Hope For Haiti by Jesse Joshua Watson

Watch!

2011-07-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

Watch this short film and pass it along!

Then visit the campaign website, here.

2011-04-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

Join me in supporting the children in Haiti through the non profit organization,

ON MY MIND Foundation!

Providing Hope to Children Through Playful Learning

Mission Statement: Our mission is to fight despair and illiteracy in children through playful and alternative learning in areas of need around the world.

Purpose Statement: ON MY MIND Foundation deploys a simple yet globally replicable program that clearly demonstrates the IMPACT of imaginative education on the real lives of children struggling for survival against all odds.

Our Tactics

ON MY MIND Foundation provides in-kind support and financial resources to teachers, called F.I.R.E. Starters™ and schools dedicated to alternative education.
We are committed to creating a world-wide inventory of replicable models in “field-adapted” educational curriculum and to providing regular reports to the public via multi-media channels on our successes and challenges.
OMM instructors, F.I.R.E. Starters, teach in accord with the core philosophy of the OMM Foundation, restoring play and hope in broken children by focusing on fun through literacy, music, arts, and athletics.
Current programs are being developed in Haiti with expansion in other countries expected in 2012.

For more information visit http://onmymindfoundation.com or find us on Facebook (On My Mind Foundation).

Haiti Stands with Japan

2011-03-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

A friend posted this video by David Darg of Haitian kids who lived through one disaster, feeling for those living through this new disaster. It is a beautiful glimpse into the hearts of kids who are connected well beyond the physical and cultural borders. This is what we should all feel whenever we find out our brothers and sisters are suffering, no matter where. One world. One love.

Aristide en route to Haiti

2011-03-17T22:53:00.000-07:00

What does this mean for the election process?

Cinematic Excellence

2011-01-13T00:20:00.000-08:00

Please take the opportunity to go watch this amazing documentary.

Just visit: http://www.suncitypicturehouse.com/HOME.html

Peace

I get by with a little help from my friends...

2011-01-06T00:57:00.000-08:00

Scholastic Magazine features a story on Hope for Haiti, written by the older brother of the models I used for the book. Click here to see it.

I want to give a shout to Kaj Lund Olsen for his snappy writing and his photogenic siblings. I also want to send a heartfelt thank you to Kaj's mom, Deb Lund. Most of you know her from her excellent picture books (see below). She helped the book Hope for Haiti happen in many ways and with a generous and kind heart. THANK YOU to a wonderful family!

Hamptons for Haiti

2010-12-22T17:44:00.000-08:00

I recently shipped off some signed books and the spec art I did for Hope for Haiti.

The piece was done as a visual hint at what the book would become, when my agent, Rubin Pfeffer, took the manuscript to market. And now the painting is going to be auctioned off with other works to benefit Haiti.If you are in the area, go support it and have a blast!

http://hamptonsforhaiti.org/

A special treat from NY, via Ayiti

2010-12-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

Please listen to this beautiful music by Wynn Walent, which is available for free download or purchase at the bottom of this post. Wynn is working in Haiti at St. Damien's Hospital, doing such crucial work to help the lives of Haitians. I met him while waiting for Bryn to get back from the morgue where he and his crew pick up unclaimed bodies and bury them with a real funeral. I was walking around the compound of St. Damien's and Wynn came up and asked if he could help me. I told him I was waiting for Bryn and he let me cruise around with him until Bryn got back. I really enjoyed hanging out with Wynn while I was in PaP and now hearing these tunes is a treat that I had to share with you.

Here is Wynn at work. Bringing boxes of rice to folks in a tent camp near Tabarre.

Go buy this album and all proceeds go to his Haitian friends who need help. Talk about cutting out the middle man. I cannot think of a better way to spend a small chunk of cash, than on these lovely tunes, and in support of this hard working guy.

And, as always, my friends, please help me pass the word about all the beautiful souls who's work shines like the sun at St. Damien's Hospital in Haiti.

http://saintdamienhospital.nph.org/

Thank you.

Elections, Elections

2010-11-28T11:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Haiti,

May this year be different.

May you find yourself with the best candidate chosen, peacefully.

May you find yourself empowered by the change in power, not derailed.

May your public servants act like public servants, and not follow the example set for them by colonizers, slave owners, and US appointed dictators. May your leaders lead, not leave. May they give, not take. May your elected president be lifted high by the will of all the people, so that he or she might set the nation on the right track.

My fingers are crossed, candles lit, prayers given.

Peace

Hope for Haiti Book Release Party! And the Watson Holiday Studio Sale!

