29massambaa

Interview with Paige Oberlag and Todd Lowans

On February 7th, me and my group interviewed Paige Oberlag and Todd Lowans. We wanted to know more about organizations that help in Haiti firsthand. Paige is the leader of Mission of Hope’s Women empowerment team. She was living in Haiti up until 2016, when she was forced to leave her home due to the rising violence. When this happened, she decided to devote herself to non profit organizations helping people in Haiti from the D.R. She has made a great impact and is fulfilling her mission every day. Todd started helping out when one of his friends who was a missionary in Haiti told him about the crisis there and he decided that he was going to make a change. He had been working there for a while untill one day, he woke up with gangs taking over his city and being evacuated. he had to be brought to another city and then the D.R. While he was in the small town he helped out get families back on their feet, and that drove him to keep going with his work once he reached the D.R. We asked about ways we could help out, but sadly, no opportunities showed themselves. They told us that the best ways to help out, especially when this topic is so overlooked and there is nothing much to do when you are so far away. They told us that simply being kind to Haitian immigrants can make a difference, because they are probably here alone, in a foreign country trying to make a living.
Overall their interview was very interesting and helpful for us to move forward with our project.

Behind the Scenes: Haiti’s Gang War

Me and my group watched the documentary: Haiti on Fire. It was a very powerful experience because it showed us another face to the story of the people living there and not just reporters from the outside. I learned a lot about how the people are dealing with their situation. the part where the people interviewed the man at the hospital really spoke to me because he had the courage to speak up about how he really felt about Jimmy Barbecue and how he doesnt care about the people’s lives, he just wants to be power.

The truth about Haiti’s history

We interviewed my father, Emmanuel Alexandre on December 19. We asked him questions about his experiences in Haiti and what he thought we as students could do to help. I got suggestions about how to help this cause even as a student in a nother country. Him sharing his experiences with us helped us unerstand really what we as a group are dealing with and that the problem isnt just the gangs, but how people are treated in general. It was very helpfull to have someone to share that has had these experiences firsthand. overall, this meeting was a good way to open the path to understanding haiti’s history without only focusing on the downsides.