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Cunina opens new classrooms in Eshowe South Africa
Maandag 23 maart 2009
In January, Cunina traveled to the community of Eshowe in South Africa with a delegation of project sponsors for a festive event. The local primary school was being expanded with three brand new classrooms. The classrooms offer room for 110 pupils between 12 and 15 years old.
Continue reading Cunina opens new classrooms in Eshowe South Africa »
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New website for Mamosa Project
Maandag 02 februari 2009Cunina proudly presents a brand new website for the Mamosa Project in Haïti. Jan Hoet made a great effort to design the site in three languages, so we can all follow up on the activities of the project.
Take a look at www.webmamosa.org! -
Nepal to discuss monarchy future
Maandag 29 oktober 2007
The Maoist former rebels want a republic to be declared before national elections are held.
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South Africa 'losing Aids battle'
Vrijdag 19 oktober 2007
South Africa has an estimated 1.5 million Aids orphans South Africa is in danger of losing the battle against HIV/Aids, the United Nations children's agency has warned.
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Alpine Valley school at the zoo
Vrijdag 21 september 2007
This is the second term of Alpine Valley school and many grades are learning about the wild and domestic animals and different type of birds in Science. To make this topic more interesting and effective, the school organized an educational trip to the zoo for the students from kindergarten to grade six.
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Message for candidate godparents South Africa
Donderdag 10 mei 2007
WE ASK FOR SOME MORE PATIENCE....
The districts Eshowe/Mandeni in the province KwaZulu-Natal have the doubtful honour to be the world record keeper relating to the AIDS problems. An anonymous and reasonable representative test, performed by the local Confederation of Industry, brought a terribly high grade of HIV-contamination to light (88% of the active and hence productive part of the population). Further investigation from the women, children and babies, confirm this sad record. The society model from the Zulu nation, and also from the rest of South Africa, is destroyed gradually. Between a small upper layer of grandmothers and the young children, there is now an enormous gap where the active population should be. Today, there even are not enough grandmothers. As a consequence children from eleven or even younger have to take care of their sisters and brothers, sometimes even until 8 in total. Brothers and sisters who were also found to be HIV-positive. It is like the whole nation , including the president is living in a sort of denial phase.
CUNINA in South-Africa
As you know, Cunina offers in several countries, which includes South Africa, financial adoptions, for the advantage of educational projects. A child with only few years of life expectancy, needs care in the first place en cannot be socially excluded.
Continue reading Message for candidate godparents South Africa »
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Marc Vanhauter Part 3
Dinsdag 14 november 2006Dear
Wednesday, the 6th of September, we left at 6.45 am to commence our trip to Mombin Crochu. What a Haitian achievement!!! The day before Jan announced that we would leave at 7 am to avoid the big rush at the ‘carrefour’. I added, smiling that who was not in the car at 7, wasn’t going to join us. A weakness of the Haitian is that they do not bother about an agreed timing for things. So you can imagine how amazed I was when I arrived the last to take my seat in the car. Everyone really had fun about me being last. Maybe they wanted to pull my leg a little, this way.
It was, as I remembered from my last trip to Mombin Crochu (which I undertook seven years ago with my partner Gino deceased), an exhausting trip. At first it is comfortable as we are driving on asphalted road but then it deteriorates step by step and becomes all roads of grind and finally sand. Just when you think, it cannot get any worse, you notice after the next turn through the mountains that it can. Jan was demanded to use the extremity of his driving skills and experience. Mainly the route between Hinche and Mombin Crochu is really miserable and deteriorates more and more as you approach Mombin Crochu. At the end you cannot talk about a road any more but you are driving straight on the rocks. The distance Port-au-Prince and Mombin Crochu is 171 kilometers, but we had to drive during 6.15 hours to drive this distance. In Haiti the distance is not indicated in kilometers but in the time, which is needed to get from one place to the other. In Hinche we stopped for a break. After having visited the young people, whom we will take with us when we return to Port-au-Prince, we paid a visit to the 'atelier' (studio) from Piet, a colleague of Jan. This studio is divided in three parts, a cabinetmakers’ part, a smidge and a garage. This project is taking care of it own proceeds. The main attention is pointed at the production. They are working for externals, as well for religious societies as for schools and Haitian private persons. This is also an educational center pointing at the practice. The responsibles of the 3 departments are fix personnel but the other co-workers, are following a practical training during 2 years. The experience they got here can be used to find much faster a job somewhere else. Around 2 pm we arrived at Mombin Crochu. As mentioned before, without the stop of 1 hour, we drove 6 hours and 15 minutes. Under the circumstances this can be considered to be fast. But, Jan is a very experienced driver in Haiti. After everyone got out of the car, we still needed to bring Floraine home; she lives 9 kilometer from the centre on the road of Bois de Laurence. You can imagine that also this short distance took some time. After this exhausting trip I went to bed at 7.30 pm already and I slept until 17.15 am the next morning. After a revitalizing shower (only cold water) and a nice breakfast, I started exploring for the second time Mombin Chrochu. First I visited, together with Jan and Wilnise and Védeline, the currently unused working place where they used to cultivate manioc into cassava. This project stopped because it didn’t respond to the real need. After all, in the environment, there is not a lot of cultivation of manioc and it had to be imported from far. Subsequently we went to the nearby host centre, where groups can spend the night and can use the infrastructure (kitchen, hall