Let me know what you think about the slide show. For more information click here.

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The week of being in Haiti almost seems like a dream. Other than the fact that I have photographs and video to prove I was there I would almost swear that I didn’t even go at all. But juxtaposed with that is the fact that I am still writing about my experience there. I am still talking to people about the trip and planning to return. So here was our last day of distributing food. We were in a rural community in Port Au Prince, Haiti such that the buses had to drop us off and we had to walk the rest of the way. What made this distribution the most dangerous of them all is that fact that there is not local police near by. This community is totally on it’s own. Although there are about 8000 people reside in the community there is no electricity or running water. Because this community is on its own there is a benefit that they must all work together to stay alive. This would work for us but when a necessity like food is in high demand and mothers and fathers are desperate to provide for their families a mob mentality can easily take over.

Let me give you a little context. Let’s say that your family desperately needed food and water. There are four other families in the same predicament. Everyday you see your children growing weaker and becoming more sick. Food is distributed but there are only three bags of food available. You get the line late and you are number four. Would you just politely wait in line and hope there is another bag of food? If you see a bag of food lying next to someone who isn’t paying attention would you pick it up and run? This is the situation what we came into this community.

What are your thoughts after watching the video? After you leave a comment then Click here to see the Haiti Relief Photo Gallery

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Everyone these days seems to like behind the scenes stories. Stories are what give meaning to the mundane, don’t they? So I thought I would do the same with a few of my photographs from Haiti. The first thing that everyone notices about Port Au Prince is the trash. It is everywhere! What you will also notice is that there is no interest in sanitation. In short, the reason Haitians typically have no regard for sanitation is because it isn’t available to them. If the only water that you have is unclean how long do you think it would take you drink a little bit of it so that you don’t die of thirst? Not very long I think.

Mothers would bathe their children in a nearby gutter while the same water that was just used for bathing is used for washing fruit.  You may ask, “how could anyone do this?” Well, first you only ask that because you have been taught that disease and germs and exist even if you don’t see it. Also, there is not a one-for-one ratio with germs. Just because you drink contaminated water doesn’t mean you will always get sick. TRUE STORY: As a child I would eat raw bacon every Saturday morning when my parents weren’t looking. Does that mean it is okay for children to eat raw bacon since I never got sick from it? Of course not. This is the same for Haitians and others in third world countries.

Haitian man washing clothes on sidewalk

During the bus ride through Port Au Prince I noticed a man cleaning his jeans with water from a drainage. Although washing clothes in the equivalent of river water is not necessarily bad this man would have no problem drinking it as well. One thing I want to point out is that I noticed that Haitians took care of their clothes. They dressed up for church in suits. They would have no problem in walking in the heat wearing their finest all day! I certainly had a lot of respect for them because this showed me that no matter how bad it got they would always hold their head high.

Hog eating trash on sidewalk in Port Au Prince Haiti

I know that you cannot tell but that pig on the left hand side probably weighs 500-600 lbs. He is eating the trash that lines the streets. Everyone just throws their trash wherever they like. Public trash bins do exist but most people will throw their trash in its general direction. While I was there I think that I only saw three trash trucks but they just cleaned up the trash bins and not around it. One thing you have to remember is that there really is no motivation to clean up since life is already pretty depressing.

Hog eating trash at food market in Port Au Prince Haiti

Here is a close up photo of another 500-600 hog eating the trash on the side of the street. Unlike the previous photograph this hog is eating trash in a public market. I don’t think this would go well in the mind of a competent health inspector. Since everyone is poor there is no need for a business man to clean up because it’s not going to increase his market share. In addition, when you are poor sanitation and aesthetics are relegated to the bottom of your hierarchy of needs. For more info on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs click here.

The heart of the matter is that the government is corrupt and all the money that the world has given to the Haitian government for the betterment of their people has only lined their pockets and Swiss bank accounts. The Haitians are an entrepreneurial people and I hold them in high regard and have a deep respect for their motivation. So the problem doesn’t lie with the Haitian citizens but with the government who has stolen their lives.

