The mass quantity of garbage in this country is indescribable. If I were to attempt to convey such a horror I would perhaps do so by explaining the grotesque way in which waste is displayed in the form of mountains bordering every street. I would share with you the truth that when a piece of trash is placed in a trash can, at school, at home, anywhere…and that trashcan eventually becomes full, it is carried only several steps out the front door and emptied into the streets. Each discarded item piling on top of the other, as motorbikes and bare feet simultaneously trample the debris into a muddy heap of disgust. These are the pictures I would attempt to paint for you… And still this would, in fact, be a fantastic understatement! Yet the fault of this situation can in no way be handed to the people discarding of litter with any particular frequency. The reality is the complete lack of any sort of infrastructure that could support a waste management system. Solutions? I’m sure a little brainstorming could produce many…but for now, if you visit Haiti try to leave nothing behind. I am doing my very best to discard of the least amount of garbage possible. I have been here almost two weeks, and have thrown nothing away.
The real question on everyone’s mind, I’m sure , is “Does it smell?” -- The answer: oh does it ever! I am quite surprised we cannot be smelled from the shore of Miami. Those from the Dominican Republic approaching the Haitian border must, most certainly, hold their noses and gag.
That being said…it is all the other aspects of Haiti that make withstanding the squalor manageable. Its the genuine nature of Haitian culture, and the people’s uplifting spirit that makes Haiti, toxic rubbish and all, one of the most wonderful places I’ve ever experienced.
Come to Haiti. Send your Money!…Just leave your garbage at home – we have enough to go around.
I could have easily chosen to attach a photo of the waste mounds here, but instead I decided to accompany this grimy post with these photos of my beautiful roommate Bail. She is the picture of loveliness at all times.
Enjoy this little ditty from The Blow…who sadly are no more.
by The Blow
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