When You Must Swim in Turmoil: Frantzesca Rose Jean-Charles (law ‘24)
Around 1 a.m. on April 24, a gang from Carrefour Feuilles, a few neighborhoods to the west of HELP's campus in Pacot, invaded three neighborhoods running west to east: Pacot, Turgeau, and Debussy, including the area around the Quisqueya University campus. While the insecurity in Port-au-Prince has made daily life very difficult for over two years, this is the first time that the worst has come to HELP's doorstep.
Strong resistance from the police and the local population led to prolonged gun battles lasting about 14 hours, and the local coalition was victorious after separating the gang members and then chasing them down or chasing them away. It appears most gang members ran out of ammunition after encountering stronger than expected resistance.
HELP and universities suspended activities for several days, but a tenuous peace has allowed students to finish the semester. Here we share the accounts of students, staff, and alumni about living and working in the most difficult period in Haiti's recent history.
Thanks to all of your support and investment, these are stories of triumph, resilience, and success.
"The second semester began as usual: connecting with teachers, registering for courses, administrative follow-up, etc... Most of the time I was studying and doing homework. As for getting around in the area, just like at the beginning of the year, I was aware of the existing risks of insecurity: kidnapping, theft... Moreover, I was also aware of the spreading terror of gangs going from neighborhood to neighborhood, from town to town. Indeed, I personally experienced some very frightening moments on my way home last year. Since then, my family has been living like nomads, sometimes taking refuge with relatives, sometimes with strangers. Even so, I never expected to wake up one morning in Pacot in total panic. Well, that's what happened!
In the early hours of Monday, April 24, 2023, I turned off my alarm and I was getting ready for an exam when I got a call from my parents. In a tone of panic, they asked me if I was all right. I hadn't even finished answering when they asked me not to go to university. The call was disconnected and that's when I realized what was going on by reading the tons of messages on the course groups-the exam had been postponed. Then, I heard unusual chatter coming from the other rooms and the whole dorm. There was a lot of emotion in the air. So I encouraged my roommates to keep calm. But it wasn't long before bursts of gunfire brought us back to a new reality.
I could see some of my roommates having panic attacks, others hiding, and I too had begun to overthink: I was thinking about my family, what had happened at home, what might happen... I wanted to pray, but I couldn't find the words. I had a worrying lack of concentration. So I took a shower, called my parents back to reassure them and joined my friends. Sometimes we expressed our feelings, sometimes we stayed silent, sometimes we ran and hid, sometimes we panicked. After a while, I had a severe headache and went to bed. That's how I spent the next three days before leaving dormitory to join a few relatives in a more peaceful part of the country. On the eve of my leaving, on my way back to my dorm, I came close to a scene of violence that I thought about all day.
At my cousins' house, it was very quiet but it took me a while to get used to it: at the slightest noise, I was anxious. With the help of my cousins, I was able to take my courses online. However, it was quite difficult to stay focused on research and revision, and it took me a long time to get on with my tasks. Not to mention the lack of internet access. Considering the situation, I had to intervene a lot more during lessons to ask the teachers to repeat or report an interruption... I kept in touch with my friends in the HELP dorm with whom I had meaningful conversations. During this period and even after my return, to combat my anxiety, I held three activities: praying, reading, and writing. If I can count talking as an activity, it was also beneficial.
Regarding the situation in Haiti, I still dare to hope for a change because there is still resistance, however small. What's more, lately I've seen a lot of competitions where young Haitians showcase their talents, knowledge, dreams and projects. I've also followed a few presentations on Flag Day, which leads me to deduce that others also believe in and are working for positive change. It may take time, but I'm holding on to a glimmer of hope."