Leave a comment with your thoughts.

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Once we got to Santo Domingo Airport that split us up in groups and then gave us a quick run down on what to expect for the week. View photo gallery here.

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During one of our last food distributions for the week I had the opportunity to walk along Pastor Edmond, a local Haitian pastor, to talk a little about the needs of his community. He has been doing this for almost 40yrs. This is a man that anyone of any faith can respect. Leave a comment on what you think. View photo gallery here.

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Just before we landed in Santo Domingo. I forgot how loud it can get on the airplane. Hopefully, you can hear a little bit.  View photo gallery here.

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Although I am a photographer I figured it couldn’t hurt to take a small point and shoot with a video option along. Sometimes a photo needs a little movement to help tell the story. I’ll be uploading the vids throughout the week. Enjoy. Oh, don’t forget to leave a comment or two on your thoughts! To view the photo gallery click here

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From February 6-12 I traveled to Port Au Prince with Score International to help with food distribution.  To be honest, I did not know much about Haiti, it’s people, and especially nothing about their history. It was certainly an eye opening experience and I will share more in depth experiences later on this week.  With so many photos of death, destruction, and mayhem plastered all over the web and tv I wanted to do something a little bit different. I wanted to photograph and capture the faces of the people and especially the children that I came in contact.  Because we were required to always have security around we were only permitted to have very limited access to the public. As such, the photographs of sidewalks were captured during the bus rides. If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comment section. Enjoy.

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As long as there are no airline cancellations, I will be stepping on a plane for Haiti today about 6pm tonight. This post will serve two purposes. 1) To let visitors know that I am not lazy and not posting but that I am out of the country and 2) To update all my supporters. Just to warn you this is going to be a little rushed since I have to get a few more things together.

Here’s an email for a little context of the terrain and environment that we will be going to:

If you flight is canceled or delayed and will NOT make it to the DR before Sunday, you will need to cancel your ticket and reschedule for another trip. We cannot make arrangements for Sunday pick-ups in the DR because the teams are leaving out at 2:30am Sunday morning. If your flight does not arrive on Saturday you will not make it in time for the bus.

If you do have to cancel your ticket, you should have one year to use it and we will be happy to reschedule you for another Haiti relief trip. Hopefully this won’t be an issue for anyone.Also, we received this e-mail from our missionaries on the field today. Please take into consideration the following recommendations:

Hey guys, please email the people who are coming to Haiti and tell them to bring as many snacks: granola bars, peanut butter, trail mix, etc as they can bring in their ONE backpack.  They will need snacks to live on during the week since they will probably only get one meal a day of rice and beans.

Also bring:

Bug Spray
Tent
Sleeping bag
Matt for sleeping bag
Mosquito net if you have one
Baby wipes  (Bathroom facilities are extremely limited)
Two changes of clothes

Also, our destination will be Fond Parisian, Haiti to work with Love A Child Hospital so hopefully I’ll get to play with the kids.

Talk to you soon,

peter

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T-minus 2 Days before I step on a plane bound for Dominican Republic and then Haiti to help with the earthquake relief. Most of us are not familiar with many countries around the world because it doesn’t help us with our daily lives. However, it is good to know where you can find in depth information about other countries around the world once you need the information or would just because you want to learn more about countries around your world. That place. The CIA. To familiarize myself with Haiti the website: The World Fact Book is a great place to start. Here is some info on Haiti. I did copy and paste detailed info that most people won’t want to know … It’s there anyway. What you will want to know is the overview of the history of haiti and the overview of the economy of haiti. Although Haiti is not the first place on your list of business and family friendly destinations it is a place with people that need our assistance.

