Two Year’s Journey for Camp Mosaic
May 2010, 4 months after the earthquake, Mona stands in front of what is left of his little apt, the small dark hole behind him, explaining how he climbed up out of it unbelievably unscathed while the screams and wailing of death surrounded him:
Dave Porter, Pat Henneforth, Brother Northstar, Chris and Erin, Carla and the Mozayik team just a few months after.
Mona talking to my daughter, Laura, who was visiting in May 2010, how he wanted to build a center on this spot in the camp where camp folks were working to clean up.
November 2010:
April 15th, 2012, 2 years later:
I don't know how you can communicate with everyone who has contributed to this effort the incredible gift of support to Mona, William and 126 families who have been basically put out like sheep into the desert on their own, but here are some photos that we have taken of Cite Mosaic before and during their resettlement work, though we haven't gotten to the other side of this so there isn't an after yet...(at the time of this writing anyway!
Cite Mosaic the week before Mona started the move:
The blue drums were supposed to be a water project by some ngo that never was completed as the ngo never came through with the support to buy the water!
This is the center of "town" where Mona was adamant about building a center for the camp so the children and parents could not only have a place to escape the heat of the day but would be used as a community center, a computer/internet (when we could afford it) learning place, an art and music center as both Mona and William are artists and musicians.
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Just as an aside, funny connections, in the midst of their trials in managing the domestic quarrels, cholera victims, threats from bandits, intimidation from the mayor's office, pressure from the bank who claimed the land (and rumored to pay the mayor to get rid of the camp any way possible), everyone always asking for a loan, Mona and William sharing their food, buying their own meals on credit, Mona, ever the unwavering creative spirit, decided to make a film engaging the very people of the camp, in order to discourage parents from beating their children which was such a very difficult thing for Mona who believes so much in non-violence that he doesn't eat meat for that reason. One of the cameras that were used to make the film was a little camcorder that my daughter had left with me a year before with some cassettes of hers as well. One of the cassettes still had images of her son's, my grandson's, 1st birthday on it which is what the children in the camp are watching in these 2 photos on the assorted scavenged computer parts that Mona and William put together to teach the children computer and internet lessons!)
These photos were taken in January when Mona and William were having to organize a press conference to combat the threats they were receiving from the Mayor's office. In some of the photos you can see MD, Mayor of Delmas, marked on the doors which was from the mayor's agents who went around spray painting their doors with a number, only a scare tactic as nothing has ever come from any government official except threats.)
(Back to Emma's photos April 15th 2012):
Tin roofing that was pulled off crushed homes to use as temporary walls.
Tying small rocks to the edges of the tarps helps keep them anchored against wind and rain.
Washing and cleaning is always important and drying tennis shoes on top of their home is a common sight.
Sweeping is such an important activity in spite of the unmanageableness of the situation, there's always some way to keep dignity no matter where you are!
The construction crane that hovers over the camp that is working on rebuilding Citibank is/was a constant danger literally hanging over their heads on a daily basis for the past 2 months.
The fellow in the cab thought it was fun to whistle and flirt with the foreign women taking photos at the camp this day and was waving for us to come up and join him in the cab!
Mona's dream for the center was fulfilled from a visit from the San diego Coalition of Clergy and Churches that gave Mona the means to build this center. Mona was insistent upon putting up this sign on the center to give due honor to those who donated and helped out for this center!
the center of a painting that Mona painted on the inside plywood siding of the center. She is like the guardian angel he believes follow those who believe.
"Wash your hands with water and soap. Wash your hands when you come out of the latrin" are lessons that prevention posters posted inside the center to help fight against cholera. There were only 2 cases of cholera in the camp. In spite of the fact that many people even family members refused to help, fearing the sick person, Mona and William acted quickly, in the face of the highly contagious United Nations imported disease and got them to a cholera center where they were successfully treated.
A poster on how to treat water, rendering it drinkable with several drops of clorox added to x amt of water.
Élise Jacob from Montreal was visiting with her invisible photographer friend, Emma, as we played some games with the children in the camp waiting for Mona to get his guitar to play some music with the children (Élise did record that moment which will be posted at some point somewhere on the web)
We've created a beautiful and loving family through all of this!
