March News From Pignon: Education, Economics, and Sociopolitics
Welcome to the Loving Haiti monthly newsletter from your Haitian Partners (of ten years) of the commune of Pignon. We want to bring your attention to several developments that continue to evolve in our country.
In terms of weather here, the climate has passed from cold to hot, and we are approaching the rainy season. The farmers are beginning to work their lands for the planting season even as they doubt that the temperature will relent. We are not having any rain yet, but our hopes are high. As a result, our mountains are dry, trees are losing their leaves, and rocks are more common than patches of green in our mountains. Wherever someone has the ability to water their crops, there is much green and beauty.
In Pignon’s school establishments, all is functioning as planned and calmly since the late start to the school year in February. According to the National Ministry of Education, state evaluation tests will proceed as planned. In surrounding areas, folks are attempting to fulfill the needs of the many learners so that they can have success after having passed 9-10 months as apprentices. We are not able to quantify the many immigrant scholars coming from difficult zones to live in, but they have been able to integrate into local school establishments without problem.
These learners are currently in the process of taking their scholarly evaluations and will be doing so and taking the associated classes until Easter. The challenge, however, is that many students are unable to take their tests because of their debts. Parents are unable to pay these debts and it is truly a jungle in comparison to last year. We still hope that they will have the chance to win their victories after such a discouraging year.
At the gas pumps, we must pay 2000 gourdes ($15 USD) a gallon for gasoline and diesel is unavailable to even those who can pay for it. This morning (Tuesday, March 12th, 2024), an educational establishment called me for help in acquiring their school materials as they could not afford fuel. The scarcity has been mistreating us all. The price of food products, building materials, and products from other economic sectors continue to rise.
In Port-au-Prince, the situation continues to deteriorate. Armed gangs have sworn chaos in metropolitan areas. In the last fifteen days, many gangs have regrouped under an organization called “VIV ANSAM” (which means “To live together”) and are now menacing several police stations and centers in the capital. There are about ten of these incarceration centers in the country, including the Croix-des Bouquets and le Pénitencier National civil prisons.
In Port-au-Prince, commercial banks, commerce, and educational institutions are barely functioning. Thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes. At the beginning of this week, some activities and businesses have slowly started to reopen, little by little. The interim prime minister, Ariel Henry, (who currently resides in Puerto Rico) announced his resignation in anticipation of the installation of a presidential college of seven members with the mission of reestablishing the security and organization of elections going forward.
We give you all of our thanks for having taken the time to read this month’s update. We are so happy to have you and we hope that one day you will see changes in this country that you keep in your heart.
Thank you again and may God bless you.
Your friend,
Darling Seriphin
PS: Information about Port-Au-Prince comes from my younger brother who studies Human Sciences there and has witnessed this drama unfold when I have not been able.
Translated from the original French by Lauren Thompson