2010-11-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

Mercy!

2010-11-20T21:27:00.000-08:00

Earthquake.
Mudslides.
Flooding.
Hurricanes.
Elections.
Cholera.

What next?

I can only hope and pray for the Haitian people to be strong and survive each new wave of struggle, and for my friends working in Haiti, to be safe, effective, and maintain hope.

The protests and violent clashes happening all over Haiti right now stem from a long history with the UN peacekeepers, but most recently, the claim that Nepalese battalions left Nepal as a cholera outbreak hit their land. When they got to Haiti, they were filmed by Al Jazeera dumping raw human sewage into the Arbonite River, a source of water for millions of Haitians. Within five days of dumping, the epidemic began. If this proves to be true, the UN may be responsible for thousands of deaths.

Nobody should die from easily preventable diseases.

This could be my little son. But because it is happening in Haiti, where bad things just happen, somehow we can observe this and not be moved to do anything about it. It is simply "NEWS" and news is what we see on a screen or paper, and news is something to observe but that does not apply to us. Why is that? I believe we, the citizens of the world, but specifically the developed world, are guilty of criminal negligence that we allow the poor to simply exist in conditions so sub-human, that diseases like Cholera can sweep through entire communities. We allow certain types of people to be the winners and others, the losers. We are ok with this, clearly, because we do nothing to change the systems that cause these situations in the first place. Cholera would not spread through Haiti if there were sewage systems in place, if there was clean water readily available, or if families had homes to live in not mud soaked tents sitting in raw sewage, crammed next to a half million other families.

Will we continue to accept the world the way it is? Because it has been like this for ages, does that mean we should allow it to continue? Well, I ask one question I hope you will give some consideration. What if it were your children, your parents, your brothers and sisters, your wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend who were suffering under the unbearable deficiencies of basic provisions? Would that motivate you? Would that motivate me?

Of course it would.

So then why does it not motivate us now? Can we look at a photo of a Haitian and find our own father in the face? Brother? Sister? Son? Can we take ourselves out of our bubble and empathize with human beings who may live far away, but who laugh like us, cry like us, eat and dance and sing and flirt and cuddle, just like us?

Mercy.

*thanks to Washington Post for the news photos

Go and Know

2010-10-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

It is easy to forget a place you have never been to. But when your skin, your eyes, your ears, your feet, and your tongue, make contact, it becomes a part of you forever.

I remember the gorgeous faces of northeastern Brazil like it was yesterday. I also remember walking the dusty road all alone in Macao.I remember a pick up soccer game with kids in Baja. I remember playing a conga drum in a steep hillside park in Hong Kong. I remember dancing with my wife at a locals-only bashment in Jamaica. I remember being scared to death of the traffic in Cairo, but even more entranced by the sound of Arabic coming from the muezzin. I remember the expressions on the faces of Palestinian kids who lived in poverty a few blocks away from a brand new San Diego style mall. I remember getting hopelessly lost with my buddy in a birch forest in Siberia. And now I carry memories of Haiti. But, travel alone, is not the goal. There is also the duty of understanding a place and a people more fully.

I desire to learn firsthand because I have discovered the gaping chasm between what is portrayed and what is real. The most evident example of this is the news. If I believed what I see on the news, I would make many assumptions about Haiti and about Haitians. But, just as our history books in my education were filled with fiction, so the news is filled with sensationalism and half truths. They are not encyclopedia companies, they sell ad space. And so if our only source of information about a place is from the news, we will make judgments on the people based on the incomplete story.

I will be speaking quite a bit with kids about my book, Hope for Haiti, and about Haiti itself. What a poor job I would do if I did not go and find out for myself. And so that is what I did. I investigated. I made contact. And, I asked Haitian kids questions I knew American kids would ask. I listened to the questions the Haitian kids were asking about the American kids. I feel like I am able, now, to begin to facilitate a dialogue between these two groups of kids who are more similar than they are different.

Many American kids really want to help the kids in Haiti. They have learned about the earthquake in school and have participated in various fund raisers. But we should take care to realize it is not a one way road. We can learn from Haitian kids and they can learn from us. Who knows what future can come from two groups of kids who are aware of each other, who know the other cares for them, and who can honestly dialogue together like grown ups. (Oh, I mean, like grown ups are supposed to dialogue.)

If you are interested in bringing me to your school, library, youth program, juvenile detention center, or church, please feel free to visit my website or email me. I would love to share this book and this movement with you.

www.jessewatson.com

Art Haiti

2010-10-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my Haitian colleagues in the field of art and illustration. Artists share many things, but the most significant is the burden of carrying the weight of the world within our souls and the struggle to let it out through our various media.

