By Terry Parkinson, April 2013.  Haiti has often been described as an impoverished third world country whose people can never get a break and are perhaps “cursed”. Labels like “corrupt, uneducated, untrained and even dangerous “ abound. The exotic allure of voodism adds to the picture of a country mired in something almost pagan. Haitians are perceived as victims who have no control of their destiny and must rely on outsiders to help them solve their problems. I knew nothing of Haiti except what I read in the works of the Haitian writer Edwidge Danticatt and learned in the news of the country under the regimes of Papa Doc and his son Baby Doc as well as the “hapless” Aristide. It was not a country that I particularly wanted to visit. After the earthquake, my perceptions did not improve, but in fact worsened, as I looked at photographs of the devastation and its aftermath, particularly the endless blue tarped tent cities one of which was spear-headed by the Hollywood actor Sean Penn. Haunting images of people suffering from loss and despair were everywhere as were stories of hardship and crime. I was astounded by the amount of aid that seemed to pour in and the number of people who went to help. Now some would argue that the photographs exaggerated the reality, and that aid often complicated the situation by taking valuable resources such as housing and food away from the Haitians, Recently, in fact, the current President of Haiti requested that Haiti needed a break from all the good intentions. And that Haitians were pretty good at taking care of themselves.. Still, there were and are many problems. Why then in January of this year was I on my sixth visit to Haiti in less than 2 ½ years?

It all started in the spring of 2010. I was vaguely cognizant that St. John’s Church in Essex had an active relationship with Hôpital Albert Schweitzer and that a woman named Jenifer Grant was active in encouraging interest in rural Deschapelles where the hospital is located but I knew little more. My neighbor and friend Kathleen Maher asked me to go on a walk so that we might discuss a potential project in which I might be interested. She was part of a newly formed group called Sister Cities Essex Haiti which had been organized in response to the earthquake by a group of concerned citizens including the town’s selectmen. Kathleen knew that I had been very involved in the renovation of the Essex Library serving at one point as the Association President and have a life-long commitment to books and libraries. I believe strongly that libraries play an integral role in the health and well-being of a community and provide a place for life-long learning. She also knew that my life had recently included a few bumps in the road and I was looking to divert my energy into something new.

Her proposal was simple. Join the group to help with their first project – the conversion of a cattle barn into a library in rural Deschapelles, Haiti. The building was structurally sound and only needed a new roof. I would help with the renovation and what I thought was needed based on my experience. We would be working with a group in Deschapelles ODES (Organization pour Development Economique et Social) whose Haitian members had gathered together to work on ways to improve the lives of those who live in and around the community. The library was something they thought would really help the community. The reality of the project quickly became complicated but by that time I was committed.

My first trip to Deschapelles was less than six months after the earthquake. Arriving at the airport, I was amore than a little anxious heightened by concerns from my family and even the cautionary advice provided by my fellow travelers. I knew Port au Prince would still be suffering the aftershocks of the earthquake but I had no idea that I would be greeted by what I can only describe as overwhelming chaos. At the airport, luggage was piled randomly and people seemed to come from everywhere to “help”. I was grateful that I was with others who knew what they were doing. In the van transporting us, I viewed buildings with no outside walls and floors tipping precariously, streets overcrowded with cars and debris and above all people everywhere. To see the Presidential Palace essentially flattened heightened the sense of unreality. At dinner that night, it was like a molten mass of people had emerged onto the streets, the only light coming from outdoor cook tops. The next day on our journey out to Deschapelles, the van seemed to narrowly miss pedestrians who hawked their wares and walked with all sorts of merchandise in metal baskets on their heads. I soon became attuned to the constant blare of horns warning an on-coming truck or a person to move out of the way.

