UN vehicle involved in an accident

Yesterday, while on patrol, we received a call regarding a UN vehicle involved in a collision.
We dropped everything that was on the go and we made it to the location as fast as possible. We were told during training that in Haiti when UN personal get involved in an accident that the population may become hostile and therefore help is required to secure the scene, fast.
We arrived on the scene few minutes after the call was received but a large group of people had already gathered around. We observed that a UN truck was involved in a collision with a motorbike. Only the female passenger of the motorbike sustained minor injuries. Our first duty was to try to secure the scene as well as we could but with all these people watching and talking loudly explaining to the late comers what had happened that was not an easy task. The local police was obviously overwhelmed by the situation so we conducted the investigation, talking to witnesses, taking pictures and trying to understand how the collision occurred. A judge of the peace was brought on the scene to determine who was at fault. Many people came forward to tell the judge that "MINUSTAH" was at fault and "MINUSTAH" had to pay for the damages and the injuries the female passenger sustained. Some even were explaining to the judge what happened not based of what they've seen (they were not there) but based on what they believed occurred and what they heard. We conducted our investigation in a professional manner and once we had all the details we talked to the judge and explained to him what had probably occurred based on reliable witnesses and evidences found on the scene.
We were shocked to noticed that a part of the motorbike rear fender has been ripped from the bike and placed on the road to try to change the version of what really occurred. Fortunately, the pictures I took upon our arrival show the fender was still intact right after the collision. This important fact was brought to the judge's attention since he was starting to believe a biased version that didn't matched with the evidences and the few reliable witnesses' statement. We could see that the judge had a hard time to come to the conclusion that the motorbike was at the fault, most probably due from the pressure from the crowd. At one point he even told me that the person with the most financial means should pay for the damage???  I replied that we were not here to discuss who was going to pay what but rather to find out who was truly responsible for the collision based on real facts at hands. The monetary side of it would be discussed later by the people in charge of that aspect. The judge said that he would go home and render his decision later on after analyzing all information he had gathered.

This little incident caused very minor property damages and light injury to one person but that showed me our Haitian can be manipulated by only few nice speakers. Most of the people present were accusing the UN vehicle driver to be at fault based on what they were told. They were simply taking this as the simple truth.
Election time is near and it is always a source of confrontation with the authorities. Roads are being blocked, tires are being burned in the middle of the roads...I have now no doubt in my mind that politicians who want to discredit the government in place use the population to their advantage by lying to them blatantly.
I recently learned that some people want to see the MINUSTAH out from the country because they were told by politicians who are against the actual president, that the Haitian government pays us and that's why the government has no money to help them; another blatant lie.
The population here for the majority has no education and is obviously easily fooled. Yesterday, I have to admit, I was angry to see these people so easily manipulated but compassion is the key word to keep a positive attitude in the mission and education is the other key word to hopefully see one day a Haitian nation able to think on its own.

Visit of an orphanage

I just came back with my buddy Edwin from a visit to a local orphanage. There are only 2 sisters there from Columbia to take care of over 70 kids. Most of them are left on their own on the street. We see them on regular basis at the border trying to get something to eat or to drink from the UNPOLs or the soldiers who are stationed there. The sisters try their best to at least provide them with one meal a day. It is not easy since they don't have exposure like those big NGO (Nongovernmental Organizations). They have to talk to the local people to get help. They have an organization which provide them with a bag of rice and a gallon of oil every week. It is good but not sufficient to feed that many kids. UNPOLs like Edwin are involved and try their best to help but once again there is only so much one can do. It takes more than few people to help such cause. With enough funds, the sisters would be able to provide the kids with food, clothes but also education and education is the key to get those kids off the street and maybe to give them a chance to avoid the slippery slope of a criminal path.
When I return to Canada, I'll talk about this project to people interested to get involved into a cause. That would be a fantastic chance for them to help someone in need with the insurance that their donation will be used entirely to that cause and nothing else.

Few pictures below taken by Edwin at his last visit:

Stabbed for just a little more than a dollar

Today, we had to take a young female (14) and her "spouse" (16) to the clinic for multiple superficial wounds. At the same time but in another clinic, an older guy was admitted  for a stabbing wound in the abdomen. After talking to all parties and the people who were coming to the police station to report what they saw, it appears that the female borrowed 50 Gourdes ($1.20 or so) to the older fellow a little while ago. Today, the older guy was asking to get his money back so the female's spouse got involved. A physical confrontation took place between the two males then the young man stabbed the older one in abdomen and ran away. The female then smashed a glass bottle on her own head; then she went to the police station stating that the older male did it and that's why her spouse stabbed him.
The young couple was placed under arrest for assault causing bodily harm. The remaining investigation may bring some more details to that incident but anyway to me, being ready to take someone's life for a  little more than a dollar goes beyond my comprehension.
I understand the that life here is not easy for many people but going to that extent is just too much. Fortunately for the couple, the older male survived his wound otherwise the population could have rendered justice itself. Lynching is still happening and it usually very violent but this is another topic that I will discuss in another post.