Haitian BackGround INFO – Overview:

The native Taino Amerindians – who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by COLUMBUS in 1492 – were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola. In 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti’s nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L’OUVERTURE. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti became the first black republic to declare independence in 1804. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. After an armed rebellion led to the forced resignation and exile of President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE in February 2004, an interim government took office to organize new elections under the auspices of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Continued violence and technical delays prompted repeated postponements, but Haiti finally did inaugurate a democratically elected president and parliament in May of 2006. A massive magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 with an epicenter about 15 km southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince. An estimated 2 million people live within the zone of heavy to moderate structural damage. The earthquake is assessed as the worst in this region over the last 200 years.

Haitian Economy – Overview:

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country’s widespread deforestation. While the economy has recovered in recent years, registering positive growth since 2005, four tropical storms in 2008 severely damaged the transportation infrastructure and agricultural sector. US economic engagement under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, passed in December 2006, has boosted apparel exports and investment by providing tariff-free access to the US. A second version of the legislation, passed in October 2008 and dubbed HOPE II, has further improved the export environment for the apparel sector by extending preferences to 2018; the apparel sector accounts for two-thirds of Haitian exports and nearly one-tenth of GDP. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP and more than twice the earnings from exports. Haiti suffers from a lack of investment because of insecurity and limited infrastructure, and a severe trade deficit. In 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. Haiti received debt forgiveness for about $525 million of its debt through the Highly-Indebted Poor Country () initiative in 2009. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability.

Very In-Depth Info Below

Haitian Geography:

Location:
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
Area:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 27,750 sq km
country comparison to the world: 147
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km
Area – comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
Coastline:
1,771 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Climate:
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain:
mostly rough and mountainous
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower

The Haitian Economy

Economics:
GDP (purchasing power parity):

$11.61 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
$11.66 billion (2008 est.)
$11.51 billion (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$6.908 billion (2009 est.)
GDP – real growth rate:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
-0.5% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
1.3% (2008 est.)
3.4% (2007 est.)
GDP – per capita (PPP):
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$1,300 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
$1,300 (2008 est.)
$1,300 (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP – composition by sector:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
agriculture: 28%
industry: 20%
services: 52% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
3.643 million
country comparison to the world: 93
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (2007)
Labor force – by occupation:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
agriculture: 66%
industry: 9%
services: 25% (1995)
Unemployment rate:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
NA% est.)
note: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs
Population below poverty line:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
80% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 47.7% (2001)
Distribution of family income – Gini index:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
59.2 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 8
Investment (gross fixed):
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
28.9% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
Budget:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
revenues: $960.6 million
expenditures: $1.186 billion (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0.4% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
15.5% (2008 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
17.81% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 2
46.99% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$NA (31 December 2008)
$704.7 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$NA (31 December 2008)
$1.561 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$NA (31 December 2008)
$1.537 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$NA
Agriculture – products:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood
Industries:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly based on imported parts
Industrial production growth rate:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
-2% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
Electricity – production:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
448 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
Electricity – consumption:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
273 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Electricity – exports:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity – imports:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil – production:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Oil – consumption:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
12,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
Oil – exports:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Oil – imports:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
12,280 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Oil – proved reserves:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
Natural gas – production:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Natural gas – consumption:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
Natural gas – exports:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Natural gas – imports:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Natural gas – proved reserves:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Current account balance:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$-566 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
$-611 million (2008 est.)
Exports:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$524 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
$490 million (2008 est.)
Exports – commodities:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
apparel, manufactures, oils, cocoa, mangoes, coffee
Exports – partners:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
US 70.7%, Dominican Republic 8.9%, Canada 3.1% (2008)
Imports:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$2.023 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
$2.107 billion (2008 est.)
Imports – commodities:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials
Imports – partners:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
US 34%, Dominican Republic 23.1%, Netherlands Antilles 10.6%, China 4.5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$734 million (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
$708 million (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt – external:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$428 million (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
$1.817 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Exchange rates:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
gourdes (HTG) per US dollar – 41.366 (2009), 39.216 (2008), 37.138 (2007), 40.232 (2006), 40.449 (2005)

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