Flag Day in Haiti

The Seminaire de Theologie Eglise Episcopale d’Haiti does not have an official calendar posted anywhere. As a result, I often find out about holidays or special events at the last minute. However, I can always count on my English classes to make me aware of an upcoming holiday, especially if it falls on a day when we normally meet!

Last Friday, I was told that Monday, May 18 was Flag Day. I know the United States' Flag Day is June 14. I suspect every country does. However, to the best of my knowledge, it is a relative non-event in the states. In Haiti, however, it is a BIG deal. The greatest focus seems to be on the creator of the flag, Catherine Flon. On of my students her a national hero. She is not alone.

Catherine Flon, an Arcahaien (a town located outside of Port-au-Prince) seamstress and Goddaughter of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, sewed the first Haitian flag on May 18, 1803, the last day of the Congress of Arcahaie. After Catherine Flon sewed the bicolored flag, the Generals of the Haitian Revolution at the congress "solemnly swore an oath of fidelity to Liberty or Death on this flag which was to lead the slaves to victory and freedom. This oath has been named the Oath of the Ancestors.

Haiti’s Flag Day is synonymous with unity and liberty. Catherine Flon’s rendering of the first Haitian flag commemorates the tumultuous struggles and heroes of the past, Toussaint L'ourverture, Jean Jacques Dessaline, Alexandre Petion, and Capois La Mort.

The Evolution of the Haitian Flag

In the early days of revolt in St. Domingue, the slaves did not have a flag. However, they did notice that their former masters were using the French Flag. From 1791 to about 1793, the revolt became more widespread and gave rise to a number of large groups still fighting independently. In those times, each main leader would use any piece of cloth as a flag. Slowly the slave movement found some synergy and came to follow the leadership one main person: Toussaint Louverture. Realizing that you cannot fight three enemies at the same time, Toussaint and the army of revolted slaves fought successively for the Spanish against the French (1793-1794), for the French against Spain and England (1794-1802) and ultimately against France. As such, he carried the color of whichever European power he was fighting for. Eventually, he designed his own flag, a white piece of cloth with a Negro head to represent the blacks.

After Toussaint’s deportation, the Indigene Army went back to the French flag for a while. The French flag as we know it now is a product of the French Revolution. It was made up of Red and Blue, the colors of the City of Paris, and a band of white representing the monarchy. On the white portion of the flag was the emblem of the French Republic. The Revolution of St. Domingue was, in some ways, motivated by the French Revolution and for years, the masses main objective was to secure freedom and better treatment. To them, the French Flag represented the ideals of Liberty and Fraternity. They hoped that those same principles would be applied to them, non-whites. According to Thomas Madiou, a renowned historian of the 19th Century, they also saw in that flag a symbol of blacks, whites and mulattoes living in harmony. Therefore, carrying the French was an expression of their ideals.

As time went on though, a break with France seemed inevitable. To symbolize their resolve, they removed the French arms from the blue white and red flag they were using. As early as February 1803, Petion, leader of the mulattoes and Dessalines had decided to create a unique flag to represent their troops. Thus, starting with the French Flag made up of three blue, white and red bands placed vertically respectively; Dessalines removed the white and created the first unofficial flag with blue and red bands placed vertically. By so doing, he also wanted to impart on the French the message that they had lost that colony forever. To them the blue symbolized the mulattos and the blacks while the red symbolized their blood.

Symbolism of Today’s Haitian Flag

The meaning behind the Haitian Flag is as follows: the red symbolizes the blood and the sacrifices made by the heroes of the Haitian Revolution, and the blue is emblematic of hope and unity. The coat of arms of the Republic, placed in the center on a white square. It is a Palm tree surmounted by the liberty cap. Under the palms is a trophy with the motto: "L'union Fait La Force" (“In Unity We Find Strength”).

For most Haitians, the flag incarnates the spirit of freedom and rebellion against mental and physical slavery.

Flag Day is a major national holiday celebrated with great fanfare on the grounds of the national palace. All government officials worship at the Catholic Church in Archaie and then particioate in a large parade. Flag Day is also observed by Haitians in the Diaspora. In the United States, for example, teenagers give homage to the red and blue in some form for at least a week.

