It has been a dog’s age since I’ve updated you, sorry about that. My heart just hasn’t been in it, things in Haiti, always precarious at best, have been completely FUBAR the past 18 months. Cycles of violent protests, extortionary road blocks, and prolonged fuel shortages have paralyzed both urban and rural areas. Government, businesses and schools were closed most of the summer and fall of 2018. It is a new noun-verb in Kreyol: peyi lòk, essentially the country was on lockdown.

Embassies and NGOs have changed to unaccompanied post status and have spent much of the year in various stages of evacuation of all but non-essential staff. Many who weren’t involuntarily evacuated have voluntarily separated, and now I will join their number at the end of this month. It is neither safe nor productive for me to remain, I am resigning my position and handing over Haiti Takes Root to local resources.

Coverage of the recent 10-year anniversary of the earthquake, after which all were heartily committed to Build Back Better, was predictably maudlin https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/haiti-faces-difficult-questions-ten-years-after-a-devastating-earthquake

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article238836103.html

But here is a short that at least has a somewhat more positive spin:

I’m sad to leave this place that has so much potential and means so much to me, but at least I’m going out on a high note: the Christmas and New Year seasons have been relatively calm in spite of many political problems the likes of which would have triggered a peyi lòk in previous months. Kids are back at school, and gang activity at a major artery that leads out of town was somewhat diminished and it allowed me to go to a great glamping spot near Petit Goave with some friends. Also they managed to pull off PAPJAZZ music festival and I was able to hit that with some friends. Also was able to attend the CORE https://www.coreresponse.org/ (formerly J/P HRO) annual gala in LA where I was once again star-struck by the A-listers in attendance.

Although I’m still exploring options for the next full-time gig, don’t fret, I’ve lined up some remote consulting and will be spending the month of February (at least) in Jaco, Costa Rica.

As one of my colleagues here likes to say, Peace & Trees.