Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Jalousie residents voice mixed reactions about Government project entiltled Beauty versus Poverty

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved
Navisia has lived in Jalousie with her five children for the past thirteen years, her husband past away from an unknown illness years ago. When I initially asked her if she had any children she jokingly replied " mwen gen 10 pitit " and immediately burst out laughing. She takes life the way it comes and does what she can to provide for her children."Cé yon seul fasad yo penturé wi" They have only painted one facade of the house, "beaute pa ta ka kont povreté" Beauty couldn't be against poverty, four of my children were recently sent home because I couldn't pay their tuition, how can painting houses help me with my financial problems? The following are more responses that I have gotten from residents which I asked their opinion about the project title written on  billboards : Beauty versus Poverty - <la mizè cé la mizè, botè cè botè, mwen wè kay yo gen kouleu, men vent nou pa gen okun couleu - poverty is poverty, beauty is beauty, I have noticed colors on houses but there aren't any colors in our belly(unidentified).Visible facades of houses were painted, if you are poor you remain poor(unidentified). It looks really pretty but more has to be done(Jean Marc,38). They have done some clean up but it's not the solution(unidentified) > The excitement and happiness from having their "houses'' painted is long gone, there aren't any more people arguing which paint color would look best on their walls, some residents who had their houses facade painted expressed disappointment about their unchanged living conditions.