Haiti certainly has many, complex socio-economic challenges. However, the Haitian flag is a daily reminder of the first and most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere. It was a fight for independence that fueled a widespread movement for freedom throughout Latin American, the Caribbean, and Africa, and served as an inspiration to African-American leaders in the 1900's. The Haitian revolution has challenged the world's concept of supremacy by being the first independent Black nation in the world and the second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere.

Mango Season!

First, apologies for the sub-standard pictures in the next couple of entries. My camera has been compromised (a story for a later entry) and I am awaiting another. I promise to substitute the current pics for local shots in early June.

Apparently, May is Mango season in Haiti. I first became aware of this when I approached Partners in Health in Cange about holding a two-day Tabasamu dental program during the last weekend of May. There were a few reasons that particular weekend was not viable. Among them was the surge of activity because of Mango season. Wow, I thought, a reorientation of daily routine over mangoes!

Starting the last weekend in April, Margarette and Carmel appeared with mangoes from their fieldwork locations of Darbonne and Leogane. Last Sunday, upon returning from a parish visit with the Bishop in Leogane, I saw lines of vendors in the street markets with towers of mangos. Truly this is an annual phenomenon.

This actually reminds me of living in New Hampshire during my early years of marriage. Everyone had gardens and a primary crop was zucchini. You didn’t really need air conditioning in the summer in West Lebanon, N.H. Safety wasn’t a concern either. It was common to see rows of parked cars on the main road with the windows down. Of course, this also allowed those with an overabundance of zucchini to “gift” them to each and every citizen who was running errands in town! It was a common occurrence. I won’t be surprised if we begin to find mangoes at our doorstep before the season is done!

I decided that the mango was a worthy topic of discussion for my intermediate English class. Given that so many of the Seminarians hail from the mountains and rural areas, I guess I should not have been surprised by their level of knowledge about farming in Haiti. In addition to specifics on the mango, they were able to share the growing season and primary location for every native crop. It was quite impressive.

Back to mangoes. The largest production of mangoes occurs in the North and Central regions, Gros Moine and, you guessed it, Leogane. In addition to the visible density of the trees, the Seminarians seems to feel that the soil of these regions provides the ideal environment for mangoes.

Of all the varieties produced in Haiti, the Francisque (also known as Francine and Francis) mango is the most coveted. It is also the main national variety distributed in the global market. It is a fleshy fruit whose special flavor captivates those that consume it. Though other countries have tried to replicate this variety, they have, as yet, been unsuccessful.

261,000 metric tons of mangos were produced in Haiti in 2005. But this is a sector that can do much better taking into account all existing potential of the industry and considering the growing demand of the Haitian mango in the international market. With an increase of mango plantations, improving transport conditions and the capacity of processing enterprises not to forget the marketing system, many Haitians could increase their income through this important sector.

Mango exports harnessed 7.93 million dollars into the Haitian economy in 2007, according to the National Bank of the Republic of Haiti. Estimates by the National Association of Mango Exportation (ANEM) reported $10 million. From the profit it generates, the mango industry has dethroned the coffee and cocoa industry in Haiti, despite the fact that these products have long been regarded as the country's two major exports.

In addition to enhancing the export business and ensuring employment for Haitians, mango season also provides an easy food source for the many undernourished citizens. In fact, when the season ends in July, hardship in securing food returns for Haitians.

Mango season is a natural phenomena of Haiti that invites spirit and energy while also serving a vitally important role in the economy, employment and sustenance of its people. As with many things in Haiti, it is my hope and dream that Haiti can expand on this significant export to further opportunity and stability in the country. For the short term, it’s fabulous to be able to consume mangoes every day!

A Week Of Adventure, Romance, Reunion And Deeper Knowledge of Haiti

After five months of separation from family, my husband Eric scheduled a weeklong visit to Haiti. Unlike my other visitors, I did not expect that Eric would fold into my daily routine. In addition, the Seminary was going to be closed for most of his visit because of Holy Week, reducing the scope of my responsibilities. I had wanted to head north and visit the historic Citadel Fortress and San Souci Palace, both constructed by Henri Christophe in the mid 18th century. This was the perfect opportunity.

