Ganthier - Haiti Observer Blog

Had the project of the National Police Academy in Ganthier been completed as per schedule, it could have played a significant role in the public security and peace building in the country. The project was initiated by Canada in 2008 and it was included in the five year program (2006-2011) of the Canadian International Development Agency or CIDA. The Honorable Beverley J. Oda, the Minister of International Cooperation at the time, announced that the Canadian International Development Agency will contribute a maximum amount of US$ 16,949,038 (CAN$ 18,100,000) to the construction project. Alongside the construction project, on April 8, 2010, Canada also committed CAN$16.5 million to the initial training and professional development of the Haitian National Police (HNP) senior officers so that they become more capable of ensuring the safety of the Haitian people.

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The role of Haitian Prime Minister, as that of Haitian President or any other minister of parliament or politician in the country is one laced with controversy and insecurity. There have been 17 prime ministers for the country since the post's inception in 1988, all with an average shelf life of just more than a year. To tell the story well we must start at the beginning, with Haiti's first selected Prime Minister, Martial Lavaud Célestin.

Célestin was born in Ganthier on October 4, 1913. He studied economics and the law at the Paris Faculty of Law and began his profession, as a lawyer at the ripe old age of 23. He would take his considerable learning into the diplomatic field by 1950, when he was given the post of assistant to the Foreign Affairs Department and, six years later, to the Secretary General.

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Tourism has been on a substantial descent over the last 20 years. But one series of events, the Fête champêtre, continues to give hope to a struggling industry as tourists, local, from the Diaspora, and international, flock Haiti to witness the countryside festival.

One of the main avenues for entertainment to the 18th century elite, a Fête champêtre (a country feast or pastoral festival) was a type of garden party much loved at court. With pretensions to simplicity, the Fête champêtre was patronized by the well dressed, entertained by musicians hidden in the trees, as they enjoyed the beauty of landscaped park.

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If there is one place in Haiti where tourists may want to visit, it can be the town of Ganthier in the Arrondissement of Croix-des-Bouquets. The town has a lot of great stuff to offer to tourists. It is known for the production of Haiti arts such as crafts, handiworks and others. There is actually a tourist shop where people can buy souvenirs. Tourists are also fond of Ganthier's environs, as well as the l'étang Saumâtre located near by.

In addition to the regular tourists flocking the city are the pilgrims who arrive every year. Thousands of natives and pilgrims come to Ganthier to visit a holy site called the Calvaire Miracle. Most of the pilgrims are Catholic and Voodoo followers who pray and wish to get rid of their problems and start a new life. In order to signify the challenges and burden they carry, the pilgrims hold stones over their heads.

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