Mona looks longingly at his guitar on his bed in his little cubby room at the camp knowing it's going to be a while before he can pick it up again because of the work laying ahead to resettle the camp.
Locking up (MD, mayor of delmas markings on his door)
Leaving for one of the last times.
May 3rd,
Hmmm, I'm sitting at a hotel while Mona and William bathe since they've been worn out working on moving their camp into a bay of thieves (near Ti Tayen on the way to the beaches, actually a lovely spot but with absolutely nothing for human beings in place)! We werejustat the mayor's office trying to diplomatically demand the @$125 per family that they have promised but after seeing the vice mayor woman and cohorts, even shaking hands with the mayor himself (he built this palace of a mayor's office, it's called Palais de Mairie de Delmas complete with chandeliers, shiny floors, freezing air conditioning, stinky cologne and attitudes while Mona and William have been strung out with no water, latrines, absolutely nothing so that they have to carry everything with them including deoderant that they rolled on before we went into the palace!). Here are the two pilgrims working for their brothers and sisters in a palace not built for them, adorned with imported geese!
Photos taken by Emma Mbia who was visiting with Élise Jacob and Carla accompanied Carla her during her visit to the resettlement camp, "Village Gras a Dieu" April 25th 2012.
Here they are just a few days later at the "Gras a Dye" camp on the farthest northern edge of the huge resettlement camp called "Canaan" outside of the capital. About an hour drive, more or less, depending on traffic.
Not all but many of the folks of the camp came out to help build the little houses but needed their own temporary dwelling while the homes were being put up, they put up this little center
This is the "konbit" (a traditional work day where everyone works for each other without any monetary benefit, just a meal) that Mona hoped would help put up the shelters as fast as possible, since the commission had not really come through with much of the promises they made to Mona and William. Since the tent houses that were built by the commission were vandalized they had to take things into their own hands, but not everyone knows how to build these houses, so local foremen waiting in the wings, helped out, at a cost. You can see that the main highway (Rt National #1 that goes from Port-au-Prince to Cape Haitian) is very close to them and to the ocean, the bay, on the other side of the highway. The night before there had been a deadly accident of a public bus that 3 people had died on, you probably can't see the white sheets the bodies were wrapped in still waiting to be picked up on the side of the road there but had not been by the time we arrived around noon.
This is the neighborhood that they are moving into, the nearest neighbor's homes.
Beyond this first hill to the right will be another annex to their camp as the front piece of land isn't large enough for all of them.
On the other side of the dirt road that comes in from the highway to where they are relocating is the beginnings of construction of a professional center by the owner or manager of Haytian Tractor, a tractor business owned by one of the wealthy families of Haiti whom we believe took or was sold, we don't know, the land that had been originally reserved by the commission for Mona's camp relocation site and where the first 10 shelters built and then ripped up had been located.
The center nearly finished hoping to protect them from the constant rains occurring during this time.
Insides, nicely tucked in, but they will have to make ditches around it to keep the rain runoff from flowing underneath them at night already soaking their simple beds
Mona is exhausted after 3 days under the sun by day, rain by night building, managing, risking, buying, putting off thieves, diverting others, assuring food preparations, analyzing the presidential commission's tactics, mosquitos holiday and just no rest.
Please continue to pray and support this resettlement that just feels like they are like lost sheep thrown out into the desert with no shepherd except Mona and William! There were no latrines or water cisterns that my eye could see anywhere. Cholera is still a major threat in the country. The United Nations still has not admitted to this tragedy even though by the reports of their own researchers it is evident that the Nepal UN team was carrying the strain that is now in Haiti. The International Office of Lawyers has published a lawsuit agains the UN on behalf of the victims. Pray that no one falls victim of this bacteria during this transition!
more photos coming!
Blessings,
Carla
May 2nd 2013: video link to see excellent documentary made of this grueling journey with Mona Augustin by Jon Bougher with his permission:
Yes, you can feel free to share this password protected link. If someone is interested in supporting the film, please tell them to contact me.
password: ayiti