Alix Delinois
See his amazing work here.

Alix Delinois is a brilliant illustrator and fine artist. On his site you will find pieces of both. Make sure you check out his beautiful yet simple ink drawings of scenes of St. Marc, Haiti. Most recently, Mr. Delinois has been in the press for his illustrations in Eight Days, A Story of Haiti, by Edwidge Danticat. Buy the book, quick!

Self-Portrait :: Unmasked

NAZ: See more of his work here.

And from the galleries to the tent camps, check out this artist's take on his recent surge of earthquake inspired work.

Progress

2010-10-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

Just a few short weeks ago, I walked around the perimeter of what would become the first free secondary school for kids from the slums of Port au Prince. At the time, it was barely recognizable as a school. In fact, the foundation was still being dug out by hand.

In what seems like a blink of an eye, the hard working Artists for Peace and Justice crew has pulled a fast one. A really fast one. Yesterday the school was open for business and kids took their places, positioned to change Haiti from the inside.

Education, for those of us who take it for granted, means the world to those who are on the outside looking in. I am grateful for the miracle workers at APJ and St. Luc's who work so hard to help clear the roadblocks for the Haitian youth.

Go see for yourself the incredible trajectory of this school project. And support them in their efforts to equip young Haitians with the tools to rebuild their country.

Peace

October 12, 2010. A Letter to the Reader

2010-10-11T21:14:00.001-07:00

Hope for Haiti

October 12, 2010

To the reader,

Nine months ago, I sat at my easel with my head buried in my hands. I had no idea what to do. I felt helpless, hopeless.

January 12, 2010. A powerful earthquake leveled one of the world’s poorest and most unstable cities. Instead of the typical devastation one might expect from a quake this size, destruction and chaos maxed out at levels truly unimaginable. 230,000 people dead with many more than that horribly injured. The government sat fatally crippled and powerless. Orphaned children wandered through the rubble, night and day. So many bodies overwhelmed the morgue that they lay piled in the streets for weeks. I cannot think of a more precise depiction of hell.

My agent, Rubin Pfeffer, knowing how affected I was from the news of the earthquake, sent me one photo and one question. And it was the spark that lit the fuse. "What would your reaction be if it were a book?" After that, I never looked back. I spent every waking hour writing, editing, sketching, and painting. All in all, Hope for Haiti was written, illustrated, printed, and published, in less than nine months.

At the time, the global media reaction to the earthquake was swift, inspiring a wave of humanitarian support. While this was both unprecedented and unexpected, the longevity of such a movement was questionable. There‘s a reason it is called The News. Nobody remembers last week, let alone last year. And, sadly, much of the money donated to Haiti ended up in banks’ long term parking. While these companies are profiting from the interest they are earning on donated funds, the Haitians continue suffering. Today, more than1 million refugees still live in flimsy tents and improvised shelters in Port au Prince, not to mention those living in the semi permanent slums. Food and clean water are still in demand, and everyday items are painfully expensive.

This is why I wanted to create this book. Because, as I sat at my easel and thought about the future of Haiti, I was sure of only one thing: We will forget.

Movies, TV, Internet, anything and everything that comes across the airwaves will fade away, replaced with the next big thing, or more often, the next lame distraction. But, books… In an age of impermanence, this at least is timeless. I want to put a book on the shelf of our collective future in hopes that we might not forget this event, nor our connection with the people who endured it.

When I traveled to Haiti, I prepared myself for emotional trauma. But that is not what I left with. While the destitution is pronounced, the sense I walked away with beyond anything else? Hope. I met so many positive, intelligent, creative, ambitious kids who have all the potential in the world, if given the right tools. If anyone can forge a new Haiti, these are the ones to do it. Helping them find ways of not only surviving but thriving, turning Haiti from an exporter of only refugees, to an exporter of all kinds of produce, music, art, literature, and anything else that might benefit the nation and its people.

This is not about a simple handout, pity, a lecture from a well off country on how to do things "right", or anything else that diminishes the culture and qualities of Haiti. Instead, we come together in support of those in our human family who bear more burden than the rest, and shoulder the weight together.

Thank you for supporting this book and the efforts behind it, including We Give Books, and my publisher, Putnam/Penguin, who, through books sales, is giving a generous donation to Save the Children’s Haiti Earthquake - Children in Emergency Fund.

