Haiti Trip – Prologue:

It’s Sunday afternoon and I am attending to the final details for my return to the injured and vulnerable country of Haiti. While this space doesn’t allow for great expansion of detail, here are some trip highlights:

Over the course of 8 days, I will be presenting a proposal to a Haitian government official outlining a formal plan to transform the mass graves of Titanyen into a Haitian National Memorial and Peace Park. This is a historic moment for my team and for the Haitian people. I will be also be meeting with government officials and various international agencies to continue mapping out the transition of the Corail resettlement camp into a legally incorporated city. This, too, is another historic moment as no other resettlement (refugee) camp in the world has been converted into a city.

In addition to these two initiatives, I will be meeting with community leaders in Mole Saint Nicolas and Pignon to discuss transitioning their small hamlets into larger and more modern communities. Then, I will be discussing the creation and implementation of a mentoring program in Cite Soleil (Haiti’s most challenging neighborhood (ghetto)), whereby poor kids from the slum would be matched with the forgotten children from the Corail resettlement camp.

Finally, I will conduct numerous meetings with government officials, Haitian business leaders, and members of Haiti’s elite all with one purpose in mind — to create jobs and opportunities for everyday Haitians.

So there you have it. 8 days in Haiti to address dignity issues for the dead and to bring hope and opportunity to a country where both are in short supply. Wish me luck…