Is this really Christmas?

 

By:
Wadner Pierre

Christmas is a celebration of sharing love, solidarity, and reconciliation, with the artists singing, which is often conducted in the popular mind.

With this sentence we wonder too, who celebrates Christmas in a country as Haiti, the poorest country in the American continent. It continues to go through a horrible and inhuman situation, despite the efforts of these people. Filling the duties of citizens, saves the streets to demand respect for their votes. It should be the duty of the government, Ministers, Secretaries of State to relieve the misery of its those people with the most terrible and miserable lifes.

The diaspora despite its effort was unable meet the needs of its relatives, why not? A population that depends directly on the Haitian diaspora has received for the time some aid from the eleventh department, a gesture, but we hear sighs, grinding teeth, commodity prices. The initial necessitated continues to climb. Is this a conspiracy against the people one might wonder? Where are the forces of the nation, including: the church, especially the Catholic church (which is the official religion of this country), the economic sector, or the Haitian bourgeoisie as they say..?

For several years, children from the poorest neighborhoods were accustomed to receiving toys from the Haitian presidency under the government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Today they complain because of a dissatisfaction and the backwardness of the Ministry of Social Affairs in this case.

But this year, it seems even worse, despite statements by authorities, we see nothing new. Even with an elected government again.

"On the wings of time the sadness flies and the time brings pleasure."

This Friday, December 21, 2007 upon attending the Bel'Air, Delmas 4, Lassaline and in an orphanage located in Tabarre 16, the distribution of toys and food to children, I saw that parents lacked the money to provide their children with even a small gift for Christmas. A Brazilian contingent and a group of different national units from MINUSTAH, accompanied by the artist compas North KinoMorsa and King Kino, handed out some gifts.

According to one official, the soldiers contributed to provide gifts to the children of the poor districts. So can we say that MINUSTAH knows better than the government of Haiti of the misery of children with disabilities and poor? Is MINUSTAH more responsible then the Haitian government, even after its Jordanian and Brazilian units wounded and killed so many in the poor neighbors?

The children we met felt they would like to receive more, the small tokens from the UN troops were appreciated but only a token.

The words that reflect the beauty of the events achieved this one day in the middle of the poorest people is the cooling of a debate. One year is gone and another is coming, what it will bring for the Haitian people? A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Haiti is my darling and we hope for peace, love, health and prosperity for all Haitian people.

Wyclef and Akon in Haiti

 

Wyclef and Akon visited Bel'Air, one of the poorest districts in Port-Au-Prince, during their visit in Haiti. The people were happy to recieve them, Wyclef goes there sometimes when he comes to Haiti, but for Akon it was his first time time. He ate at "Yele Cuisine" (yele cook) in Bel'Air. "yele Cuisine" is a restaurant where the people can buy a plate of food with just a little money. There are two in the capital one in Bel'Air and the other is in Cite Soleil, which is the largest. "Yele Cuisine" is supported by the Canadian International Developement Agency and World Food Program. These programs came into Haiti after the 2004 coup d'etat when the elected governments and its programs were shut down. (WFP).

The people of Haiti Thank Our Lady of Perpetual Help for 125 Years

 

The people of Haiti thank Our Lady of Perpetual Help for all her years.

The years 1882-2007 marks 125 years of the miraculous healing of the Haitian people from the scourge of Verette that ravaged the country at that time. According to what we have learned, the bishops gathered in prayer with the faithful at Bel'Air in the Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, asking for the issue that people who perished of this epidemic, and grace dropped from the sky all the people who were infected with this disease be cured.

Today 65 years, from 1942-2007, marks the official consecration of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, first under President Elie Lescot, a mulatto.

According to historical testimony, there had been a kind of hunt against Voodoo priests (this movement was Defeated) in the country. Contempt of voodoo, as if this confession of faith prevented the country to go on the voice of progress, but 65 years later why do we celebrate this date? At that time the sons and daughters of Haiti who practiced Voodoo had difficulty to explain why, many of them are the black and the president of that time was a mulatto and the current president of the Haitian Conference of Bishops Mgr. Louis Kébreau is also a mulatto and often harshly criticized the Aristide government democratically elected by the people. These same wealthy high religious authorities never on a single day, during the reign of defacto Latrotue government, lifted a finger to condemn abuses against the poor people.

From this we can see this commemoration as an important date in the history of the people, marking the continued exclusion of the poorest in the Haitian society. But members of the Catholic Church in Haiti and other religions have walked on several streets of the Haitian capital wearing shirts with the image of Our Lady Perpetual of Help this Saturday, December 8 opportunity to celebrate Queen Mary Immaculate Conception. They were several thousands marched and prayed, leaving the chapel of Our Lady Perpetual of Help of Bel'Air, received by the President of the Republic Mr. Rene Garcia Preval at National Palace, it can be said that National Palace, it was a purely symbolic gesture, because it was only the Bishops, priests, journalists and members of organizers were able to access in the courtyard of the National Palace, remained largely outside in prayer.