Forward,

Jesse

P.S. You can order online through sites like the ones below, or you can order personalized, signed copies directly from me. Click here to order directly from me.

http://www.thirdplacebooks.com/book/9780399255472

http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780399255472-0

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Hope-for-Haiti/Jesse-Joshua-Watson/e/9780399255472/?itm=26

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Haiti-Jesse-Joshua-Watson/dp/0399255478

How much do we love Senegal?

2010-10-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

World Briefing | africa

Senegal: Students to Arrive From Quake-Ravaged Haiti

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: October 8, 2010

President Abdoulaye Wade plans to send a plane to Haiti on Sunday and return on Wednesday with 160 Haitian university students whose studies were interrupted by the devastating earthquake there in January, a government official said Friday. Mr. Wade, left, originally offered free land in Senegal to Haitians left homeless by the disaster because, the spokesman said, he considered them sons and daughters of Africa since their ancestors, too, had been taken to the Caribbean as slaves. Both countries are also former French colonies. The talk of free land has stopped. At a speech last month at the United Nations, Mr. Wade invited the students and said he planned to begin bring Haitian families to Senegal next year.

Updated Video Interview about Hope for Haiti

2010-10-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

sketchbook

2010-09-23T18:31:00.001-07:00

I only really sketched a few things on the trip. I did one tiny thumbnail each time I sat down to draw, and that was only when I was in the country. See images of cactus fences, corrugated tin gates, country roads, and memorable scenes. These were images I saw but could not photograph for whatever reason. Even if the memory shifts over time, now at least I will have these visual notes.

Youth Power, Ayiti

2010-09-21T15:10:00.001-07:00

Many friends and family helped chip in toward balls and pumps for the kids here in Haiti. This is a group of kids at a World Vision ADP center in Hinche. I spent the afternoon prior to these pics with the kids reading Hope for Haiti and discussing everything from schools and prisons, to the early history of Haiti. I asked the kids to help me tell kids in the US about Haiti and they did a great job of relating information they thought would be important for them to hear.

When we were finished, I asked if they would like to come back in the morning and play soccer with me. They all showed up right at 9, and we passed out the balls you guys helped me bring. They were so excited, but I was sad I only had a limited amount. Because, of course, that next morning, instead of just 20 or 30 kids showing up, the word had gotten out and there were at least a hundred. But, some of the kids from the previous group helped me distribute the balls so that kids in different neighborhoods could share the balls. That way it would reach the greatest number of kids. I really was impressed by the unselfishness that many of these kids displayed, even though I could see in their eyes they wanted their own ball.

I had a blast playing soccer with these guys. There are some amazing little soccer players in Hinche!

Later in the week, Bryn had set up some visits for me in Port au Prince. Here I am reading the book to a bunch of awesome kiddos who live at a place called Angels of Light. This is a compound with health care and education as well as housing for hundreds of at risk kids, many of whom are orphans.

The interpreter would translate and then quiz the kids, asking what they had just read.

I asked the children for help, because I am not Haitian and because if I was to go speak with kids in the US, I would need them to tell me what kinds of things to share. Some kids were shy but a few had some ideas of what I could tell the American kids.

After this group, I went to another group of older students to do a reading and discuss Haiti with them. This is the director of the camp.

Empty containers are lined end to end to create a protective encampment around the center. A guard stands watch 24 hours a day, and inside the kids are given lots of love and encouragement.

I loved the beautiful murals that are painted all around the walls of the center. It made me smile thinking that the kids get these wonderful images every day.

The next stop was Baby House, a private house that was bought to house and protect a number of very young orphans. Many of these kids were injured in the quake, but their smiles were so strong. They were too young to read the book to so I showed them the paintings and talked about what they saw in the pictures. They were so precious.

The next day I stopped by with Bryn, who was delivering something, and all these kids came running, "Jesse! Jesse!"
I got to give them hugs and hold their hands as we walked around the center. The kids were so affectionate and it was heartbreaking to consider the fact that they no longer had parents taking care of them. I will not forget them and they will live in my prayers forever.

Below is one of the leaders of the center. He was an orphan raised by Father Rick, and now that he is old enough, he is looking after the new orphans. It is so inspiring and encouraging. This young man is the hope for Haiti. Not the distant hope like these tiny kids, but the immediate hope for the immediate future. Please join me in helping young men and women like this. Support the active groups in Haiti who are making a real difference in the quality of life of these wonderful children.

St. Damien's Hospital

NPH

Artists for Peace and Justice

City Street, Ayiti

2010-09-21T13:58:00.001-07:00

Driving back down the plateau into Port au Prince was a trip. The lush vegetation dried up. The temperature jumped at least fifteen degrees. And the building and people became more and more congested. And the trash piled higher.

