Today is March 2nd, 2013. We’re meeting at Villa Creole with 8 individuals identified as victims of sexual violence…ok? 8 females…and uh- we have obtained the informed consent and then collected some demographic data. Ok. Now---focus group guide…ok. (In Kreyòl): There are questions that I am going to pose that may make you ill at ease; so, please, if the questions make you uncomfortable, know that you are not obliged to answer them. You all agree to participate in this study, is that true?
P: (Answer in unison, softly): Yes
M: Yes? Yes? (To individual participants
P: Yes (louder, in unison)
M: Ok. Thank you. I ask that you please speak very loudly. I ask you too that when you are speaking, remember that there are several people in the room and we want everyone to have the opportunity to speak; and also, if you are speaking, please speak loudly enough so that the machine can pick up what you are saying; if not, when we go to type the recorded information, we will not be able to hear what you are saying, ok?
P: Yes
M: Ok. If I gesture like this (gesturing) it means to please speak louder.
P: Ok
M: When you want to speak please go like this (gesture) so that I know you want to speak, because if you all are talking –
P: together…
M: Yes, together…I won’t be able to understand what you are telling me. You agree?
P: (In unison): Yes
M: Ok. Thank you. First of all, what word or terminology is used here, when one is trying to explain to someone sexual violence in Haiti? What do we say?
P: (Several persons at once): Kadejak (Echoing): kadejak.
M: Kadejak. What else?
P: Viole! (raped) ; Violans. (From two different participants speaking at once).
M : How ? Violence ?
P : Yes. Violence.
M: Yes. And then we were speaking with people who spoke of Dappiyanmp. You have heard of that?
P: Yes
M: tell me what you know- based on your understanding- what is called dappiyanmp?
P: Well; that is to say—I don’t know great things, but like—it’s when a man, right? A man can see a young woman…the young woman is not “in accord” with him; he just takes her and “kouche” (lays) her konsa konsa (any old way).
M: That is what is called dappiyanp?
P: Yes
M: Is there someone here who has other information that you can add to what she said…concerning dappiyanp?
P: (Silence)
P: Dappiyanp is as if---
M: Yes, you were saying?
P: Dappiyanp is ---when a man---like the same way I myself lived it…it wasn’t with my consent! And then, now there, the person came, he did dappiyanmp on me…he forced me; he FOUGHT with me; like, he had previewed…he had previewed to HOLD me, to “viv” with me ( a polite word for a man having sex with a woman)..
M: Uh-huh!
P:---without having my consent. All that is in the definition of dappiyanmp (voice quickens) because what he did is something I don’t want…now then you are going to do dappiyanmp to MAKE me want it---that way is how I lived it, and the other victims who lived sexual violence lived it…because so long s something is not your will, it is dappiyanmp that it is!
M: Okay…Someone had told me of when you take a chicken---when you’re going to kill a chicken—and then you BAP and you grab a hold of the chicken suddenly-
P: Yes!
M: That the reaction of the chicken is the dappiyanmp. Can you explain that?
P: Yes. That means when you take a chicken…
P: (Speak louder)
P: Yes. When you take a chicken—to kill the chicken…now you may (gestures with hand over mouth and second hand around her own throat) grab the chicken and it makes the sound “piyanmp!”
M: Uhhuh..
P: Understand?
M: Uh-huh.
P: Now, then, that is what is called dappiyanmp.
M: So, they say dappiyanmp to describe the noise that the woman makes when—when they take her –when---
P: Yes. …without her consent, because HE HAD FOUGHT WITH ME (She struggles visibly)…in the same way when you grab a chicken and YOU SQUEEZE ITS NECK! (she gestures how a chicken struggles)—me too, that is how—I absorbed so many punches—because I struggled—here is where I had been hit very hard (gestures to area immediately below right eye socket). It’s here…it had become a wound which has germinated into a scar…I’m always with it there.
M: Uhhuh
P: That was not my sentiment—I didn’t want—I didn’t expect it.
M: Uh-huh
P: The same way…a sort of dappiyanmp—a kidnapping---when a person finds you on the street and they kidnap you and they go with you…they kouche (lay/ bed) you…all that is in the category of that dappiyanmp!
