EVERY Haitian, Born in the Dyaspora Needs a R.A.R.A experience.

EVERY Haitian, Born in the Dyaspora Needs a R.A.R.A Experience.

"What does R.A.R.A mean?", many of you will ask. Well, first I will have to tell you my story. I am a first generation Haitian born in America (United States). My parents immigrated to the US from Haiti during on of the many mass exits throughout Haitian history. Some time in the early eighties they settled in South Florida. I was born in eighty-five (85) and my sister in eighty-eight (88) . Not too long after that both of our lives would change completely. My mother passed sometime in eighty-nine (89) while receiving treatment in Haiti for an illness and I never saw her again. I was in my early years when my father relinquished his parental rights to a family friend, his reasons I will never know but I reached a point of forgiveness. My upbringing was challenging but through my trials and tribulations I was equipped with useful tools to survive and adapt.

I grew up as a Haitian-American, in the maze of South Florida. I had most of the experiences most Haitians living in the dyaspora have, being raised in a Haitian household. Attending the Haitian church(es), marriages, parties, and funerals to name a few. Even though I was having all these first person Haitian experiences, I still felt a deep void somewhere inside of me. I couldn't explain what I was going through, feeling inauthentic or inorganic because I was so disconnected from Haiti and did not have anyone to keep me rooted. From elementary, middle, high school and college I knew I was Haitian and every chance I got I represented my colors and flag. Even after I joined the US. Army I still represented for the culture. As a Haitian-American, I repped both side of the coin and didn't or couldn’t really tell the difference. When I was deployed to Iraq in 2009, I had a life changing experience that would reshape me as I am today, embarking on a new journey. On January 12, 2010, after coming back from a night flight mission as a door-gunner on a CH47 (Chinook) helicopter, I was informed that a devastating Earthquake had just struck Haiti. I went into disbelief and shock at what I was seeing. That day was a tough one but the following weeks I could feel a shift within my soul and Haiti was driving that revelation.

For the first time in my life I felt something that I had never experience prior. I was questioning my position in life and why Haiti wasn't in my plans. For the next few weeks I was in research mode. I was enlightened as I was peeling back the layers of blockage and indoctrination about me and my history. I was on amazon ordering books about Haiti and the Haitian Revolution on my new kindle device. The very first book I read front to back in like three days was "The Black Jocabins". This book sparked a fire and pride within me I never had before. I was rediscovering my identity, gaining my footing with every flip of the pages. By the time I finished the book, I was charged up and ready to do more research to uncover more history and separating truths from the misconceptions I've heard growing up. This journey of discovery really awakened me, bringing a certain level of profound awareness, that I didn't know I needed in my life. I found where I belonged and what is also part of my inheritance. Haiti is part of our inheritance by the grace of our bravest and noble ancestors. Without knowing where I came from, there's no way I could find my way through the maze of life, with a sound mind. Now, that I found my calling, I had a sense of purpose, a new mission emerged from the depths of my inner being. The ancestors had finally reached me and I was ready to oblige faithfully.

During my last few months in the deserts of Iraq, I was on a dual mission. I was fulfilling my duties as an American soldier but I was also planning my next move with a new found Haitian "consciousness". Once I got back to the states and planning my vacation, I booked a trip to Haiti for ten (10) days. Before I left Iraq I was in connection with family in Haiti. I started building a relationship with one of my brother that I was in contact with. We maintained a good line of communication and went through a phase of renewal, making amends for things unbeknownst to us and most importantly, it was a moment of reconciliation between us. Our father wasn't one of the ones to be proud of, for I never knew him or had any communication with him up to that point, so in my eyes me and my brother bypassed him and reconnected. I feel we were negating and rewrite what our father failed to do for the family. Building that relationship played a vital role in paving a walk-able path together.

We built a good relationship. That connection was my bridge back home for I wasn't alone any more. I built my bridge on solid foundation by reconnecting to the roots. I took my first trip as an adult to Haiti in May 2010, four (4) months after the Earthquake that rocked the small island into catastrophic coma. I flew into Port-au-Prince, Toussaint L'Ouverture Airport. I stepped off that plane and felt something that words could never explain wholly. As I walked on the tarmac and starred down and up the mountain sides of P-a-P I felt an energy wave come upon me, welcoming me home with open arms. For the first time in my whole life I felt like I was finally home. I felt I was in a land where everyone could speak the same language: Kreyol. A unifying language, a codex in my honest opinion to tap into the vast energy of the ancestors.

Since my first visit to Haiti in 2010, I've been back 4 more times over the next 16 years and lord knows it would have been a yearly occurrence if I was able to. In 2013, I went for 15 days across 3 departments. At the end of 2020 during COVID, the whole family went for just over a month, spending Christmas and New Years in Haiti. I visited across 5 departments. In 2021, I made a quick 5 day trip and crossed 2 departments. My most recent trip was in 2024 by myself for over a whole month. I traveled across 8 departments and checking many locations and destinations off my bucket-list. Exploring Haiti is one of my most satisfying adventures. Throughout all of my excursions throughout Haiti, one thing is very clear, Haiti is behind on almost everything. Most Haitians are living in some primitive ways without access to many utilities and technologies that would help in daily life. This is where we need to make plenty of moves for advancement. Haiti is behind in modern development for majority of the population. While a small percentage of the population do enjoy modern services and have access to running water and other development, the rest are way behind the curve. This is where the Dyaspora comes in and play a major role in this development and advancing the way of life for a greater percentage of the country. From my observation alone, I can identify where I (we) can play a vital role participating in building a better Haiti for all Haitians across all sectors, from agriculture to education and healthcare to name a few.

In closing, Haiti will continue to suffer in ways that are very preventable if we in the Dyaspora continue to be disenfranchised and disconnected from our roots. We must honor our ancestors. We have a pivotal role to play and have an obligation to our fore-bearers in preserving our legacy and heritage. It's time for us to take the mantle, light the fire on all our torches and sharpen our minds, enforce our bodies and get to work and get rooted in the soil. Haiti Rises Prosperously and Beyond. LINYON SE FÓS NOU!!!!!