The barber shops really are the best places to see street art. Each hand painted face rocks a slick do that you could get too for the right price. I love the style of these paintings. Some are not what you would consider well done, while others are just amazing.

Gotta love the vibes of the Tap Taps. Hustle and bustle in Port au Prince.

The first afternoon in PaP, I was watching some guys play soccer. Actually, I had planned on joining them but they were excellent and I was intimidated out of playing. But, shortly after their game began, Bryn and his crew rolled up in a truck filled to beyond tipping point with boxes. I hopped on top and away we went.
No sooner had we started driving that I noticed we were leaning more than we should have been. Around a corner and the angle became even more pronounced. Each of the four of us on the top of the boxes held on to the edges of our stack in hopes of keeping it from toppling over and us with it. The plan was, if it started to go, kick as many boxes off as possible and try to land on top of the pile.

When we got there, it was instantly swarming with people trying to get food. Many of them knew Bryn, my friend working with Artists for Peace and Justice and NPH and St. Damiene's Hospital, so they formed a line and the boxes were quickly transferred into the holding area.

Reflecting on another day's work. Bryn and Wynn, both of whom work together with Father Rick Frechette at St. Damiene's Hospital in Port au Prince, are soldiers for aid and justice. They work hard helping the poor. They work hard helping children.
Below is the new temporary school that is being built by Artists for Peace and Justice to house the kids that will eventually attend their brand new free school. These guys are digging the footers by hand. Instead of insisting on using a backhoe and getting it done in a tenth of the time, they allow them to do this work, because the diggers may not be able to find any other work around.

Now, this is one of the most impressive characteristics of these organizations that are located within the walls of St. Damien's. How long would you expect the construction process to take of a school in the states? Well, this one will be done in a month. Temporary school finished and in use by November. Big, beautiful school done in less than a year.

Big lizard.

Cite Soleil gets lots of press because of how deadly is has become. Above is one of the many movie theaters that Haiti used to have. This one's bullet holes are fresh, but the popcorn is not.

If you want to see something very cool, check out the trailer for Bryn's upcoming documentary. I had a chance to get a sneak peek at the nearly finished movie and it is amazing!

SUN CITY PICTURE HOUSE TRAILER from David Darg on Vimeo.

Cite Soleil neighborhood. Complete with stream of garbage and sewage and plastic bottles.

The pigs sleeping in the shade in the photo above, is sorrowfully symbolic of the conditions our brothers and sisters have to live in here. Many of the slums here are pig stys, plain and simple. There is nowhere for the garbage or sewage to go. The shanties are in such disrepair, and the people are so congested, that disease is rampant, abuse is expected, and hopes are dwindling. No wonder this is the most dangerous area in the western hemisphere. Take away hope and crime skyrockets. Take away the ability to survive and the value of life plummets.

And yet, the people persist. The markets are filled. The tap taps are packed. And the streets are ever busy with hustle.

Tent cities may sound nice. Camping, right?

I met some remarkable people down here. One of them is an Airforce superhero, Brian. He is enormous and intimidating looking, but is a very kind and charismatic fella. He calls Bryn up on the cell to inform him that if he gets over here in the next hour he could take the _____ that the Airforce is getting rid of. He has given them all kinds of great supplies that would otherwise be thrown away. Today, he called with news of a perfectly good 1000 gallon cistern they had to get rid of. Instead of selling it for extra beer money, Brian called Bryn to see who could use it most. He picked us up in his awesome truck, and we headed down to the port. There we loaded this giant thing up and delivered it to Operation Blessing, who would use it in the school they were building.

It was very cool to see how this military guy who had been stationed there at the airport right after the airport, and had reached the end of his duties there in Haiti, was now working every weekend to accomplish his personal goals of helping out Haiti in whatever way he could. And his generosity has made quite a difference.

The views from the port are indelible. You see the broken and submerged dock, once a new and functional tool of commerce, now lying beneath the polluted waters. You see the temporary pier made from barges. You see containers filled with medicines, food, supplies, red flagged and going to waste because the fees are too expensive or because the NGO folded and went back to their condos in the US. You see the potential for a thriving Haiti, importing AND exporting, but in reality you see containers arrive full and go back empty.

Sadly, this seems a very appropriate sign for Port au Prince. I am hopeful better days are ahead, but as Steven Mooser, president of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators said about his experiences here, "When you look at Haiti, some people say it is 50 years in the past. They are wrong. This is the future. This is the future for all of us if we are not careful."

