Annie, reading your blog was really interesting but I have a question about all those Haitians you mention in L.T. (and elsewhere) - you mention they want to go back to Haiti but I am mystified, what is preventing them from just going to the border and crossing over? perhaps I'm missing something in the picture.
Karlheinz
Nothing stops them except the lack of work over there. They still have more hope for work over here- that is why they stay here- some do not have enough even to pay for the trip back now and are simply being evicted from their apartments here.
Plus many of them have families.. with children who do not have papers. A very fragile population to work with..
There are projects that are underway now in Haiti.. in fact there are major American non governmental agencies which are giving day long seminars in masonary training! They write up brochures and have day long classes in Haiti to train the workers there in building. Now these NGOs are the ones who are getting the bulk of the money that is being distributed to Haiti. Seems like a real waste of international donor money to give it to NGOs to train Haitian construction workers over there when we have them over here, no? But that is the way the system is working now.
We are hoping to have an ORGANIZED group so that we can start a stream.. then a river--- of Haitians who are already trained, who speak Spanish as well as Kreyole, who have references, and who can lead the way for a really large training program for training Haitians in Haiti = training by other Haitians who are actually builders.
The DR is making efforts now to get work permits for the Haitians that it NEEDS to work here. This is something that the international community has pressured the DR on for years. But now there has to be an efffort to help the Haitians who are here to get back.. in that many do not have papers, and have children....
So far, I have two young Haitians in LT who are working for nothing (ok, I do keep forking over a few thousand pesos to keep it going.. the one young man is owed $10,000 by a Dominican whom he worked for a week.. and is now 2 months behind in his rent so I will have to see both the employer and the landlord when I get back up there - probably have to pay the back rent)
We do have the cover of Edwin Paraison, who used to be the Minister of the Diaspora there, and a consul here, and has a lot of connections here and there.. plus contacts within the Episcopal Church as he is a priest. We have worked up a small budget - Think it is about 70,000 pesos to start --
We are thinking that this can represent a very good cooperative effort between these two countries. If we can get these men their tool kits.. which will mean that they will be able to continue their work in Haiti - perhaps they will be willing to return without any prospects for work. But if there is ONE group of Haitians who returns - with publicity and .. well... say .. thanks,, from the DR.. it will start.
But so far, I have not received any support. So perhaps it is a foolish idea.
I know that I will not be able to continue alone.
I got a call from one builder ... but he wanted 200 pesos from each Haitian that registered with him.