Boots on the Ground: My Time at Bibliothèque Communautaire Deschapelles
By Katy Klarnet, September 2015. As a retired librarian (and now occasional substitute at area public libraries) I was interested to learn that Sister Cities Essex Haiti had launched a library building project in Deschapelles, Haiti, and I offered to help. This led to me to spend several months off and on as a volunteer […]
My Road to Building a Library in Deschapelles
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 […]
Serendipity in Boston, Massachusetts
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 […]
Portraits of Musicians in Deschapelles
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 […]
My Haiti Experience. Reflections by Patricia Hurley.
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 […]