Before Haiti was hit by the earthquake, it was already Latin America’s poorest country (with an average annual income amounting to 560 USD per person). The country’s social and economic situation is grim and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MIUSTAH) has failed to fight poverty. Quite on the contrary, it is being questions by many sectors of the country.

Real World Radio interviewed the communications officer of Haiti Survie / Friends of the Earth Haiti, Jean Louis Etienne. He participated in the Sustainability School of Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Brazil from September 10 through 22.

He said “At Friends of the Earth we are fighting together, not for ourselves, but for the world”. “I hope that my colleague from Haiti who will succeed me in the next edition of the school will not talk about what happened in Haiti, but what the School has done for him”.

Haiti Survie focuses its efforts on social and educational work, besides the struggle for a healthy environment. Etienne had to perform surgeries several times after the earthquake to save somebody’s leg that had been trapped in the rubble.

“Right now we are carrying out a program that includes food distribution and paying for children’s education”, for children whose parents could not afford their education. This program also includes emergency training to face disasters, risks, sanitary problems, etc. “We want the people to have a better understanding of what happened and how to prevent the spreading of epidemics”. The organization has also funded some families while they try to get their own source of income.

Haiti Survie has also implemented some technical systems to ensure access to water to the families of the south east of the country “so that people can collect water in the rainy season and have water during the dry season”, said Etienne. This is a project of adaptation to climate change. “Climate change has turned the south east’s drought period longer as it shortened the rainy season”, he said. “So we created a system to help people to have access to water and produce food all year round”.

In terms of education, Haiti Survie is organizing workshops in different parts of the country to “teach people about the environmental problems”, in a population with a very low literacy rate.

Finally, we asked Etienne’s opinion on the UN intervention in the country. He said “It is not good that Haiti is occupied. Haiti is the first country to become independent in the Caribbean (and in Latin America). The world’s first black republic. We have to be an example of freedom”.

Photo: Real World Radio