M: Uh-huh
P: Because as long as something is against your will—
M It’s dappiyanmp”
P: It’s dappiyanmp.
M: Thank you.
P: It’s like someone who is stealing too you know? Someone who is stealing—like I have something here (gestures to the table)..and then the thief wants to take it…he PAP PAP—he pulls it---he goes with it---
M:--
P: --But it’s not my will—this is how he does dappiyanp on me—that’s how they take the thing---viòl…(rape)
M: Thank you----They have told me about tuyo. Do you know what tuyo means? When they say the person does a tuyo?
P : (Everyone shakes their heads)
M: No? Okay…and…you told me kadejak…you told me dappiyanmp---you told me of viol…there is a term called gèdè…
P: Yes:
M: gèdè? Do you know what gèdè is?
P: (In unison) No
M: Ok.
P: I don’t know what that is.
Okay. And kantè? When they say the person does kantè..
P: No…no---no---(from different participants)
M: Ok. what about vòldazi?
P: (Shake heads in unison)
M: Ok. You have never heard of those words?
P: No (In unison).
M: So then you who are the victims---when the person is speaking…it may be that you are unaware of what they’re talking about because if you do not know the meaning of the term they are using to describe the act of sexual violence, such as when they say they are going to do a gèdè, which means that there are several people who are –
P: --who are going to go on you?
M: Who are going to go on you---
P: Okay…
M: You have heard of that?
P: No! They call that in a different sense…they call it tren! (train). Tren!
M: Okay. ---ok. Thank you. Are there other ways in which they describe that?
P:------------------------
M: No? ---------Okay.
M: What…what word do they use to describe the person who is the actual victim…other than victim, what other word do they use here?
P: They say (inaudible)
M: How?
P: They say vwadfe---vdawdfe means that several of them take turns on you….vwadfe…that is a French term..
M: Yes—
P: They don’t say a group of men –they say ‘we did vwadfe on her’.
M: hmmm…
P: But vwadfe is used in cases when they a pull firearm on you to do the tren!
M: Uh-hu—
P: They MAKE YOU WANT---with the weapon…all that is in the definition---
M: --because sometimes—the person---you struggle so much ---now then, he is forced to use the firearm as a pressure—in your ear…(gestures)
P: Yes, the weapon! (echoes another participant)
P: --sometimes---he could be in the process of “viv” with the woman, and the firearm is in his hand!
M: ---
P: --so, while he is doing it, if you struggle, he can kill you! That is in the category of kadejak and of vwadfe!
M: Ok. When you say vwadfe..arm de feu? (firearm?)
P: Yes! ARMS! (others echo consent and speak in unison)
P: That means he gives you the pressure of the weapon---
P: (Another) That means as soon as you see the weapon, you are afraid!
M: To another participant: What were you saying?
P : Yes
M: I’m sorry- you were saying something?
P: Oh, it’s about what these ladies were saying, that’s what I was saying too.
M: Was there more of an explanation that you—what would you like to add?
P: ---
M: You can speak---
P: I wasn’t going to say anything else.
M: Ok. umm---ummm- and you—what do you call yourselves—as a person who was subjected to an act of sexual violence? Do you—if you were speaking to someone—would you say, “I am a person who---“ is there a term that you would use to explain to me..
P: I usually say I’m a (several respond at once) victim….(echoed)
M: Victim. Are there other terms? What about you? What do you usually say?
P: I don’t usually say anything.
M: You don’t usually say anything? Ok. What about you?
P: Violans.
M: Violence? You say you’re a violans?
P: (softly) victim of violence
M: Oh, you say that you are a victim of violence?
P: Yes
P: I usually say kadejak
M: You say you are a victim of kadejak or a kadejak?
P: Victim of kadejak
M: Ok. And you?
P: I say---they—they have done violence on me (meekly)
M: ok. Thank you. And you?
P: (Very softly) I say they have done violence on me
M: And yourself?