etc.) There are 2 bedrooms with bunk beds. The showers only have cold water. When we will be visiting Monbin Crochu with the Cunina Godparents they would have to spend the night here. We terminated the morning with a visit to Nadège, who joined us from the foyer, and is spending some days at her home (with her parents). After lunch, I was able to observe 4 voodoo-rites, which were taking place in front of the church. This was related to the parish party in honor of the patron saint of the liberation. The simplest ceremony is the voodoo-prayer. This can be done in-group or individually. Whenever a Haitian wants to get something from his or Loa (spirit) then he or she put a ‘rad de voeu’ on (oath dress). The color of this dress depends on the Loa; the color of the saint of liberation for example is white and blue. Red and blue is the color of the Loa Ogoun, the spirit of fire and war, which is recognized in Saint-Jacob. This 'rad de voeu' needs to be consecrated in advance by a bokor (voodoo priest). Also this event, I witnessed. I also witnessed the fact that she put out her normal outfit and changed into the oath dress in white and blue. An other oath cloth, which I saw as well, was made out of Jute sacs. When someone wears such an oath dress, this means that he or she needs to hold a pilgrimage; he or she needs to participate in the Voodoo activities from July until September, in different villages. The third Voodoo rite, which I could experience, was more complicated. It was the offering of food (rice with beans) to the Loa and this ended with the distribution of food to the participants. At another place, they hit on several congas, while the participants of this ceremony danced on the rhythm of the music and got into trance. Once in a while they blew 1 or 3 horns and this in the different wind directions. I also saw (this rite and other ones) a Haitian women being possessed by a Loa. All these rites are accompanied by a bokor (a voodoo priest). Although a distinction needs to be made between a bokor and a houngan. A houngan also is a voodoo priest but someone who has more respect than a bokor. A houngan is trained and this consecration to become a houngan is given from father to son. A houngan really knows very thoroughly the voodoo-religion. A bokor is someone who nominates himself. Many become a bokor because they can gain money with it.
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Marc Vanhouter Part 2
Maandag 13 november 2006Thursday, 31rst of August 2006
Dear
Some plans I have to visit regions in Haiti where I haven’t been yet cannot be effectuated because I cannot find adjusted transport. (On some routes, a normal car cannot drive) or a bridge has been has been washed away by the hurricane "Ernesto" which passed in Haiti. Hence we cannot reach the other side any more. Or the border with the Dominican Republic is closed right where we need to cross. Jan is checking right now whether we can visit a for me unknown region despite these facts
To escape the oppressive heat in the downtown of Port-au-Prince Jan and myself planned a day trip to Pétion Ville, Boutilliers, Fermathe and Fucy. Get into the mountains and enjoy the fresher temperature and enjoy a healthy walk in the woods. The youth who are present are invited to participate in this trip. They will get a nice dinner in a restaurant on top. We are curious to see who will not join us
Meanwhile, I experience the daily life in Mamosa. I have interesting conversations with Jan every day about the life in Haiti and how creative the Haitians are to survive in pathetic circumstances. Of course we also discuss the political situation and how they are evolving gradually to a stable situation. Hopefully, president Préval and his team will get the opportunity to elaborate their plans. Jan also showed me the realizations of Aristide (parks, playgrounds, sport facilities, and a hospital too bad that his opponents were successful bringing him
Furthermore, we also have profound philosophic – theological discussions. What was there first: the consciousness’ or the being?
Our planning to give a group of godfathers a tour around the island in 2008 (if the situation in Haiti will permit this), so that they can get into contact with the Haitian reality and to get to know their godchild personally, is after some days of puzzling and thinking finalized. The only mayor problem we always experience is: with which transport do we get where? Traveling within Haiti with a group of people is far from simple
I also have a good contact with all the habitants of Mamosa. Some even take me into confidence. Or they want to teach me the Creolian language. They are having fun if I succeed in learning new words or simple sentences. Every day I need to pass an exam. My revenge is such that they need to learn Flemish.
Regards
Marc
Monday, 4 Th of September 2006
Dear
Wednesday night, 29th of August, my throat felt soar and I started coughing. A flue announced itself. Thursday, the 31rst of August 8 young people, Jan and myself undertook the planned daytrip. The entire day I had a runny nose. I foresaw this and I took plenty of handkerchiefs to support this inconvenience. Via Pétion-Ville we first drove to Bouttiliers, from where we had a magnificent view Port-au-Prince. Subsequently we drove Furcy. The entire road from Piéton-Ville to Furcy we could enjoy looking at the big houses. Here lives definitely the rich bourgeoisie from Haiti. This was such a confrontation if you just visited some slums. Also the working Haitian has a good life here because this is the kitchen garden from Haiti (and as a farmer, you can be sure of an income here). Also because the more wealthy Haitians plan their weekend trips here and stimulates the hotel and catering industry here. In Furcy we went for a short walk and we saw 'Morne La Selle', the highest mountain from Haiti: with an altitude of 2.680 meters. Like a proud king, it did not glance back at us and it concealed his head in a layer of clouds.
Subsequently we headed towards Fermathe where we had our lunch in the restaurant 'Le Florville'. In Fermathe we also visited the 'Montain Mead' from the Baptists. A polyclinic is joined to this project, and also a mini-zoo, a small museum (interesting but not really scientific) and a flower-and souvenir shop. From the habitants of the foyer, only my Wilnise and her brother Junior were joining the trip. The other 6 were all young people involved in the working of Mamosa. Some of them also where new Cunina-godchildren. The reason why there were not so many members the foyer present was because Saturday the 2nd of September there was a celebration of a marriage and they were preparing.