I was introduced to Jacqui Labrom, a travel agent who specialized in arranging trips to Cap Haitian and Labadie. I explained our parameters-comfortable and simple- and she knew just where we should stay-Norm’s Place. Jacqui also took care of all the other details such as air, ground and, yes, water transportation. She was in constant communication with me and not insulted by what I am sure seemed like some pretty elementary questions. In short, she was a dream.

April 1st arrived and I couldn’t wait to see Eric. I arrived at the airport a little early. The time seemed to creep along. About a half hour after the plane was supposed to land, I received a text message from Eric, “I have a bad luggage feeling”. Hmmm, this was not a good start to Eric’s experience of Haiti. Within another half hour, though, he came through the exit door. I was standing right in front of him but he was looking out not down. I had to call his name so he wouldn’t run over me! He gave me a huge hug and kissed me all over my face. It was great!

We headed off to the Ollofson for dinner and an overnight before flying to Cap. The Ollofson was, at one time, a prestigious hotel. Many historical meetings have taken place there and well-known individuals stayed there. Through the course of time, however, it has become a bit worn. Nevertheless, it has a wonderful wrap around porch and, if you request a room on what is called the “Maternity Ward”, you have a great view of Port au Prince.

The next morning we headed back to my apartment, so that Eric could re-pack in a small suit case and headed to the small airport. Flight delays resulted in landing in Cap Haitian after daylight. Azanar, our driver for our time in Cap Haitian, picked us up. Once we moved out of the city limits, there were no streetlights. In fact, there was really no street! The roadway was essentially dirt and a fair number of rocks. As we drove along, I could see the foamy tops to the waves below. Despite my 5 month residency in Haiti, I had only been this close to the ocean during my two visits to Acahaie. I was really looking forward to some time at the beach.

After about 45 minutes, we arrived at the shoreline. There, waiting for us, was a water taxi. Eric was not convinced that this was the way we needed to travel to the little inlet where the guesthouse was located. Eventually, he was persuaded.

Though dark, I could see the outline of the central building of Norm’s place. The main doors were open and the warm lighting allowed you to see the stone walls and
Haitian furnishings. We were greeted by Norman and his wife Angelique, the co-owners. Norman was a delightful senior American. He was very warm and informal while also possessing a refined, distinguished quality about him.Angelique was a lovely Haitian woman, petite with a quiet strength about her.

Norman took us to our room, beautiful and spacious with stone walls and a bathroom constructed of tiles from the roofs of old French houses in Cap. We unpacked and then joined Norm for dinner.

Norm enchanted us with stories of his first career as a NY fashion designer and first marriage to a model who died very young. This was followed by a visit to Haiti and the purchase of the fort. Eventually Norm met Angelique and, together, they transformed the fort into the intimate and inviting place that it is today.

While we were eating, I noticed a man stretched out on one of the couches watching television. He did not participate in the conversation. Of course, we did not invite him into it either.

The first full day in Labadie was unscheduled. This was the first leave time that I had taken while in Haiti. It felt very strange #1 to be with my husband and #2 to be without obligations. Though I certainly have some regularity to my days, primarily dictated by the schedule of English classes, I define the rest of my time. Since my arrival, I have felt driven to accomplish as much as possible. Given that my family is not here and I do not have significant domestic responsibilities, I work most of the time. The next week was going to require some adjustment.

The fist morning, I woke up to the familiar sound of sweeping. This is a daily ritual for every home or business owner in Haiti. On this particular property, there are many trees, and, consequently, lots of leaves that fall in the course of a day. Beautiful white sand is spread on all the walkways and everyone is invited to walk barefoot, so it is deemed important to keep everything pristine. And it was.

I spent much of the first day reading The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz (which, by the way, I high recommend) and watching children tracking the boats and the big cruise ship which was in view from the house. Eric was also settling into a more relaxed frame of mind.

Friday night we were joined at dinner by Eggy Suarez, the gentleman who had been watching T.V. the previous night. He was a Marine Biologist from Cuba whose company was interested in enhancing some of the beach areas of Labadie, including the development of a dolphin reserve and aquarium. While these plans were being formulated, the company was sub-contracting with the cruise line and offering coast line tours during their day long shore leave. Eggy was committed to the area for the next three years and was actually living at Norm’s Place. Eggy’s English was excellent and we enjoyed hearing him share his knowledge of the sea. It was a delightful evening.

