A Fool In Haiti

Hello all,

Well this is day 5 of my trip to Haiti – but feels like day 2000. I was really hoping to update this blog a lot more regularly with the photos, pictures and videos I’ve been taking, but the Internet Cafe (where I am now) is far far far from Auban… When I first made contact with Mambo Paula about coming here, she spoke of Auban. Well of course I quickly ran to google maps to look up where I was going! But there was no Auban and so I guessed it must have been a typo. But having arrived, I can see why it has no google-maps presence. There’s just nothing there at all….

And yet there’s so much there! The wonderful people I’m staying with in this remote world have barely got food to eat at the moment, but all the wonderful donations I’ve brought along are going a long way. Mambo Paula and I are paying $US20 each per day to stay on this family’s property – for food and accomodation. That $US20 is going a real long way – we’re feeding 25 people with it…

I hope my mate Clive (brighton, happy birthday mate!!) gets to read this – he donated a tent which four boys are staying in just next to the large tent Paula and I share with 3 or 4 kids.

So much has happened – I don’t know where to start – maybe with the sadness….

I have been heartbroken On the day we arrived in Auban we were led to a woman who was trapped under the EarthQuake rubble for 3 days – with her five now deceased children.

What can I say to a woman like that? What would you say? her five kids were taken in the 55 second quake and she is oh I don’t know what to say… but it is hard not to cry when she walks by. Mambo Paula and I administered first aid and made her a sling for her broken arm… We’re giving her pain killers for it too but nothing can take away the pain from losing all five of your children… harsh … oh soo harsh….

She is one of 25(ish) people staying on this compound I’m on… It’s a pretty special affair – if there was a bit more variety of food it would be complete idyllic eco-village… fruit trees: mangoes, coconuts, and animals running free: chickens and goats… just not so many as to feed all the people there… We are doing our bit for them and we’re feeling pretty good about what we’re doing here… Manbo Paula doesn’t take compliments too well – when people tell her she’s amazing she goes a bit bashful, so if you’re a friend of hers reading this – be sure to tell her how amazing she truly is!

So much to say errrrrmmm the big daddy of the place we’re staying at, at first I thought his name was Papa Baz but since have learned that Papa Baz is a term of endearment, like “bro”, “mate”, “guv” or whatever you might have heard… From day one of arriving here, he’s been immersing me in the family vodou rituals practiced in the area. there will be a huge amount written on him when time permits!!

I imagine a few people reading this want to know about the vodou – there’s (at least) 2 types of Haitian Vodou – peristyle vodou and family vodou. If you’re a western occultist the nearest analogy to this distinction would be High Magic and Low Magic… But even that doesn’t do it justice… Peristyle Vodou has an element of grades, initiations, secrets and allegiances to houses. Family Vodou is much closer to the Earth and more accessible. I’ve been introduced to both in some quite dramatic beautiful fashions and I’m really blown away by their beauty and simplicity…

Let me compare some vodou with Western Paganism (but bear in mind I’m only 5 days in!!!) – there has been no circle-casting in Vodou at all whereas in the West, there is a definite focus on casting a circle at the start of performing a ritual… people haven’t changed clothes, or taken their shoes off or turned their mobiles off to go to rituals… (oh that reminds me! there’s no food here, but there’s a fuckload of mobile phones!!! hungry people calling each other up on the local cell network… crazy!) There is also a big prayer element to the ritual – praying to deity is a thing not done so often in the West, but it is a powerful part of what I’m getting into here… too much to write, and so little time…. lots of candles and flowing water.

Money for Spirituality is something I find really challenging – always have… But here it’s an every day part of the magic and ritual.. if someone casts a spell or does a ritual for you, they expect to be proper paid for it… I guess that goes some way to display how confident they are with their prayers and rituals – you want something, they gonna cast the prayer and it’s gonna come true! Definitely hard to wrap my head around at first but now, it makes so much sense… Well, if I’m still doing it in a few months time let that be an indication of the success of the prayers said for me – for money.

And let’s just say one more word on money, coz I do feel deeply drawn to the vodou and have read much about it over the years… I tried to get involved and invited a number of times but found a number of dead-ends for myself… I kind of kept an eye on that door and wondered if it would ever open… I felt the sense of power behind it… And then woosh, the door is flung open and I’m pulled through… And I feel really keen to support it and the people who practice vodou, partly for its wonder and beauty but also for the sheer fact that I absolutely value the right to complete religious freedom.. and with this in mind, I’m really glad to be shifting my money in that direction.

I’ve been taken to 4 or 5 peristyles and they are amazing. I wish I could upload some pics from here but I can not and have no time right now to go into a big description… HOpefully I will before too long…

Oh back to Papa Baz – named Labien – the big chief on our plot of land… an amazingly generous man like few I’ve met in my life… supporting a number (6 or 7????) orphans… half of which were orphans before the earth quake. and these young children have the most adorable smiles and eyes. They are wonderful and I hope to upload some vids of them singing soon. They are a bit lost and confused – suddenly no parents. they earth shook. wtf??? but such delight when they see that people are being kind to them.. having a giggle and a laugh and playing thumb wars… and drawing pictures… lots of picture of flowers. haven’t quite figured out why, but the kids draw flowers incessantly!

“1 2 3 4 I declare a thumb war” but in kreyol…

Labien is one of those people who just gives every single thing he gets away… He lives really close to spirit/la mystery – and trusts in it implicitly… So he seems to feel he can give everything away and it will just come straight back and you know, it seems to… He has opened up his land for these orphans and this crushed woman (and some other people) as a part of his family vodou. I hope this would be some massive inspiration for more of the world’s churches and temples to open up their grounds to home the needy! Labien is a great man…

And I really feel like I’m doing some great work here. Before I came I was distressed and asked Manbo Paula if she was sure I wouldn’t be a drain on an already hungry population… she assured me that just by being here and paying for my accommodation I would be doing good… I doubted her but am so glad I followed through… just by being here I am helping to keep 25 people in food and tents and tarps and medicines… I never before felt I could contribute so much to our planet before. It is going to be hard to leave when the time comes but I may stay a little bit longer just to help out just a little bit more… I’ll stay if 1 – I still feel I am doing good and 2 – if I am able to afford to stay on doing this… If you have donated – thank you so so so so so so much! you are literally saving lives and I’m seeing it first hand… More donations are still welcome if you feel drawn to and there is a link on http://www.afoolinhaiti.me.uk/sponsors/ if you would like to… I will hopefully soon upload pics and vids so I can show you where your money is going…

I have learnt about 50 kreyol words and hope to learn more in the coming few weeks… I’ll sign out for now though. There is some ritual to St Jacques tonight I am going to – Instead of a ritual dagger/athame – we use a Ritual Machete – AYIBOBO!!!

Love, Seani Fool

(ps – sorry, i haven’t proof-read this)