Friday, knocked down by my head cold, I tried to stay in bed as much as possible. And the day after I felt reborn. That Saturday, Rubain Joazile and Miclage Senadin married. Rubain is the brother of Vedeline. Vedeline is a habitant of the Foyer Mamosa. Jan celebrated the marital mass (as is an custom there with some delay, here one hour and a half). Hence, the party took place in the foyer Mamosa, which Jan put at their disposal). I was unexpectedly a witness of a Haitian marriage.
A catholic marriage in Port-au-Prince does not differ from a catholic Flemish marriage. The only mayor difference is that they do not have to marry separately legally. Ecclesiastic marriage is acknowledged legally too. During the ceremony, they need to fill out the needed administrative papers and sign them; which are handed over to the civil state. Thanks to Aristide, the Voodoo is also acknowledged as a religion and also a marriage can be concluded following the Voodoo rites. According to Jan there already has been one legal Voodoo marriage.
After a new discussion about what to visit during the last week of my visit, it was finally decided. We are going to Monbin Chrochu from Wednesday the 6th of September till Saturday the 9th of September. To attend the parish party. Some youth who live in foyer Mamosa women and who originate from this village are joining us. On the way back some of the youth who are currently with their parents in Monbin Crochu can join us, so that they can continue their studies in time. Because they cannot find suitable transport themselves, I decided to rent a big cross-country vehicle with 9 places. We will be passing Hinche. Maybe we will visit a hospital there too. I will see.
Regards
Marc
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Volunteer in Haïti Marc Vanhauter part 1
Vrijdag 13 oktober 2006Marc Vanhauter, already a volunteer for a long time for Cunina, stayed some weeks in Haiti. His departure had been delayed several times, due to the instable situation, but the end of August he finally left. During his stay there, he sent us some messages from Haiti...here you can read them.
I arrived after a long and exhausting trip in Port-au-Prince. Sunday, I got up at 4 am and left at 6 am to Zaventem. As a result of the very severe security measures, I had to stand in the line for a long time before I could check-in and could pass the passport control. And there were several more control post to pass (even with physical search). This was also the case in the other airports in Chicago and Miami. Finally after a long travel time, I landed in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti.
Jan, Wiliness (my godchild) and her brother Junior were waiting for me. It was a happy meet again. Presents were exchanged. Happy faces. I enjoyed a very nice feast (mushroom soup, French fries, 2 sorts of meat and tomatoes) I already discussed many things with Jan.
I will talk later about this. I finish my first message here.
On the picture, from left to right, you can see: Jusline (Djuna), Jan, Sherline, Marc, Wiliness (my godchild).
Until the next message, regards
Marc
FRIDAY 24th of August 2006 - 0:45
Jan drove from the airport to the foyer, taking the route he normally always takes, but lately he avoided the ‘dangerous’ districts (like Cité Soleil and Cité Solidarité). On the access roads to these districts, there are policemen, who are armed to the teeth; tanks from the UNO and blue helmets are driving continuously through the streets. On the other way going to the airport, which we recently took, a hundred persons were taken hostage some weeks ago. Therefore you need to pay attention whenever you drive on this road. The safest situation is when you can see a lot of traffic, which is driving at normal speed.
The armed actions of the gangs from the slums have diminished and in fact, they even stopped. The hostages continue to happen. On Tuesday night, 22nd of August, a person (while we were sleeping) has been kidnapped at the corner of our street. That is the reason why we will not go out at night, too dangerous. There are also some neighbors who we avoid. Port-au-Prince still is an unsafe city.
Regards
Marc
MONDAY, 28th of August 2006
Dear
Friday, 25th of August, we left, in order to escape from the oppressive heat and from the unsafety, to Caeyes Jacmel for some day of beach. The children who were present at Mamosa were allowed to come with us. The other children were on vacation at their parents in the midland. This way, these children could have a short but an enjoyable holiday before the start of the school. Present were:
Junior, Wiliness, Floraine, Vedeline, Fednat, Jusline (Djuna), Sherline, Jan (père Jean) and myself. At 7.15 am we left, to be in advance of the, at some places, busy traffic. First we drove to Petit-Goâves because Jan had to make some agreements relating to volleyball trainings and tournaments with some of the youth. From there we need to turn back a little to take the road leading to Jacmel. The road from Port-au-Prince to Jacmel is, according to the Haitian standards, (and even the Belgian standards) very well passable. In Jacmel we had out lunch and we visited the covered market (a construction from metal, which was made in a workplace in Bruges, my town of birth). After that we continued to drive to Cayes Jacmel where we moved in in the beach hotel "Cyvadier Plage". 2 rooms for the girls, Junior and Jan in one room and one room for myself (Jan and the children, who are more or less adults except for Djuna, wanted it that way. A room for myself because I was the one who paid it all. We put straight away our swimming suit on and we went to the sea. There were great strong waves, which sometimes surprised the others, and me and then we were knocked down. It was for sure that we had a great deal of fun there. Afterwards, we played in the swimming pool of the hotel. After dinner, tired but satisfied, we went to bed. Saturday morning, Jan and myself read quickly through our mails but we did not have sufficient time to answer the mails. On the program of the day, there was a tour in the region and a visit to the former trainee post of Floraine, who studied to become an agricultural engineer. At present she is following her masters. A bright student! At noon, clouds appeared and the see became wild. We decided then to go to the swimming pool. After dinner, we played "UNO' all together (a card play). Meanwhile it started to rain and the wind was blowing. Haiti got trouble with the cyclone "Ernesto". The storm lasted the entire night. For Sunday morning a beach visit and a swim was planned but because of the big rainfall we had to cancel this. Therefore we spent the morning playing the card "Chicago". After lunch we left to go ‘home’. It was still raining firmly. Jan needed to pay attention for landslides. Also on some parts of the road were floated. But fortunately we all got home safe. The day after, we heard on the radio news that the cyclone took 2 lives on Haiti.