A video to show you how busy the border at Ouanaminthe can be on a market day - http://youtu.be/CKE-eUHFqLc

On a previous post I explained by words the situation at the border, the people, the noise, the frenzy during market days. Now with the video I just uploaded on Youtube, you can see and hear what it's like; the only thing missing is the exhaust fumes but if you watch the video in your garage with your car running and the garage door closed you will be with me for the length of the video. (After the video remember to shut off the car's engine)
Fortunately for us the UNPOLs, we don't have to stay there all day long unlike the military or the PNH who are exposed to that madness for their whole 12-hour shift.

Traditional funeral procession with band: http://youtu.be/XRhUHRh1jxM

Residents of the unfinished part of the police station epilogue

We had a little chat with the father before we split. We explained that we were willing to help for his daughters to go to school but on the other hand he had to make an effort to provide them with the minimum necessities of life. It is his responsibility as a father. We also reminded the mother that she was responsible to ensure the girls were going to school but also that they had a decent place to live and enough food. We surely hope that life will give a little break to Laudenstiana and Love-Kalenstia, there is only so much one can do. When we left the market and while walking back to the car, Laudenstiana came just beside me, looked at me with a huge smile and put her little hand in mine; I guess it was her way to say "Thank you". Nobody could have thank me better the way she did. A fraction of time away from this world of misery to cherish for a lifetime.

Residents of the unfinished part of the police station 4 cont'd

Laudenstiana, Love-Kalenstia and their parents

Residents of the unfinished part of the police station part 4

Please, allow me to introduce you to Laudenstiana and her little sister Love-Kalenstia Aren't they just beautiful? Who wouldn't want to help them to go to school? They were so happy when we told them they will be returning there.

Residents of the unfinished part of the police station part 3

Something had to be done. I talked to one of the Colombian UNPOL, my friend Edwin who is also quite involved in other projects on his own, and we decided that I will go to the school and pay whatever had to be paid for the girls to go to school.Then we would submit the total bill to all the Ouanaminthe UNPOLs (8 in total for now) and see if they were willing to participate to the cost if not we would split the bill between the two of us. The next day, I picked up the father and the 2 girls and we went to the schools they have attended before money was too much of an issue to keep sending them. The other Canadian UNPOL was also willing to come with us and be part of this beautiful new adventure. While driving the 2 little girls were so happy to be in a car and on every little bump on the road they were laughing, they were so cute, you don't believe me....just wait to meet them. So, at the school we met their mother and explain to her what we were willing to do but in exchange we wanted her word that she would take the girls to the school every day which she agreed on. We paid then for all fees, school logo for the uniform and the school shirt. Then, we went to the market to buy the 11 books they needed each and finally to the tailor to buy the fabric they needed for their uniform. Once all that was done, it was time to return home. I had an opportunity to present this little project to all my UNPOL friends and explained to them that was totally up to them if they were willing to participate and share the cost between us all. They had no hesitation to split the bills and pay their part. I can see that for most of us we are here with a common goal, help the less fortunate and I'm glad that over time we don't loose focus of that goal. But enough writing, it is now time for you to meet the 2 little girls I've been writing about for so long.

Residents of the unfinished part of the police station part 2 cont'd

But knowing that two little girls were living there and were not going to school was just too much to bear. I talked to their father and asked him why his daughters were staying here all day long and not going to school. As I was expecting, money was again the issue as for most of these families. Unfortunately, the lack of money always has significant impact on the most vulnerable ones and of course I mean the children. The first thing that is usually cut in case of shortage of money is the education and anyone knows that without education one cannot expect to find a decent job in the future let alone rebuilding a country. And on top of that they are girls, which means that they will be even more vulnerable. I deeply believe in education but I also deeply believe and support girls education, because one day they will be able to speak up, fight for their rights and take their place in societies for a better world. ---------------------------------- The following is from The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) “Girls and women are often shackled by gender roles and outdated traditions, with male privilege and entitlement ensuring that when educational opportunities are limited, boys will take available classroom space. Gender roles and traditions that keep girls from school contribute an additional barrier to universal education and illiterate mothers. But an educated mother is more likely to have educated children, both boys and girls, which help ensures that universal education and gender equality will continue on through the generations. When we ensure that children have access to a rights-based, quality education that is rooted in gender equality, we create a ripple effect of opportunity that impacts generations to come.”