Country Road, Ayiti

2010-09-21T12:55:00.001-07:00

The first day in Haiti, I was picked up at the airport in Port au Prince by a massive guy with dark shades on. He did not smile. His chest was as broad as my Honda back home. He walked us through the armies of guys with red hats on, trying to help tourists to the taxis, past the armies of taxi drivers hoping for a big tipper, and past the armies of barefoot kids shouting through the razor wire fence at the edge of the airport in hopes of some spare change. Then, when we got to the Land Cruiser, he turned to me, flashed an enormous grin and extended his hand. "Hello, Jesse. I am Jocelyn. Welcome to Haiti!"
I have lived on rough roads before, driven plenty of sketchy routes, and even gotten myself stuck beyond assistance. But... the country roads in Haiti are insane. They are in an ever changing state, rapidly affected by rains. Several times, while crossing nipple-deep creeks, I wondered what it would be like to be stranded in the middle of nowhere. The deep country roads are so bad, I actually have no photos of them. It was a simple matter of: you take your hand off the handle and your head smashes through the window. You try to take any pics from the car and not only will the shots be blurry and possibly mud splattered, but the moment you click the button your driver will swerve to avoid one pothole, hit an even worse one, and your teeth will crunch into your knee. So, for lack of any pics, imagine a 4x4 course, with the additional fun of masses of people along the shoulder, donkeys everywhere, and little baby goats and chickens playing real life Frogger. It is nuts. No wonder the EU is sponsoring a huge road construction that will go from Port au Prince to Hinche, and then eventually to Cap Haitian. Let me tell you. When that road is complete, poor people in the country will have a much easier time getting supplies. It is so expensive to buy anything not grown right in your region here. For example, one package of rechargeable batteries was $40 us. I can't even imagine how much a generator is, or a new axle for a truck.
Many rivers we passed were used by people doing laundry. It was a beautiful scene, often with girls and mothers and grandmothers all taking part in a task that has not changed since the rivers of Africa. In fact, driving along the very remote roads made me think of how the Haitian culture has retained so much of its African heritage. Imagine a piece of Africa breaking off and floating all the way to the west. Though, of course, the actual history was nothing whatsoever so pleasant. And the people also bear this scar as well. Slavery and colonialism have cut deeply and so many of the difficulties in Haiti can be traced to those origins. Not excusing recent political corruption or poor decisions in national planning, but nevertheless, the scar tissue from Haiti's origins are still tangible now.
Big bamboo. There is no scale for this picture but had I been standing in among it, you could see the girth of these giants. Only seen bamboo this big in China and perhaps Hawaii. Made me feel shame for my tiny bamboo in Washington. Pshhhhh.
More examples of ingenuity. When you take a tire that would go into the river and slice it in half, twist it inside out and create the perfect planter for seedlings like peppers, you have just completed the essential goal of recycling.

As anywhere, rural Haiti has its share of money wasting. Lottery for poor Haitians.... just like lottery for poor Americans. Foolish and wasteful and highly addictive.

From the balcony of a building where World Vision meetings were taking place, I spent a day just watching the pace of life here in Hinche. It was so hot and the streets were packed with people from sun up to sun down. This guy drove the ox cart from the river to construction sites delivering sand for concrete. I saw him pass many times that day. Every time he passed, I imagined myself passing out from sun stroke if I had been hat-less in the direct sun. I sweated for him.The UN may serve some functions here and there but in rural Haiti, since there is no real crime to deal with, they become the pimps of the neighborhood. And I do not mean it as a compliment. Perhaps they feel entitled to the young women of Haiti because they are so far from home. Perhaps the power had gotten to their heads. Who knows.

Hinche is a small city with a large rural surrounding that comes in to town for markets and supplies. From this city, we based out of and took day trips deep into the countryside. I have virtually no photos of those trips not only because of the precarious drive, but also because I did not want to just roll up on someone and click a picture out of the blue. If I had to be a journalist I would fail, because I am not about to take a shot of a dying child and then move along to the next prize winning photo op. I want to bring love and respect to every place I go. And so in the country where the poverty is the most glaring, I chose not to take any shots. The stick and mud huts the the naked children, clearly malnourished were definitely there. And in excess. But, you will have to use your imagination to picture them.

Someone told me about the big sports star that came and visited the area. They said he was furious that there was no AC or hot water in the hotel. I smiled because I knew that the lack of AC in such a place is certainly unpleasant... but still. Seriously? Complaining? Just look out the window at the children carrying heavy loads in the midday sun, who wear no shoes nor any shirt. If you see the suffering of the poor people and how hard they toil for survival and can still complain, then I think you may need new glasses.

