A recent article in the New York Times took a look at two gyms in Port au Prince - a Gold's Gym in the wealthiest suburb of Port au Prince and one of the home-made gyms which are far more  common both in the city and the countryside.  The homemade gyms are nothing compared to a Gold's Gym - but they are testament to Haitian creativity and possess a sense of camraderie that you will not find at an establishment that caters to the rich. Exercise can be empowering and as Haitian bodybuilder Julien Mr. Spencer puts it, "You can't buy fitness." 

The article below (courtesy of bonpabon) announces that the Digicel Haiti Foundation met its goal of building twenty primary schools in its first year of operation.   Digicel, as the largest foreign investor in the history of Haiti, prevents a compelling model for others to follow - a socially conscious corporation that provides a much needed product, employs a substantial number of local staff, and funnels some of its its profits into education projects.  It makes sense for Digicel who will need educated employees as it grows and it makes sense for Haiti where long term development will depend on education.

A colleague sent me a transcript of Congressional testimony by Dr. Johanna Mendelson Forman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies here in Washington DC.  The testimony gives an overview of how a biofuel economy could reduce poverty, promote energy independence, and ultimately contribute to stability in Haiti.  A transcript is attached to the blog.

The Hospital Albert Schweitzer (HAS), located in the heart of the Artibonite Valley in the town of Deschapelles, is one of the largest in Haiti.  In all, it has a staff of approximately 900 who focus on an integrated approach of providing health care, community health services, and development activities within its catchment area (and often to people from outside the catchment area who travel to HAS for treatment.)  The HAS is as indispensable to the Aribonite Valley as the Cange hospital is to the Central Plateau. 

The First Lady recently visited Haiti (read: Port au Prince), visting the well known GHESKIO (Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Other Opportunisting Infections) Center as well as a school, education being one of her personal priorities.  The last visit by a first lady to Haiti was by Hillary Clinton in 1998.  Politics aside, this is a sign of progress.  You can more about the visit in the New York Times. 

Is water a right, a commodity, or both?  Perhaps the better question would be whether clean water is a right - considering that 1 billion people live without access to water that is safe.  Water sustains life, but shortages bring about desperation, disease, and conflict all of which fuel poverty.  It doesn't have to be this way.  World Water Day is coming up and presents a good opportunity for us to redouble our efforts to ensure that even the poorest of the poor have access to enough safe, drinkable water.

Haiti is a beautiful anomaly at the heart of the crossroads formed by Africa, North America, Latin America, and Europe.  Michelene Quay, Director  of "Eat, This Is My Body", took first prize for at the Miami International Film Festival.  She notes that Haiti's very existence confounds the notion of what Latin America is.  Above all, Haiti is unique and its art, music, and film reflect this. You can view the trailer here.

Haiti is not known for the quality of its educational system.  However, the country has a handfull of top notch institutions educating and training a new generation of community leaders.  These institutions can be expanded and replicated for the betterment of andeyo Haiti. One of the best examples is Fondwa, a rural University with a strong emphasis on service learning.

According to the Brookings Institution, "Threats to international peace and security often come from the world’s weakest states. Such countries can fall prey to and spawn a host of transnational security threats, including terrorism, weapons proliferation, organized crime, infectious disease, environmental degradation, and civil conflicts that spill over borders."  The Index of State Weakness in the Developing World ranks 141 developing nations, including Haiti, according to economic, political, security and social welfare.   It is interesting to glance at, but how useful is it?

The Jolivert Safe Water System developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Pan American Health Organization is a successful example of a community-based clean water program. CDC partnered with Missions of Love Clinic in Jolivert and Deep Springs International to treat water using a hypochlorite solution in a safe container at home. The program employs local Haitians to produce and distribute the solution, while providing community education on healthy water and sanitation practices.