Residents of the unfinished part of the police station part 2

I have seen before some laundry hanging on the top part of the building but I never thought some people were living in the unfinished upper part of the police station which looks to me rather unsafe and more than uncomfortable. The pictures below will give you a rough idea of what I'm talking about:

Residents of the unfinished part of the police station

You remember seeing the picture below with the goats? As I said before, they are the residents of the unfinished part of the police station but this week I discovered that they were not the only residents. I met the person who is taking care of the goats and I learned that he also lives in the unfinished part of this building. By talking to him, I also learned that he lives with his wife and his two daughters he had with another woman.

Time to go to school

Last week I started my shift at 08:00 and when I arrived at the commissariat a young boy that I have seen before came and asked me if he could polish my boots for a little money. Seeing so many kids in the morning going to school I asked him why he wasn't going? He told me that he did not have the money to pay for it. So naturally I asked him how much he needed but he was not sure. He told me that he needed books and to pay for the school. Being a father I was not feeling well to see this young boy polishing boots while he could be at school learning something that would help him improving his condition and in the future his country. The next day I was working night shift so I told the boy to wait for me here at 09:00 tomorrow and we would go to the school together and find out was he needed. Next day at 09:00 the boy was waiting for me so we got going and walked together through the streets with people looking at us a little puzzled for the least to say. It took us about 20 minutes to get to the school but we made it. I met the principal, a very nice lady who told me that she knew the boy. His name is Joseph, he is 14 (born in 1999 but day and month unknown)and he will go the the 4th grade. The registration fee for the school had already been paid for him a while ago by another UNPOL but he needed to pay for his books and the monthly fees. I told her that I was here to pay for the books and for the whole year of school (once Joseph assured me that he would attend). Once that was done I told the principal that I would give her a call every now and then to confirm that Joseph was attending the school. She was happy that I would follow up with her and encourage the boy to go to school. On the way back I talked to Joseph and told him that if he shows me that he is really willing to seriously attend school I had no problem to pay for books and fees for the following years, however if he drops it I would not waste any more time with him. I bought him some sugar cane from a merchant on the side of the road and we returned to the commissariat. There are so many kids who need help here, of course I can't help them all but if I can help a few of them to get a better life for themselves so I'll do my best with what I have. Being part of a mission like MINUSTAH is a wonderful experience but we are part of a huge organization which does not really give a personal satisfaction of accomplishment since we are here only for a year. It's like working on a huge puzzle but you know that you'll never see the full picture while you are there. On the other hand, an individual action like the one with Joseph (as little as it is) gave me an instant feeling of accomplishing something. I came here to help and I want to return home knowing that I did.

This guy just lost control of his load while I was taking the picture

Market day on the Haitian side - The end of the day

More pictures from the border during market day

Family transportation

Gas is expensive here, so let's make sure we do only one trip ;-) 6 on a motorbike, that's the best I've seen so far.

My backyard

Today for the first time I went to take a peek in my backyard. The house where we stay is somehow build in 2 parts; the front which is finished and where we live and the back which has one unfinished apartment on the top floor and maybe 5 rooms similar to mine unfinished as well on the lower floor. It is a mess to get through all the wires and piles of rubbish but today I decided to take the challenge and here what I saw through the window's opening: That is not the prettiest view we could wish for when in the Caribbean but Haiti has a population of over 10 millions souls on a land of almost 28.000 km2 (Vancouver island is 31.000km2). Haiti is also mountainous ("Ayiti" as per the indigenous Taíno name for the island means land of high mountains), therefore wherever they are able to build they have to squeeze. And I doubt the city hall here requires much permit and inspection when someone decide to build a house :-)

The Dominican border

At the border: On the head, in a wheelborow, on a bike or a motorbike...etc any goods bought at the Dominican are brought back in Haiti to be resold. Trucks over loaded of goods and people, take the roads for different regions of Haiti. The Dominican republic and Haiti have recently held a meeting in Ouanaminthe to develop a bilateral exchange between the 2 countries. From now on the border will be open to Haitian to buy goods in the Dominican from 07:00 to 19:00. The market days are held on Monday and Friday. The border is a blessing for Haitians but a disaster for Haiti. The bilateral exchange is to me rather an unilateral exchange. The Dominicans provide the goods and the Haitians buy them. Haiti has not much to offer than the Dominicans don't have; Cheap labor would be the only thing that comes to mind when thinking about it. In Ouanaminthe, there used to be an ice factory (since the electricity is rather sparse here, most of the people in this region of Haiti rely on big blocks of ice to keep their perishable food) but for years now the factory is closed and instead of trying to get it back on, the Haitians buy their ice in the Dominican Rep. Sure it is nice that the Haitians have access to what they need but on the other side of the coin, they are totally dependent of the Dominican Rep and no sustainable economy is developed here. According to an Haitian border officer I spoke to, approximately 10 to 20 thousands people are crossing the border during market days, and after patrolling the border on regular basis I believe these numbers to be possible. It is insane, from the moment the gate opens in the morning to the moment its closes, huge waves of Haitians are literally running to the Dominican Rep, buy their goods and come back loaded like donkeys. If I had to watch the border from up in the air I imagine it would be like watching ants at work carrying loads way bigger than their body and bring it to their nest. Add to these human waves, the permanent shouting, the noise from the motorbikes exhaust as well as the fumes and the heat and you have the perfect recipe for a headache. Not a place to relax for sure ;-)

