From Richmond-Two centuries of supposed independence, long periods of guidance from more sophisticated allies, billions of dollars in foreign aid and the world’s second-oldest democracy comes down to this: a cute kid smiling and asking that her photograph be taken as a pretext for demanding payment.
Haiti, a nation that in forcefully declaring itself free in 1804 put its slave masters to rest long before the United States ever did, has been reduced to a place where children play the role of convincing victim in tourist snapshots.
And why not? The little girl who materialized in front of my camera, smiling brightly on the trash-strewn Atlantic shore of Cap-Haïtien, might be onto the best-paying job she’ll ever get. The dollar I handed over for her hundredth of a second of cuteness is about half of what most Haitians earn in a day.
Her country is a confusing, complicated place, and it doesn’t get any easier with familiarity or much better for the presence of an endless parade of do-gooders, myself included.
I’ve been there six times since the summer of 2010, three on work projects to the town of Gonaives. On those trips, I’ve played a small role in helping a team from Richmond’s St. James’s Episcopal Church build a school.
More here-
http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/their-opinion/columnists-blogs/guest-columnists/our-shortcuts-help-keep-haiti-poor/article_404bc862-9bf7-505f-b68f-c8d531b76995.html
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