beginning, for the corrupt public administration to have a grasp of general conscience.

Sepandan, sa moun yo bliye osnon pè manyen, se rasin tout pwoblèm sa yo, sètadi rapò sosyal ki tabli an Ayiti depi 2 syèk e ki akouche depi lontan yon Leta ak yon klas dirijan an fayit, yon demokrasdi pèpè, yon ekonomi sou lagraba, yon anviwònman delabre, mizè jeneralize, analfabetism, koripsyon, kidnaping, okipasyon etranjè. Moun save nan gwo peyi yo fabrike 2 etikèt pou Ayiti ak peyi ki sanble ak li : “Pays moins avancés” - “Entité chaotique ingouvernable ”!

However, it is that people forget or are afraid to grasp, that the root of all problems, is the social structure established in Haiti for these past two centuries: the ruling class has bankrupt the State, democracy is trashed, the economy is on its last feet, the environment is dilapidated and there is general misery, illiteracy, corruption, kidnapping and occupation by foreigners. Scholars in larger countries have fabricated two labels for Haiti and other countries like Haiti " Countries minimally advanced " and "A chaotic entity ungovernable".

Ajitasyon politik ak voye monte moralizan ki refize touche rasin pwoblèm yo ap rete lan yon virewon pèmanan, yon virewon ki ranje zafè yon klas moun onivo nasyonal ak entènasyonal.Pou n kòmanse sòti lan pwoblèm yo, pèp ayisyen an bezwen yon diskisyon onèt e serye, lan yon kad òganize, sou baz sa a, chimen an va louvri pou n vanse.

Political agitation by some people who refuse to address the root cause of our problems are keeping us in a permanent turnaround, a turnaround which directly profits a few people on a national and international level. For us to get out of these problems, Haitian people need an honest and serious discussion that is organized and inclusive so that the road will open for us to advance.

Book Signing - May 20: Haiti, Rising Flames from Burning Ashes

Haitian writer, author, and political analyst Hyppolite Pierre, Director, Political Affairs and Founder of the Institute for Research in the Sciences of Politics (IRSP), invites you to a book signing ceremony on

SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2006, at 7 P.M. at

Books and Books - map
265 Aragon Avenue
Coral Gables, FL

The book, Haiti, Rising Flames from Burning Ashes, is a publication of the University Press of America. Already being marked as “one of the most important works on Haiti”, this book is a historical study of patterns that have caused and continue to cause the failure of the island nation of Haiti as a state. The strength of the book lies in its final chapters, where the author proposes solutions which, if implemented, will help Haiti find its proper place among nations of the world, as a thriving, vibrant, multicultural, and thoroughly democratic state.

Hyppolite will make a short presentation, followed by a question/answer session with the audience. He will also sign your copy of his book, already available at the bookstore.

For further information about this exciting event and seating availability, please call Books and Books at (305) 442-4408.

Book Signing - May 14: Haiti, Rising Flames from Burning Ashes

Haitian writer, author, and political analyst Hyppolite Pierre, Director, Political Affairs and Founder of the Institute for Research in the Sciences of Politics (IRSP), invites you to a book signing ceremony on

SUNDAY, MAY 14, 2006, at 1:30 P.M.

Hard Bean Coffee & Booksellers
36 Market Space
Annapolis, MD, 21401 - map

The book, Haiti, Rising Flames from Burning Ashes, is a publication of the University Press of America. Already being marked as “one of the most important works on Haiti”, this book is a historical study of patterns that have caused and continue to cause the failure of the island nation of Haiti as a state. The strength of the book lies in its final chapters, where the author proposes solutions which, if implemented, will help Haiti find its proper place among nations of the world, as a thriving, vibrant, multicultural, and thoroughly democratic state.

Hyppolite will gladly sign your copy of his book, already available at the bookstore.

For further information about this exciting event and seating availability, please call Hard Bean Coffee and Booksellers at (410) 263-8770.

Reflections on the Haitian Elections

by Ron Bluntschli of Gwo Jan, Haiti

Considering all that has been going on politically in Haiti over the past few years, what happened here on Feb. 7, 2006 and a few weeks after was both surprising and inspiring. The Haitian people went out in large numbers to make a powerful statement to the elites and the international community, whose combined misrule has had little support among the masses. Their determination overcame the many obstacles put in their way. They did not get discouraged and go home when many polling places remained closed until late in the day, nor did they riot after waiting for so long only to find themselves turned away because somehow their names weren't on the list where they were told to vote. What they did do was demonstrate forcefully but peacefully to demand that the Provisional Electoral Council (PEC) solve the problem, which it finally did under pressure around 2:00PM (voting was supposed to start at 6:00AM and end at 4:00PM) with the declaration that people could vote wherever they were and that the polling places were to remain open until everyone had voted. So the election went off without violence (the four deaths that did occur were not political in nature, rather the kind of incident normal for large crowds of people under uncomfortable circumstances; the real story is that there weren't more) and the people went home to wait for the results. Not that there was any doubt about who won the presidency, but there was concern that the people's will would not be respected.

That fear seemed to be confirmed after the election as the vote count started to come in. Preval was ahead with around 60% initially but then a day later went down to 50%, less than the absolute majority he needed to not have to go to a run-off. It remained hovering around that point for the rest of the week. Preval supporters suspected that the count was being manipulated to force a run-off vote, which they wanted no part of, and began to demonstrate in the streets. The big issue initially revolved around the amount of blank votes recorded, which when included in the total – as mandated by Haitian electoral law – dropped Preval's lead below the needed 51%. It defied reason, given the context, that 4% of the electorate would have deliberately voted for "none of the above" as a protest. The discovery of several thousand ballots dumped in the garbage north of Port-au-Prince added more fuel to the fire. The city was effectively shut down for a few days due to the roads being blocked, but there was no violence or destruction of property to speak of, except when the UN fired on a crowd that wouldn't let their vehicles pass, killing two and wounding four others. To resolve the problem before it got out of hand, the PEC agreed to discount blank votes to give Preval the majority needed to be declared the winner. Other than a few candidates and the small minority of people strongly opposed to Preval, most people welcomed the decision and things returned to normal. Official observers also agreed, declaring the election valid and without significant fraud.

Much of the above story was fairly well reported in the press (a good article to start with would be "The Fight for Haiti", by Kathie Klarreich, in the March 13 issue of The Nation). What wasn't given much attention was what the people understood was going on in this game that was being played with them, and why, and how their response to it deserved much more admiration and respect than they got. What they saw was that the powers were going to try to provoke them to violence in order to have a pretext for taking over the country entirely, or at least to install another puppet government. The election going up in flames would prove that Haiti had become ungovernable, a failed state. The violent masses would take the blame. Did they have reason to believe this, or was it just the paranoia of a backward, uneducated people looking for someone to blame for their misery, as foreigners often view Haitians?

Let's start by looking at a bit of recent history. Two years ago, President Aristide was forcibly removed from power by what was called a popular revolt. While there were certainly many Haitians –although never the majority- who were angry with Aristide and wanted him out, the coup d'etat was given financial, organizational and logistical support by the big players in Haiti: Washington, France and Canada (how it went down is well covered in the book "Canada in Haiti: Waging War On The Poor Majority", co-authored by Antony Fenton). Although the Haitian Constitution mandates elections within three months of the presidency being vacated, for whatever reason, this was ignored by all those staunch defenders of the Constitution that Aristide had been accused of violating. While hungry for power, the elite political class knew that Aristide's political party, Lavalas, was still the dominant political force in the country and would win overwhelmingly were a speedy election to be held. They needed to destroy the party and demoralize its popular base first before daring to organize an election in which any of them would stand a chance of winning. This they proceeded to do over the next two years, under the inept and corrupt leadership of the provisional puppet government cobbled together by the same powers that supported the coup d'etat. During this process hundreds of Lavalas officials and supporters were rounded up and put in prison, almost all of them never even having charges filed against them. Many others were "disappeared". This was all blithely overlooked by the UN, which had taken over the "peacekeeping" mission from the very busy US military, who stayed only long enough to kill several people and "restore order".