Ouanaminthe police station. Proudly renovated by Canada for info see: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/haiti-nation/NM3R7ow4zE4/7Nukarp15LoJ

Main entrance: Back: Main office: UN generator for our office: Residents of the unfinished part of the station:

Pictures (miscellaneous)

Common shack found in Haiti: People and dead goats: Pharmacie in Haiti: Either rocks, tires or even branches are used to alert motorists of a hazard on the road: PNH check point: Bags of charcoal for sale for cooking. One of the reason for Haiti deforestation problem:

Night shift...foot patrol

Yesterday night at 20:00 the national police initiated a foot patrol. Apparently the head of the police station in Ouanaminthe wants to have that kind of patrol at least once a week in order to be seen by the population and to conduct throughout checks on motorized vehicles. Since we live on the border with the Dominican Republic, weapons, drugs and other illegal goods are being trafficked in that zone. We were 2 UNPOLs on shift, since I needed the exercise I decided to go with the foot patrol while my partner followed us with the UN vehicle. For these patrols we always have a PNH (Police National de Haiti)vehicle, a UN police vehicle as well an UN army vehicle to ensure our protection in case things would go out of control. The commissaire (the head of the police station) was among his men and walked the whole 2 hours patrol with us. I had the opportunity to talk to him regarding his needs and expectations for his police station and from our conversation I learned that the Ouanaminthe police station currently has 30 men available but in order to be able to run the police station a minimum of 50 men is required. Also a motorbike squad is required if they want to be able to catch traffickers who usually use motorbikes and go through paths in which a car is not able to compete. Another greatly needed tool for drug detection is a dog squad. The commissaire has requested these long ago and still keep on sending requests but so far all of them were fruitless. I told him I would add his comments to my report and maybe at one point something will happen. The commissaire also told me that he received flashlights for his men a while ago which is a needed tool especially in the region where streets lights are luxury the problem he never got the batteries for them. The same thing goes with electricity for the police station. In case of electricity shortage which is a daily issue here, the PNH have a generator but unfortunately not the budget to buy gas. I suggested solar panels as a alternative to which the commissaire replied the solar panels are already on the roof but the batteries they are suppose to be charging are dead. When I look at the staff shortage and the equipment the PNH are working here I can only admire them to be able to provide the service they are still able to provide. Anyway, back to the foot patrol. The PNH members walk in a fennel pattern this way if someone tries to go through the first officers without being checked the officers in the back close to their patrol vehicle are usually able to stop them and check them out. And to what I've seen yesterday, it works. We went through streets which are rather dirt roads with garbage all along the way and the smell that goes with it. People who live in shacks made of plywood boards and rusty metal roof looked at us and even seemed to enjoy the "parade". I have seen little kids naked in these shacks looking at us with their big eyes opened wide and seeing them growing in that misery I could not stop thinking how lucky my kids are to be growing in a country like Canada in a real house, with plenty of nutritious food and schools to go to. I brought candies from Canada that I tried to give discreetly to the ones close to me. Giving something here could potentially become a nightmare for the one who receive the good so it should be done carefully. Often, older kids are watching and if you give something to a younger one, it is common to see a young kid being beaten for what he just received. So he got robbed and beaten on top of that, his lucky day turns out to be a nightmare. At one point we entered a brothel and as you can expect it, it was dark, smelly with long narrow corridors with small bedrooms on both side. Some of the girls there seemed to be barely in their 20's and their clients did not seem much older for the majority of them. I felt so sorry for these girls and the path life put them on. When we returned on the street a man in his 50's came running to the commissaire and was complaining about a young man but I could not quite understand what it was about. The young man was brought to the commissaire by the PNH but then was released and the people from the street who gathered around had a good laugh. I was quite puzzled and asked the commissaire what just happened. He explained to me that the older man is the father of the younger male. The young male asked some money to his mother to buy food but instead of buying food he went in the brothel and spent all the money. The money given to the son was probably worth a week of food so no wonder the father was such in despair. Upon the release of the son, the father gave him a slap across the face that he will probably remember for a very long time. During the patrol few motorbikes were observed turning around ahead of us when seeing us, unfortunately without a motorbike squad there was nothing we could do to try to intercept them. After 2 hours walking in dirt roads, smelling garbage, smelling the fumes of the traffic and hearing the noise of the streets I was glad to return to the office to write my report. I'll try to take some pictures next time and add them to the blog just to give you a basic idea of the mess we are walking through ;-)