The next morning Eric and I left early to experience a day of Haitian history. We were scheduled to visit the Citadel Fortress and San Souci Palace, both constructed by Henri Christophe. The drive to Milor, the home of San Souci, took about 1 ½ hours, over typical “rugged” roads. We met up with our guide, Maurice, and first went to the Citadel. We drove to a parking area from which we could view the mammoth Citadel. We then mounted horses for the final approach. Horses, like many things in Haiti, are small. Viewing Eric on one of these little horses was amusing to me and the Haitians along the route. We arrived at the Citadel and I was amazed by the size and structure of this fort. Very impressive, especially for the early 19th century. As I walked the top of the fortress, I was keenly aware that I was 300 feet high. A little daunting to say the least.


Then it was on to San Souci. From the Citadel, we approached the back of the palace, allowing you to see the scope of the property and its structures. Though now a ruin as a result of a 19th century fire and earthquake, it is still clear to see the magnitude of the palace, associated buildings and grounds, including gardens. It must have been spectacular when first constructed.

We finished the day with a visit to Maurice’s cultural center, Lakou Lakay (family compound in Creole). It is actually a family project. Maurice’s children, nieces and nephews provide the music and his wife prepares a delicious lunch. Lakou Lakay has been a life long dream of Maurice and, after 20 years in the making, he is finally at a point where only the final touches remain. We bid farewell and returned to Norm’s Place.

Sunday was Palm Sunday. Eric was not enthused about making another trip on the road to Cap Haitian. I, however, wanted to go to church. I had contacted Pere Noe weeks earlier and he was expecting me. It was a wonderful service that began with a procession around the block. The church was packed. Azanar had driven me. He knew Pere Noe and attended the service with me. Afterwards, Azenar drove me to the center square of Cap Haitian. We were also able to access the municipal building that offered a great view. We even met the mayor! Then we drove along the “Boulevard” a central road of Cap that runs along the ocean. Soon it was time to return to Labadie.

Sunday afternoon, three young adults arrived at Norm’s place. A young man named Jamie was part of an initiative called Meds & Food For Kids (medandfodforkids.org), providing health and nutritional support, including a nutrient rich peanut butter call Medika Mamba. He lived in Cap Haitian. Rebecca Heidkamp was a nutritionist with GHESKIO (gheskio.org) a non-profit focused on HIV/Aids, and lived in Port au Prince. was a friend of Rebecca visiting for a week. She taught 4th grade in an innovative K-8 private school in Nashville, Tennessee. We spent our days engaged in our own activities. However, we came together over dinner each night, exchanged adventrues and got to know each other. Jamie, Rebecca and were all Cornell grads. They had already been involved in significant work to help effect positive change in the world. Incredibly bright and motivated, they made me long for the years that they had ahead of them to have a long-term impact around the globe. Though they left on Tuesday morning, I suspected that Jamie, Rebecca and I would intersect at some other point during my residency.

As luck would have it, Eric’s brother and family were on a cruise scheduled to dock in Labadie on the Monday of our visit. Jacqui knew someone affiliated with the cruise company and obtained clearance for us to spend the day on the beach with them. I had not seen them since my Commissioning in early October and was really looking forward to the day. Norman and Angelique operated a shop on the cruise beach. They had traveled to the states on Saturday and Angelique’s son, Franck, was now in residence at Norm’s Place and running the shop. He took us over to the beach and introduced us to the Site Manager. My sister-in-law Sandy and nephew Sam found us before we were given the green light by the management. What a great reunion! We had a great day on the beach together, laughing and sharing stories and adventures of the past five months. The time passed all too quickly. At 3:30 p.m., we said goodbye and parted ways, Curt, Sandy Katie and Sam to the cruise ship and Eric and I to our little water taxi. What a gift for me.

Franck returned to Norm’s Place later in the day. As is so common in Haitian culture, he touched base with me to make sure that we had successfully connected with our family and enjoyed the day. I said yes and affirmed that rules are rules and process and protocol in such situations need to be respected. With that remark, the typically soft-spoken, unassuming man began to share his opinion of the cruise company policies and soon ventured into some fascinating and distressing history of Haitian politics. Some of the history had touched his life and that of his family personally. We must have talked for over an hour. I learned a great deal, not the least of which was about the depth of Franck’s character and the sacrifices that he and his family had made along the way.

