A Tale of Two Haitis
It's not an uncommon theme in the Caribbean: Beyond the most beautiful shorelines exists some of the most extreme poverty in the world.
The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti boasts an exclusive beach resort in the northwest coastal town Labadie. The Haitian Government sold the land to cruise giant Royal Caribbean years ago to boost tourism, but PRI's The World reports that the fishing village remains poor despite the flock of tourists who come ashore twice a week.
Labadie's 5,000 residents reap little benefit from the cruise ships — one of which is ironically called "Freedom of the Seas" — that dock in their town. Tourists rarely venture past the private beaches and only a handful of locals work for Royal Caribbean. A few years ago, the community developed its own non-profit to deliver the services it needs. Their organization, Vwa Ayiti (Voice of Haiti), built composting toilets that turn waste into fertilizer. Community members are developing a water treatment system, and are partnering with Canadian NGOs to set up a Haitian-run medical clinic in a neighboring village.
Tourists have little idea what life is like in Labadie, preferring to stay close to the pristine shoreline, free from signs of a difficult life. “I don’t want to see poverty,” an American woman told The New York Times. “I’m on vacation. I don’t want to think that these people don’t have enough to eat.”
Vwa Ayiti's efforts can't take on all of the community's problems, but according to The World, the organization has strengthened the identity of Labadie's residents. An elder in the community shared his view on the program: "In Labadie, life depends on God's help and on your neighbors and friends. Without them, you can't survive here."
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Comments
It's really sad and revolting
It's really sad and revolting that that kind of things are happening.I was really impressed about this article.
The most sad thing is that...us...the other people, the tourist or however, don't realize the situation of those people...or maybe some of us don't wanna see. How can you put on the first place your desire to have fun when there are people who maybe didn't have a good lunch for weeks? We must be aware of what happens around us, and if we all try to be a good person just for care about the people who don't have the same luck like us. I think the world would be more beautiful.
New Island Time
Vwa Ayiti's efforts to build healthy, sustainable communities in Haiti could pave the way for sustainable tourism on the island. Haiti is a Caribbean nation unique in its lack of tourism and development. I found little to no existing businesses in my quick web search for this kind of island enterprise, the work of Vwa Ayiti could usher in other sustainable practices that will fight poverty and develop community and economy. With ecotourism, the island could re-claim its resources and tourist trade, an alternative to fruitless negotiations with foreign cruise liners and hotel chains that could establish new business practices and standards. The fundamentals of ecotourism support the ecology and the economy of indigenous life and build a sustainable, independent life that Haitians and island nations find difficult to harness when dependent on off-shore, corporate trade.
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