That they mean it serious to deal with the criminality and the unsafety in Port-au-Prince (and in entire Haiti); we can conclude form 2 messages on the radio. The notorious leader of the popular movement J.P.P. (Jan sa pase li pase) named René Civil, was arrested in Port-in-Prince in a stolen car and he was in the possession of forbidden weapons. This movement is notorious because they create unrest and does use vandalism and violence. In the car there also was a corrupt policeman. A second hopeful message: a kidnapped person could escape through a window and as a result, the police could round up a place of residence of a group of kidnappers. Here also a corrupt policeman was involved. In the group of the kidnappers they also found a representative of the people and a white man married to an Haitian. In July 65 kidnappings had been officially registered. .
In the next message I will tell you what Jan and myself already discussed. Because Jan still has no electric power, I mail this message from a cyber café.
Regards
Marc
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Message from Nepal
Donderdag 07 september 2006Here cunina fosterchild will get a holiday for the fest Dashain soon which is going to begin from september 23rd, and at that time all Government office, school, Organisation gets holiday normally for 15 days as a rule in country. It is the main festival of Hindhu religeion, Nepal is hindhu country that's why all will get the holiday. And the main festival of buddhist is Loshar But at the celebration period buddhist don't have holiday, but this days most off office use to give a holiday for their staff according to their needs ie. giving holiday to hindhu staff at dashain and to buddhist staff at loshar.....
And after dashain, school start for 15 days then again same as above all gets holiday for 5 days for the fest of Tihar which is known as the fest of light and tihar is the fest of hindhu. In both fest people will gather and used to enjoy in the family and with friends, in these fest all abroad relatives and family return to country for celeberation, so all hindhus people fully prepered for the better celeberation of the fest with their family and relatives . All college / campus student get holiday from the begening of dashain to end of Tihar Fest.
Normally all level cunina childs had already given the first terminal exam and got their result. and soon their holiday'll begin.
Thank you
lastly want to wish you a good day / night.
With regards: -
Mingma sherpa
cunina Nepal
Kathmandu
Nepal
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Election in Haiti part IV
Woensdag 22 februari 2006Thursday morning 2.30 am. I am woken up by an increasing hubbub from a crowd passing by. My mobile rings. Surprised by this nocturnal call I pick up the phone. A member of our youths’ organisation calls to tell me that Preval has been announced to be the winner of the elections. So that is the reason why the streets are getting full of people. Dancing and people shouting with joy are on the streets, happy because their wish has finally been respected.
Yesterday, Wednesday, it was a calm day altogether, with some manifestations. Little traffic and closed school gates. No roadblocks any more, but a paralysed city. . In the afternoon, I went to the volleyball training with a group of our players. Passing by the palace, I noted a crowd of quiet demonstrating people.
The discovery of the dumped ballot papers; cause a lot of fuss. At first, the electoral counsel tried to pretend that it concerned unused ballot letters but when this was not perishable they tried to blame the MINUSTAH (blue helmets). The MINUSTAH was contractually responsible that all the ballot letters were sealed in containers until after the publication of the final results. A spokesman of the MINUSTAH tried to give an explanation giving the impression 9 polling stations in the South of Haiti had been plundered, a statement, which made no sense at all. Meanwhile, it becomes more and more clear that indeed, a serious fraud was committed and that MINUSTAH interfere in the politics, in service of ????
The consequence of all this was that the population started to demonstrate with more and more conviction. People feared that the country would become completely chaotic. However, the conspiracy was discovered and the result is known. There is no escape: Preval will be the winner in the first round with 51,7 % of all votes effectuated.
I suppose that life will become normal again as from today. It is a fact that, since the day of the elections and the first expectations that Preval would win convincingly, there are no messages any more of kidnapping near of car thefts. People from Cité Soleil declared that many of these things only happen as self-defense against the performance of the transitional government of Latortue.
Will the gate to the democracy finally open for Haiti? We can only hope that, with the new regime under the leadership of the popular Preval, under the banner of LESPWA (= hope).
With hopeful greetings from Haiti.
Jan Hoet
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Elections Haiti Part III
Woensdag 22 februari 2006Tuesday evening. There is still no final outcome of the election, but more and more messages are coming in saying that there is an attempt to forge the results.
Today there are still no schools, which open their doors. There is very little traffic on the streets and many streets are still blocked. I stayed at home today by necessity.
Around noon, I watched a press conference at the national TV with Preval. He claims that he possesses the necessary data to prove he received approximately 60% of the votes on his name. He asked the population clearly to demonstrate without using violence and with full respect for private property and for the physical integrity of each one. He asked to remove the barricades in order to allow everyone to go to his/her activities and in order to have the school functioning again. One hour later nearly all the roadblocks had disappeared. I drove to the city this afternoon and I found the streets to be calm with relatively little traffic.
Tonight, the discovery of a lot of ballot boxes full of votes in favour of Preval, which took place in Titanyen, North of Port-au-Prince, on the way to Cap Haitian, is shown on TV. Part of these votes was burned. It would concern the votes effectuated by the people from Cité Soleil. A similar discovery was done in Carrefour (suburb of Port-au-Prince). This news is a big motive for a new spontaneous demonstration. Meanwhile, it became 9 ‘o clock and I can hear the noise of passing demonstrators who are going to the building of the electoral counsel on Road Delmas, approximately 3 kilometres from where I live.