Tuesday was our last day in Labadie. Originally, I had planned a day in Cap Haitian. In the course of our stay at Norm’s Place we had developed a special relationship with Eggy. There was no cruise ship scheduled on Tuesday and he offered to take us out on his smaller boat. We would spend most of our time on a nearby beach called Little Paradise. Eric and I were both thrilled by the invitation.

We headed out around 10 a.m. with Eggy and his crew. As we rounded the point and approached Little Paradise, I was struck by the simple, elegant beauty of the shoreline. The beach was pristine. You could see where fresh water met the ocean making a brackish pool. Once we dropped anchor, Eric and I hopped off the boat and headed in different directions. I was drawn to the shady area where the fresh water entered. As I moved through the area and took pictures, I could hear men singing up the hill. I climbed up and moved toward their voices. They were breaking stone and also cooking their lunch. I would have stayed and talked with them. However, I suddenly found myself covered by mosquitoes. This precipitated a quick descent to the water!

The rest of the day was spent wading through the water to find various forms of sea life and just enjoying one another’s company. We were also able to witness two boats bring in their catch of the day. In both cases, I crawled into the boats to photograph the yield. They were happy to display unusual sea life that had also gotten trapped in the nets. It was a perfect ending to a perfect week.

I greeted Wednesday with reluctance. Eric and I had had a magical time together. In the midst of getting reacquainted, we had met some amazing people. We stood midway through Holy Week I already experienced a taste of the Easter light ,cast through the love of a husband who traveled from South Africa not only to spend time with me but to understand more fully my call to Haiti and service as a Missioner. I was incredibly grateful and knew that this reunion and retreat would sustain me until my one-month leave in July.

2009 Chain of Love LAUNCH

This is a great example of how a group of young people can make a difference. The priest seen early in the video is Pere Walin DeCamps, an extraordinary member of the Diocese of Haiti. Rev. Roger Bowen, a contributor to the video, is dedicated to building partnerships between Episcopal schools in the U.S. and Haiti. Enjoy. Perhaps you, too, will be inspired to lend a hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InSosE0WBzk

Kriye Bode Montage: Annual Colloquium on Haitian Dance and Drum on Vimeo

A must see!!! Check out the video clip.

http://vimeo.com/4218309?pg=transcoded_embed&sec=4218309

Hillary Clinton Visits Haiti

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/world/americas/17diplo.html?ref=americas

The Unexpected Guest

Sometimes the best visits are those made by unexpected guests. Haiti seems to be a thoroughfare of individuals and groups engaged in diverse, vitally important work in every sector of the country. With today’s technology, it is easy to make introductions and connect people. My family dentist and fellow participant in the Tabasamu dental mission in Kenya, made me aware that Mary Burns, my middle son’s orthodontist, was making a weeklong trip to Haiti to assist with a medical mission in Fond Parisien. Christopher had had preventative orthodenture work when he was in Junior High, so I hadn’t spoken with Mary in years. Paul provided us with each other’s e-mail addresses and we began communicating. I quickly learned that Mary’s 25-year-old daughter, Erin, also wanted to come. Unfortunately, however, there were no volunteer openings in the medical mission.

I believe that one of the reasons that I am situated in Haiti is to provide an opportunity for people to see and understand this country through a different lens than that of the national and international media. One of the best ways for this to occur is through actual visits. Without hesitation, I told Mary that Erin was welcome to stay with me. Despite not knowing Erin, I was confident that there were projects and activities within the Diocese in which she could become involved for a week.

As Erin and I began to communicate via e-mail, I learned that she had never had a mission experience. In my years of working with youth and young adults, I have always set high standards for psychological, physical and spiritual readiness for such experiences. Certainly, any young people traveling overseas with me, have been required to participate in some stateside outreach, if not international work. I also demanded a fairly rigorous set of expectations in building community among all participants and helping to raise funds for the initiative. Needless to say, this was not going to be the case with Erin. My primary concern was that she feel safe while in Haiti and that the experience encourage her to do more of this work here and elsewhere.