We arrived in Deschapelles in about three hours. Kay Mellon, (Kay is a Kreyol word for house) where I was privileged to stay on my first visit, is the former home of Jenifer’s mother and step father, Gwen and Larry Mellon, who had founded the hospital in 1957, I had imagined an exotic Caribbean mansion overlooking the sea but in reality the house was an understated but elegant home and was surrounded by mountains rather than the sea. I soon learned that I was the exotic “blanc” in a country where many people especially children were unaccustomed to seeing a white person. It was startling the first time a child started to cry at the sight of me. But I also soon learned that a “Kouman ou ye?“ or “how are you” was greeted by a beautiful smile and that a few words of Kreyol changed everything. I also learned that in Jenifer’s 50 years of visiting Haiti she had made many friends who recognized her real love for them and their country. Kathleen, who had already visited Deschapelles many times as part of a micro financing project in which she Jenifer were involved, was also greeted warmly and embraced with true affection. Still, everything took time for me to absorb. There was no central town but numerous stalls lining the main corridor or road to the hospital. The roads were dirt and most definitely not smooth. Cement blockhouses were built behind the main road and the streets leading off it. Some houses were in progress as people earned the money to pay for construction, others were behind high walls and difficult to see, and some were what only can be described as simple shacks. Deschapelles is not a town created by city planners but the evolving needs of its residents. Garbage was a problem at least to me and I was amazed at how indifferently people seemed to regard tossing refuse into the streets. I learned also that my “diet cokes” were not readily available and the food while delicious was not something I always recognized. But as the days went by, I felt increasingly enthralled by the people and a world so different than my world back in the States. Unfortunately, while I also saw that the cattle barn was not quite as bad as I had expected; we learned a few months later that it was not going to work. Thus began the real work on the library project.

The need for a library in Deschapelles is immediately apparent. Deschapelles is a town of about 14,000 people. It is located in the heart of the Artibonite River Valley bordered by mountains to the north and south. From the perspective of an outsider, the majority of the people in Deschapelles live marginal lives relying primarily on subsistence farming. A few are employed by the hospital. Some have successful businesses and are the leaders of the community who are fully aware of where improvements are needed.

Only about 40% of the children in Deschapelles attend school and the schools that they attend are often ill equipped to provide students with a meaningful education. A classroom may have only one book. Lessons are in French based on the traditional French rote system of learning and do not take into account that Kreyol is the language spoken by most Haitians. Furthermore, there is no library in or near Deschapelles and no location where children are able to study in a quiet, protected environment. Because few homes in Deschapelles have electricity, students congregate under streetlights around the Hospital to study at night, sitting or standing on the ground, vulnerable to malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Haitians value education and are eager to increase their knowledge. Access to books and the ability to study can provide a path to a better life and a way out of poverty.

A library would provide a place where residents would be able to borrow books in French and Kreyol as well s English both for educational purposes and for pleasure. It would provide a place for students to study in a well-lit screened-in space. There would be a children’s section where children could sit with a family member and have stories read to them. Computers would be available to both adults and children for education and research. The building would provide a much-needed place for workshops on educational, environmental, cultural and technical topics. It would have demonstration gardens, a well with access provided to the community and composting toilets. Most of all, it would provide opportunities for obtaining life-long skills that are not even a dream for many Haitians.

On every subsequent trip to Haiti I would arrive eager with anticipation, but aware that progress needed to be defined with different measurements than those an American might expect. The construction of a library might be deeply desired by the community but in a country where the majority of people simply struggled to survive, it was not always a priority. Furthermore, the Haitian culture and people are different than mine, and I had to learn to be respectful of our differences as well as our commonalities. I felt privileged to be working with people who understand that working with our Haitian friends and neighbors on what they wanted and how they wanted to do it, albeit with our input and support, was a far better path to success than working high in the treetops with some grandiose plan formulated by outsiders.

Finding a new location for the library took many months and more than a few disappointments as land for sale is not readily available and existing buildings were problematic. We were fortunate that a Haitian-American with a deep commitment to his birthplace was willing to lease a well-situated piece of land to us. We were also fortunate that Hope Proctor, a local Essex resident and architect, came forward with a commitment to design the building. Travelling to Haiti, working with ODES members particularly the ODES Library Committee and speaking frequently with Haitian architects and builders, as well as researching alternative building structures including container buildings, Hope designed a building to reflect Haitian architectural styles and incorporate traditional Haitian construction methods. The building has been engineered to withstand earthquakes and hurricanes. It is designed to maximize the use of locally available materials using concrete blocks and design elements, which include “fer forger”, a form of traditional wrought iron. It is a simple but elegant, building, which meets the needs of the community and only minimally impacts the environment. It will incorporate solar power and other green technology. It is also being built by local residents and thus contributing to the financial well-being of the community.

