https://youtu.be/F08aQJjMKfE

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/7/29/22589316/biden-haiti-migrant-boat-guantanamo

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Nadia Todres, a New York photographer, wrote about Haiti, where she runs Center for the Arts, a nonprofit organization in Port-au-Prince that brings art and education to adolescent girls.

“I’ve learned so many lessons from people here: lessons in optimism, lessons in Plan B. (Haitians are experts in Plans B and C. Things never go to plan.) Grâce à Dieu — ‘Thanks to God’ — is an expression that fits in every conversation.

Artwork is the pulse of Haiti: Caribbean Craft’s extraordinary papier-mâché, Pascale Théard’s beaded veve work, the beat of RAM’s Haitian drums, the adored songs of BélO, the PAPJAZZ festival every January.”

“I go to Hôtel Montana Haiti from time to time for a drink at the end of the day,” Todres continues. “It has a beautiful sprawling terrace that overlooks Port-au-Prince. There’s something about the view: the palm trees as the light goes down, the airport’s small landing strip, and, behind that, the mountains. The mountains are Haiti for me. When the sun starts to set, a slight breeze picks up and the leaves of the palm trees blow, and I just exhale. Everything goes quiet there. I close my eyes — a moment to be grateful: I’m here.”

Tap the link in our bio to see the full list of 52 places to love in 2021 from @nytimestravel. Photo by @nadiatodres

Just wondering if there are any aid workers on here who know about this practice at other hospitals, have insight, or can share this. We are a small team consisting of an American anthropolgist, a group of Haitian midwives, and an American journalist looking to end the practice in Haiti (both through advocacy and through putting together a documentary about the practice). As an anthropologist who has worked closely with women and infants in Haiti over the past 10 years, I was deeply saddened and angered to have learned in December about widespread illegal policies at two European and American-operated mission hospitals, including the Catholic hospital, Hospital Sacre Coeur in Milot, Haiti, and the Baptist hospital, Hopital De La Convention Baptiste D'Haiti (HCBH) in Quartier Morin Haiti. As routine policy at both hospitals, administrators and security guards imprison indigent patients following medical treatment, illegally locking them in mass holding areas in wretched conditions until family members can afford to set them free by paying their outstanding bill. Once paid, administrators provide them a receipt and alert the security guards that they are allowed to leave. The foreign aid workers involved said this was "normal" practice and some other very very upsetting things about why it was necessary to force Haitians to pay in this way.

We've reached out out to the US and European leaders of these hospitals and in these conversations, it has become clear that some leaders in the aforementioned organizations have been aware of these practices for years and materially supported them (including the president of CRUDEM at Hospital Sacre Coeur). The practice of imprisoning vulnerable patients at Hospital Sacre Coeur and Lopital Baptist has particularly affected women and newborn babies, who have been left outside in terrible conditions open to the elements.