Photos

The Montreal Black Film Festival is honoring the contributions of American actor, Danny Glover. It is bestowing the 2013 Film Festival's Humanitarian Award on him.

Glover has made many films with some of America's most noted actors. An activist, Glover recently attended a rally in support of a transit workers' strike in California.

Another activist-actor, Josue Lajeunesse, featured in "The Philosopher Kings", has been recognized for his philanthropic work to better living standards of fellow Haitians.

Permalink | Comments

Grand Goâve Projects to Improve Lives

Grand Goâve has been a victim of government corruption, as well as coup d'etats, leaving the town with ballooning inflation, no investments, and a trade shortage.

Hungry for Life has been developing projects to improve its infrastructure. Four are in the planning stages:

• Well Water Project will install ten wells in Grand Goâve.
• Goat Farm Project will use goat milk to produce cheese.
• Medical Clinic Project will provide healthcare services.
• JANE Project will address sexual assault issues to educate at-risk women.

Permalink | Comments

Mini-Jazz innovator Tony Moïse's sudden death from heart problems has stunned the Haitian government. Culture Minister Darguste said Moïse's passing leaves a void in Compás music.

Moïse studied classical music at Petion Louverture and became a student of Gerard Alvarez, who taught him musicianship.

Moïse learned both guitar and saxophone, and was instrumental in the Mini-Jazz movement of the 60s and 70s. He co-founded the group Shleu-Shleu and released nearly three dozen recordings in almost four decades.

Permalink | Comments

Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the Father of Haitian independence was born in Grande-Rivière-du-Nord

Grande-Rivière-du-Nord is the place where Haiti's slave rebellion began, and it was the site of Grade Rivière du Nord Battle.

During U.S. Occupation between 1915-1934, a rebellion was led by resistance fighter Charlemagne Peralte.

The town contains many attributes. It possesses virgin forestland, produces clean mountain-spring drinking water, and participates in agricultural production.

But its infrastructure is not completely developed with bad roads, and absence of an airport. Projects for the town's urbanization are currently in the works.

Permalink | Comments

Grande-Rivière-du-Nord is the principal city of the eponymous arrondissement. Its name derives from the Grande Nord River.

Its population numbers 50,700 residents. Six neighborhoods comprise Grande Rivière: Grande Gilles, Solon, Caracol, Gambade, Jolitrou, and Cormiers. Mountains encircle the town and it farms coffee, cocoa, and tropical fruits and mines zinc, lead, copper, and silver.

An undeveloped infrastructure contains un-paved roadways and no airport. But projects are addressing these issues.

Permalink | Comments

Here is a picture of former Haitian President Tiresias Simon Sam who was born in Grand Riviere du Nord

Grand Riviere-du-Nord is situated in an historical region of the country. It is a short distance from the colonial city of Cap Haitien and the Citadel Laferriere, a military landmark.

Grand Riviere also contains the Gallifet Sugar Plantation, the most successful sugar farm in the colonial era. The plantation served as backdrop for the Haitian slave revolt, a ten-year war. A Voodoo invocation held on the plantation preceded the insurrection.

Today the city is experiencing resurgence through government projects designed to modernize the city.

Permalink | Comments

Grand-Riviere-du-Nord is a town of many outstanding features: virgin forestland, fresh mountain-spring water, abundant agricultural products, and an excellent private school.

But drawbacks exist in this paradisiacal spot. An erratic power supply, run-down water system, and lack of jobs creates infrastructure weakness.

The Haitian government is finally focusing on Grand Riviere, spending $4 million USD to modernize the town. But most of all it is creating jobs in the construction trades for young Haitians.

Permalink | Comments

Grand-Riviere-du-Nord is part of Haiti's Nord Department. Several notable facts distinguish Grand Rivière from other places in Haiti:

• It is one of few on the island that harbors many centenarians.
• The Haitian Rebellion began there courtesy of a Voodoo invocation.
• It has produced more presidents than elsewhere on the island.
• It has been a breeding ground for intelligentsia, in particular, Negritude Movement founder, Jean Price Mars.
• It has a private school rivaling elite European schools.
• It contains untouched forestlands.
• It delivers mountain-spring drinking water.

Permalink | Comments

This is a picture of the bridge of Grand-Goâve.

Grand-Goâve virtually collapsed from the 2010 earthquake. The international community responded with relief aid and participation in reconstruction projects.

But today Grand-Goâve faces gang and citizen violence. It has gotten so bad citizens fear leaving their homes.

Deputy Laporte held a town hall meeting to discuss the problem and develop an action plan to end the violence.

A number of plans are under discussion, and all that is needed is a consensus on which is the best one.

Permalink | Comments

Here is the town of Grand Goave in Haiti.

Grand-Goâve sustained severe damage from the 2010 earthquake. The international community rallied and sent aid relief, also participating in reconstruction work.

Currently Grand-Goâve is beset by citizen violence. A town hall meeting brought the community together to seek solutions. Many proposals have been floated to end the violence. They are under consideration, and further meetings will continue discussions for a plan of action. Deputy Laporte emphasized all factions of the community cooperate to find solutions.

Permalink | Comments