We selected an experienced local Haitian builder, Luquece Belizaire, with whom we have a long-term relationship to build the library. We also hired John Chew, an American, who had helped manage the construction of the Partners in Health Hospital in Mirbalais and who has access to wholesale materials to oversee the project and act as our engineering link. And we had his wife Anny Frederique, a Haitian American .who bridged the gap between our group in the United States and ODES . She coordinates our efforts in Haiti and understands the nuances necessary to get the project done. She is also working with grant organizations in Haiti along side ODES. Finally, we have Besly Belizaire, who makes sure that we receive all the information we need including financial reports and photographs of the library under construction.

As of today, the foundation for a security wall has been built, a well has been dug, a pump house and guardhouse are under construction and work has begun on the library building. We have raised over $75,000 for the project but are aware that at a cost of $150,000, we need to raise additional funds. We are looking into grants and were recently blessed to learn that our partner organization in Haiti has been awarded a grant from the DIGICEL Foundation (the largest cell phone provider in Haiti) in the amount of $36,000. This is the largest grant available and is normally awarded for the construction of schools. This grant not only substantiates the validity of our project, but also reaffirms that our Haitian partners understand the importance of local sustainability. We are in the process of seeking additional support and welcome any suggestions. We are grateful to our local Tri-town International Rotary, which provided us with a grant for a 1000 books, and our local schools, which also raised funds for the project. Local resident Brenda Floyd and her son Logan have produced a wonderful film “Welcome to Deschapelles, Our Sister City” to introduce people to the community. We are working with Haitian organizations such as FOKAL (Fondayson konesans ak Libète or Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty) whose library division is the equivalent of our American Library Association, to ensure that our staff is well trained and the library has a good set of administrative and organizational guidelines.

Arriving in Port au Prince in January I was impressed about how much progress had been made in the city although much more needs to be done. And while I arrived in Haiti with my usual tempered hope, I was amazed at how everything came together and how much we have accomplished. In contrast to many of the recent articles criticizing foreigners efforts in Haiti especially those of large government entities and NGOs (non-government organizations), we are and will be successful. While waiting for construction of the library to begin, we developed a music program, a tennis program and an early teacher education program all of which show our commitment to the community. As a result of the commitment of the people in our organization and the collaboration between SCEH and ODES , we are well on our way to building what may be a model library.

We have work to do but the community will soon have a library. And in my journey down the road, I have met many wonderful, sophisticated and educated Haitians who desire nothing more than the best for their country and whose friendship and insight I truly value. I have travelled with an exceptional group of people who have become like family. And I have gained confidence that sometimes taking small steps down the road allows one to accomplish more than one could have imagined. I am grateful that I am part of the effort to make this world a better place.

Terry is a Director of SCEH and Chair of the Library Committee. She works closely with the ODES Library Committee, the architects and construction managers involved in the project, and has made several trips to Deschapelles.

April 23, 2013

By Louisa Smith, May 2013.  This week while in a cab on my way to dinner in Boston I was having a friendly conversation with my cab driver. He commented on my name and how it was the French spelling, I could tell he was from Haiti based on his accent and asked him where he lived before moving to Boston. We got into a conversation about the aid being given to the country thru organizations in the US and the corrupt government (not your typical conversation with a cabby, normally its about the Boston sports teams). I only so much as mentioned your [referencing Terry Parkinson, Chair of the SCEH Library Committee] involvement with a charity outside of Port-au-Prince. He went on to talk about the one charity he knew and how they were building a “community center/common ground for people in the neighboring towns to go read and have a place to learn” I asked him what the name was and he mentioned “Sister cities”. At that moment I have never been more proud of my mother and realized how large of an impact she and Sister Cities Essex Haiti has on a community in a different country. It was so amazing to hear him speak so highly of a charity that many Haitians haven’t even heard of. Anyways, proud of you mom! Keep up the good work, you are truly an inspiration to me.

Louisa Smith, at the time of writing this Story was a college student in Boston. She is the daughter of Terry Parkinson, Chair of the Sister Cities Essex Haiti Library Committee. It is a note she wrote to her Mother on Facebook.

By Jenifer Grant, June 2011.