Much of the work was initially carried out by elements of the Haitian Army, which had been organizing and training in the Dominican Republic for months prior to the onset of anti-Aristide demonstrations (one wonders why they were allowed to operate so freely there and where they got their money) in anticipation of providing the violence necessary to push Aristide out when other means proved inadequate. Although by any reasonable standard these rebel forces would be classified as terrorist, they not only were allowed to ravage northern cities and threaten Port-au-Prince, enabling the coup d'etat to happen, but were also given free range to re-establish bases and keep their weapons afterward. Most Haitians, even many of those who wanted Aristide out, were appalled to see the Army reasserting itself again, considering their brutal history. Had the international objective been to truly stop violent conflict, the rebels should have been disarmed and their leaders arrested; instead, they were told to keep a low profile and wait for a newly elected government to decide whether the Army would be reconstituted or not. They were unable to remain disciplined, however, and proceeded to try and establish themselves operationally in defiance of the occupying powers. When their depredations went too far, the UN and the Haitian police finally shut them down about a year ago.

A lot of the preparatory work needed to begin organizing elections had already been done by this time in any case. Lavalas was unable to function and most of its leaders were in hiding, in prison or dead. The political violence was much worse than it had been under Aristide. Poor neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince like Cite Soleil and Belair had turned into armed fortresses in response to repeated attacks; first by the US, then by the Haitian military and police, as well as the UN. The gangs that Aristide had armed to be his own security forces began a campaign of kidnapping which terrorized primarily the business class and elites, who had overwhelmingly supported Aristide's ouster (it should be noted, however, that many of the kidnappings occurring during this period were not committed by gangs and had nothing to do with politics). This justified further incursions by UN forces, since the population of the armed neighborhoods had now become "terrorists". In one such attack in Cite Soleil, UN forces killed at least 27 people, mostly women and children. The people in these neighborhoods were fully convinced that it was the intent of both the Haitian authorities and the international community to eliminate them, but they were determined not to give up without a fight, shooting at any invading police or UN personnel. While the politically motivated kidnappings were terrible and beyond justification, the responsibility for them should be acknowledged as shared by those in power as well as by the actual perpetrators. The rulers, of course, accept no responsibility, preferring to blame Aristide as somehow orchestrating the whole operation from South Africa.

With Lavalas on the run and its main strategic areas of popular support under the constant threat of siege, the stage was now set for moving ahead with elections. Anti-Aristide forces looked forward to an election they might finally have a chance of winning, but the poor majority was totally uninterested unless Lavalas was allowed to operate freely and present its own candidates. Desirous of legitimacy and knowing that this would not be recognized if Lavalas –still the party of the people- was not involved at least superficially, the authorities negotiated with individuals from within Lavalas willing to play the game and present a candidate for the presidency, which resulted in the laughable choice of Marc Bazin as the Lavalas candidate (laughable because Bazin never had any popular support, especially after accepting the post of Prime Minister during General Cedras' reign of terror). The main body of the Lavalas party rejected this outright, instead pushing for Father Gerard Jean-Juste to represent them. The authorities responded by arresting him on bogus charges to prevent him from being able to register as a candidate. Without a candidate they could believe in, popular interest in the elections remained low.

Then the surprise. On the day before the deadline for candidates to register, Rene Preval entered the race under the banner of the newly formed party Espwa, which means hope in Kreyol. This changed everything. The whole country, including many strongly anti-Aristide people, suddenly got fired up to participate. People started registering to vote en masse, feeling that now they had a candidate they could truly support. The ruling class had not anticipated this and was not at all happy about it, because everyone knew from the moment he entered the race that Preval would win hands down in a fair election. Preval's edge was that he had already been president, had not been accused of corruption while in power (although he was unable to stop rampant corruption in the government), ended his term able to remain in the country and continue to live as a private citizen (a rarity in Haiti) and was accepted and respected by the masses as being solidly "of the people and for the people". His former close association with Aristide made him popular with Aristide supporters, his commitment to popular causes without being tainted by Aristide's power plays and corruption made him popular with pro-democracy people who had been disillusioned with Aristide, and his business-friendly politics made him acceptable to some of the powerful families who dominate Haitian commerce. That he was not known as a competent administrator or very charismatic didn't matter at all.

Another reason for his popularity is that he is hated by the ruling elites and political class, as much if not more for his style as for his politics. Preval is the sort of person who will sit on the ground to talk to a group of farmers, dresses casually, dances with grandmothers, drinks and plays dominoes with regular folks and prefers to speak Kreyol rather than French. The elite view him with the kind of disdain that a New York socialite would have for some good old boy living in a trailer park in Alabama. He is not a politician, yet he has had two presidencies handed to him without even trying, so the political class hates him as well. The people like this about him, though, and by voting for him sent a strong message to the ruling class about just how little they admire them.

Once Preval became a candidate, those in power tried what they could to scuttle or at least forestall the elections, pushing the date back again and again until they worked out some sort of plan and could no longer offer an excuse for the delays. When it finally became clear that the elections were indeed going to be held, the people mobilized and prepared themselves for whatever might be thrown at them. By this time it was obvious to many that there were going to be attempts made to provoke mob violence to spoil things. For one thing, many of the elite were afraid enough to leave the country or send their kids out for the week of the election. Also, during the week before, UN patrols went into Cite Soleil and marked many houses with skull and crossbones symbols, which the inhabitants understood as marking where to shoot when the troops entered. (It would be hard to imagine what other purpose these markings could possibly serve.) Then, on the day before the election, US warships appeared in the harbor off Port-au-Prince, and the news arrived that there were around 800 US soldiers stationed in Barahona, close to the border in the Dominican Republic, supposedly to build four polyclinics (why so many armaments were in their camp was not explained). The only question was how were they going to incite the violence. A lot of people, including myself, thought that thugs hired by opposition parties would start shooting up polling places to set things off. As it turned out, a different approach was used.

It became clear on election day what the strategy was. To start with, the polling places set up for poorer neighborhoods were located in exposed areas with no shade and next to piles of stinking garbage. As previously mentioned, the offices opened very late and were badly disorganized and short of materials. Previous elections, when there was even less experience in holding them, somehow went much more smoothly. The UN, charged with material and logistical support and security, was noticeably absent in many places, especially where the people of Cite Soleil and Belair were to vote. All this did have its effect; people became frustrated and angry and ready for action. But the anticipated violence did not happen. There was no gunfire from those violent "terrorists" of the targeted neighborhoods. People endured the humiliation to cast their votes, foiling the expectations of those who apparently made their plans on the assumption that the people were little more than violent animals unable to control their emotions. At the end of the day, when it was plain what had been attempted and how the people overcame it, my admiration for the Haitian people rose to a level it hasn't been at in years.

