Thursday, July 25, 2013

Got Problems?


If you have any problems in your life ( and who hasn’t ? ), apparently this is the place to come: The Central Solution Center in Gros Morne, Haiti.  I’m not sure what they do or provide or sell there, but it might be worth a closer look!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Deforestation at its Worst

Everyone knows that the borders which appear as solid lines on maps separating one country from another do not actually exist that way on the ground.  The closest thing to it, however, may be the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. 

Both countries share one Caribbean island (Hispaniola, so named by Columbus) and both are decidedly mountainous and tropical. But if you fly across the island, you will instantly see one terrible legacy of the Duvalier dictatorships in Haiti. Whereas the Dominican side is heavily green with dense forests, the Haiti side looks as if a giant razor has shaved off all the trees, leaving only bare mountain and scrub. On the same mountain, one side will be forested, the other denuded. This nakedness runs the length of the island, delineating the border. 



The Duvaliers cut and sold 97% of Haiti’s once-wondrous forests, literally stripping the country to fill their private coffers.  Though the Duvaliers no longer rule Haiti, the naked mountains and eroded rocky farmlands stand as testament to the country they raped.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Marriages or Funerals, anyone?

Let’s hope there is some distinction between the two, and some span of years as well!  But in Gros Morne, Haiti, apparently one can take care of coming together and departing, in a one-stop shop.


Thursday, July 4, 2013

The Future of "Les Roses"

Take a good look at these pre-schoolers in Gros Morne, Haiti.  They are called les roses. Don‘t they deserve more than a few years of education?  Wouldn’t it be a crime if their schooling ended with primary grades? Given support and encouragement, surely they could become poets or pediatricians, researchers or reading specialists, foresters or florists , nurses or novelists.  MBB stands ready to offer them Scholarships to high school and beyond if they score well on their 6th grade certificate exams. Thank you for keeping their dreams alive!