Help Aland Joseph's Family Relocate to Safety

Hello everyone,

My name is Vincent Joos. I am a cultural anthropologist who has worked in Haiti until 2019. I have not been able to go back since because of the violent situation in Port-au-Prince. My dear friend and research partner, Aland Joseph, his wife Rachele, and their two sons, Kaim (9) and Amadeo (6), presently live in the Debussy neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. Two months ago, armed members of a political group (what the media calls a "gang") took over his neighborhood. They terrorize local populations. Aland described how young people, sometimes kids who are no more than 12 years old, patrol the streets with machine guns, harass people, take their goods and money. Aland and his family saw other terrible things I will not describe here.

Aland is an art history teacher at Dessalines High School. His students love him: he's rigorous, knowledgeable, and has a contagious passion for Haitian art in particular. A year ago, he wrote his own art history textbook, with activities in Kreyol and long chapters on Haitian visual arts and architecture. But these past two months, he has not been able to go to work. Rachele, a bank teller, lost her job 19 months ago.

They all feel trapped in their small house. Fetching clean water and food is a dangerous task. Kaim and Amadeo cannot go to school or play with friends. Electricity is scarce, and they constantly fear stray bullets or a straight-up invasion of their house. This happened to them two years ago in Petionville. They relocated to a safer zone since then, thanks to the last fundraiser - many of you contributed to it!

I need your help to help Aland as best as I can. Aland and his family will relocate in Plèn dinò (Plaine-du-Nord), next to Cap Haitian. They found a house that they can rent for $2500 a year (in Haiti, you pay rentals by the year). With the rest of the money, they will restart their lives in a quiet town: they will need money to send the kids to school, to buy basic supplies and food, to move around hunting for jobs. Any donations will be really appreciated.

We thank you in advance for your help. If you know of any organization that hires people in northern Haiti or if you can put them in relation with people you know there, please contact me. Aland and Rachele are smart, talented people. Their children crave a good education and long for a normal life. Our community can contribute to it!