HEART board members Corinne Warren and Carina Blon interviewed 4 community members from the HEART School during the board of director’s March 2016 trip to Haiti. Corinne’s idea was to model the interviews after the ” Humans of New York” blog. They have recorded the direct statements so HEART supporters and community can learn firsthand the viewpoints of community members. The first person in this series is Dieusel, who is the gardener and watchman for the school. Here is his story in his own words:
“I was born in 1957 in Hinche. When I was 2 years old, we moved to Mireblais in the Central Plateau. When I lived there it was a proud place and there was not a lot of misery. In those days, I could buy a plate of chicken, rice, white beans and sauce for 10 gourdes; now the same plate would cost 200 gourdes. In the beginning, when Duvalier was in power, everyone worked and went to school. There was no insecurity or even guns. Now people do what they want. If you want to cut down a tree, you can do so without any permission from the government. Before, when one tree was cut down, you had to have a permit from the government and five more had to be planted. When it rains now, the water erodes the rivers and mountains. The mountains used to be beautiful and green. This is why I think children are miserable, old people too. There are no more trees to make people happy. I don’t know if I’ll be able to see change for this country in my lifetime, but I have hope for my kids or grandkids. Maybe they will see the change I desire for this country. I take pride in my gardens. Of all the places I’ve rented, I’ve left each more beautiful than when I came because I plant trees and flowers. Of all the plants I have grown, the Papaya tree is the one I love the most and the one I am most proud of. You can make juice out of it or eat its fruit, and its leaves and fruit make good home remedies.”
