- ATD Fourth World

In Haiti we have been experiencing this huge wave of refusal of extreme poverty each and every day since the earthquake took place on January 12, as can be seen by the daily gestures of solidarity of the poorest families living in Port au Prince. As we can also witness by support notes, in drawings, patchworks, toys for babies, bags that the entire world has sent us…each one made with heartfelt friendship.
Solidarity also with international assistance, with the neverending preoccupation of leaving no one behind. Gathering together all of our forces to organize distributions with dignity and respect for all. Allowing organizations known throughout the entire world to understand a bit better the life of the people that they have come to help, including teenagers in the neighborhood in this quest.

The video ‘Je témoigne de vous’ (I witness to you) has allowed parents who were preparing their children to go to pre-school to understand the international dimension to eridacte extreme poverty. They were extremely touched to see families from other countries who came “to find life” in the rubbish heaps, fathers doing hard work no one wants to do just to earn a few cents for their children, European mothers waiting for rain to have enough water for their daily chores - and here we know the price of water.
How proud everyone was to discover the strength of this day, to say together these words written in stone in Paris: “Wherever men and women are condemned to live in extreme poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure that these rights be respected is our solemn duty.”
On October 1st and 2nd, everyone gathered together to participate in a big communal building project, which we call a Konbit here. To help Suzelle and Roger whose house often welcommed members of the Movement for meetings, or just simple to take a break in those tough moments when everyday life is just too difficult.
Starting bright and early at 7:00, the human chain was put in place; some had full buckets, and others empty ones, so that everyone could participate according to his strength. What impressive energy these women, children, youngsters and adults had! There were more than one hundred people present!
When people started getting tired, songs broke out, singing “Let’s go, let’s go!” Or “We need buckets, we need buckets!” When we left on Friday evening, everyone was proud of what had been accomplished. Tired too, and I thought that the next day there wouldn’t be as many people, with the fatigue, and other obligations. But I was wrong, they all came back! That was the example of two great days of solidarity and friendship.  

On October 8, delegates from different neighborhoods where the movement is present will go to New Orleans, Washington and New York to join other delegates, and meet families and well known personalities, either in the American insititutional level or from the United Nations.

When the delegates return, we are planning a series of round table talks to invite friends: officials, NGOs, etc. who have helped us out so much during those terrible weeks when we had nothing.

On Thursday the 14th, in the CFEF Martisant Camp where we go every week to meet the children and their parents, we’ve made special plans. With all these gestures of solidarity, these children are Taporis, and their parents certainly want to say a word or two to express their struggle to remain dignified and help others in spite of everything.

On Saturday the 16th we’ll meet in Lakou, the place where children who are forced to sleep rough in the streets join together. We have had a street library there for 8 years. We are expecting a crowd of 400 people to pay tribute to those who are victims of hunger, ignorance and violence, pay tribute to the memory of those who died in the earthquake and join our collective force together to rebuild this country with justice stemming directly from the heart.

Last but not least, on the 17th, Haiti will celebrate its national hero, Dessalines, who liberated the country from the chains of slavery. That is also what are are striving for in this international day: liberating the poorest of the poor from the chains of extreme poverty.