Cite Soleil, my experience

During the first year of Operation Hope obtaining its legal status in January 1997, I decided to work  in a community fear by many known as “Cite Soleil”  and often referred to as the largest slam in the western hemisphere.  It was a surprise to me to realize that right here, at the welcome shore of our nation Capital, over flown daily by commercial, military and private airplanes, men, women and children were living in such unhealthy conditions, without basic sanitation, potable water and shelter, oblivious to all.  It was then I also realized why this community was easily and often manipulated by the government.  However, beyond all of this, if anyone could take the time to live one day in these people’s life, they would soon come to grips with how beautiful, jovial and kind they are. Their only blunder is their striking poverty which is nothing in comparison to the unutterable conditions they are living. 

By the year 2004, political uprisings shocked the nation and “Cite Soleil” once again became the international focus with armed gang activities that made it an area most terrified by all and more than ever stigmatized.   It was a time I should have stayed away but chose not to.  I wanted to know the truth about the people of Cite Soleil.  Was it the 300,000 inhabitants living there or was it a small number of a hand full of fearful criminals to be apprehensive of?  I had to de-stigmatize this community, the image and the reports had a devastating effect on the country that I could not continue to bear.