The shenanigans after the election were even more potentially explosive than the humiliations of election day. Especially disturbing was the complicity of the UN in continuing to play the role of spoiler. That ballot boxes had been dumped in the garbage before the count was complete was bad enough; that the trucks that dumped them were UN trucks was worse. Unaware of such details, an outside observer of the demonstrations that followed might be pardoned for thinking, "Why don't they just let the process go on, even if that means a run-off if Preval doesn't get a clear majority? Can't they behave in a more civilized fashion?". But from my perspective, having felt the anger upon seeing how people were treated for simply exercising their rights, I was deeply impressed with how well they kept discipline and avoided destroying not only life but property as well. In comparison, there is usually much more mob violence in the US during a post-Super Bowl victory celebration than what we saw here. After the way people comported themselves on election day they should have been given the respect they deserved; instead, they were treated with contempt. And the people rose to the occasion with dignity, maturity and disciplined determination.

Spirits are still high in Haiti, and there is hope in the air like there hasn't been since 1994. You could feel it in this year's Carnival, which was noticeably free of the sporadic fighting that usually breaks out with so many people together dancing and jostling each other in tightly packed crowds. People are no longer as naïve as they were before, however, so they remain wary. There are already signs that efforts will be made to cripple Preval's presidency. For now, though, the people have the satisfaction of having scored a big point against the forces that continue to try dominating them. I hope they can hold on to this spirit, this energy, and with it start to heal and rebuild the country.

Ayibobo for the Haitian People!

Finally!

"Anfen !! Apre anpil sispans epi gras ak detèminasyon Pèp lan ki te achte lari a lajan kontan, KEP lan jedi 16 Fevriye a 3zè nan maten ba rezilta definitif eleksyon Prezidan.

"Finally! After much suspense and grace and determination, the People took to the street as if they owned them. The CEP (electoral commission), on Thursday February 16 at 3 AM in the morning, gave a definite result of the Presidential election.

René Préval pase Prezidan Peyi a ak yon pousantaj 51.10% Moun yo te Dòmi devna Palè Nasyonal tout lannwit epi maten an yo sòti nan Lari Pòtoprens ak nan pwovens yo, pou chante, danse kontantman yo, nan lòd ak disiplin."

Rene Preval became President of the country with 51.10 %. People slept in front of the National Palace the entire night and in the morning they took to the streets of Port au Prince and in the provinces, singing, dancing with happiness, with order and discipline."

Women's eNews names Josette Perard Leader for the 21st Century

(NEW YORK Jan. 1, 2006) Women's eNews announces today its 21 Leaders for the 21st Century 2006: women and one man who are dedicating their lives to improving the lives of all women at home, in the workplace, in school and on the playing field.

Out of a pool of hundreds of impressive candidates nominated during the past several months, these 21 determined and passionate trailblazers stand out for their extraordinary visions and commitment to working on behalf of women. Josette Perard, Haiti Director of the Lambi Fund of Haiti, was one of the award winners.

Josette Perard, Haiti's Center Pole

Josette Perard's heart has never been anywhere but her home, Haiti. Her great laugh and greater works, though, have affected the lives of thousands elsewhere.

At 25 years old, faced with the daily threat of violence in Haiti, she went to the Congo (now Zaire) to help women adjust to their new lives, finally free of colonialism. She was given the opportunity to go because they needed French-speaking social workers.

Six years later, she left "those troubled, but strong African women," as she puts it, to take up residence in New York City.

She went to school and pursued accounting to support her two young boys, who adjusted quickly to the United States. But Perard never felt like she belonged despite 20 years of living in the city. "New York is a city where you have to be young and grow there," she says. "I was always waiting to go back to my Haiti."

After two decades as an accountant in New York, Perard finally got her homecoming.

In 1987, after president Jean-Claude Duvalier fled, she returned to still-turbulent Haiti and embarked on a lifelong dream of providing social work in her native land. After a chaotic U.S.-installed military regime, Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president in 1990. Most of his term was usurped by a military coup d'etat (i.e. more violence), but he returned to office in 1994, the same year that Perard co-founded the Lambi Fund of Haiti in Port au Prince, a nonprofit created to help poor women create economically and environmentally sustainable communities throughout Haiti.

Today the Lambi Fund of Haiti has supported over 100 projects throughout Haiti's nine regional departments with foundational support and private donors.

These days, Perard spends most of her time organizing regional groups of women to create self-sustaining agricultural and community projects.

Most recently, for example, the Lambi Fund of Haiti helped a rural community build its own sugar cane mill, which provides jobs and income to local workers. Before that, community members—mostly single mothers—walked miles and paid exorbitant prices charged by a rich landowner who controlled the other local mill. "When the situation is bad where I live and I'm concerned, I go on location," Perard says, "and when I meet the women my spirit goes up."

Women, Perard believes, are the heart of Haiti, especially given that violence has left so many families fatherless. "In a voodoo temple," she says, "there is a pole in the middle and everything goes around that pole. The women are that pole in Haitian society."

— By Courtney Martin

Wine Label Benefits Lambi Fund

After producing some of California’s most highly sought after cabernets from its vineyards on Sonoma Mountain for twenty years, Patrick Campbell of Laurel Glen Vineyards took an exploratory trip to Chile in 1995 and liked what he saw. Making limited production (and hence, relatively expensive) wine had its charms; but Campbell, whose lifetime fascination with Che Guevara reveals a stubborn egalitarian streak, yearned to produce a more populist wine. He realized that the Colchagua region, in the shadow of the mighty Andes, could produce a delicious and lively cabernet.

The result was Terra Rosa, which has gained a well deserved reputation for honesty, affordability, and environmentally conscious farming practices. While Patrick was searching the farther reaches of the Chilean and Argentine wine worlds, one of his daughters, Maia, was engaged in setting up legal mediation centers in the Guatemalan highlands, and through her work had encountered the Lambi Fund.
Patrick was intrigued. Why not draw on his Terra Rosa contacts to develop a wine that not only tastes good but does good? Patrick ran the idea past his old friend and business partner Tim Chegwidden, an economist with broad experience in the international wine trade. Tim was as excited as Patrick.
Thus was born Chévere, a modest contribution to wine lovers with a social conscience. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of this rich and deep cabernet will be donated to the Lambi Fund to support their vital work. Salud! 2003 Chévere!
In the southeast corner of the Colchagua Valley lies one of the few actual hillside plantings in all of Chile; the 2003 Chévere! begins here on its steep and rocky slopes. While Chévere! is full with the soft and delicious texture we associate with Chilean cabernet, its higher level of color, tannin, and fruit concentration underscore its hillside origin. This is a delicious wine to serve with pastas, meats, pizza, robust cheeses, and with any other hearty foods. Purchase here.

Information on the Kidnapping Incident

By the Lambi Fund Advisory Board and Haiti staff

Note: Some of you may have heard bits and pieces about an incident that happened to four Lambi Fund staff and board members in April. Here is a brief factual account of the events.

Every other year the Lambi Fund of Haiti (LFH) holds its annual board meeting in Haiti in different locations. On these occasions, LFH staff and board members that live in the US always have the opportunity to visit nearby LFH projects and meet with members of its partner organizations.

This year the meeting was scheduled to take place on April 14-18, in a seaside hotel on the Cote de Arcadins. LFH staff (both US and Haiti), directors of the board and advisory board members planned to visit four projects in the Artibonite Valley, one of the LFH’s geographic areas of project concentration.

LFH US staff and board members arrived in P-a-P on April 14. The LFH Haiti team met them at the airport and the group headed directly out of the capital on National Rd #1 in 3 rented cars.

