Photos

Effective January 1, 2014Haiti's minimum wage will jump up 12 percent, from 4.65 to 5.23 dollars per day. This decision however raised some red flags. The biggest problem with the raise is that it will not affect more than 30,000 people who work as assembly factory workers. This decision was met with public protest in Haiti as hundreds of workers in assembly industries demonstrated in several streets of Port-au-Prince to demand 500 gourdes as minimum wage.

They reject the recommended minimum wage of 225 gourdes minimum daily wage for the sector. They said that the minimum wage is insufficient for them to live on. One week prior to this protest, the Collective of Textile Factory Unions federation (KOSIT) was able to mobilize the people for 500-gourde wage.

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Here is a picture quite memorable, the historic handshake between Barack Obama and Raul Castro.

This day is historic in many ways: one it is the day of the funeral for one of the greatest leaders in world, Nelson Mandela. It is also the day so many leaders in the world are gathered in one place. However, one of the events that will be in the news media for a while is this historical handshake. Is this the handshake that finally mark the end of the cold war?

I think Raul Castro was as surprised as the next person to the unexpected gesture of President Barack Obama. He smiled when Barack Obama shook hands on his way to the podium at the Soccer City Stadium of Johannesburg

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Here is a picture of Jean Bertrand Aristide. For the funeral of Nelson Mandela that took place in December 2013, the Haitian president Michel Martelly along with several members of his cabinet went to South Africa to participate in that extraordinary event.

The government of Martelly-Lamothe received some critics however for not inviting the former Haitian president Jean Bertrand Aristide to accompany him at the funeral.

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Mon cher sa ki fe ke mwe di sa se paske nan wikend sa mwen tande yon bri kap kouri ke premye Minis Ayisyen-an pa Ayisyen

Moun yo di ke li se yon chilien. Mesanmy, Ayisyen se yon pep ki pale tout bon oui.

Le ke you vle yo di ke prezidan an se Italien, Amerikin. Opozisyon an di ke Matelly gin tout nasyonalite, excepte ke Ayisyen

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Martissant is a densely populated area near the center of Port-au-Prince connected by two main busy roads. It is a place where open space is very scarce. A park is truly an out of the world serene social space. Following a proposal from Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty (FOKAL) in June 2007, a presidential decree freed 15 acres land from four estates for public use as 'Martissant Park'. These four estates where the development for the park is under process since February 2008 are Dunham, Mangonès, Pauline and Leclerc. A surrounding buffer zone has also been decreed. The project has started with a mission to maintain historical heritage, Haitian flora and creation of exceptional natural environment. It will have arrangements to host many cultural, research and training programs.

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The work of watershed management in the Morne Hospital area has been completed on August 2, 2013. Even a slightest rain, especially in the slopping alluvial areas near the Morne Hospital and many other parts of Port-au-Prince, used to stall the normal lives of local people. The project has bestowed many additional benefits over its primary objective of flood management. The project under the sponsorship of Community Violence Reduction (CVR) for US$178,634 has created jobs for 1345 people at 220 workers per rotation. Further, it reduced community violence, increased concern for the environment, improved health condition and strengthens the drainage system of the city. The banks and thresholds were constructed with dry walls as a measure for allowing rainwater sip through the wall and reduce the risks of future landslide. Vetiver seeding used in the process further solidified the walls. All constructions have been banned and the area has been announced as the state-approved zone. . The area will be reforested with useful plants like bamboo, mango and avocado.

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On November 19, 2013, President Michel Martelly inaugurated the largest sports complex in Haiti at Ouanaminthe. While visiting this North Eastern border town he was accompanied by some ministers of the state and senior government officials. The sports complex meets every aspect of customary standards and includes a football field with seating capacity of 500. There is space for basketball court, a mixed area for volleyball and tennis, administrative offices, physical training facilities and cloak room. While inaugurating, the Head of the State talked about the potentials of the area and mentioned if you have enough determination, land and resources, it is nothing difficult to develop a well-built community.

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Even the most optimists were not so confident on the success of Fair Trade Café when it was first opened seven months ago. The sale is continuously beating every past record. Haitian coffee is always a wonderful product, over a long period, it simply needed a proper outlets. Increase in sale at Fair Trade Café means more wages to the poor hardworking men and women in Haiti farms. Fair Trade Café in unison with 'Singing Rooster' is offering on-ground assistance and partnership with the coffee harvesters and making direct sale to the buyers.

Fair Trade Café is a division of 'Lifecoast Church' which has presence in Haiti through 'Trades of Hope'. Greg Schnepf, the café manager has said the café should not be viewed as a Christian coffee shop; we are here for the welfare of Haitian community. We welcome everybody and hope they see the love of Christ through our actions.

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The Haitian President Michel Martelly has expressed his endorsement and support behind ECCO2 Corporation's program for launching clean-tech projects with Haitian government. ECCO2 will offer patents of technologies that will reduce carbon emission throughout the Republic of Haiti. Haiti is a member of Kyoto Protocol since 2005 and as per current estimate, the country emits carbon footprint of 10 million metric tons per year. The assistance under ECCO2 program is expected to reduce the present emission by 80 million metric tons over the next ten years. This emission reduction will earn Certified Emission Reduction Credits (CERs) worth about $1.5 billion. This CER earned will be sold among investment banks and trading firms to finance ECCO2 Haiti Foundation programs on economic development in Haiti. The Head of the State hopes this good attempt will bring in many positive changes towards economic recovery in the country.

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Cheryl Little is the Executive Director of Americans for Immigrant Justice. She recently received the David Lawrence Champion for Children Award.

As a children's advocate, she began at Haitian Refugee Center in 1985, her report Haitian Children Awaiting Visas, aiding almost 200 children's return to their families.

David Lawrence said Little was deserving of the award because she has gone up against the system repeatedly to procure for Haitian youth the same opportunities as American citizens.

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