According to the Haiti Xchange site, the  Haitian government announced the opening of a newly constructed marketplace on Route des Freres in Petionville.  The idea is to reduce some of the congestion in Petionville, once one of Haiti's most polished neighborhoods.  I like the boisterous street symphony of everday life, but Petionville is overflowing with street merchants.  Giving them a safe, clean place to sell their goods seems a sensible move - provided they can get the licenses required to do so and that taxes are not excessive.  Read more »

Bourik’s (BOS) recent hoofing to the Citadel was expected to be one quietly spent with the remaining visible history of Haiti and with the phantom winds that cool the mountain fortress. Read more »

In light of World Water Day, I wanted to highlight a Frontline multimedia piece on water scarcity in Haiti by Shoshana Guy.  Though not recent (it was produced after Tropical Storm Jean) the key issues are as valid now as then.  Haitians continue to struggle both from having too little water to drink and from having more water than cab be absorbed after seasonal rains.  The result is flooding/mud slides such as those which decimated Gonaives. Read more »

Climbing the mountains of Kenscoff recently where the hills are sonorous with picks and hoes Bourik BOS discovered it was planting season. Bourik also discovered that it is kite season. The skies are filled with make shift kites all around the city and the hills. Read more »