What can we expect still to happen here.....
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Reportage Cunina in the Philippines
Woensdag 22 februari 2006Currently, Sophie Vangheel, chairwoman - founder of Cunina and Kathleen Op de Beeck, responsible for the godparentships of Cunina, are evaluating the functioning of Cunina in the Philippines.
Besides that, they will inaugurate the finished 'building project' in Daidi. Cunina-ambassador Luc Appermont will accompany them.
Luc Appermont has already during a long time a godchild in the Philippines. Now, he will meet her for the first time face to face... VTM (Flemish television) didn't want to miss this and will produce an extensive reportage of this appointment and the functioning of Cunina in the Philippines. This reportage will already be showed in Telefacts on the 27 th of February 2006.
Dag Allemaal (a magazine) will publish on the 28 th of February a life interview with Luc in the Philippines.
Please do watch and read this!!!
VTM-telefacts - Monday 27/2/2006 -10 pm
Dag Allemaal - Tuesday 28/2/2006
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Elections Haiti - part II
Maandag 20 februari 2006The situation gets out of hand again. The weekend after the elections of the 7th of February was very calm and without incidents but today it is different. This Morning I left at 6.30 am to take the students from house Mamosa to school and except for two schools, I only found closed doors. On the way back there suddenly were barricades. Because of driving via byroads and finally thanks to the good will of the demonstrating people who recognized me, I passed two barricades and I was home little after eight am. The sequel of the elections could possibly result in a new crisis. These elections scored a large attendance and unexpectedly passed by very well in a calm atmosphere and without big issues. There were a lot of technical problems, like delay opening the polling stations, wrong lists at wrong places, etc… But during the day, everything turned out to be more or less all right. This 7th of February became a festive day. The Haitian people clearly demonstrated that they had enough of the political crisis. They put the traditional “classe politique” at once aside. The determination of the population to vote in big numbers and the way they did that shows that the population condemns the way in which Aristide was put out of the way by the higher classes and by the dictators.
The electoral counsel promised to announce the results of the election already last Friday, but until now, this has not happened yet. The people are losing their patience and they feel that they will be fooled. My prediction is will come out right. The initially convincing head start of Préval (they say more than 70%) started suddenly to decrease during the weekend when partial results were announced and rumours go around that the electoral counsel wants to send him to a second round. They calculated that the 24 candidates to become president got all together 46.23 % of all the votes, which would mean that Préval received the other 53.77%. His successor (Leslie Manigat) only received 11 % of all votes. Préval needs 50 % of the votes plus one to be elected in the first round. If he does not achieve this number of votes, he has to take it up against Leslie Manigat, who will then get the total opposition behind him, out of fear that Préval will win. Another element where questions are asked about is that more than 7% of all the votes would be abstentions, more than the number attained by the 3rd candidate. I cannot imagine that a Haitian is walking hours on foot or is waiting for hours to vote an abstention
This opposition; who are bad losers and who are represented by a minority, with money and support of lobby’s abroad does not want to accept Préval and tries to use all his power to make a fool out of him. The current (temporarily) government is coming out of the same class (as the opposition) as well as most of the member of the electoral counsel. A second round will give them the possibility to set up a strategy with big resources. Here, it is one against all people where one person wants to win.
It is 9 am. I can here the murmur of the manifesting people who are marching in the streets. If the electoral counsel will proceed with his deceitful behaviour, we will have some really difficult days to past. The population is tired to be fooled over and over again. The entire city has became car less in some hours time. A spontaneous strike which brings everything to a standstill. Till when? In one school, they told the children that the school will open again at the moment that the final results of the elections will be public. Also in the interior there are manifestations everywhere
Noon. Still z lot of demonstrating people pass the route de Delmas, the big road which links downtown with Pétion Ville. I can watch them from my desk. All together, it was a pleasant manifestation. There were dancing and singing people everywhere and many were dressed in a T-shirt with the picture of Préval. No information about violence or destruction. No police. But for the rest, the town is completely paralysed. There is no public transport and barricades block all the streets. On the radio I can hear that a lot of barricades of burning tires have been set up downtown.
In the slogans there also is a lot of hostility against the MINUSTAH (the blue helmets). It happens more often lately that people who do not know me have a rather hostile attitude against me and that they say that the white men are the cause of the entire political crisis, by their wrong intervention in service of a minority who wants a government with exclusion of the mass.
4pm. There are still thousands of demonstrating people in the streets. They want to get a clarification of the electoral counsel for the persistent postponement of the publication of the final results. Although there are no messages about violence and destruction by the demonstrators, I hear on the radio that the blue helmets have shot a group of demonstrators in Carrefour Feuilles, with one death victim.
Now it became 10 pm. The demonstration has stopped gradually to start (probably) again in the morning. On the radio I can hear that this early evening a meeting has taken place between Préval (they have collected him in Marmelade) and Boniface Alexandre in the palace, a meeting that only took 10 minutes. They would have asked him to keep the population off the streets. Préval would have replied that the current (temporarily) president knows what to do to calm down the people, because Préval did not stir up the people to start demonstrating.