On that road, specifically in Tamarinye after Bon Repos, a group of four armed bandits stopped the rented car. Inside the car were the LFH Haiti Project Director who was driving the car and four female staff and board members of LFH USA. The bandits blocked the road, held a gun to the LF Project Director’s head, made him get out of the car and then drove the car away with the four LFH USA staff and board members in the car.

The LFH Project Director immediately borrowed a phone and called the other LFH staff and board members that were ahead in the other two cars. After re-uniting, they analyzed the situation in order to determine what to do next.

Meanwhile, the bandits drove down a remote road with the four LFH women in the car they had stolen. After terrorizing them with cocked guns and deadly threats and taking all they owned --money, jewelry, laptops, and personal belongings-- the bandits released them on Blanchard Road in the Cul-de-Sac plain. They did, however, return the passports to their victims.

Local residents directed the kidnapping victims to a nearby church where they sought help. From there, they were able to phone LFH staff, who rescued them. The LFH Haiti staff found the four women a secure place to stay the night.

Crimes such as kidnapping and highway banditry are happening everywhere, at anytime and to anyone in Haiti now. In this context, we remain convinced that LFH was not specifically targeted in this attack. We also have no idea who the bandits were or if they claim any affiliations.

Lambi Fund takes this opportunity to thank everyone who aided them in this difficult situation: the staff of the church run by the Oblates in Blanchard, who gave them refuge and much consolation; the staff of the Faculty of Agronomy that permitted LFH members to gather at the faculty to discuss the incident and make decisions; and the Sisters of Hospice St Joseph who took in the Lambi Fund women in their place that night.

The goal of telling this story is to correct mis-interpretations and erroneous accounts regarding what happened. LFH staff received many solidarity calls, especially calls from organizations that LFH has supported. People asked Lambi Fund to not be discouraged…to continue the good work it is doing, to continue to support them. The Lambi Fund assures people it is continuing to support their struggle to obtain a better life for people in Haiti.

Letters of Solidarity

By Karen Ashmore, Executive Director

As one of the Lambi Fund of Haiti team that was kidnapped while traveling through Haiti, I want to say that although this was a terrifying incident, it in no way deterred my commitment to the struggle of the people in Haiti. We escaped with our lives when they released us with just the clothes on our backs on a remote rural road. But it was the grassroots people, the honest hard-working peasants of Haiti, who rescued us and delivered us to safety. Once again, the grassroots movement proved its strength in Haiti.

We returned to our homes in the U.S. traumatized, of course, but more committed than ever to the Lambi Fund of Haiti. This is because we were clearly reminded of the huge need that the Lambi Fund is filling. Kidnappings and murders by lawless people are increasing each day as Haiti struggles for democracy. As devastating as our kidnapping was, Haitians live with this fear and violence each and every day. And, unlike us, they cannot board an airplane and leave.

This is why the board members, the other staff, and I, although narrowly escaping death in Haiti, will continue to dedicate ourselves to the Lambi Fund. It is the best way we know to ensure that not one more person in Haiti dies of violence from the anti-democratic forces, of hunger, or of neglect.

We know that you, too, care about the people who are left behind, who have no option but to continue surviving and fighting to turn their country’s fate around. We know that you will share with us our delight in how the peasant-run projects that Lambi Fund supports are continuing to flourish. And we believe that you will keep funding our work, because the Lambi Fund is one of the best ways that you, as one who cares about Haiti, can help.

One of the most heartwarming aspects of this whole incident is the letter of solidarity I received from representatives of 18 peasant organizations in Haiti. I share this letter with you:

De: Organizasyon Rejyon Latibonit
From: Organizations from the Artibonite Region

Pou: Fon Lanbi
To: Lambi Fund

Objè: Lèt de solidarite
Re: Letter of Solidarity

Dat: 15 Avril 2005
Date: April 15, 2005

Zanmi kanmarad nou yo bonjou

Greetings to our comrades and friends,

Kijan nou ye? Eske nou repran moral nou?

How are you? Is your morale better now?

Nou menm òganizasyon patnè ki nan rejyon latibonit lan, nou te chita ansanm pa zòn pou nou te reflechi sou sak pase a. Dapre refleksyon nou yo, se yon aksidan ki rive, tankou sa abitye rive anpil nan manm nou yo sitou ti machann ki vwayaje Pòtoprens yo. Se ka ensekirite Global peyi a. Se vre se yon kou di pou LF pou chofè ki tap kondwi machin nan, lè li pa konnen ki bò yo fè ak kanmarad li yo. Sa yo pral fè ak yo. Se te pi di toujou pou kanmarad yo ki livre nan men kidnapè yo, kap sibi presyon, e yo pa konnen ki sò yo. Se te yon kou di tou, pou rès manm Lanbi yo, ki tap viv moman pak la tap rive. Bon Dye te la. Bagay yo pase jan yo pase a, konpliman pou Bon Dye.

Members of our partner organizations from the Artibonite sat down in our respective areas to reflect about what had happened. Based on our reflection this incident that occurred is what our members experience, especially the little market women who travel to Port-au-Prince. There is a global insecurity problem in Haiti. It is true it was a blow to Lambi Fund, especially to the driver who did not know what had happened to his colleagues and what their fate would be.

It was even harder for those kidnapped that were under pressure not knowing what their fate would be. It was a hard blow also for the other members of Lambi Fund who had to experience this with Easter around the corner. God was a witness and things happened as they did, thanks to God!

Nou menm ki se òganizasyon patnè LF travay nan latibonit lan nou endiye devan aksyon revòltan sa a, kòm pèp ki reve yon chanjman, kòm moun kap batay pou yon lòt sosyete, aksyon sa yo revòlte nou anpil e se konsekans move pratik politik ki trennen peyi a nan lawont ak desepsyon li twouve l la a.

The members of LF partner organizations in the Artibonite are indignant with regard to this revolting action; as people dreaming of change, as people struggling for a different kind of society, actions like this revolt us very much and are the consequence of bad political practices that drag our country down in the shame and deception it finds itself in today.

Zanmi nou yo kouraj, fòk nou kontinye lite pou chanjman reyèl la. Pa dekouraje òganizasyon baz yo makonnen fòs yo ak fòs pa nou pou n rive kwape fòs fè nwa yo bloke wout chanjman an. Kenbe pa lage!

Courage our friends because it is necessary that we continue to struggle for real change!

Do not get discouraged for we of the grassroots organizations join our forces with yours to overcome the forces of darkness that block the road to change. Keep the faith!


AFKB APS ODEPRIB APMR AGPGM

APCE OPB AJS SOFAMR POFGM

OPG OPHAT FAD KBS

OPT7M FEGACD COPAHB REPREZENTAN

Rebuilding After Hurricane Jeanne

Many of you responded to last year’s pleas to help re-build communities destroyed by Hurricane Jeanne. Thanks to your support, thousands of Haitians are on the road to recovery! Here’s how you helped:

Collaborative Rebuilding.

First, the Lambi Fund staff met with the impacted organizations to determine together what was in most need of repair or replacement. Working collectively, peasant groups prioritized what needed to be done.

Jump started the bean planting season.

Several organizations decided to focus their efforts on an Emergency Bean Planting project to jump start the planting season. Beans grow quickly in the area and it was the upcoming season for beans. It was critical that the fields were sowed and planted immediately. The Lambi Fund helped organizations purchase seeds, tools and materials to push the process forward. Eight peasant organizations planted black, red and white beans and got a viable crop started immediately. The organizations successfully harvested and sold the bean crops at the local markets. During a recent meeting with the Lambi Fund staff, the farmers stressed the importance of this effort and gave credit to the Lambi Fund for saving their lives following the hurricane. With your help, hundreds of farmers reclaimed their hope for the future and support for their families.