This fan was my AC and I was so glad to have it. Like Garrison Keillor said in one of his stories, "When you work in the sun, the shade is enough."

World Vision had sent a long time worker from the states, my friend, Jeff, to come and evaluate how the programs were working since the earthquake. He met with the entirely Haitian staff and asked them how he could better serve their efforts, and what the Haitians' goal was for their own nation. As opposed to coming in with the flashy American answers, it was important to him to find out the hopes and thoughts of the Haitians. I was so impressed by Jeff's gentle personality. He has lived all over Africa and has traveled extensively. His insights on efforts to help Haiti were fascinating. The goal is very much to assist Haiti to rebuild itself, and to take ownership and pride in that process. Instead of just pushing the locals aside and doing the job for them, World Vision uses the local staff to affect change themselves.

Below is one of the young men who works directly with the sponsored children. I had some idea of how the sponsorship program worked, but I found those ideas to be wrong. These young men and women are living in the area and work so hard to connect with the sponsored children, wherever they are. Sometimes this requires using Google Maps satellite view to plot a donkey ride up a mountain where there are no roads.

Each worker can take care of up to 400 or more children. They have their own jobs to feed their familes, but they also work to care for these children. The lists of things they have to accomplish with the kids is astounding. There are growth charts, nutrition tracking, school, family well being, etc... So if you see those commercials and think the money is just going into a big bank account, think again. These people are very serious about protecting and assisting children. Below is a picture of a sponsor child and the group, checking in on the family and asking questions to make sure the case worker has been completing all the necessary tasks. The response of a family member here when asked how they were doing: "Just ask anyone in the village. They will tell you the same as me. These are good people. They do very good work. We all love them."

My man, Jocelyn, taking a break from his all day translations. He speaks a million languages and and knows every single person in Haiti.

As one of the meetings was taking place, a guy asked if I might like to go see some soccer. I was in the car faster than you could say bored-of-meetings. It turned out the girls' team was still warming up so I ended up joining in with these kids practicing corner kicks. Some more kids showed up when I started playing and many watched with expressions of, "Let's see how bad this 'blanc' can play." It was fun. We took turns trying to head the ball in or arc the passes over the heads of defenders. One kid about twenty kept trying to beat my shots and was laughing and teasing me. I decided it was ok to play a little harder and soon one perfect twisting pass was flying over head. He jumped up for the ball, but so did I. We collided midair and both smashed into each other. A few small kids stopped nervously to see if either of us was going to be upset, but we both laughed and helped each other up. After that he smiled at me so I think we were cool. It is amazing how in this type of situation, whether sport or song or art, you don't need to speak the language. Not even one word. It is all about the dance and since we all knew how the dance went, we could interact and smile and laugh.

The day we drove from the country back down the four hour road to Port au Prince, I opened the back of the truck to put my bags inside. This was what I found. The driver told us roosters were only 125 here, but at home they were 250. So we piled the bags high up in one seat, squished together and rode the entire way back to the city with the windows cracked because, while these were really well behaved roosters, they were still roosters.

Going

2010-09-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

As I drove to the airport with my smiling boys and doting wife, I thought about how tricky it was to actually pull this trip off. I spent a good while on the phone, ironing out the ever changing plans. At many points along the week prior to taking off, I was sure it was not going to happen. I had to fax paperwork, complete fingerprinting and background checks, sign liability forms saying I was not holding anyone responsible for kidnapping, and learn the very important, thought highly un-fun characteristic of patience.

But, at last, everything had been cleared and I was on my way.

As I walked down a long terminal in San Francisco I noticed a beautiful installation that I knew immediately was the work of a former art teacher. Nance O'Banion was my sculpture and fiber teacher at the California State Summer School for the Arts way back in 1987. I was a tiny pup, just figuring out my world and this camp was filled with many firsts. I look back on that time and it makes me feel a sense of accomplishment that now ages later I am an artist still and in fact make my living through the very thing I was so passionate about back then.

Thanks, Nance, for the inspiration and for being a guiding light to a little punk kid.

Toppling boxes of rice

2010-09-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Port au Prince today and am having a great time.

I got a chance to ride on top of a truck on the top of a hundred boxes of rice, which if you have driven here you know is a sketchy proposal at best. My friend, Bryn, as well as the guys from his compound, of which I will speak more soon, got word about a big pile of food that had been delivered. They picked it up and came by to grab me from the soccer game I was watching. I climbed way up on top of the cardboard boxes held on by thin twine. Then we drove to a tent village nearby.

