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Saint Ann’s Catholic Parish |
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105 S. Snead St. Ashland, Virginia 23005 (804) 798-5039 |
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NOTES FROM MY LAST TRIP TO HAITI — 12/7-12/11 2009 By Stu Reid
Material to finish (school) uniforms cost: $ 429.00 (US) Value of Haitian Money Today 40.75 goudes per one US dollar 8.15 Haitian dollars per one US dollar The finished table cloth cost: 6500 goudes or $ 160.00 US
The school bus which we purchased is no longer needed. The state started transporting the students to Mirebalais in October. I think that the authorities gave Pere Roderick one months notice of this. Now Pere Roderick would like to sell the bus to pay for the addition of one more room to the school (second floor). It is sorely needed: there are now three to five students per desk in most rooms. The chairs which we sent over for kindergarten and/or 1st grade are not being used, neither are the tables which we had made for that purpose. The Bishop has sent a seminarian to serve as principal for this school year. A new principal must be hired for next year and he must be certified and therefore his salary will be higher. The new Bishop speaks no English, only French. He will be in the US in March. The students started using the new school in September but the building still needs to be painted inside — Pere says that it will be done before the new term starts in January. Work can only be done when school is not in session, therefore Work is only done on Saturdays and Sun days. Pere continues to pay the principal who suffered a stroke his monthly salary and will continue so until the new principal is hired for next school year. Pere says that if he stopped his salary, he would give up hope and die. He has no other income as there is no sick leave, pay or retirement; even Pere has none of these Benefits. Currently only about one in four or five students have school books (possibly this Is the main reason for the rote system of learning). I have asked Pere to get the number of books needed and cost for each child to have a book and I will send him the money to cover this if he will see to the purchase. I believe that this is one of the best improvements that we can make to the school. Pere has one male teacher that he will send to Papaye this summer to begin his certification process (a three year course) and then he wants to send another. Pere agrees to pay for the cost for the teacher and he must pay the other half: they spend 2 to three weeks each summer and sometimes 2 months. Pere needs some paper for his printer the next time that we send a shipment and He also prefers to use Splenda instead of sugar, if we can send some. Somehow the exams (4 times a year) come to him in longhand and he types them out on the computer and copies them for the students to t ake. They will be taking exams next week. I took as much toothpaste and toothbrushes as I could beg, borrow and steal when I went over, anticipating to give each student a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste for Christmas —well, I was over 100 plus short of both the brushes and paste, so I purchased it in Port au Prince for $ 151.00, and I also gave Pere $100.00 to get the kids some candy for Christmas. When I go over, I usually take the principal and teachers out for lunch at Wozo Plaza restaurant, but there just was not enough time to do it this time, so I just Gave Pere the money to give them S 50.00 each to show that we appreciate them And their efforts for the children. I noticed that the motorbike population had really increased, even since we were over in April of this year. I thought that they were for personal use, but learned this trip that they are TAXI’s. It seems that some people with sufficient funds purchase the bikes and lease them out to individual drivers for a specified amount of money each two weeks and whatever the driver collects above that is his to keep. I understand that they are less expensive than riding the Tap Taps. The streets in PaP (Port au Prince) are in even worse shape than they were in April, and when I thought that the street garbage situation had gotten better, it is back the same way again, just dumped out on the street and burned or left to rot there. It just seems that the country makes one step forward and then goes back two steps. The greatest improvement I can see is the road from PaP to Mirebalais — it is now paved the entire length of 60 km. from PaP to Mirebalais — I cannot help but think it is a modem day MIRACLE The first time that I went over, the road from Mirebalais to Dubisson was asphalted and in perfect shape; I have seen it just get worse each time that I go over and repairs are never made. Now the entire length of the road is in terrible shape and repairs are still not made. Evidently the Government has spent all of its money on the MIRACULOUS ROAD OVER GOAT MOUNTAIN. I went with Pere Tuesday to Hinche to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and while there I met his uncle who was visiting from NY (first time back to Haiti in 18 years). On this trip I also met a cousin of Pere’s who works For Dr. Paul Farmer’s outfit and came to deliver Pere his invitation to his wedding to be held in Gonive on December 26. Pere has one brother who is a medical student and was in France to further his education — he phoned Pere one day from Paris. Another brother is a computer programmer and works for World Vision. He has a brother who is a priest (Holy Spirit Order) in Haiti. He did not mention his other brother, but his sister works for the State Department in Boston where his Mother also lives. Pere is hopeful that his Bishop will leave him in Dubisson for another three years after his tour of six years is completed this year. I also brought back 9 Bottles of Vanilla at a cost of $1.OO per bottle (Janet Already purchased 2 bottles — therefore, only 7 left. |