I could feel the enthusiasm through her e-mails. Her mother had been on a number of these medical missions. Though Erin’s brother had gone on a couple of them, Erin’s schedule had not allowed for her to join Mary. Erin had recently been laid off from her job and, though she had secured a part-time position, now had the flexibility to engage an adventure- testimony that there is a silver lining in every situation!

Erin is an interior designer by profession. However, she was willing and eager to do anything. She has a sister with mental and physical challenges, so I knew that she would be comfortable volunteering at St. Vincent School for the Handicapped. I met with the Direct of St. Vincent and Trinity Music School. They anxiously awaited her arrival.

I picked Erin up at the airport on a Saturday. We had a relatively quiet schedule on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Monday, we met with Pere Sadoni at St. Vincent and Pere Cesar at Trinite Music School. As soon as both priests heard of Erin’s talents in interior design they requested that she address some particular needs at both schools. Erin’s first task was the re-design of the central office space at St. Vincent. She took measurements and drew a rough sketch representing the new layout. The rest of the work would need to be completed at home, where she had specialized software.

I do not teach English classes on Tuesdays. Consequently, I am able to schedule off-site activities. Erin and I decided we would visit her mother in Fon Parisien. Fon Parisien is about an hour from Port au Prince. The road took us toward Saint Marc and by more agriculturally rich land than I am accustomed to seeing. As we entered the Love a Child compound, we saw numerous, recently constructed buildings all painted in bright yellow. The three school buildings were situated toward the front of the property and, since it was time for the mid-morning break, we could see all the children playing. Their school uniforms included yellow cotton shirts and navy skirts or pants, a wonderful combination.

The driver delivered us to the entrance of the newly dedicated Health Clinic, called the Jesus Healing Center. There we discovered a crowd of people patiently waiting to see Mary for their designated extraction. We entered Mary’s operatory and found her hovered over a patient in an army regulation portable dental field chair. As drawn as I am to the medical arena, Erin is proportionally unsettled by it. I moved in to see exactly what Mary was doing as Erin turned her back and plugged her ears. It is all part of my theory of professional interests skipping generations!

Throughout the day, Erin and I divided our time between exploring the Love a Child facilities, including the school, church and orphanage and returning to Mary’s room to view her latest procedure. In time, Erin found that the best distraction for her was to hold the children of the patients. We were also able to distribute the adorable hand knit Duduza dolls to each child who visited Mary. A real treat.

The day passed quickly and soon we were on our way back to Port au Prince. The day was capped off with a celebration of Carmel’s birthday. Erin was now truly a part of the Seminaire de Theologie family.

Erin spent Wednesday in Acahaie with Timote Georges learning about the challenges of deforestation in Haiti. She also had an opportunity to visit a small school. I hope she will add to this blog in the coming week to share those experiences.

On Thursday, Erin went to St. Vincent in the morning and Trinite Music School in the afternoon. Instead of interior design, she has been recruited to help the new Administrative Assistant at Trinite Music School with an English newsletter highlighting the many events of the year. She would return again on Friday afternoon to complete the project.

Friday morning, Carla and Ari, co-founders of N A Sonje Foundation (nasonje.blogspot.com), visited my apartment to share some of the history and culture of Haiti with Erin. My roommates, Carmel and Margarette, were in the apartment as well and soon joined in the conversation. Soon there was a brief exchange between Margarette and Carmel and followed by a call to the rest of the Seminarians. Everyone was riveted by what Carla and Ari had to share, some of which they did not know and some with which they resonated.

Mary arrived Friday afternoon and we wisked her off to St. Vincent’s. Despite the fact that the dental clinic was amassed with equipment and other inventory from an surgical area being renovated, Mary could visualize the operatory and decided that she would return to lend a hand.

We celebrated our time together with a dinner at the Ollofson, an historic, gingerbread style hotel minutes from my apartment. Erin and Mary spent Friday night at a hotel closer to the airport where I said goodbye on Saturday afternoon. The week had passed very quickly. I had enjoyed every minute of Erin’s stay. I hope that Erin will be able to return. Regardless, I suspect that Haiti has made an impression on her that will linger for some time if not for all time.