“Be really careful!”
“Be safe!”
“Fais attention!”
“Is there even food? Bring food in your suitcase! Don’t starve over there!”
“Don’t go out! Stay inside! Only go out if necessary!”
“Pa al flannen nan lari a!”
“Be careful! Be very very careful!”
These words were echoing everywhere as soon as people found out I was heading to Haiti. I heard them so much that I felt smothered. At one point, before my trip, all these warnings stressed me so much that I started telling people to keep their fears to themselves. What bothered me the most was the fact that these warnings were coming from people who have never set foot in Haiti or from Haitians who have not been back to Haiti in decades. Throughout all these warnings, however, I realized how much I loved being the person I am because of the fact that I do not let the media or people influence my travel destinations.
View from Furcy
Since I’ve arrived in Haiti, I have felt safer than I have in some of the other countries to which I have traveled. I have found myself surrounded by goodness: Humans are your best resources here as long as you’re capable of using good manners, such as saying ‘Bonjou’ (good morning) and ‘Mèsi’ (thank you). Manners will open the door to great roads in Haiti! You’re in the streets and you’re lost? Stop and ask a stranger who will point you in the right direction. You’re hungry? Stop and ask a stranger who will refer you to the best spot in the neighborhood. You’re thirsty? Knock on someone’s door and ask for water. When was the last time you were in a place where human kindness still existed and people took time out of their day to help you?
An event that surprised me was when I lost my wallet with Haitian and American money. When I finally realized I had lost my wallet, it was an hour later and immediately my first thought was: “That’s it. I don’t have any money left and I know for a fact I won’t see my wallet again”. I have lost my wallets a few times in the US and have never gotten it back so I immediately thought the same would happen in Haiti. But I was proven wrong as my wallet with all its contents was returned to me.
So am I just lucky or is the media exaggerating with the negative connotations associated with Haiti?
What is it about the country that gives the media an incentive to talk about it negatively? I had to find answers and on my quest to do so I spoke to individuals who couldn’t help but to compare Haiti to other countries in regards to safety. Not to knock down our Caribbean neighbors, but Jamaica has one of the highest crime rates in the Caribbean, being in the top ten countries with the highest homicide rate in the world. But you don’t hear that on the news a lot! Haiti‘s crime rates are even half of what they are in the Dominican Republic which is next door! But no one ever questions safety issues as they book their Dominican vacations. Why is that? And should I mention the US? Sixty people (or more as the numbers keep rising) get shot in Chicago on Independence weekend but, let’s only talk about it for a day or two and then refocus the media on Haiti’s past and promote it as the current situation. After these observations, I felt sorry for the media and its propaganda. Most of all, I felt sorry for Haiti who has become like this promiscuous girl who can never shake off its reputation, this promiscuous girl whom everyone keeps reminding of its past, no matter how much positive progress it’s making.
Another view from Furcy
Amongst all of this, I must say that Haiti is not for the weak-minded and it most certainly is not for those who want to set foot on the soil with the preconceived notions that they have gathered from the media, the internet or from other people who cannot even locate Haiti on a map. Haiti is not for the narrow-minded nor the person who is not open for an adventure. And so far, I’ve been having one of the greatest adventures of my life and I just keep falling in love with the country over and over again.
So, am I safe? Let’s just say I’ve been going out as I please, whether my destination is a restaurant or a club or whether I’m just walking and visiting different neighborhoods. I even once found myself walking back home from the club at 4 AM with two other friends. And guess what? I’m well and alive!
Haiti: A Different Perspective 