Slum - Haiti Observer Blog

According to a pastor working in the slum of Cite Soleil, more that 40 people have been reported dead as a result of recent violence there. The slum of Cite Soleil has once again become a dead trap for many as the pastor working in the town reported on Radio Kiskeya that recent violence has taken the lives of 40 people within the last 8 months

Many gangs in Haiti are usually based in slums like Cite Soleil where there are little opportunities for the residents and specially the young. They use their power and influence to recruit young people in the neighborhood and arm them with heavy weapons. The gang members are often involved in kidnappings, harassment and terror carried to the population to finance their operation.

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A psychedelic makeover of Jalousie slum in Haiti is under progress. This uninviting concrete block of homes lay on mountainside of the capital of Haiti. The makeover of this largest shantytown of Haiti covers two aspects - homage and art. The facades are being painted by workers in cream, lime, peach and purple. The inspiration for these colors comes from Prefete Duffaut's work "Cities-in-the-skies". Duffaut was a great Haitian painter who died in 2012.

The whole effort is given a name - 'Beauty versus Poverty: Jalousie in Colors'. The project will cost $1.4 million and this slum makeover is an attempt of government to relocate the people living in displacement camps that were a result of 2010 earthquake. The government plans to pick up some high-profile camps in the nation's capital and relocate them in places like Jalousie while paying rent for a whole year in form of subsidies for those residents. The government also plans in tidying up these areas by providing city services and aims towards building up a place that will be decent for living and people will be proud to be a part of the place.

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Haiti has been included in the list of kidnapping capitals in the world. Even if the country has recorded a decline in its kidnapping cases in the past, the number remains very high. Kidnappers in Haiti do not select victims based on their gender, age, nationality or race. As long as they have the opportunity to snatch someone, they will.

There are areas in Haiti that one must avoid due to security and safety concerns. Port-au-Prince, the country's capital, has a high crime rate. Slum areas in the capital, including Cite Soleil, Carrefour, Martissant, and the Delmas road area are hot spots for criminals. The same goes for urban route Nationale #1, the Boulevard Toussaint L'Ouverture and the American Road. Even public transportations are not safe because criminals, including kidnappers, can attack people in these areas.

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