Before the porch their was a dedication to the Virgin Mary. A plaque recalls the bad date. Arriving at Sylvio Castor our closing Mass of the day would be celebrated by more than ten Haitian Bishops and the Representative of the Pope, the Apostolic Mario Jordana, the representative of the Haitian Episcopal Bishop of Central Department, Hinche's Louis Kebreau, delivered the message of circumstance to call for the people to demand the government take its responsibility in hand, condemn corruption, drug trafficking. These authorities seem to want to address the present government. One wonders if it is no longer a sign of a coming event in the country?

Here is an extract of the speech of the President of Haitian Episcopal Conference, Bishop, Louis Kébreau, which is both liturgical and political:

"Mary is pleased to see you are the recognizing people, you walked in peace and dignity. Today people walked, he wants the freedom we see that there are really blockages, which is why we are asking the government to take seriously its responsibility to help the people who want to move forward, the help themselves out in insecurity, unemployment, corruption and the people need to take the true path and not the path of drugs. Where his children crying and mothers who pay for the soul, and the children have no models to follow. There is a social injustice that hangs over this nation, which is likely to lose its dignity, a people so proud of himself. Who is the cause? ".

For the corruption that the President of the Episcopal Haitian spoke, one wonders whether the Church itself is not an accomplice, when the church asked openly driving members of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), which surrounds almost CEP by corrupt people. This corrupt epidemic within this Council has been shown by numerous journalist reports.

Later he spoke of a cleansing issue for the Haitian people, the power of death.
He spoke of the restoration of the country's independence and love of the motherland, he also criticized those who plunder public funds for their own interests, but not in the interests of the people:

"The moment of truth has arrived, the hour of freedom is rung, we must reconquer our independence, we have to live as brothers and sisters, it's time for us to stop taking dictations, the people Haitian people of freedom and pride, it is we who must provide the solution to our problems my brothers and sisters…"

At the end of the Apostolic wedding he read a message from the pope: the pportunity of this event was according to a resolution adopted by the College of Bishops of Haiti, a Roman Catholic missionaries attempt to obtain the grace and favor of God for this people.

But for the church to obtain grace and favor it must be for the poor!





Wadner Pierre
Nwanpi@gmail.com

Chrous Feu d'Amour of Siante Claire's Parish celebrated its 14th anniversary

 

The chorus Feu d'Amour celebrated on 2 Sunday December 2007 its 14th anniversary, the Archbishop of Port-Au-Prince, Joseph Serge Miot headed this mass, according after this celebration Bishop Miot Said,"It is a tradition to me to open the church's year with you here,Sainte Claire's Paris. Moreover, Feu d'Amour celebrates in the same date". Sainte Claire's Parish is located in the hill nothern Delmas Country, Ti Plas Kazo is the name of the small city.
When you take air plan you can see the Saint Claire's painting in the east side. Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste is a pastor. He has done a good work, this Parish knew its great progress with him. There are two chorus, "Notre Dame de Lamercie"(Our Lady of Mercy) and other groups.
It might be noticed the feeling program for the neediest people supported by WhatIf?Foundation(www.whatiffoundation.org) directed by Mrs. Margaret Trost and it is also Fr.Jean-Juste's dream. Through his work human being has a big place .

At least, when you are in Saint Claire's hill you have a good view of International Airport of P-Au-P. Children, young and adults are so kind,they are such a wonderful people. Welcome to Sainte Claire's Parish of TiPlas Kazo.

Wadner Pierre
.com

The oldest Ogou's three in Souvenance/Gonaives, and so forth

 

This tree is located at Souvenance, a small twon of Gonaives.Gonaives is the the capital of Artibonite's department. I went to Souvenance for one day just to visit my parents, because they live there and I used to leave there when I was a little boy. I left there when I was eleven, but it always pleases me to go each time is possible. My mother Andrena, she lives in the city of Gonaives. Nevertheless, for me, i prefer spending my time out of the city to see my old friends, my father and some of my grand parents who are still alive.
This tree represents many generations of my area. No doubt, Souvenance represents the capital of Voodoo in Haiti. Voodoo is our traditional culture, they have big Voodoo's ceremony for one week every Easter for one week, this ceremony attracts more people, natives than strangers.National medias than International medias.
So far, if you want to know more about Voodoo or the mean Haitian Cult, go there and you will be told the story of each "Lwa"(pronouncing loa in English) the spirits that people believe in and worship.
Finally, before your going there, i would like you know Some Lwas (loas)'names like Danbala, Ogou Feray, Ezili Danto, ZakaMede, Ogou, Madam Lenba, so forth.

Wadner Pierre