Tèt Chaje! Lapli A Poko Jamn Fin Tonbe. Our Hearts Are Broken. The Rain Doesn't Stop.
Today was a sunny day in Port-au-Prince and the SOIL office there celebrated the arrival of new office chickens, but the rains kept pouring down in northern Haiti and Cap-Haitien’s streets are flooding. Due to poor internet connection it took us most of the day to get these photos and videos uploaded.
A Shada visit revealed flooded walkways, houses, and a lot of people bucketing water out of places where it shouldn’t be. The adjacent river was higher than we have ever seen it, even making it’s way to doorsteps across the way. Theo Huitema, our dear Regional Director, asks the world to please take note of the conditions in Cap-Haitien and pray for Haiti.
Flooded Streets As Seen From the SOIL Office This Morning
A Visit to Shada During a Break in the Rain
Walking from one house to another became a journey to wade and slosh through trash-laden waters that had turned the neighborhood aisles into rivers or lakes. Many people had concerns about a resulting cholera outbreak, which we have yet to see, but our thoughts are for good health and a swift recovery. We gave some emergency money to Shada leaders and our public toilet managers in order to assist with cleanup and at least keeping sanitation services up and running. We can’t believe it’s STILL raining, 24 hours later.
In this video you’ll hear the expression “Tèt chaje” repeated often. Literally “my head is full” tèt chaje means things are just too difficult to comprehend.
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