There are still no official results. Hence, tomorrow there will be one more day of holiday for the children and of a forced stay at home for me…
With warm greetings
Jan Hoet
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After 2 years, a new visit to Eshowe
Vrijdag 17 februari 2006My first visit to Eshowe dates from September 2003. At the farewell, I promised my godchild Vuyani Nuzuza that we would definitely meet again. Every letter, he asked me the same question: when can I see you again? Finally the moment had come.. November 2005
My first meeting was with Sister Innocentia. She told me plenty of things about ‘her children’. You could see clearly that she is very proud of them. Thanks to her efforts and the support of many Cunina friends the number of godchildren in Eshowe increased enormously. A lot of drops cool down a hot plate slowly.
The next day we would visit the school where Vuyani is doing his last year. The little shy boy from two years ago became now a self-assured young man. We were both very happy to meet again. The school management and teachers showed us around in their school. It was a pity that the situation of the school was still pathetic and it made me swallow. But there were smiling children everywhere who were showing off with their school uniforms. A picture was taken with all of them. The surprise of the day!!! We were invited to participate two days later in the farewell party of grade 7 (last year primary school). And Vuyani succeeded! What a joy!
Before the big day, we filled the car with a mat to play games, chairs, toys and delicious food for the small children in the nursery school. (thanks to the gifts of generous colleagues at work). The children and the nursery school teacher were extremely happy!!!! Smiling faces everywhere, a thing you never forget
Next step....ceremony for the children in the last year. The decorated their poor class with the few things they had available. All the parents and children were dressed up in a real cassock. On the rhythm of African music, the children were inaugurated one by one. Proud parents and children...
But all lovely songs come to an end and the farewell was very difficult. A big hug from Vuyani and his mother was the end. The entire school waved us goodbye and till far in the mountains we heard them laugh and have fun.
Sister Innocentia still had one more question for all the godparents. If they could send a short note to their children once in a while. A small word, a card, is so extremely important for them. At that moment they feel themselves important and supported.
Thank you Sister Innocentia
Thank you Cunina
Ingrid Michel
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Port-au-Prince, 25th of December 2005
Vrijdag 17 februari 2006Dear Cunina-friends,
I wish you all, with all my heart, a blissful Christmas and a New Year full of positive and pleasant moments.
Yes, today it is Christmas I just returned from the celebration of the Eucharist, which I led on the court of a primary school where hundreds persons of the district (Delmas 30) gather every Sunday for the mass. I always lead these celebrations. Last night, I also led the night service. In spite of all the good will of the people, it became a Christmas without any charm this year. The presents under the Christmas tree carry in Haiti rather discouraging names like: insecurity, lifespan, corruption on all levels of the government, injustice, hunger, elections which may not come, 32 candidates who want to become president and who promise people heaven on earth but this cannot charm the population any more.
The known activity of previous years on the occasion of the yearend festivities is not there this year. Yet, last night, the people in the streets were numerous and they stayed in the streets till late, watching out for something... but for what exactly?
Yes, Haiti has experienced again a year with missed chances, a year of disturbance and political instability. The cases of kidnapping for ransom money have become uncountable. People say that these have been more than 100 of such cases during this last month. The more than 7.000 blue helmets and the Haitian police, who are completely corrupt, show themselves powerless against this phenomenon. This annoys the citizens who feel themselves threatened all the time. And to worsen the situation, the relations between the two countries, which share the same island, have sunk to the freezing point. The 19th of December, Leonel Fernandez, president of the Dominican Republic, paid Haiti with a visit, which became the motive for manifestations and riots. The way that Haiti is treated in the neighbour country and the recent cases of deportation from Haitian people was reason for the students to show the visitor their dissatisfaction about this. The police replied forcibly which resulted in violence and destruction during the manifestations. The date for the elections was established on the 8th of January, but many still doubt whether they will actually take place. In this political and social context, the people in the street try to survive. Me, myself try to keep encouraged and I couldn’t complain about dullness during the past year in spite of the stressful situation. But not everything was to complain about. There were also moments of joy thanks to the friendship I experience from the people for which I care. Especially the people from the Foyer Mamosa and many others with who I meet on a daily basis.
House MAMOSA
House Mamosa stayed in 2005 the centre from where all sorts of actions from the Haitian youth were undertaken and there even was during some time asylum for certain youths from the near districts who found themselves accommodation in House Mamosa when they did not feel safe at home any more. During the past year, there were however some changes. Some people left, like Rosemarie, who was my right arm during years in the organisation of the household. She finally chose to retire and Syfira joined her aunt. Gustanie left to join her sister Josette in the Dominican Republic and Bernadette got married on the 17 th of December with Dieubéni Felix. Mariola stays a member of the family ‘Mamosa’ although she is currently studying in New York at the Mercy College. There she got a scholarship for 4 years, thanks to her talent for volleyball. She defends with success the colours of the academic volleyball team. But there were as well some newcomers, which results in 24 fix inhabitants in house Mamosa. Hélène started her 5th year of medical school in the Catholic university (UND’H), Floraine graduated as engineer in the agriculture to the Quisqeya university and already found herself work during three months in an agricultural at Marigot. Nadège continues her studies at the same university and prepares herself to join Mariola in New York, where she will get as well a scholarship based on her talent for volleyball. Wilda, started at this university as well, after being passed for the state examination BAC 2. She chose for the subject “Administrative Sciences”. Wislyne and Vedeline recommenced the 3rd year at the High school of Commerce (IHECE) where Wilnise had to redo the 2nd year. Marie-Dona is in the 3rd year of the Infotronic institute for Informatics and Ghislaine is one year further at the UNIQUA university. Emilia, achieved splendid scores in the “Christ the King Secretarial School” and started the second year. Darling who failed in the state examination BAC 1, started to study to become assistant nurse. After being passed for the state examination BAC 2, Ifaunise and Junior started both their studies at the Académie Nationale Diplomatique d’Haïti, Junior started in the subject diplomatic sciences and Ifaunise started to study to become an interpreter. Fednat is presently sitting in the Philo-class (last year secondary school) at the Nouveau College Bird. Dashna (newcomer) is doing the 5th year in the secondary school in the grammar school “Marie-Jeanne”. Josiane and Yolta (sisters of Vedeline and newcomers) are now in the 4th year of the secondary school in the school « Georges Sand » where Molène follows the 3rd year secondary school and Anne-Michelle follows the second. Jasmin, who stays part-time with his adoption mother Rosemarie but who staus in house Mamosa during the school days, continues to study in the special school for mentally slow children. Jusline, newcomer and the youngest of the group are doing the second year of the primary school « La Divine Providence ». It is this school where I lead the mass every Sunday. Melanie and Siliamise (newcomer and mother of Jusline) take the responsibility for the household of this big Mamosa family. I keep the business running, I look after the fact that the children can go to school and that the larder never gets empty. I succeed thanks to the support of family and many friends but every day it gets harder. There is a good spirit within the group and the school results are more than satisfactory. There is a rotation system for the housekeeping; this way, everybody contributes to the organisation of the house. On a regular basis, ‘family meetings’ are held where there is time for evaluation and planning. Every night we spend some time to prayer, the habitants are free to participate.