P: I say they have done violence on me---for me, it’s really great when I speak with foreigners or people who live outside Haiti so that I can speak of this so that other women can know…because there are times, I stay and (inaudible)
M: What did you say?
P: That does stigmatize you, it becomes a jouman—an insult for you—because they say your child is a child of kadejak—that is why when my unfortunate thing happened to me—it was inside the Cite--I was obliged to give myself---a distance in another zone...in La Pleine---
M: Uh-huh
P: And to this day that is where I am, they didn’t know what I had undergone, but it is me , with the population/ community of Cite Soleil who came to know –I am a –umm—umm- ka—I am a woman that they raped…(VOICE SPEDS UP ). They did kadejak on me; I have a kadejak child---because ---whenever you’re going by, they always say..’Ha! there goes Mrs. Kadejak walking by!”
P: (Several talking at once---) Yes…yes, that’s what they say to you, yes. They use it as an insult; they use it to criticize you---to attack you.
P: Yes, they say you are the wife of kadejak and they did kadejak on you- well, I can tell you it’s that sort of thing that always gave me problems, and it continues to ---there are some times when I cry—because when I consider---for---you—you are with a child in hand---she doesn’t have a father to call on, and then she herself is always asking you, “Momma, where is my father!”
P: (Says simulataneously) Where is my father! Uh huh
P: --and to this day she always asks “Where is my father?” and I can’t intervene - I say, Well, he’s dead---because I never see him.
M: Let me ask a question; with the darkness that is approaching, I don’t want to keep you all if that is going to cause you to be anxious; will it be ok for us to continue? Because if you feel it will be better to return another time when it’s not dark---
P: In unison---No! No, it is not a problem for us—unless---I think that as long as a car that is available that will go with us/ take us home, there will be no problem.
M: There is transportation .
P: (Lots of voices): We’ll not have a problem.
P: Well, for me—you know I am with the baby..
M: You’d prefer to return another time?
P: Yes---because of the baby
M: Ok. So—you would like to go now? Should I have them take you home?
P: No, I must wait for the others. I can’t go as long as we are all here.
P: (Others): We’re together; best to wait for all of us to go together…
P: She’s probably worried about the night air…
P: We’ll make sure all the windows are up and we will have you sit in the front with her…
M: The night air--- I wouldn’t want you to feel at all uncomfortable with the baby. If you like, I can have them take you home right now.
P: No, I’ll wait--- for the others-
M: (Explains to Dr. Joshi): I was asking about the night coming and whether they are afraid—if they want to—
Manisha: Go back home?
M: Go back home, because of the baby and she said she’s a little uncomfortable; I offered if she wants to go and she said she wants to go to the others…..
Manisha:
Ok
M: So, we will try to make haste, ok?
P: Yes
M: Um---Um—what do they call men –who are victims of kadejak?
P: Hmmp!
M: You said Hmmp! What are you saying?
P: (Laughing): I don’t know.
M: You don’t know?
P: No
M: Do you all know of men who are victims of kadejak in your neighborhood?
P: Well! We don’t know them because when they are coming to do kadejak on US, it’s at night that they come…they are several---
M: Oh-ok So the people who come to do kadejak, you don’t know them?
P: No. we don’t rekonnèt them (recognize them).
M: Do you know guys in the neighborhood who themselves are victims of kadejak?
P: Most of the time, it’s women---
P: (Interrupts): It’s women who –it’s women —that they do violence on them—
P: We hear of people that talk about that, but most of the time, it’s women we know about.
M: Ok.
P:--That is to say, the women are most often victims.
M: Ok.
P: What do you call the men who force—women---who rape the women?
P: Malfwa! (Literally, “evil livers;” figuratively: Wrong doers)
M: Malfwa? What else?
P: (All yell out at the same time): Assasin! Kriyèl!
M: Kriyèl?
P: Kriyèl!
M: Kriyèl?
P: A person who is krieyel, mean,--
P: Criminal!
M: Criminal! Ok. Cruel! Ok—
P:Bandit!
M: Bandit? Ok. You have another?
P: All the old names that are not good, it’s to them that they belong because it’s not a thing that we do with our consentment.