When You Must Swim in Turmoil: Josue Celiscar (agronomy ‘22)
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.
"In March of 2023, I had to move with my whole family. I finally left the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, Pétion-Ville mainly, to go and live in the North-East. At last, I can breathe. I can go about my business and enjoy time with my family in peace (more or less!).
The security situation in the capital and surrounding areas had already forced me to leave a project I was executing in La Gonâve. I thought things would improve and return to normal. But I was wrong. Since August 2022, things have only gotten worse; we wonder how far this will go.
No healthy life is possible under the current conditions in Haiti's capital. That's why the country is experiencing a huge exodus. Everyone is fleeing the capital. If you're forced to stay there, you wade in, suffocate, try to survive and hope. But it is impossible to plan anything in such conditions."