GODPARENTSSHIPS
Hence, house Mamosa is the place from where the coordination and administration is performed for the godparents ships, of which presently 91 children have advantage thanks to Cunina (77) A.M.I.E. (14). This means that I stay in contact with the godchildren and their parents, I make sure that they receive their monthly contribution and I make sure that the correspondence between the children and the godparents takes place. Sometimes I need to translate the letters from Creole to Dutch and the other way around. I try as well to be sure that the children are really going to school and I check their school results. Marilante Joseph, teacher in the catholic school in Mombin Crochu helps me out for the children who are in school in Mombin Crochu. The payment to these children is transferred via the “Caisse Populaire” in Mombin Crochu, where every godchild had to open a bank account. Until now this system works extremely well and the children and the parents are very happy with this way of working.
SPORT and YOUTH ACTIVITIES
Furthermore, house Mamosa is the base of the sports union « Banzaï » which currently has more than hundred members and which participated to the regional and national competition with 2 boys’ and 2 girls’ teams. They attain admirable results. The girls of the D 1 team of our club became regional as well as national champion. Banzaï became a real youth movement where there is place and time for many different activities like training sessions, games for championships to which the club participates, traineeships, conferences and discussion groups for actual subjects like prevention of AIDS, etc. However, very regrettable is the fact that the sports camp planned in July could not take place due to the unsafe climate. This year would have been the 4th time such a camp was organised. I spend plenty of my time in the guidance of these young persons. Because I am a member of the daily management of the Regional League I am involved closely in the organisation of several sports events in the region. Who wants to have more information about our volleyball club, can go to our www.iwebbanzai.org.
Support to NEEDY FAMILIES
In House Mamosa the coordination of a support program for approximately 20 needy families is organised. These needy families are financed by the Savatorian Family adoption (Eindhoven).
And Further...
Since the end of last year, my denomination as director of “BON NOUVEL”, the Creole magazine that had been published already for 38 years, terminated. I was lucky as I could follow a really interesting Sabbath program at the school for Theology of the Oblaten in San Antonio in Texas (USA), during three months (from the beginning of January 2005 till the start of May). After that I got the denomination to continue fulltime with the youth work, in which I had been involved already for many years. Hence, I have been doing this now since May of the past year and I notice that I again lack time. But it makes me happy to be in contact with so many young people and th offer them my services. And I am still full of plans to go out with the youth in a better way. I profit from this writing to thank heartily to all of you who support us in one way or another, both morally and financially. I speak for all the Cunina-godchildren when I thank all the godparents for giving the opportunity to these children to go to school. Again my best wishes for the Year 2006!!!
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Wristbands-campaign FOR millennium goals 2
Woensdag 15 februari 2006
Who wants to support Cunina in her modest but sound contribution to the millennium goal 2 can buy as from now our wristband “Education for ALL...our goal” for 1.5 EUR per piece. You can find them wherever our Cunina stand is present. They can be ordered as well by depositing money on account 230-0366025-64 with the notification: Quantity
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Congo ... temporarily stop
Woensdag 15 februari 2006At the end of August, Cunina received the message from Kinshasa, that Father Yves Tuerlinckx, who supervised the class adoptions in Inongo, had to withdraw himself from the region Inongo for reasons of safety. This was a real shock for Cunina ... because this means that we needed to introduce a temporarily stop of all our local projects. Meanwhile we are searching for a solution but currently there is nobody locally who we can appeal to.
At present, Cunina keeps the donations for Congo separate in order to start new projects in Africa. Donors who prefer to indicate an other destination for their money are requested to contact the Cunina Secretary on the telephone number 0032 (0) 14/580101 or to send a mail to info@cunina.org
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School Sint-Vincentius donates 3.000 EUR to Cunina
Woensdag 15 februari 2006
The 16th of December, the School Sint-Vincentius in Hekelgem (Afligem) organised a Christmas market in favour of Cunina.