Provided Working Capital to Market Women. Your support helped the market women from ten peasant organizations purchase anew their market goods lost in the floods. They were quickly able to resume their market activities. These small investments made huge impacts. At an organizational meeting, the women expressed their gratitude, “You helped us get back on our feet.”

Replaced Farm Animals.

Lambi Fund gave seven peasant organizations small grants to buy 50 female goats for those families that lost goats in the floods. Lambi also provided grants to buy two billy goats to improve breeding quality. Lambi Fund staff met with representatives of each of the organizations to strategically plan how to best purchase and distribute goats to the community members without problems. Three committees have formed in each area to supervise the operation.

Repaired Irrigation Canals.

Your support enabled the Lambi Fund to repair irrigation systems for three organizations, permitting groups to continue essential farming activities. One peasant organization encountered difficulties when a large international aid organization began repairing the irrigation canal that Lambi Fund had helped construct without consulting either the local peasant organization or the Lambi Fund. As a result, they began work on the irrigation canal with improper specifications. Community members’ concerns prompted a meeting between the Lambi Fund engineer and the aid a recent meeting with the Lambi Fund staff, the farmers stressed the importance of this effort and gave credit to the Lambi Fund for saving their lives following the hurricane. With your help, hundreds of farmers reclaimed their hope for the future and support for their families. Collaborative meeting Harvesting beans A small market in Haiti organization to develop the proper approach to the canal repairs. Working in tandem with the aid organization, the Lambi Fund staff negotiated an estimate using the proper specifications and work recently began under Lambi Fund supervision to repair the canal in the correct manner. This story makes a great case for the grassroots collaborative approach that the Lambi Fund uses in everything it does Repairs and rebuilding are still underway in ravaged parts of the Artibonite Valley. We will give you progress reports as time goes on.

Thank you Lambi Fund donors for making a difference for the Hurricane Jeanne victims in the Artibonite Valley! Special thanks go to Public Welfare Foundation, Share Our Strength, American Jewish World Service, Christ Church, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, First Data Western Union, Beyond Borders, Tides Foundation, Share Foundation, St Robert of Newminster Church, and Dougherty Foundation.

Weblog July 2005

By Josette Perard
Bonjou,
We are living in an exceptional situation in Haiti, especially in the capital, Port au Prince. Each day, armed gunmen kill in many areas downtown and also at the same time in the residential areas. There are a lot of instances of kidnapping and many scary situations. The international community asks for a resolution or they will leave and not return to the country. Evidently, it seems they will overtake the Government and MINUSTAH. In this deep insecurity, the members of CEP (the committe charged with organizing the election) is talking with something like the Devil to see who will benefit if they put some voter registration stations [in some areas].
N ap viv yom sitiyasyon eksepsyonél nan peyi DíAyiti, prensipalman nan Kapital la Pótoprens. Chak jou, zam ap tire nan anpil katye nan ba lavil lan menm jan ak katye rezidansyél yo. Gen anpil ka kidnaping k ap komét, anpil sitwayen pé. Kominote Enténasyonal la, mande resótisan l yo kite pótoprens osnon pa rantre nan peyi a.... Evénman yo sanble depase Gouvénman ak MINISTHA .... sou fon ensekirite sa a, Manm KEP yo ( biwo ki chaje pou óganize eleksyon ) ap debat tankou Dyab nan benitye pou wé si yo ta mete kanpe kék biwo enskripsyon elekté....
As bad as this situation has been described, the Lambi Fund office in Port au Prince opens their doors each day, the staff and personnel support the office and come to work. The staff has not gone out to the provinces to visit organizations, but through the grace and presence of two Lanbi monitors in the South and Artibonite, they are able to contact members of organizations there and help with problems. In the rural areas, the insecurity is not as bad as in the capital. Tijo and St Cyr continue to visit groups. When it is necessary, delegates from organizations come to Port au Prince for a delivery of equipment and material or Lambi Fund organizes transport for them to get it to their place.
Malgre sitiyasyon nou sót dekri a, Biwo Lanbi Pótoprens louvri pót li chak jou, estaf la ak pésonél soutyen biwo a, ap travay. Estaf la pa rive ale an pwovens pou vizite óganizasyon yo, men, gras ak prezans 2 Monité Lanbi yo nan Depatman Sid ak Latibonit kontak ak manm óganizasyon yo fét san pwoblém.... Nan kominote riral yo ensekirite a poko pran ekstansyon li genyen nan Kapital la. Tijo ak St Cyr kontinye vizite gwoup yo menm jan. Lé gen nesesite, delege óganizasyon yo rantre Pótoprens pou pran livrezon ekipman ak materyél osnon Lanbi óganize transpó pou ekipman yo ale jwenn yo sou plas.

Wednesday and Thursday of this week, Ferry and Paul plan to visit the AGPGM plantain farm and the ODEPRIB tree nursery. But they forgot to cancel their trip, due to an army troop who spread panic in the town. It depends, a visit or a meeting can happen due to the presence of TiDjo in the area.
- Mékredi ak Jedi semen sa a, Ferry ak Paul te pwograme ale vizite plantasyon bannan AGPGM ak pepinyé ODEPERIB. Menm yo te blije anile vwayaj lan, akóz bann ame ki t ap simen panik nan sóti lavil lan..... Sepandan, Vizit/Reyinyon yo ap fét kanmenm gras ak prezans ti Djo nan zón nan.

