Snapshots on the road to Fond Rouge, Jeremie

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Peaceful march of lawyers in Port-Au-Prince for the resignation of the Director of Public Prosecutions

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More than fifty lawyers marched Wednesday through the streets of the Haitian capital to demand the departure of Mr. René Francisco,Government Commissioner and the resignation of Judge Lamarre Belizaire

Abricots, Haiti – Life continues to take its course

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A young couple use a raft in Abricots,Grand’Anse to reach home following the birth  of their baby.Over 50% of the population In Haiti lives in rural areas. The struggle for life is hard in the mountains,Over the past 60 years the countryside has suffered a rapid deterioration of its environment and natural resources.

A little girl collects pebbles at a pond in Dame-Marie,Gran'Anse

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Every friday, farmers bring food from the market place in Boudon on rafts made of bamboo down the river to Chambelan in the Grand'Anse

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Residents of Abricots came out on the town square to hear a pastor traveling across the Grand'Anse urging people to repent

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Walking home after school , La Valle De Jacmel in the South East

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A farmer in the countryside outside of Corail begins his day

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Children watch a foreign program on cable at a restaurant.Jeremie doesn't have a television station

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This little girl allowed me to photograph her a few years back in the mountains of Kenscoff, I just never bothered to share it until now

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70 kms of rough terrain left to be paved from Camp-Perrin (A municipality in Les Cayes) to join the road pictured below.Once completed,Jeremie will only be an hour Drive from Les Cayes

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A fisherman in Lan Gomie, near Jeremie in the Grand'Anse, displays his catch of the day after 4 hours of fishing

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

It's becoming harder for fishermen in The Grand'Anse and elsewhere in Haiti to make a living as a  result of the severe destruction of the environment. Because of erosion which bring the topsoil to the sea when it rains, there is less and less fish and the fishermen do not have the adequate equipment to go deep sea fishing.

A little girl who lives in Petite Riviere, Dame-Marie crosses a small bridge to fetch water

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Cabinet makers in Downtown Jeremie finish up a coffin while the deceased relatives wait to bring it to the funeral home

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The Caroline Express ferry unloads goods from Abricot at the Jeremy Port while passengers heading to Port-Au-Prince get on board

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Living off the land

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Kalite Models International Agency search for local talent

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Male and Female aspiring models showed up in great numbers to audition before a casting panel. Those selected will go through a model development training program.

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Thousands of Students participate every year at the annual bookfair in Port-Au-Prince, the nation's capital

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Reforming the educational system on a national level must become a top priority so children of deprived socio economic background and those in rural areas can have access to a different level of education.(photo was shot during the 18th annual book fair in 2012)

Hotel Montana 6:30 pm - Two film makers from Brazil & Washington DC currently in Haiti for documentary project

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

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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.

It's the trees that are being cooked so these farners can feed their children

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Weekend Memories ...

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The legacy and continual effects of living in a divided society

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 Institutionalized exclusion toward  the majority of the country's population is still very much alive today, ranked at the bottom of the social ladder they have simply become invisible - barely acknowledged, barely respected.

A young boy rides his bicycle down a street in Dame-Marie

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" lage mwen bo dlo-a pou mwen sa delivre " Drop me off by the water so I can be free - Carnaval song lyrics, Jeremie 2013

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Jane Wynne Farm Ecological Reserve in Kenscoff

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The Wynne Farm Ecological Reserve is situated in Viard, a 45 minute hike from the small town of Kenscoff, Haiti. The Wynne Farm has been in existence for over 50 years. It was founded in 1956 by Victor A. Wynne, a civil engineer with degrees from Harvard and MIT. He noticed the ongoing misuse of the land and the inevitable threats of erosion and deforestation in the country. He then purchased various plots of land from local landowners and created the Wynne Farm which he terraced with a crew of 40 men. There, he propagated indigenous species to conserve Haiti’s rich biodiversity and introduced various fruits, vegetables and trees from numerous parts of the world to show what the country’s rich land is capable of bringing forth. Victor Wynne also emphasized the need for soil conservation, composting, reforestation, and experimented with agricultural techniques such as terracing.Since 1994, the farm has been dedicated to environmental education so as to promote sustainable development and the healing of planet Earth.

"The future of Haiti depends on local production with local seeds and local knowledge, for local consumption" Haitian Farmers

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"The priority for Haitian farmers is a genuine agrarian reform at the end of which each farmer could secure a piece of land that can feed his family and supply local markets. Peasants must be considered like other Haitians, they must be respected and be allowed involved in the decisions of the country" Chavannes Jean-Baptiste

Fermathe 2:45pm - I was reassured by pedestrians walking home that the threatening clouds didn't mean it was going to rain. Fermathe hadn't had a good downpour in weeks.

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Historical National Park Fort Jacques & Fort Alexandre

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 Fort Jacques and Fort Alexandre fortifications were a defensive system improvised by Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines to prevent the return of the French after the independence of the island of Haiti.The forts were built under the direction of General Alexandre Pétion. They were high on the hilltops surrounding the city of Kenscoff near Petionville.The Forts were named Alexandre in Honor of Alexandre Pétion, and   Jacques and in honor of Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Fort Jacques was completed in a year and armed with cannons. Fort Alexandre was abandoned after Dessalines death in 1806. Fort Jacques was restored, while the Fort Alexander, which is east of Fort Jacques, is practically in ruins.

Weekend Memories ...

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kenscoff Children

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Kenscoff 12:30 pm - Children play with balloons used as decoration at a party last week  celebrating Good Friday.

Flying Kites is a Haitian tradition around Easter

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Kite flying use to be a very popular childhood pastime activity.The skies are no longer littered with multi colored kites covered with thin paper,others with clear plastic.The tradition has died off considerably but nevertheless kite makers still display their cerf volants on the streets and children of all ages, mostly boys, and young adults go on rooftops during Holy week to fly their kites.

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Young girls dressed in their school uniforms heading back home

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Jalouzi, a Hillside Shanty town of about 200,000 in Petion Ville gets a cosmetic makeover

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photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

"Mon inspiration principale prend racine dans la culture et la vie sous toute ses formes en Haiti" Sébastien Jean, Peintre Haitien

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Sebastien Jean
Quand on est sculpteur de talent, on metamorphose le rien en tout,Le dechet ultime en matiere premiere, les ordures en chef-doeuvre

"Acknowledgment of the isolation of rural Haitian women" International Women's day slogan 2013

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Kenscoff Women Workers Association (AFLK) organized a gathering of women from 5 municipalities on March 8, 2012 to demand basic human rights and their integration to society.[Nearly half of Haitian women are economically active- the highest percentage in Latin America and the Caribbean,but the majority of women are employed in the informal sector,and income disparities are strikin] The Morfiss Foundation