KOMPA! MAGAZINE

[Chachou]

Papa Gueso wrote:

Guys thank you for your encouraging words. Sanrick once you browse the site you'll get an idea on how to help. We have a bracelet a la Lance Armstrong, ours his green and says Seguin Haiti. We sell it for $ 2.50 all the funds collected are use to finance our projects at the foundation. When you visit Haiti feel free to contact me I'll take you for a tour. Beleive me this is one of the most beautiful corner on earth, everybody foreigners included that goes there can't beleive such a place exist in our Motherland. This is the place I chose to retire, and I'm fighting to save it with all i've got I want you guys help me make noise and develop awarness, of course your funding as little as it is can also help us greatly

I read the presentation and was quite impressed with the undertaking the organization has gotten intertwined with. This feat is not a small feat. I am sure the organization intends to "reboiser" other parts of the country once Seguin is safe and protected. The nature lover that I am would certainly like to help and definitely would like to visit the Parc to get a first hand look at the work you guys are doing and the education you provide to the paysans about the importance of preservation.

When I visit other countries and realize all the protected lands there are and the natural beauties there are which not only create natural wonders but also natural protection of the very land it beautifies, it always saddens me to see my beloved Haiti in such desperate need of TLC. I remember Caries--the other side of the road when birds woke me up on the week-end trips in the summer with my family--ah how reminiscent--now I cry everytime I go to Caries because the other side of the road--that is the side where the mountains are, not the ocean, is bare and eroded and NO BIRDS are chirping in the evening or in the early hours of the morning

I would definitely like to help out with this effort. I am not sure what have you done in terms of researching grants and such in the U.S. but would sure lend a hand in putting a proposal together if you don't already have one. It is the government's (Haiti) job however to protect the land and that shouldn't even be a political issue--it should be a obligation from every citizen. The use of Bamboo as an alternate source of income is a brilliant one and I often wondered why it was not used. I also think an education/commercialization will also be needed to convince the locals of the beauty and durability of Bamboo furniture Also looking at channels to export the bamboo products--let's face it we have some of the most talented artists in Haiti, and I can only imagine what they can do with the bamboo

Last year, I broke down and took a trip to Dominican Republic and I was SOOOOO impressed by their organization and priorities in terms of protecting certain forests and crucial land masses. Again I remember my own country and all I coul remember from my last visit was the bare mountains and eroded land masses.

Agin, thank you for your efforts and hopefully you have a presence here in the U.S. to facilitate raising an awareness to this issue.

I am absolutely weak for cascades/waterfalls and Cascades Pichon just took my breath away. By the way why Pichon?

Also you mentioned that you intend to retire in the area, yet you expressed the need to remove the current inhabitants Please explain. I may have missed your point there

Thank you.
_________________
Peace,
Chachou

"The Brightest Future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches." Anonymous

[jbrandma]

Papa Gueso,

Thanks for that information. That's very interesting about the Haitian-Taiwanese connection....

Best lof luck with your endeavors.

[wonder]

Papa Gueso, let me first say welcome to KM. I really appreciate what you're doing, I think more people shouled get involved in this. I'm willing to buy some of these bracelets and if there's anyway I can help, it would be a pleasure. Keep doing what you're doing.
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Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get.

[Papa Gueso]

Chachou,

When I said I plan to retire in Seguin, I meant outside the boundaries of the parc. The people I mentioned to be moved are the 400 or so families that are illegaly living inside the parc and are responsible for most of the damage. You also talked about the different dominican associations defnding nature next door, I can tell you that there is more than 300 nature loving groups in DR working/lobbying the goverment to protect the environment. They made it a serious crime to cut trees in DR. A lot of our fellow countrymen are in Jail in DR for cutting trees. The dominican army is the enforcer of these laws, they use modern equipment like helicopter to fly over the protected areas. If they see smoke or someone cuting trees they land and arrest everybody involve. With that tough enforcement They went from less than 5% to more than 30% of tree coverage in a decade. That is why I insisted on the fact that if the goverment in Haiti doesn't have that kind of involvement, we are doomed.

FANMKONESE,

We are currently trying to find an organisation willing to distribute our bracelets in the states. you mentioned something about campuses or universities, I'll be glad to work with the haitian students associations or with Konpa magazine if Pat is willing to do so. Right now you can send an e-mail to the foundation and we can mail you as many bracelets as you want. We have two sizes, kids and adults.
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Belle Haiti, Bon Konpa, Bon Boul

[Chachou]

Papa Gueso wrote:

Chachou, When I said I plan to retire in Seguin, I meant outside the boundaries of the parc. The people I mentioned to be moved are the 400 or so families that are illegaly living inside the parc and are responsible for most of the damage. You also talked about the different dominican associations defnding nature next door, I can tell you that there is more than 300 nature loving groups in DR working/lobbying the goverment to protect the environment. They made it a serious crime to cut trees in DR. A lot of our fellow countrymen are in Jail in DR for cutting trees. The dominican army is the enforcer of these laws, they use modern equipment like helicopter to fly over the protected areas. If they see smoke or someone cuting trees they land and arrest everybody involve. With that tough enforcement They went from less than 5% to more than 30% of tree coverage in a decade. That is why I insisted on the fact that if the goverment in Haiti doesn't have that kind of involvement, we are doomed.

Thank you for your response--I just needed clarificatiion because it was a bit confusing the way it was worded and I didn't want the question to linger.... And yes I am familiar with all the groups lobbying not only the Dominican government but the environmentalist around the world as well on behalf of lands that should remain protected. Last year when I went to the DR I witnessed first hand how the people understood the importance of preservation and they make an effort, albeit the government has given them alternatives. The Haiti situation is a more complex one FOR NOW as the alternatives are not there and that is why I think Fondation Seguin is important in terms of education--let's face it you can have all the protection and funding if you don't educate the people, you are doomed. I do agree that it is the government's job to play an active role in protecting our land. I support environmentalist ideals myself.

I forget the source, I think it was the Miami Herald--not sure, there was a study that was done I believe last year or maybe the year before where it was predicted that if a category five hurricane hit Haiti most homes if not the majority of Haiti would be under water--that is scary--I mean noone is exempt whether you live on the hills or La Ville
_________________
Peace,
Chachou

"The Brightest Future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches." Anonymous