The staff foresees handling the Corn Mill project for Fanm TK in the northwest in Jan Rabel, all is set for the staff if the condition of insecurity permits.
- Estaf lan prevwa pou lanse pwojé ti-Moulen Manyél FanmTK- Nódwés yo, 28/29/6/05 nan JanRabél... tout dispozisyon pran pou deplasman estaf lan.... si kondisyon ensekirite a pémet sa a.
Meanwhile, the staff is in constant contact with the monitors, in regard to financing and which activities will be done. People come to Port au Prince with reports and withdraw some money for activities.
- Antretan, finansman pwojé ki an aktivite yo ap pouswiv, Estaf lan an kontak konstan ak Monité yo.... moun yo rantre Pótoprens ak rapó epi jwenn dekésman kób ki alwe pou aktivite yo.
Lambi Fund is all finished planning the training for Women’s Environment, Hygiene and Health conference to start on July 31 and finish on August 6 in the South, the only thing which would stop us is if it is impossible to leave Port au Prince for the South.
- Lanbi fini tout planifikasyon pou Fómasyon Fanm ìAnviwónman Ijyén ak Sante Fanmi î k ap fét 31/7 rive 6/8/05 nan Sid.... sél sa ki ka rete n, se si li enposib pou nou kite Vil Pótoprens pou ale nan Depatman Sid lan.
Since the week began, Jean David he cannot come to the office as there are large guns where he is so he can’t report to the office.
Depi semenm Jan David nan kómanse li paka vini nan biwo a...... gen gwo zam k ap tire kote li ye pa rapó ak biwo a.
Truly, we work in conditions that are not easy, but we work to manage the situation. We suggest that the US staff intensify contacts and meetings with donors to explain the situation. The heart of Lambi is to work in the rural communities, not in Port au Prince where it is insecure and unstable. With the monitors in the various areas, the work is advancing contrary to what we had believed.
N ap travay nan kondisyon ki pa fasil se vre, menm n ap travay nou jere sitiyasyon an.
Nou sijere.. Estaf USA ... entansifye kontak ak rankont ak doné yo pou esplike yo...ke Lanbi travay nan kominote riral peyi a, pa Pótoprens kote ensekirite a entenab.....ak prezans Monité yo nan zón yo.... travay lan ap vanse kontréman a sa yo te ka kwé.
J
Ti Nouvèl
2 Mas 2005, byen bonè nan maten, Estaf Lambi, yon manm Komite Konsèy Lambi ak yon Zanmi Lambi, yon Enstitisyon ki te ede nan pwojè "Ijans Jàn" Lambi a, te ale nan Latibonit pou yon vizit 2 jou.
Early in the morning of March 2, 2005 Lambi Fund staff, one member of the Advisory Board and a friend of Lambi Fund, an institution which had helped with the "Hurricane Jeanne" emergency project, traveled to the Artibonite Valley for a two-day visit.
Premye jou a, delegasyon an, te ale nan Inogirasyon Moulen Kann òganizasyon OPT7M, ki lokalize nan Tach 7tyèm Seksyon komin Moulen.
On the first day, the delegation attended the launching of the OPT7M sugar cane mill, located in Tache, in the commune section of Moulin.
Plis pase 100 moun te reyini nan lokal moulen an, Manm òganizasyon an ak lot moun nan Kominote Tach, pou ansanm yo fete evènman sa a. Se te yon bèl Seremoni, moun yo chante, pale sou travay yo te founi pou mete moulen kann nan kanpe, pale sou nesesite moulen an nan zòn nan, paske prensipal aktivite abitan Tach yo se plante kann ak transfòme kann nan, fè siwo pou ale vann nan mache lokal. OPT7M, pwofite remèsye Fon Lambi ak lòt zanmi nan USA, pou sipò finansye ak ankadreman òganizasyon an jwenn bòkote yo pou yo te reyalize aktivite sa a.
More than 100 people, including members from different organizations and members of the Tache community gathered to celebrate this event. It was a beautiful ceremony — people sang, talked about the labor involved in installing the mill, mentioned the important role the mill is playing in the area, because the main activity of the peasants in the area is to plant sugar cane which is later turned into syrup for sale on the local market. OPT7M took the opportunity to thank Lambi and other friends in the USA for their financial support and technical assistance without which this activity could not have been carried out.
Man kominote Tach ki te la jou sa a, bat yon gwo bravo pou inisyativ OPT7M ki pèmèt yo jwenn yon Moulen Kann ak Motè, 3 Chodyè pou kwit Siwo mache, yon Bak pou kwit siwo endistriyèl pou fè kleren. Moun yo di aktivite sa ap fè lespwa refleri nan Zòn nan. Members of the Tache community who attended applauded OPT7M's initiative which brought them the sugar cane mill, 3 cauldrons to make syrup and the equipment for making clairin. They stated that this activity is bringing back hope in the area.
Inogirasyon a te dewoule byen, sa ki te pi orijinal nan pwogram lan, se koutim zòn nan, pou òganize "Batèm Senbolik" moulen an. Manm ak Envite yo konstitye tèt yo kòm Parenn ak Marenn ekipman yo; 2za2, yon Fanm ak yon Gason ak yon bouke fèy, beni moulen ak motè an epi fè yon ofrann ( ba tikòb - 0.50cts ,1gd...) Yon jès yo di k ap pòte chans pou aktivite moulen an rantre bon jan lajan pou òganizasyon an.
Everything went very well with the "symbolic baptism" of the mill being carried out, a custom proper to the area. Members and guests were de facto godfathers and godmothers for the equipment. Couples carrying a bouquet of leaves blessed the mill and made a small financial donation (1 gourde) in the hopes that this gesture will bring luck and generate lots of money for the organization.
Apre anpil Diskou, Remèsiman, Batèm enstalassyon yo, Kòdonatris OPT7M lan, mande Lambi di 2 mo, Estaf ak Manm Konsèy Lambi yo pale yon apre lòt, mande manm òganizasyon yo kontinye fè bon travay, kondwi aktivite a byen nan benefis tout manm yo ak kominote Tach lan. Apre, òganizasyon an mande tout moun pase nan lakou, kote yon bifè cho t ap tann yo. Envite yo pa t manke goute bon pla òganizasyon an te prepare, kabrit, salad,diri ak pwa.
Following many speeches, baptism of the equipment, OPT7M's Coordinator asked Lambi Fund to say a few words. Lambi staff and the member of the Advisory Board took turns to speak, encouraging organization members to continue the good work for the benefit of all members of the community of Tache. After the speeches, the guests were treated to a hot buffet of delicious meals prepared by members of the organization - goat meat, salad, rice and beans.
Delegasyon Lambi a dòmi nan Gwomòn.
The delegation spent the night in Gros Morne.
Landemen nan maten, Lambi te rankontre nan Lokal APS, nan Sèl -Gwomòn ak gwoup Plantè ki te patisipe nan Pwogran "Ijans Pwa" Lambi te mete sou pye nan Mwa Desanm 2004. 7 òganizasyon te resevwa yo chak 100,000.00 gd.
The following morning in the APS office, Lambi met with the farmers who had participated in the "Bean Urgency" program that Lambi had implemented in December 2004. Seven organizations had received 100,000 gdes each.
Jou 3 Mas 2005 lan te gen 5 òganizasyon ki te reprezante, APS - OPHAT - OPB - ODEPERIB - OPG, AFKB ak APCE lokalize two lwen pou yo te patisipe nan rankont lan). Te gen plis pase 60 Plantè ki te reponn prezan.
On March 3, five organizations, APS, OPHAT, OPB, ODEPERIB, OPG, were represented. AFKB and APCE could not participate in the meeting because of the remote distance. More than 60 planters attended the meeting.
Plantè yo pale sou jan aktivite plante Pwa a te dewoule epi yo di ak pwogram sa a, Lambi sove lavi yo, paske apre Siklòn Jàn, yo pa konnen ki jan yo te ka pwofite sezon pwa a.
The farmers described the activities and stressed how Lambi had saved their lives because prospects were very dim after Hurricane Jeanne.
Plantè yo pwofite remèsye reprezantan ki te apuiye pwojè Lambi a epi felisite l akòz li fè deplasman pou rankontre ak yo. Christy, pran lapawòl pou di kontantman l pou la jodi a.
The farmers took the opportunity to thank the representative for their support of the project and for making a trip to meet them.
Ekip Fon Lambi a pwofite rankont ak Plantè yo pou motive yo sou kesyon anviwònman nan peyi Dayiti, nesesite pou chak grenn moun fè yon jefò pou amelyore anviwònman kote l ap viv la. Lambi mande chak manm yon òganizasyon plante yon peye bwa nan lakou lakay li osnon nan jaden l.
The Lambi Fund team used the meeting to visit Haiti's environment problems with the farmers, to motivate them on the need for each individual to work towards improving the environment in their areas. Lambi Fund asked each member of an organization to plant a tree in their yard or in their garden.
Avan Lambi kite Latibonit pou tounen Pòtoprens, pandan ekip lan te Gwomòn, li pwofite ale nan Pepinyè Bannann AGPGM lan, pou wè ki jan aktivite a ap mache. AGPGM deja resevwa resevwa preske tout plan bannann yo (35836 plan). Nou remake distribisyon plan pou Plantè yo pran tan pou fèt; anpil nan plan yo toujou nan Pepinyè a, nou pale ak teknisyen ki sou pwojè a pou distribisyon an akselere.
Prior to returning to Port-au-Prince and while in Gros Morne, the team made an evaluation visit to AGPGM's banana nursery. AGPGM has already received all the banana trees (35,836 total). We noticed that distribution is progressing at a slow pace; many of the trees are still in the nursery. We asked the technician in charge to speed up the distribution.
LAMBI FUND MEETS WITH HURRICANE VICTIMS IN HAITI
By Ferry Pierre-Charles
October 12, 2004 - Lambi Fund field staff went to the Artibonite Valley on Oct. 1 to evaluate the damage done by Hurricane Jeanne, particularly in the areas where Lambi is supporting grassroots organizations. We reached Gonaives with great difficulty around noon. The standing water on the Savan Dezole (the savanna immediately southeast of Gonaives) had not gone down and the odor by then was very rank. We could barely see the hoods of cars sitting in some places in the water. It still takes people around 25 minutes to drive through this water.
There were 24 people at the meeting with representatives from nine peasant organizations. It was not at all easy getting to Twou Sab where the meeting was held. The area is a poor neighborhood with no drainage system and was covered in mud.
It was very sad to see people still living in the mud. They weren’t yet able to remove all of it from their houses. In many places, people continue to sleep on their roofs.
When we reached the meeting place (a small school), it caused us great sorrow to see all the school materials ruined, benches broken, nothing left inside. We were able to reach the school thanks to a small path they created especially for us.
The organizational representatives took turns explaining how this was the first time in their lives they had seen this kind of disaster. In all of the komins represented, Hurricane Jeanne did severe damage.
The roads are completely destroyed in many places. To have access to this area we calculate that more than 50 kilometers of roads would have to be repaired, by putting in drains, filling up holes, clearing away debris etc. For example, the road into Geren (12 km) is completely destroyed.
The representatives present at the meeting said they lost many people too, but especially their relatives who were in Gonaives at the time Jeanne went through. In Tach, OPT7M counted 35 people from the area who died. OPG lost three members and ODEPERIB lost eight from its membership. From the Enry area, the SOFA members lost 22 relatives and friends, not counting those for whom they are still searching and haven’t yet found. APCE lost 12 people in the area.
As for destruction of houses, the members said they couldn’t give a good estimate. Many houses were destroyed. In some areas people lost all their possessions. The organizations suffered the greatest material losses in their farmlands and farm animals. The representatives said that in each area, some 150 to 200 people at a minimum lost their crops. In Geren for example, the members estimated that the crops on more than 50 kawo of land were lost. In one area alone, they counted more than 10 kawo of land planted in sugar cane that was totally destroyed.
The water carried farm animals away, according to the members of the organizations. They had more than 2,000 animals (cows, pigs, goats, donkeys, horses etc.) that were swept away. The big worry members have concerning their farmland is how they will re-plant, because much of the land is completely changed, covered with large gullies filled with rocks.
Following are damage summaries from some of the affected projects:
APMR: The capping of the spring is demolished. Sand has washed into more then 500 meters of the canal. The bottom of the canal has been eroded and more than 100 meters of the canal are destroyed.
AGPGM: 1650 plants in total have been lost. An additional 545 which were just planted were covered in water. We don’t know if they will survive. All of the irrigation canals in the organization’s fields have sand in them. They need to be re-built. The wells need a lot of work too because two of them are filled with sand.
ODEPERIB: In the nursery, where the water created the most devastation, the members think they may have lost 6500 plants. One thousand of those were for a model agro-forestry garden they created for the project.
OPG: The mill in Geren sustained a lot of damage. The roof of the mill depot is nearly off. The chimney is also damaged.
APCE: The spice field, which was well protected, did not sustain major damage. However all the fields belonging to individual members suffered great damage. In a meeting held in the area, they counted 888 fields that were lost, most of which belonged to members of the organizations. According to the members, they won’t be able to repay their loans.
In all the mill projects, members lost merchandise they were storing in the depots. Market women who had purchased merchandise on credit, now have no money to pay it back because the goods they stored in depots were swept away in the water.
At the same time, there are projects in the area that weren’t too affected, such as OPB and OPT7M. However the general damage done by Hurricane Jeanne will have a major impact on the way the projects function. For example, in all places where agricultural production has been wiped out, the mills will face problems functioning and the processing of products in some zones will be very difficult because the roads are destroyed, etc.
All the organizational representatives present at the meeting believe that the actions that should be taken quickly are:
Repairing the roads, that is, accessing a large amount of tools (wheelbarrows, shovels, hoes, etc.) and money to organize the work
Providing direct help to the projects with large amounts of damage
Helping the organizations remove the debris from their fields so they can begin to replant for the next bean season, which begins in October
Accessing a credit fund for all the women who are victims of Hurricane Jeanne’s damage (all of the organizations insisted on this)
Accessing an agricultural credit fund for the farmers for the upcoming bean season


