VoicesfromHaïti ~ Nou bèl. E Nou La.

There are countless recipes for Haitian Pumpkin soup. Each household uses only the ingredients it can afford. Some recipes call for beef, others call for goat meat. If you are a vegetarian, don’t think your soup will be lacking without it.

If you are allergic to celery or turnip, the earth will not stop spinning if you omit those.  I know some ladies in Haiti who can make this soup with just a couple of ingredients. Pumpkin Soup is about celebrating freedom and your right to be as creative as you wish.

Every version of Independence Day Soup is colorful and hearty and delicious. If I can make a decent pot of soup, an ant can do the same.  Check out the video below, and have fun creating your version of Freedom.

Happy New Year to everyone who visits VoicesfromHaiti.com! Come back soon.

The old maxim “We are ugly, but we are here” is buried under the rubble caused by 2010’s super quake.  Nou pa lèd. We are not ugly, and we’ve only begun to “be here.”

Madame E., a food vendor in Fermathe, speaks about her one wish for the country she loves.

“Our people will band together in prayer. We will work together. We will gather around one table, and celebrate our country. Together.”

 

Meet Leonie Hermantin of the Lambi Fund.  She is a sister, a mother, an aunt, a daughter: “These strong women in my life have shaped me into who I am today. In a sense, they are my launching pad.”

Leonie works tirelessly to support those in Haiti’s countryside to pull themselves out of poverty. She has always been part of the solution.

The following Lambi Fund video–on the subject of reforestation–is one of many on their website. Visit them often.

VoicesfromHaiti.com had an opportunity to speak with Ms. Hermantin. Read the InnerView. Be inspired.

 

 

One life. One love. Ankouraje!

-kdu

Wilbert Patrick Lafrance is a kitchen poet, a basement and attic poet’; a ‘don’t tell anyone I wrote this” poet.

On the subject of a KONBIT, read below what Wilbert Patrick Lafrance has to say.

This would be a cool time to work on your Haitian Kreyol, wi?

Happy reading! I’ve got to go deal with the unexpected. Wish me luck. Wish my Grandmother well.

Yon Ti Lide Sou Konbit

written by Wilbert Patrick Lafrance

Gen anpil mo yo sèvi pou jwenn yon esplikasyon pou gwo mo de silab yo rele konbit la: Yo rele-l tèt kole, kole zèpòl, men kontre; men  li se tou chwal politichen rat do kale ak gouvelman san manman ki sèvi ak li pou regle zafè yo. Gen lòt moun tou ki ale pi lwen jouk nan drapo nou pou rele konbit“l’union fait la force.”

Tout non sa yo gen anpil valè, men yo pa ase pou esplike konbit tankou yon felomen sosyal. Nou rete kwè moun ki nan zafè lang nan peyi a (languist) gentan depase deba sa

Konbit se yon fòm “koperativ travay” ki gen sous li nan Afrik west, espesyalman nan peyi Dahomey ak Cameroun kote travay latè te jwe yon wòl enpòtan nan ekonomi peyi sa yo. Konsa, lide tèt ansanm tou fè chimen pou rezoud kek pwoblem nan sosyete sa yo tou.
Apre komès moun nan yon sans te fi-n kaba nan karayib la, anpil pèp afro karayibeyen te tounen fermier ak kiltivatè, yo te vi-n rapouswiv ak menm tradisyon “travay troke” nou ta ka rele tou: Banm m-a ba-w, ki pran diferan non ak fòm selon peyi osinon zòn kote y-ap pratike-l la.

Kidonk anpil sosyete gen fòm “koperativ travay” pa yo. Bò lakay pa nou yo rele-l konbit, kote yon manm kominote a bezwen koudmen pou yon travay tankou: plante osinon sekle yon gwo jaden. Li mande yon chef eskwad kout men (ki se yon moun yo fè konfyans, enpi yo konnen tou nan zòn nan) pou mete tout moun ansanm sou fòm gwoupman pou travay la ka rive fèt.

Yon lòt bò moun sa ki jwenn sèvis la osinon koudmen an reskonsab pou li bay manje ak bwè. Nan okazyon sa, chef eskwad lan ak asosye-l pran kontwòl yon gwoupman kiltirèl anndan konbit la ki rasanble zouti tankou: fè, souflèt tanbou, lanbi enpitou yon moun espesyal pou chante yo rele Chantr ap chofe rmoun k-ap travay yo. Anvan ou bat je ou travay la gentan fi-n fèt.

Fòk nou di tou valè yon konbit pa senpman rete nan plante ak sekle latè.
Ou jwenn konbit la nan tout moman nan lavi kominote a kote leta toujou bay demisyon.

Sitirasyon maladi ak lanmò kote yo bezwen konsèy ak men fò. Gid moral k-ap denonse pratik grenn sal ki pa nan interè kominote a, elatriye…

Tradisyon konbit la nan peyi tankou:
jamayik yo rele-l: day work, ak digging
Nan Tobago:  land hand
Nan Trinidad, li se Gayap
Enpi bò kote pa noun Ayiti, yo rele tèt ansanm sa, osinon “koperativ travay” sa “konbit” Geyograf Ayisyen Kanadyen yo rele Georges Anglade nan liv li ki rele l’espas Haitien rezève yon ti plas sou kesyon konbit la (Le coumbitisme)
Nan menm sans sa gwo powèt, Romansye, Kominis Ayisyen Jacques Roumain nan ane 1944 yo te ekri yon kokenn chenn roman ki rele“Gouverneurs de la Rosee” toujou gen yon plas enpòtan nan literati pèp karayibeyen ak Amerik Latin.

Nan roman sa, Jacques Roumain montre kouman tradisyon konbit se yon gwo zouti mobilizasyon ak yon sous inite pou moun k-ap viv Nan seksyon riral yo an ayiti.

Se yon roman jenerasyon jounen jodi a kontinye ap aprann nan inivèsite kou nan sal teyat nan karayib, Amerik latin ak ewòp.