Thousands died and riots broke out across Haiti as cholera raced through the population. In one area, burning barricades littered the streets and blocked the road to the hospital. Rosedanie Cadet watched as the chaos unfolded. She asked people to help her move the mattresses and other objects set aflame, but only one person would assist her.
“It was a horrible time,” she said. “I went back to the house in tears.”
Later, she went online and talked to an Orcas Island friend, who told her that another islander had been standing outside of Island Market collecting money to buy water filtration systems for Haiti, the Caribbean nation. Someone else was working on gathering supplies. Another friend sent her a book of poetry, so Cadet could see something pleasant because nothing was pleasant in Haiti.
“You don’t know how important, how rejuvenating and inspiring it is was to have a place like Orcas, to be held in the cradle of warmth,” Cadet said. “There are moments when you have to step off that ledge, and have that sensation of stepping off into the unknown. I have made those steps and each time the net appeared.”
After being gone from her country for 32 years, Cadet visited her homeland in 2010 just three weeks before Haiti was devastated by the 7.0 earthquake that left more than 300,000 residents dead. In the following months, 6,000 died of cholera.
Her family survived but their house was destroyed and Cadet’s life was irrevocably changed. She eventually founded Helping Hands Noramise, in the northern town of Limbe, which provides social and developmental programs for income, pride and social activism. Cadet said it’s not a charity program – everyone must volunteer to receive the benefits like education, fresh food from their garden or chlorine for water purification.
She makes it clear that they provide development work, not disaster relief. The organization is not attempting to put a band-aid on those in need, but rather help provide long-term sustainable projects.
Since the earthquake she has made frequent trips to her island homeland and has often traveled with other Orcas residents.
But it has been a year since her last trip. For months she has been living in fear that she won’t have her green card renewed, or that she might be deported. She began censoring herself from signing petitions criticizing the U.S. government.
She is a U.S. resident, not a citizen, and in early 2011 she almost faced deportation when Immigration and Naturalization Services decided to look into any non-citizens with a record, said Cadet, who was arrested as a young person for a “stupid mistake.” She found a lawyer and was able to fight her case, but her sense of security has been altered. She is waiting to see if her green card will be renewed, but she has decided to go back to Haiti anyway and if she loses her card, so be it.
The experience has made Cadet more understanding of what Haitians go through on a daily basis. In the past she was often frustrated that residents of Haiti have not risen up against the corruption of the government. But she also understands what Haitians face: brutality or often apathy from local government and police.
“I can’t keep quiet, I have to speak out and if they take my green card I’ll take my chances,” Cadet said. “I can’t ask Haitians to do things I wouldn’t do, I can’t go home and ask people to demand their rights, when I am not.”
In some ways, her immigration troubles have further united her with her native country, which she left at the age of 10.
“Sometimes I just want to put my head under the covers and not come out,” she said. “I understand both sides, but there are some things I don’t understand.”
As a child in Haiti, she was taught civic responsibility, but that is no longer taught to Haitian kids, and in some ways, she said that has created corruption because the population is not educated to hold the government responsible.
Other problems in Haiti come from outside forces. Before the earthquake, she saw projects that were abandoned for lack of funds, or because a nonprofit left the country and didn’t leave anyone behind who was properly trained. One German nonprofit abandoned a windmill project and the broken windmills are still there, left like corpses to rot away. The Haitians do nothing because there is no feeling of ownership, Cadet said.
That is why Helping Hands Noramise’s philosophy is to work on existing projects that Haitians already support, but don’t have adequate funds.
“We believe it’s not up to us what they should be doing, but to find what their needs are and allow them to fail or succeed and if they fail they learn from that,” Cadet said.
For her upcoming trip in April, Cadet will stay in Haiti for three months so that she has more face time with people working on projects. In Haitian culture, people often feel slighted if they are not worked with directly. In her absence some programs have lost momentum, but there has been progress too, like last summer’s two-week English class.
The organization has a building in the center of town, and Cadet said their backyard garden has had amazing growth. The garden is not only a way to feed people, but offers a model for Haitians to grow their own personal gardens, and is an opportunity to teach people about seeds and seed saving practices.
The garden also helps to cope with stress.
“To see something grow is therapeutic. Haitians have seen so many examples of failure, that they often give up. Like a storm comes in and the rains come and they may lose their first crop, but when they do get a successful crop it makes you feel better,” said Cadet. “Anything you work for makes you feel better about yourself because there is pride. And with gardening you are using your body and then you are eating to feed your body.”
Future projects
Orcas resident, Gwen Stamm has donated the profits from “gleaned fruit” jam for an oven and other supplies for a jam making endeavor in Haiti. There is a group of twenty women who have already been producing jams with seasonal fruit like grapefruit and guava in Limbe, but Cadet said their treasurer stole all their funds.
Cadet added that corruption is nothing new in Haiti. “There was corruption before the earthquake and there continues to be corruption,” she said.
Another Helping Hands Noramise endeavor is to build a tilapia pond to add protein to the Haitian diet. It will also serve as a model to help others implement similar aqua culture projects in their own backyards. These fish can serve as another crop that farmers can depend on in case their other crop fails.
Over the last year, Cadet has racked up $2,000 worth of phone calls to Haiti — to offset those costs her organization is planning to set up an internet cafe in the fall, so she can communicate with people in Limbe online. Four laptops have already been donated by Orcas Island residents.
The level of communication the internet provides empowers people who are cut off from the rest of the world.
“The mind plays tricks on you when you are inside that bubble and all you know is all you see,” Cadet said.
Another way to give Haitians a view into the outside world is by forming relationships with Americans.
Two summers ago, a group of Orcas High School students visited Haiti with Cadet. She would like to see a relationship continue to grow between youths in both countries.
She wants Orcas students to be able to tell Haitians that a better way does exist and can be achieved. Americans students also get the benefit of understanding that a little bit can make a difference, and it provides them a broader perspective, which will prepare for them for the world.
For Cadet, having the Orcas community involved has made her work possible.
“I want to thank the community,” she said. “They really have made a huge difference in helping me to continue this work.”
To get involved, attend the Orcas Horns Renaissance-themed dance party, March 31, where the Kitchen will prepare locally grown organic food and proceeds will be donated to Helping Hands Noramise. There are also donation envelopes at the Kitchen or you can donate at www.noramise.org.