Remarks:
The representatives of the organizations were very pleased with the meeting. It’s true, they need help, but they said they also need people to come speak with them, to raise their spirits and to see what they most need during this time. They know that Lambi will never abandon them and will help them to start their projects over again one way or another.
We ate with them. We brought the food from Port au Prince for this meal. We gave them money for their round-trip expenses as well.
This report is an initial summary. We will continue to work to create one large budget of needs to rebuild after the storm. Money raised for Lambi Fund's "After the Storm" Emergency Fund will help re-build these community projects so that families can start earning an income again and become self-sustainable. To donate to the "After the Storm" Emergency Fund, click here.
September 23, 2004
The Situation in the Artibonite
Yesterday afternoon, TiDjo finally called the Lambi office in Port au Prince. We hadn't had any news for him for four days.
He told us that for the last four days he, his family and his neighbors were living on the roof of his house. They lost everything they possessed. They're all alive, but don't have food or potable water to drink. He called us on a portable phone he'd borrowed.
As for Ferry, he hasn't heard anything from his family in Gonaives (his father, his brother and other close relatives). TiDjo promised to try to find out news from them, if possible.
At the office, we feel frustrated. We would love to help then, but we don't know how. The route to Gonaives is still impassible.
This morning we heard a Gonaives city official talk about what he had seen. It was enough to make a person cry. He said there were dead bodies everywhere, and the stench was unbearable. There is no electricity, so the hospital morgue is not functioning. Even if it were functioning, the body count is already in the thousands. The hospital could not deal with this situation.
He said that there were several outlying districts that had practically disappeared. For example in Passe-Reine, not a single house remains standing. He didn't know how many people were washed away by the water. The official figure of 700 being announced should be multiplied by 4 or 5. He finished by saying, "Help, help."
As you know, most of the projects Lambi supports are in the Artibonite. We have no news from our partners there. We don't know what their situation is, or the situation of the projects. We hear on the radio that Gwomon and Krepen, places where we have projects, are under water. It is a catastrophe.
When we are able to go to the Artibonite, perhaps at the end of this week or the beginning of the next, we will have more news. We are sad, cut to the quick. We feel powerless.
Much of the devastation of the flooding is due to the soil erosion and deforestation that has occurred in the area. When heavy rains fall, there is nothing to stop the torrents and the waters sweep away anyone in its path. All the more reason to support Lambi's projects for sustainable agriculture and reforestation!
In response to this crisis, Lambi is starting an emergency fund to help the projects get back on their feet. The Lambi Fund of Haiti, dedicated to supporting democracy and rural development in Haiti since 1993, has launched an emergency relief fund to help get their self-sustaining development projects back up and running in Northern Haiti and the Artibonite Valley. Donations can be made by mail to:
The Lambi Fund
PO Box 18955
Washington, D.C., 20036.
Or you can donate online
Please respond now with a donation to the Lambi Fund of Haiti.
September 20, 2004
All the rivers in the North, Northwest and Artibonite Valley have flooded as a result of the rains and winds from Hurricane Jeanne. Tidjo, our field monitor in the Artibonite Valley, had to flee because waters flooded to the top of his house. He sought refuge with family members and we have not heard from him since. The TV and radio says Gonaives is 1 1/2 meters underwater, the rivers have flooded peasant farms, people have lost animals and belongings. There are several strong Lambi projects in the Gwomon area:
organic plantain farm
ODEPERIB environment project
APS and OPHAT mill projects
BIGE farm project