Dukenson St.Tilus plays both tuba and Helicon.  Helicon???  I asked him to describe it.  With his hands, he made a couple of circles about the size of his torso, and ended with a flourish with his two hands above his head describing a bell. “A tuba?” I asked – “No – no a Helicon” was the answer with the repeated manual description.  When I returned to Essex, I asked Stuart Ingersoll, who supplied us with many instruments, if he was familiar with a Helicon.  He has two,  They are very hard to find.  They are quite ancient instruments which were used by Cavalry Bands.  They are more like a Sousaphone, but configured so that musicians can play while riding horseback.  I told Stuart that we have a musician in Haiti who plays such an instrument.  His reply was that they are very hard to find, but he would keep his eyes open.  Within a week, he returned from one of his musical-instrument-seeking jaunts and sure enough, he had a Helicon in hand.  He also has a ¾ sized tuba for us.  Both were too large to take down on this trip.  It would be necessary to pack them up in boxes. Flights to Haiti prohibit over sized baggage.

So we are seeking a way to get them both packed up and shipped to Florida where they will go by container.  I asked Dukenson how he learned to play and where the Helicon was that he used to play.  He said that the Helicon was “crazé” or crushed.  Well, I said, “you know you can put brass instruments that are damaged back together again.”  “No, no,” several said, “It was crazé”  “Crazé?? “  I asked – “How?”  “Crazé,” they responded, “Crazé dans le tramblement.”  The instrument had been at the Ste. Trinité music school which collapsed in the earthquake – crushing not only many instruments but also many students.  The effects of the January ’10 earthquake resurface time and again.

Abner Achoule is a wonderful, soft spoken man who is the director for the band.  He was the one who told me what instruments were needed and what the band would like for music –  “Chansonettes,”  he said.  “Chansonettes?”  “Oui, Chansonettes”  Well, I don’t know if we really brought down chansonettes, but we did bring down a nice variety of tunes.  At the end of the week and the performance, Abner came up to me quietly and mentioned that it would be great if he could have a tenor sax.  “But you have a tenor sax,”  I said – “No,” he answered, “I borrow that instrument.”  I became increasingly aware that many of these instruments are shared within the community.  They had needed to borrow drums, and I have no idea which players actually “own” their instruments.  Several years ago, Kathleen Maher and I were in Haiti at a Fanfare performance.  A trumpeter arrived at the house to speak with us.  He showed us his trumpet, all battered even with holes in its tubing.  Could we get him a trumpet?  We managed to do that – All instruments for the Deschapelles Fanfare are “owned” by ODES.  They are “given” to the musicians to use, after signing a contract, acknowledging that they are only on loan, for their use only, not to be loaned beyond the Deschapelles Fanfare group, and should be returned to ODES if they no longer participate in the band.  We brought down a nice trumpet, solving that problem, we thought.

In April, a trumpeter came up to me and showed me the very same trumpet.  It was functional, even if the buttons on the valves were absent and even if it had holes patched with tape.  I suddenly realized that the trumpet was so valuable, even in its meager condition that it had been passed to another trumpeter, enabling him to participate in the band.  Abner had told me, “we have five trumpeters but only three trumpets”  Abner had not requested an instrument for himself until the very end of our week.  Up until that point, I thought it was his.  One of the marvels of traveling to Haiti and participating in projects of ODES and Sister Cities Essex Haiti is that one meets amazing people and you continues to learn about things you never even imagined, all the time.

Stéphane Thierry Jn. Louis, 21 years old, is a percussionist. He joined us as snare drummer. We quickly observed that he needed to hold the music in one hand, close enough to see it. We managed to get him an appointment at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer with the Ophthalmologist. We learned along the way that he lived in Port au Prince until the earthquake when he moved to Petite Riviere, just across the Artibonite River from Hôpital Albert Schweitzer. We did find out that he still has family in Port au Prince, but the full story of why he relocated to Petite Riviere, following the earthquake, like so many in Port au Prince, is yet to be learned. Despite his difficulty in seeing the music, once he read the beats, he then proceeded with his good memory to put down the music and play with both hands.

Jenifer is a founder, director and Vice President-Deschapelles Projects Coordinator of Sister Cities Essex Haiti. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Grant Foundation, which operates Hospital Albert Schweitzer, and the daughter of Gwen Mellon and stepdaughter of Larry Mellon, the founders of Hospital Albert Schweitzer.

By Patricia Hurley, June, 2011.

I tried to prepare by reading the biography of Jenifer’s mother and stepfather, “Song of Haiti”, which provided  background on Jenifer’s life as well.  I had supported the Sister Cities Essex Haiti project and was aware that several Essex people had begun projects in Deschapelles, including establishing a library, but was a bit dubious about the music project: that is, until I met the musicians.

