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Haiti Mission
Before leaving on this mission Pierre Laboissere, founder of Haiti Action Committee in Berkeley CA pleaded with me and Bob to visit Ronald, a political prisoner since 2004 charged with conspiracy in the LaScierie massacre (near St. Marc). All the evidence purported seems to be no evidence at all that Ronald did anything wrong. All of the others already charged and previously in prison have been freed and exonerated for lack of evidence that the massacre even took place. He has never been brought before a judge and likely will not. There are 2000 others like Ronald, 1200 of them being held at the National Penitentiary in downtown Port-au-Prince. Pierre said Ronald was also reported to be very sick with asthma. If we could just see him, find out if he was getting medical attention, and let him know he is not forgotten. “Give him hope,” said Pierre. An impossible request, it seemed. But miracles do happen and through the intervention of a friend who knew one of the guards we were granted a visit on June 1, the one day a week family members can see their loved ones. So it was that on a steamy hot day, we arrived at the penitentiary, were ushered through a guard station, and then security that confiscated our ID and all that we carried. We were told emphatically, “No cameras.” We were led to another holding area where the women were being body searched (I was spared that humiliation) along with their belongings – bags that we saw contained clothing and food from home. Prisoners are not fed and eat only that which is brought in by family or friends. The guard led everyone finally into a large courtyard. The scene was chaotic and the stench overwhelming. Men called out to their weeping women and lined up 2 and 3 deep, holding onto a wire fence, like caged animals, as bundles were tossed over. We waited for our prisoner to show. When he did his youthful and handsome face took me aback, but clearly he was a sick man and walked with difficulty. He quickly showed us his hernia – which is not being treated. He needs surgical attention and the authorities are refusing to allow it. He was earnest in making his case and stressed that we should talk to his lawyers. We kept listening and sharing. He kissed our hands – we prayed, talked about mutual friends, including recently deceased Pere Jean Juste. Ronald said: “Every prisoner in Haiti knows Jean Juste.” Then Ronald said: Wait here – I will come back. He returned with Edwin who translated what Ronald already told us. Ronald gave us his wife’s name, Edna, and phone number, and begged us to call her. Edwin pleaded the same, writing his wife’s name and telephone number on the scrap of paper I began with – that continues to be a sad reminder. There is much else in Haiti that can evoke sadness. In fact a new slogan was visible throughout the city on banners strung across streets and graffiti: “Nou Bouke” – “We’re Tired”. We saw the reasons everywhere – children with bloated stomachs, rotting garbage in streets, beggars, vendors with no customers, men jumping in front of cars washing windshields…above and beyond the broken justice system. Yes, Haitians are tired of the destitution and the oppression and tired of the international isolation and being ignored. But I still saw the smiles, the welcoming hand, and their desire to share what they have. They are not too tired to hope. I saw hope in action. Haitian Mothers Day happened to fall on Sunday, May 31. The girls at the Foyer des Filles de Dieu, Resurrection’s twin now over 20 years, planned a big party to honor Paula, their Founder and Director, me, and also invited mothers in the neighborhood. The area in which they sang and danced was replete with signs like “Mother you are beautiful”, “Mothers are irreplaceable”, “Mothers are the source of life”, “Adele and Bob we love you”, “Happy feast to all Mothers”. These sentiments from girls who are essentially motherless tugged at my heart. During the entertainment Tamara, age 16, snuggled next to me and poured out her dream of becoming a teacher of History and English someday. I saw hope at the Sant, the Xaverian Brothers home for young men pursuing higher education. We spoke to six men brimming with enthusiasm for their courses: mechanical engineering, civil and electrical engineering, medicine, and computer technology. Each to a man has set as his goal to return to the community from which he came – and they come from all over Haiti - to invest his knowledge to make life better for others. It was exhilarating to be with these men along with Mariana and Robert Boska and Pat Pletke, members of St. Thomas More Church, Lynchburg, twinned with Savanette in the Central Plateau. I ask, as do many others – where do we fit in with what we see, and hear in Haiti? What are we to do? I’m convinced that our role is to listen, to hear their dreams. But even that is not enough. I believe those of us who are entrusted with dreams and hopes must share the stories. Another girl at the Foyer dreams of becoming a nurse. We have the offer of scholarships to the School of Nursing at Carilion in Roanoke – the prerequisite being the ability to pass TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language). We now have an offer from someone to pay the cost of the English course at American University in Port-au-Prince. It is in the telling and the sharing that these dreams might one day be fulfilled. That scrap of paper from Edwin in the prison is one of many reminders Bob and I keep around. In our living room is a soccer ball given to us by Pere Jean Juste at a liturgy – precious because of Jean Juste himself who we now consider the Patron Saint of Political Prisoners. Bob treasures it and often says it contains the DNA of a good friend and a hero of Haiti. Our walls and refrigerator hold photos of people like Antoine Adrian, a Jezikri woodcarving, children on the street and naked in doorways, a rooster magnet… We all need reminders of what needs to be done, like advocate for release of Ronald and Edwin. The condition of prisons in Haiti has been likened to the conditions on slave ships in the eighteenth century. We have called both these men’s wives and their lawyers. We also need to advocate for better education and healthcare and some level of food security and human rights in Haiti. These are dreams just like those of the men at the Sant and the girls at the Foyer and we are the dream keepers. Adele DellaValle-Rauth served as Diocesan Twinning Resource for ten years - 1995-2005 – and is past Chair of the Haiti Solidarity Twinning Committee. |
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Resurrection Catholic Church 15353 Moneta Rd., Moneta, VA 24121 Phone: 540.297.5530 / Fax: 540.297.6316 E-mail: info@resurrectioncatholic.org © Copyright 2003 by resurrectioncatholic.org |
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