Part Five

On Thursday, we left the hotel early to go to the small airport in Port-au-Prince to take the flight to Jacmel on a small twin-engine plane — scary! From Jacmel we drove to Marigot, and from here some of us went to Belle Anse by sea and others went by road. The sea was a bit choppy for those who ventured by boat, but the roads to Belle Anse were incredibly bad.

We were going to Belle Anse and a nearby coastal village, Anse a Boeuf, in order to inaugurate a fishing village in each of these places. When we open fishing villages we change the lives of fishermen who have been struggling to make a living in their old pirogues by over-fishing the nearby reefs. We supply them with four large boats with Yamaha engines (25 hp) that allow them to access the richer, deeper waters (900 feet and more) where the catches are more bountiful. The fishermen are trained in deep-water fishing and taught how to use a GPS in order to find the fish banks that are identified for them.

We build a shed and supply it with freezers and generator for the catch to be stored. The fishermen are supplied with all necessary equipment, including large coolers that keep the catch fresh until they get back home. In each village we install a solar light in the middle of the common area, which also gives light to the fishermen leaving late at night or in the wee hours and acts as a beacon for when the fishermen return in the dark.

The roads from Belle Anse to Anse a Boeuf were so bad that we had to be taken there by boat. At this point I have to commend our speakers. Considering that many of them are of a mature age and that some had dissabilities, they never backed down from any activity or passed up any opportunity to learn more about the poor. They were truly exemplary.

When we arrived at Anse a Boeuf, the local pastor, his elders and church members came to the shore to greet us. They helped us off the boats and when they realized that one of our speakers was using a cane, they came over, washed his feet and put on his shoes. Truly the scriptures coming to life! The church group sang some beautiful, bluesy hymns, and read some scriptures for us. Our pastor, Dan Otto, moved us all by invoking God’s blessing on the boats and the fishermen of the village.

Like the widow in the scriptures, these poor people had prepared a veritable feast for us from their great need: grilled lobster and conch , “banan peze” (fried green plantains) and more. One of the fishermen belonging to the cooperative spoke some touching words of gratitude, referring to Food for the Poor as “cherie” (dear or darling). In my flawed Creole, I expressed our brotherhood and love for the people of Haiti.

We then returned to Belle Anse and the inauguration there was equally moving. Hundreds of students had come to greet us with their impeccably clean and ironed uniforms. Again, the fishermen expressed gratitude; I expressed Jesus’ special love for fishermen.

Speaking of gratitude, I must take a moment to thank Dorothy Marron, who even after death was bringing new life and hope to the people of Anse a Boeuf, and Richard Majeres who generously funded the village at Belle Anse, thus giving its people not only dignity, but the opportunity for success that they so richly deserve.

I am sorry to report that the roads did not improve on the way back, but rather they seemed much worse as the drivers had to increase speed dramatically so as to make it to the airport before dark (no lights on the runway) or we would have to spend the night there. I am happy to report that, despite the bumps and bruises, the whole group’s attitude remained positive and a good time was had by all.

We had a late dinner at the hotel that night, where I introduced the group to my favorite Haitian dessert — pen patat (sweet potato pudding). Everyone loved it!

The next morning we left for the airport and caught our flight to the U.S.A.

“Na we pita, Ayiti” (See you later, Haiti).