Arriving at the airport in Port au Prince on Sunday afternoon was quite a shock (the tropical heat hit us like a ton of bricks). We were taken to the Hospital’s transportation center, where we waited for a ride to Deschapelles, about a  2 1/2 hour trip.  We hooked up with Terry Smith and her son Nicholas and Kathleen Maher and her son Alec Goodrich, along with Jenifer’s daughter Kate Kellogg and grandson Reid, who had preceded us by a day. We were all burdened with duffles and packages containing instruments, stands and equipment for the project. Our mode of transportation was a school bus, which is used to transport the many people who commute from Port au Prince to Deschapelles on weekends, including doctors and nurses who are visiting staff. 

After a brutal bus ride along the “highway” stopping often to discharge or pick up passengers, we arrived in Deschapelles.  Terry and Kathleen and their sons along with Roger Lecompte (saxophone player also in New Horizons Band) were staying at various buildings on the HAS campus; Jenifer’s daughter Kate and grandson Reid and I stayed in Jenifer’s small house.  Lunch and dinner would be at the house for all nine of us, as well as assorted guests.

We had arranged to meet the musicians on Monday for an 8:00 rehearsal.  We dragged music stands, music and instruments to Beomi, our open air rehearsal hall up the hill from the house, set up the music stands and music and waited for our musicians to arrive.  We began the rehearsal with introductions (in Kreyol) by Jenifer.  Our five musicians (Jenifer, Roger, Alec, Nicholas and Reid) sat side by side with the Haitians and helped them find their places in the music as we went through some scales and warmup routines.  My French was occasionally insufficient so Jenifer jumped in to expedite things.  It quickly became apparent that the Haitians were eager to follow instructions and certainly played what was on the page: a pleasant surprise! 

As the week progressed we added pieces to the repertoire.  Using a standard band method, Essential Elements Book 2, we began with unison pieces, then a duet, then full band arrangements.  We had asked Tom Briggs to arrange some music, which was very successful.  We would arrive at the rehearsals to find that the men had set up stands and chairs so that we could get started quickly. We rehearsed from 8-9:30 after which Roger, Jenifer and I often helped musicans who had specific questions or interests.  We met again from 5-6.  Several musicians work, so could come to one or the other rehearsal; we never knew who would show up.  The boys were very helpful in filling in where needed.  Nicholas frequently put down his trombone to help in the percussion section; Reid, who played trumpet also helped out in percussion.  Their willingness and flexibility was invaluable.

By the end of the week we had a few pieces that we felt we could perform as part of the Fete celebrating the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Hospital. The teenage boys had helped silkscreen shirts for the band, which we wore for the performance. On Saturday afternoon the Fanfare Band plus about a dozen “majorettes” (teenage girls who did wonderful dance steps to the music, led by a male drum major) marched down the road from the Hospital and into Beomi–their way of announcing the concert to the community. 

They played the “Star Spangled Banner” among other pieces.  When it was our turn to perform the men took their places, Jenifer made some introductions and  we began to play.  Our repertoire included an arrangement of “Home on the Range” by Tom Briggs to commemorate the ranching background of Jenifer’s stepfather and mother.  We also played Tom’s arrangement of “Closer Walk With Thee” and “Amazing Grace”.  About 100 people were in the audience, including Hospital staff and local residents.

After we played, the Fanfare Band performed for another half hour (all in the key of Bb and without music) some very creative music which included countermelodies, obbligatos and other wonderful effects, proving what excellent musicians they are.

Among the people who made this venture so successful is Stu Ingersoll, a New Horizons Band member who deals in used instruments.  Stu made several instruments available to us at very reasonable prices, which were played by the Americans during the week and donated to Fanfare on our departure.

We are also very grateful to Sigma Alpha Iota, international music fraternity, who made it possible to purchase music and equipment that we donated to the band.

 I have to say that the week in Deschapelles was one of the most rewarding of my teaching career.  The experience of working with talented, eager and grateful musicians in what some often consider as a third world county was unique, and I think that we all came to respect and appreciate each other’s gifts through the music that we shared.

Patricia Hurley was the “Maestro” of the SCEH Music Project. She is a founder of the Community Music School in Essex, creator and conductor of the New Horizons Band, trumpeter, and spent her career teaching music to youth and adults.