All the children tinkered beautiful Christmas articles, which were presented expertly in the decorated classes. A living Christmas stable and plenty of stands where drinks and food were sold, had a real pleasant atmosphere as a result. The Christmas market was an overwhelming success. In totally, almost 3.000 EUR had been collected. On the 26th of January, the school handed this beautiful check over to Cunina in order to pay a part of the expenses of the AIDS hospice in South Africa. Chairwoman Sophie Vangheel and Africa-expert collaborator Julien d'Aussy from Breemeersch accepted the check and delivered a short speech to thank the nearly 400 children who made this possible.
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Focus on Haiti
Vrijdag 10 februari 2006Tuesday, the 7th of February, the Haitian people will finally go to the ballot box. They need to elect a new president , who needs to put the country on track again. There are 35 candidates for this position. Since the escape of Aristide, two years ago, this poorest little country of the hemispere is situated in a situation of chaos and violence. A real tough assignment is waiting for the new president. (source: www.mo.be)
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Elections in Haïti - Jan Hoet from Haïti
Vrijdag 10 februari 20067th of February. This is a historical date for Haiti. Today the long expected elections took place, which had been postponed not less than 4 times. The Haitian population had to vote for a president, senators and some delegates.
Last week, certain media instigated the people with as a result a climate of panic. Was this voluntarily? They made it appear as if the weekend and days around the elections would be filled with anxiety and deeds of violence. The past weekend and the elections went by calm and quietly. I will shortly tell you something about the course of business during the day of the elections:
It is currently 8 am. I am sitting at home behind my computer and I follow the events on my radio. From where I am sitting, I have an extensive overview on the street. They are talking about a sizable participation. As from 6 am already, long rows of voters are joining the queue to get to the polling station. Everywhere there is calmness. There is nearly no traffic. I can hear the murmuring of the long row of people who are waiting (a few hundred metres long!) The polling station is only some steps away from here. The are complaining about the noted delays.
10 am: the elections have actually started around 8.30 am but there are still a lot of polling stations, which are closed and have a big queue in front of them. People are talking about irregularities. Material which did not come on time, people who are sent from one polling station to the other, names which are not on the lists, wrong lists in the wrong polling stations, not enough voting lists etc. There already is a decease. A man around 70 of age who had been waiting as from 6 am already in front of a polling station in Tabarre collapsed under a myocardial infarction. There is information coming from everywhere. The condition is still under control.
11 am: just now, a big group with demonstrating people passed in the street, unsatisfied because they are not able to vote because their polling station is still closed. This is the case for a lot of stations in the periphery of the capital. The elections are getting out of hand . There is still a huge delay in many polling stations. More people start demonstrating. We hear that the population of Cité Soleil, where the elections are still not operational, are ready to start a huge demonstration. The voting counsel shows himself or herself to be incompetent to organise the elections. Or maybe this is voluntarily because they know that their candidates will loose the elections?
11.45 am. A first communiqué from the president of the voting counsel is talking on the radio to assure all voters that they will be able to vote. He tells that all the measures to guarantee the possibility to elect for everybody.
3 pm. The situation seems to be under control.
There is the encouraging news that the voting takes place in a calm climate and that there are no friction worth mentioning. And this in the entire country. In some places there are still some complaints about difficulties for voters not being able to vote but in broad outlines the Election Day is running unexpectedly streamlined.
5 pm the Haitian population showed today that they want to get rid of this long continuous crisis. The people were really determined to use their voting rights and this with an admirable sense for discipline and order. Unexpectedly it became a nearly festively day. Everywhere you can see happy faces and cheerful people No we have to wait what will be the final result of the elections and whether the dictators of this earth will start respecting the will of the majority. If all goes well, we should know within three days what will be the final result for the presidency.
Many people expect a victory for Preval and in case that there will be a second round, they expect a fight between Preval and Leslie Manigat, whose chances increases during previous weeks. Preval will certainly not be the choice of the current dictators and he will have to deal with a tough opposition. The danger of this will be that there is a chance that we will get a new political crisis.
We are hoping for better prospects...
With warm-hearted regards from Haiti
Jan Hoet
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Elections in Nepal
Vrijdag 10 februari 2006Elections in Nepal
Today, the 8th of february elections for the city council will be less peacefull held in Nepal. These elections will be less peaceful than in Haït. You can learn more about these elections on the VRT -newssite.
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15 Years Cunina in the Limelight
Donderdag 10 november 2005Cunina held a pressconference in the Capitole in Ghent, on the 26th of October. The object of this media gathering was to get the story of Thobeka Manqele in front of the footlights. It is the story of a 14 year old South African girl who lost both parents to aids, and for whom Cunina has fought in the last fifteen years, for Thobeka, and for all children without a future. Already 9000 children owe their future to Cunina's projects.
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News From Haiti
Woensdag 09 november 2005Port-au-Prince, 25th of October 2005
First of all, I'd like to applaud Cunina for offering us a means to exchange information.
While tropical storm Wilma rampages over Florida, it was tropical storm Alfa that paid us a visit. The rain was coming down in buckets, from 4am up until 2pm, for hours on end. In the light of other events, Haiti wasn't severely hit, yet many houses had to fight the flooding, many fields, houses and cattle were lost. Official figures indicate a dozen victims. This year breaks the record of tropical storms, all of the alphabet has passed over our heads by the way. Luckily, Haiti has been spared, and the worst of them haven't set foot on these shores. Which we could do without, frankly, considering our worries already. -
Football Team Cunina Nepal
Woensdag 09 november 2005
We at Cunina Nepal Khandbari have formed a football team that will enter matches at a district level.
The participants are very excited over the project which started out as an over fifteen project, so now we've added a group for the children under fifteen.
More photos will follow undoutably after our matches, but for now we have a photograph of our two groups for you.
