The trans-Caribbean trash exchange program

Ti Malice on a Florida beach (by balloonsblow.org).

Recently, Florida resident Tom emailed me asking about the Ti Malice brand that he saw in the billboards in this post.  Turns out the tubs that hold this yellow margarine-like product are washing up in Florida, and apparently enough of them that caused the Floridian beach comber to inquire ‘What’s up with Ti Malice?’  See the photo taken by Danielle and Chelsea of Balloons Blow, a non-profit that picks up trash from Florida beaches (and visit their facebook page).

Ti Malice is a character in a Haitian children’s story.  He is the mischievous counterpart to his friend (or brother?) Bouki.  And he is causing more trouble by washing up in Florida.  This poses the questions:

• Are there more tubs of Ti Malice than other brands being used then thrown away in Haiti?
• Are the Ti Malice tubs sturdier than the other tubs?

Might make a good Master’s thesis!

And will also make a good classroom lesson about littering and the trash disposal systems in Haiti.  As far as I can tell, people either burn trash or throw it in the streams and on the beaches.  I’ve also seen systems (well, once, on a missionary compound) in which two pits are dug, one for burnables, and one for things that shouldn’t be burned (plastic, glass etc.).  This second pit is buried when full and another pit dug.  I’ve also heard that garbage trucks pick up residential trash in Les Cayes, but I have never seen this nor do I know where the trash is taken.  

I think I will make this a student project this fall: Report on trash disposal practices in Les Cayes.  Then perhaps we will have a campus clean up and brave a beach cleanup.  Once I learn what we should do with all the trash!

The 'dock' in Les Cayes where we were picked up in the little wood boat to go to Ile a Vache.  While waiting we saw a woman dump her garbage here.

The beach in Jacmel.  We saw people come out and dump their garbage here!

The Jacmel adventure

From Port au prince we drove though the mountains down to Jacmel and spent the night at the hotel La Florita.  It’s 2 blocks up from the beach and had great atmosphere.  It’s a gingerbread house built in 1888.  We had the top suite to ourselves.  An artist, Rose Marie Lamour, was having a reception, and there was a jazz/kompa band.  The room came with complimentary breakfast (bread, fruit, coffee) and you can also order other food.  They serve lunch and dinner too.  And did a good job rebuilding after the earthquake (see scary earthquake damage photos here).

The beach right in Jacmel has so much trash!  We saw people dumping trash near the wetland early in the morning, and concluded it was the city dump.  People let their goats and pigs run loose in it.  We came across a couple kids throwing stones to try to hit swallows, so used it as an opportunity to teach about birds and how to use the binoculars.  Attracted about 10 kids and one woman who brought a puppy in a sack to wash off in the ocean.  I gave them each a birds of Haiti laminated card.

We drove down the coast and found a beautiful rocky beach in Caye Jacmel.  We stopped along the road near a bridge and walked along the shore.  Found tiny hermit crabs.  We cut through a small banana tree field to get back to the road to walk back.  Found a talented woodworker and also give his kids some of the bird cards.  He said he was glad we didn’t humiliate him by not stopping to talk. I'll post images from this nice beach in the next blog post.

That day we drove to the north shore along the bay, and ate dinner at Samaritan’sPurse at Jax Beach, then stayed overnight with Rhoda’s friends who run the Kodep guest house and program.  They have demonstration forests up in the mountains, and will open a school this fall.  At their house is a tilapia farm.  In the morning we went snorkeling in their back yard!  Saw fish, sea urchins, star fish, coral, etc. 

Hotel La Florita

Dog

Band at the La Forita

Inside the La Forita

Debbie & Rhoda at the La Florita

My room at the La Florita

Don't throw trash here!  Scouts & UN

Trash heap on the Jacmel beach

Teaching birding on the Jacmel beach

Earthquake recovery updates

Here are updates and links to earthquake impacts and recovery in Haiti. The Mompremiers are pouring the roof on a school they built this summer! Kristie emailed me and reflected that when I was there in January, they had no idea they’d be building a school. They also have a water pump, and a volleyball and basketball court, and have 2 families living with them. I have tentative plans to go down next spring for a week or two to work with their youth group.

The Saturday July 31, 2010 posting on this blog by veterinarian Kelly talks about the tent cities in the capital. Kelly and I talked tentatively about me coming down this fall to help with litter cleanup and manure composting projects she wants to do with youth camps. I’d like to teach the basic science behind these activities. If anyone knows about the trash system in Haiti please let me know! My friend Rhoda who taught me Kreyol this past year moved to Haiti and worked with Kelly’s group CVM for a week before landing a job with Samaritan’s Purse. This is SP’s first time in Haiti.

Here’s an excerpt from Kelley’s blog;

It is raining very hard every afternoon. Ticant's wife just called and asked if they could have another tarp as the rain is pouring in their "tent". The strong sun here makes the tarps and even the tents wear out VERY quickly. There are some of the tarps that are heavier and holding up better but the blue ones like we buy to cover something in the States don't last long at all. It is very hard...

At the camps you have to pay to use the toilet - just imagine if you had diarrhea. The reason for paying is that way the camp committees can pay someone to keep them clean. It's only like 3 goudes but still when you have no job...This is the reality of life in the camps and it sucks! I think though that now some of those who have houses will start to go back. I have heard though that some people are living in the camps who have houses and then are renting their houses to others to make money. I guess I can't blame them. There aren't many free handouts anymore but just being in the mud and so close to so many makes life difficult.