When You Must Swim in Turmoil: Peterson Astrel, IT Instructor

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.  

"On the night of the 23rd to the 24th of April 2023, all was quiet in my neighborhood of Debussy when suddenly, at around 1.30 a.m., sporadic gun shots rang out, breaking the usual silence. Although the Villa Théodor is usually the scene of festivities, the sounds of gunfire were different from the usual fireworks. Then the voices of the bandits could be heard shouting: "Forward, forward!" Clearly the area was under attack.

Sure enough, the area was overrun by bandits. The screams of battered women and children could be heard from afar. The bandits went from house to house, demanding that the residents open their doors and gates, demanding money, and threatening death if they refused. I heard one of the thugs say he would set my house on fire. They continued to terrorize the area with their high caliber firearms. Killing and wounding, they never stopped insulting us, the residents. It was very traumatic. At dawn, some residents, along with police and security guards, began to organize a defense of the area, exchanging fire with the bandits. After several attempts to break in, fortunately, thank God, they were not able to enter my house. The police finally arrived in my area around 8am. We were finally rescued from this difficult situation.

In these difficult circumstances, the HELP community remains united. Very early that morning I received a call from my supervisor, Meaghan Balzer, who contacted me and took the opportunity to give me safety instructions, such as putting my phone on silent mode and communicating by message, etc. My messaging apps were flooded with messages from my students, comforting me and praying for me. Although I was terribly shocked by the circumstances, I felt that I was not alone in this as the entire HELP community was on my side. I am grateful for this big family that I've been a part of since 2019."