©InfoWhen Etienne’s house collapsed during the Haiti earthquake he lost everything, including his way of making a living as a tailor – his sewing machine, his fabrics and supplies – and many of his clients. Sitting in his tarpaulin-plywood shelter, he says: “After the earthquake I had to begin from zero.”
Etienne now lives alone in the La Piste camp in Port-au-Prince. He says: “I couldn’t support my children so I sent them to Cap-Haitien, where I originally come from. Their mother died a long time ago, so they are now living with my sister. My dream is to go back to Cap-Haitien and join them.
“All my family is there now, and I am alone here. I want to spend my last days with my family, but I can’t go with empty hands and saving money here is impossible. The little money that I make from my job as a tailor goes on food, and when I can I send some to my children. There is nothing left over.”
Community spirited
Etienne is an active community leader in the camp, a job that he does voluntarily. He looks after the maintenance of the Red Cross toilets in his part of the camp, has regular meetings with the British Red Cross and other community leaders across the camp, and has even participated in the weekly Red Cross radio show to discuss life in the camp.
Etienne explains: “I do a lot of work for the community, organised by the Red Cross. Sometimes it is not easy work, like lugging around a heavy chlorine sprayer to disinfect houses where there have been cases of cholera, or to kill mosquitos.”
When asked why he has taken on this role Etienne says: “I am a human being and I am a Haitian. This is my community. We have to all come together if we are going to survive. I am alone, so I have to do something – I have to keep active.”
Keeping busy
©InfoEtienne always finds the energy to help in his community. He says: “I am a paysan, a country man. My parents raised me to work hard. I’ve had to be strong, and I’ve had to be active. I raised my children since their mother died. I’ve had to fight for survival, and I’m not going to stop now, just because I lost everything.”
Etienne is an experienced tailor, but his present living conditions prevent him from making the most of his skills. He says: “It’s hard to make a living now because I don’t have money to buy fabric. I used to make beautiful outfits but now I am only able to do repairs or make things when people bring me the fabric themselves. I could only afford an old sewing machine after the earthquake, and it does not work very well.
“Thanks to the British Red Cross I’ve been able to start again. They have given me so much moral support. Working with the British Red Cross for my community gives me something to do, especially because I am alone. If people get bored they can have a lot of psychological problems, but I know how to handle the stress, and that is why I keep busy.”
Improved living
When asked about his living conditions, Etienne replies: “I’m lucky enough to have a shelter that was reinforced with plywood by the Red Cross, so it is safer than many. Although sometimes it leaks.
“We just carried out a large distribution of mosquito nets with the British Red Cross, and now I can sleep a lot better because they are not biting me all night long. I am worried about what will happen to me if I get sick, it would be very complicated for me.”
Finally, Etienne adds, “I love the British Red Cross because they have done so much for us here in the camp. If it weren’t for them we would have nothing at all. I can’t complain about anything they have done. As long as the Red Cross is here, I will be here. I will always be available to help.”
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