We do not know how the people are doing. We are trying to see if we can reach Tidjo or someone in charge from the projects. We will let you know when we have more news.
Please donate to help families and projects who suffered losses and damage from the floods.
Karen Ashmore
August 2004
In June, the main activity that the Lambi Fund focused on was the Environmental Training Conference that Lambi organized for women's groups in the South, in Laskawobas and in Port au Prince.
This conference expanded their knowledge of environmental issues and how to protect the environment in their local areas, as well as their knowledge of energy in general and solar energy in particular, and how to use it. The women built their own solar ovens and practiced cooking food in the ovens.
Each group at the conference returned home with a solar oven they had made and with tools and materials to construct another oven with the rest of the members of the organization.
During the month of July, the Lambi staff scheduled many investigative visits to new groups and projects, and also follow-up visits to current projects. Here is some news from APCE's community farmland project, OPT7M's sugar cane mill project, and AGPGM's organic banana/plantain project.
APCE/ Community Farmland
APCE's chive, scallion and thyme fields are in good shape, but the organization continues to have problems with planting the peppers. The pepper plants aren't producing. Agronomist Paul, who made the follow-up visit, took the opportunity to give the APCE farmers good advice on this.
OPT7M/ Sugar cane mill
The construction of the workshop for the mill continues and is almost finished. The organization has already bought three large kettles to use for boiling the cane juice that is being processed into cane syrup. The organization has contributed considerably to the construction process; members hauled rocks, sand and water, dug holes and cooked food for the work crew.
AGPGM/ Organic plantain/banana production
This project definitely is running behind schedule.
The political events that occurred in Haiti in February and March of this year hit the Bio-Rekot laboratory very hard. This laboratory is providing the banana seedlings to the organization. In July, the Lambi staff held many meetings with Bio-Rekot and set up a revised delivery schedule for the seedlings. Three deliveries have already been made. AGPGM has already received 6000 seedlings which they have planted in the organization's fields.
The AGPGM farmers were somewhat discouraged by this delay. The Lambi staff organized a big meeting with them to explain the delay and how we were trying to deal with it, and to discuss the future of the project.
As for general news from the country, the CCI (Cadre de Cooperation Interimaire) dominated the news in July. The provisional government prepared the CCI to present to the international community in Washington, DC. This document was prepared "in secret," if we can say it that way. Not all the sectors of society were aware of what was really written in it. Only when the document was finished and sent did the government speak about it, but always with a certain sector.
Several human rights organizations and institutions working with peasants organized many meetings in July to analyze the document. (Although this document had already been presented in Washington and approved.) People in the agricultural production sector remarked that this document did not recognize the peasant sector's true place in society since the document did not ascribe the country's agricultural production its full importance.
Another point that is being widely discussed in the country is the contention which exists among the members of the KEP (the Provisionary Electoral Council). The nine members of the council cannot collaborate. There's tremendous division.
In the midst of all the insecurity, the organizations and Lambi continue to work the best way we know. We continue our mission and objective of helping the poor majority and the peasants improve their lot.
We sent via the post a letter that APS sent to Lambi after receiving the emergency support that Lambi gave to the organization, as it had undergone a great deal of damage during recent events, particularly the flooding in May. This letter gives strong witness to the importance of Lambi's work in supporting the organizations.
Here is an excerpt from the letter:
"Nan Manman nou jwenn son M
Nan Espwa nou jwenn son E
Nan Sense nou jwenn son S
Nan inyon nou jwenn son I
In manman (mother) we find the letter M
In espwa (hope) we find the letter E
In inyon (union) we find the letter I
(MESI=THANK YOU)
That is, for us in APS, the Lambi Fund is a sincere mother who brings hope to all people who unite together to advance development in their community.
This is the word that the APS market women use to tell all the Lambi Fund staff thank you for the recapitalization that Lambi provided them.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
For the APS leadership,
Signed,
Emrio Etienne
Lucie Saintilien"
That's all for now!
-Josette Perard
June 7-11, 2004
This week, the flood continues to be a topic of discussion, overflowing waters are still making news. Electrical service is improving. In the city of Port au Prince, there are 18 hours of electricity. We hope this progress lasts.
During this week, we are preparing for a big meeting that we are organizing on June 18 for 4 groups in the Central Plateau that receive assistance from Lambi. At the same time, we are preparing once again the training about the environment for women's organizations in the South. This training is conducted during a week in Camp Perrin June 21-27, 2004 (we previously canceled that seminar two times before because of the insecure situation at the end of 2003 and too much rainfall in the South in Feb 2004).
AGPGM organic plantain project is continuing in spite of delays with little problems we find. Today Friday June 11, we organize transportation to send two water pumps to Gros Morne, which will improve the organizations' harvest by irrigating their crops, 1800 organic plantain seedlings we gave that organization.
This week we receive visits from several new organizations that are requesting assistance. Many other organizations that previously received assistance from Lambi come to the office to meet with us about damages they experienced after the floods.
Thursday June 10 was a holiday — it was "Spirits Festival". Unibank and Nouvelliste (this is a newspaper) organized a book festival which is getting very popular, it was held at a club called "Cercle Bellevue". Despite the Spirits Festival holiday, Paul and Ferry on Wednesday went to the Artibonite Valley to investigate a new project. They will return tonight."
June 4, 2004
The big news story in Haiti as well as overseas is the flooding in Fon Vèrèt, the Southeast and the South. Each day the number of people who have died and the number of people who have disappeared grows. What a terrible thing!
However, if everyone focuses on those regions, they will forget other areas that, even if not flooded, did experience a tremendous amount of rainfall and continue to get heavy rains which are causing considerable damage.
For example, the projects that the Lambi Fund is supporting did not suffer from flooding but the members of the organizations are facing problems. Due to the rains, the local roads are not easily passable, making it difficult for peasants to come to the mills to process their grain or go to the market to sell. Many peasants who hadn’t harvested their crops lost them. Many people’s farm animals drowned, etc.
This week, we met with many groups in the Lambi office who told us about how very difficult their situations are. People are facing a lot of difficulties and are very worried.
Along with the situation with the heavy rains, we also received a visit from the SOFA group of Mapou Rollin, a women’s organization. The members of this organization are in trouble. There was a big fire in Bwa Blan, an area behind the organization’s mill where many members live. These women lost their houses and all their possessions. They need help urgently.
These news reports are not happy; this is not a good year. Lambi needs to place a priority on humanitarian aid not only for members of the grassroots organizations but also for other people in the communities.