Haiti

Annabelle Moesch

History of Haiti

• Explored by Columbus on Dec. 6, 1492• Haiti's native Arawaks fell victim to Spanish rule.• 1697, Haiti became the French colony of Saint-Dominique,

which became a leading sugarcane producer dependent on slaves.

• The Haitian Revolution (1791–1804) was a slave revolt and succeeded in ending slavery and establishing a new nation.

• Jean-Jacques Dessalines, gave the new nation the Arawak name Haiti . It was the world's first independent black republic.

Basic Haitian Facts…• Name of Country: Haiti (about the size of Maryland)• Name of People: Haitians

• Capital: Port-au-Prince (1.2 million). Has been called "the most dangerous place on Earth" by the United Nations.

• Location: Western third of the tropical island of Hispaniola in the West Indies. (Eastern part is the Dominican Republic)

• Currency: Gourde ($1 U.S.= 42.50 Gourde; 1 Gourde =.023 USD)

• National Language: Children speak English, French (10%) Creole• Ethnic Groups: African descent 95%; African and European

descent 5%.• Major Religion: Roman Catholic; voodoo practices pervasive• Health: Infant mortality-71/1000; life expectancy 54 years.• Education: Years compulsory - 6. Adult literacy 46% 

• National Holiday: Independence Day, January 1

Haiti’s Size

• About the size of Maryland• Maryland population: (2012 Estimate)

5,884,563• Haiti’s Population: (July 2012 Estimate)

9,801,664• Nearly twice the size!

Religion

• Roman Catholicism is the official religion of Haiti.

• Voodoo may be considered the country's national religion.

• Majority of Haitians believe in and practice at some aspects of voodoo. Most believe that it coexists with Catholicism.

• Protestants strongly oppose voodoo.

Government

• The government of Haiti is a semi-presidential republic.

• President is elected every five years unlike the United states.

• Prime Minister acts as head of government, is appointed by the President

• Musician Wyclef Jean is qualified to run for President (left Haiti for U.S at the age of 9)

Law and Order

• Legal drinking age is 16, not readily enforced.• Penalties for possession, acquisition, and/or

trafficking of drugs are severe and include mandatory lengthy imprisonment in local jails.

• Haitian law required that detainees appear before a judge within forty-eight hours, except when they were arrested in the act of committing a crime or when they were detained pursuant to a judicial warrant

• The laws of Haiti are similar to the laws in the U.S.

Economy…• Haiti is not even considered a third world country: its

infrastructure is so weak, that it is actually considered a fifth world country.

• In 2003, Nearly 80% of the population lived in abject poverty.

• Millions of people living on less than two dollars a day.• It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.• Despite intervention, Haiti's infrastructure remains in

tatters• The country has experienced little job creation after

President PREVAL took office in Feb. 1996

Economy…• Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector

a) mainly farming employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force.

b) sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts

The informal economy keeps growing. Only 1/3 of the population is estimated to hold a formal job. A typical worker in Haiti makes only $2.75 a day. Jobs

are scarce  Haiti is a hub for the trafficking of illegal drugs and human

trafficking. The United States is Haiti’s biggest trade partner.

Climate and Geography

• The highest point in Haiti is formed by Pic la Selle, at 2,680 meters.

• Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

• Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous• Elevation extremes:

a. lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 mb. highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

Cultures in Haiti Today

• Males: jewelers, construction workers, general laborers, mechanics, chauffeurs, doctors, teachers, politicians, pastors, school directors, spiritual healer, herbal practitioner, men are primarily responsible for the care of livestock and gardens.

• Females: domestic activities such as cooking, housecleaning, washing clothes by hand, water and firewood, planting and harvesting, nursing is an exclusive female wage earning job.

Lifestyle• There is no traffic control, including traffic

lights in the majority of the country• Most do not have electricity or running water.• Many of the children go to school hungry and

stay all day without eating.

Dress Code

• Students wear uniforms• For Men- nice pants, dress shirt, and tie.

Pants are a MUST in government and business office. Shorts are not allowed.

• For Women- skirts or sometimes a more western pant suit is acceptable.

• Being clean and well groomed is highly valued.• Dress tends to be more casual in rural areas vs.

urban.

Health and Haiti

• Most do not have safe drinking water• Parasites, TB, HIV, malaria and cholera are common• Health care is mostly provided by mission groups

who visit the country• There are open sewers in the towns. Lack of

sanitation is a huge problem• Most do not even have soap.• Malnutrition is rampant• Vision care (eyeglasses) are non-existent

Haitian Food

• The World Food Program reports that food supply covers only 55% of the population.

• Haitians grow corn, rice, bananas, mangoes, avocados, and other tropical fruits and vegetables.

• typical meal usually includes one or two varieties of rice prepared with either red or black beans.

• Men are usually served the choice and largest portions of meat.

• Haiti ranks among the worst three countries in the world in daily caloric intake per person.

Children in Haiti

• The infant mortality rate in Haiti is high at 74 deaths per 1,000 births.

• Many of the children speak English• Many of the children go to school hungry and stay all day

without eating.• The children do not have toys• The poorest do not attend school. Education is not free in Haiti• children are often sold into slavery, they are called restavecks.

They are household slaves• Haitians are very proud. Their clothes are clean and ironed• Haitian children are very polite

Haiti and Education

• They do not have school books. They use notebooks and pencils and chalkboard

• Haitians value education highly• All children wear uniforms to school. The color of the

uniforms indicate which school they attend• There are no public schools• Private schools abound. Anyone can open a school and

charge money for students, without having any qualifications.

• No regulations on education. It is the biggest money scam in the country.

How Would These Facts Affect Teaching Students from Haiti….

• To begin with… They are so poor the being a third world country would be great..

• They don’t own books, the US relies on textbooks for most of their information..

• Majority of the students never make it to school so they would be years behind their age group..

• The health is Haiti is poor and most of the children have some kind of disease..

• Children are used to starving so they would have to get used to at least 2 square meals a day..

• Haitians would however, work hard because they value a higher education…• If you are trying to teach the student English and they go home to Creole

speaking partents, its double the work.. • What else can you think of?!

Sources

• http://www.haitisurf.com/factsabouthaiti.shtml

• http://www.haitispecialenvoy.org/about-haiti/education/

• http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0107612.html

• http://www.mongabay.com/reference/country_studies/haiti/SOCIETY.html

• Pat Wurth