Woch nan dlo pa kone doule woch nan soley

The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun.

It has come to my attention that I have spent almost no time giving some background on the country in which I am living.

For better or worse, Haiti resembles other extremely impoverished countries in terms of its infrastructure, GDP, family size, transportation, and major problems. The government, currently in the all-too-familiar state of “transition,” has failed to provide most people with any sort of security, education, or other public services. The reason for these failures is the subject of many PhD dissertations and books written by individuals infinitely more qualified than myself.

Instead of covering the typical topics that describe Haiti and other developing countries, I’d like to introduce a few characteristics and issues that are uniquely Haitian, and that I find separate Haiti from her peers.

Voodoo, while hidden under the surface, is very much alive throughout the country. Although the majority of Haitians are Christians, this African belief system remains steadfast and obstinately engrained in their culture.  Simply stated, voodoo concerns the idea that there are spirits everywhere that influence one’s life, from sicknesses to the weather. Talking about these spirits is a dubious proposition. Many Haitians attempt to avoid the topic entirely, especially with blans (white people).

Voodoo can be a significant barrier to aid workers here. A patient could believe that an STD is due to an unseen evil spirit rather than her husband. A water source could be contaminated not by bacteria and viruses, which can be removed by a filter, but rather by a demon sent by a neighboring village, which can be removed by a witch doctor.

Deforestation is also a problem relatively unique to Haiti. The lack of government environmental regulation, in addition to a myriad of other contributing factors, has led to the destruction of nearly all of Haiti’s natural forests as people destroy entire forests for fuel to cook. There are seven areas left with significant forests in the entire country.

Without 97% if its trees, Haiti is more prone to flooding and has lost significant agricultural output due to increased erosion of its nutrient-rich topsoil¹. Several NGOs have started programs to not only replant trees but also provide alternative means for cooking fuel such as propane.

Voodoo and deforestation are simply two subjects that I find are underrepresented in discussions involving Haiti.  In my opinion, the most developed countries in the world, in terms of public services and GDP, are successful in the same way; they possess a stable governing body. The lesser-developed countries are unsuccessful in their own way, some are plagued by terrible disease and some are restrained by deforestation, but all share one simple failure: they all lack a stable government.

¹Katel, Peter. “Haiti’s Dilemma.” The CQ Researcher. 18 Feb. 2005: 151-171