I would like to talk to Mr. O´Hare regarding the volunteer position in Haiti. Thank you, Cristina Bailey

Geri, send me an email robert(at)haitiinnovation.org

Hi Robert, I've been reading this page and am very interested to know where I could contact ex-haiti peace corps vol who may want to continue their service to Haiti. I'm the Chair of the BOD for Hospice St Joseph in PaP and in need of a volunteer for our hospitality program and a team memebr to do the accounting and some administrative duties in our programs. Where should I look? Geri

Please visit:

http://www.haitiinnovation.org/contact_form

There, please send us an email with more information, i.e. background, how to contact you, etc. We are happy to help.

Kind regards,

Robert Miller
Haiti Innovation, Inc.

I am looking for ex Peace Corps volunteers willing to partner or manage a startup business in Haiti where customer service, english are very key.

I believe that the fundamental role of a Peace Corps Volunteer is to bring hope where hope is lacking. If you watched the movie Hotel Rwanda (if you are reading these comments you probably have seen the movie), well how did it make you feel when all of the foreigners departed the country when things really started falling apart. I was in Haiti during the Aristid’s departure (29 Feb 2004). I had just completed my 2 year service with group #12 and I had returned to the States. To make a long story short, I was offered a job working for an alternative bank in Haiti so I returned to interview for the position and be with my Haitian girlfriend. Peace Corps was leaving and I was entering. Before coming back to Haiti, I was nervous and apprehensive but I thought about my girlfriend and all those little children that I had taught the English alphabets to at my site...I had to suffer with them. Not everybody can do what I did or should but I clearly had incentives to come back. I just couldn’t let a bad situation define my future. Also, why should I be able to escape and let my girlfriend suffer because she was not lucky enough to have a Visa. You can not let a small group of people with bad intentions define your future. Why should they? Maybe I am idealistic or naive but I feel strongly in providing people the opportunity to experience life to the fullest. There could a potential marriage that did not occur because of a small group of people. There could a great researcher prevented from discovering a solution to a social problem because of a small group of people. Haiti is a wonderful place and Peace Corps was created for countries like Haiti. mesi, Allen Emanuel Group #12

Another loss for hait Church groups continue to cancel trips. Missionarys back out do to the trouble. With that kind of news haiti is getting into bigger trouble. The need for the peace corps and missionarys medical help ect. will have grave effects on those great people we servr. Haiti needs security to start and then the rest of the package from the mountains to the big cities. I only hope that over time President Preval can restore the island to the grand island it could be. Despite its problems our group will never give up our mission trips to help the poor and the sick.

kouman ou ye, i was unable to find a means of contacting either of you directly. i have a few questions that i would like to ask privately outside of this public forum. please contact me by email at squish25@hotmail.com by placing haiti in the subject line for the email message. na palea anko. christa

As many people might be upset with my point of view, I will share it anyway. Having spent the last 9 years in Haiti ( and I am still here), I don't feel Haiti is quite yet ready for Peace Corps to return. As having been the security officer for peace corps haiti for a year I know a lot of consideration has to be given before they can re-open a program. And given the current and continued instability in Haiti, it would be wise to wait. There are still many security concerns - kidnappings are still high, as well as other crimes and foreigners have been targeted more and more. Unfortunately, this is not limited to Paup - although this is where the majority of the violence does occur. Because the country is centralized avoiding Port au Prince is next to impossible - this is where the international airport is, where the better medical facilities are, the main offices of all of the int'l orgs, etc.

I think Peace Corps was forced to make the decision to pull out of Haiti - they can't keep the staff on without any volunteers for more than a certain amount time before they must make a decision - either to withdraw or start up again. Unfortunately, Peace Corps has to take in all of the factors incl their own liability as well as cost (evacuation time and time agin and paying staff in an empty office gets expensive) and Haiti for the moment, in my opinion, in not yet stable enough to safely invite Volunteers back.

They tried this last year (2005) only to evacuate them a few weeks later.

I hope that Peace Corps one day will be able to return, but now is not the time. Haiti needs some time to regroup and stabilize a little more before that can happen.

This is only my opinion and I hope everyone understands that I am an ardent supporter of Haiti and Peace Corps and would love to see its successful (and I stress successful) return to Haiti.

Kenbe fem,

Laurie
Group 2