It was the first speed bump that nearly killed us but we made it to the camp. There was an instant rush but because everybody knew Bryn they formed a line and the truck was soon empty. The kids were so cool. Some asked if I could come back before I left Haiti to give them my Bahia football club jersey I was wearing. I told them that I was pretty sure they did not want to see my fat, blanc belly.

I could tell by the way so many kids were waving and yelling, "Bryn! Bryn!" that he had spent lots of time there. But even more than that, I knew he cared for them greatly by how he answered each kid back using each of their names, "hey Donaldson, hi Tomas..."

This portion of my trip is great. I type this from the rooftop of a building overlooking the entire city. Lightning flashes and the UN camp to my left is blaring Italian techno from it's weight room. There are Israeli and Palestinian UN groups here that hate each other but I hear the Italian commander is holding a peace party tomorrow night.

In the morning I go to three schools to read Hope for Haiti. One is for kids abandoned after the quake, another is for developmentally disabled kids and the last is for handicapped kids who were injured in the earthquake.

Thank you, God, for letting me come to see my family here in Haiti. They will always be in my heart.

Peace
One love

Goat meat, liver, brain, and...

2010-09-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

Goat meat, liver, brain, and.... mental images of the adorable little baby goats (yeah, kids, I know, but I am not saying KID when talking about dinner. Sorry.) that are running around everywhere here. Tastes great, though.

My experience with Haitian food has been fairly similar to Jamaica's, but without much spicy factor. (Dang. I should have brought my own hot sauce... something I am having to do more and more these days.) Some typical items would include:
- rice and beans, of course
- fried plantain, of course
- green banana, boiled
- mango
- peanut butter that is mixed with oil and chilies
- grapefruit marmalade
- guinea fowl
- chicken
- pumpkin soup
- goat
- noodles with olive oil, herring, and peppers
- instant coffee, d'oh
- beer (Prestige is amazing. A world class lager!)
- and, as often as possible, dlo (water)

In a way similar to time spent in Jamaica, having lots of rice, beans, green banana, plantain makes me feel very strong. When I was in Jamaica, I kept telling my wife every day that I felt better than I had ever felt. I have no doubt that was (mostly) due to the diet.

Uh oh.... flickering power. Gotta post this right away or lose it forever.
Peace

in the service of Youth

2010-09-14T16:08:00.001-07:00

(forgive spelling or typos, this is quick and dirty in case the connection drops:)

Today I had a chance to help out in prep for a World Vision conference of local Haitian youth services workers. They are the folks who spend all day travelling way way way out to the edge of the world to bring food and medicine to kids. They have charts on the nutritional status of each of the kids they take care of and make sure there is no abuse at home, that the kids are going to school, when available, and giving them opportunities to stay healthy and positive. And these are not "blancs" or foreigners, they are just everyday people who care about the future of Haiti. They are teachers, carpenters, engineers, drivers, etc, who see the value in assisting the youth who are caught in the well established cycle of poverty. You grow up like this, chances are you are malnourished, you catch typhoid, you wind up illiterate, and what future do you have? The same one your parents had. So what about your future kids?

So, the solution? Local people breaking the cycle! Right on! This is so great. It is not dolling out aid cart blanche, or pity pittance, this is proactive works that can be documented in the progression of a community. The locals who we asked about these folks just smiled and said, "These guys? Pshhh. Ask anyone in the village. They will give you the same answer. They are humble people who work hard for our children."

A good report.

I did not bring my computer so I cannot upload any pics right now. Sorry. Next time I will not make that mistake. But, for now, words will suffice. Oh, and anybody know if a large, very flat looking spider in Haiti is poisonous? Meh. Probably not... It looks like it just wants to lie under my bed and have a nap. No worries.

Long and winding road

2010-09-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Bon Soir,

I am so thrilled to find the internet! Hallelujah! It has been rainy off and on so the satelite internet here and there has been out. Or on for twelve seconds and then off.

Making it quick in case...

I am having a great time meeting people and asking questions, as well as sharing the book. Many Haitians have given me great reviews of Hope for Haiti and can understand my intentions. I admit, I am understanding my own intentions better having come. The following were reasons I desired to make this book:

- because my feelings of sorrfor the Haitians after the earthquake demanded some action on my part and not a glib text message for $10.
- to keep Haiti in the minds of kids and teachers and parents for longer than the quick news clip.
- to teach kids in the states about the culture and history of Haiti, outside just the imagery of tragedy and earthquake and poverty. Haiti has an amazing history, and one that the US is tied to very much. (more about that later)
- to learn myself, what can I do as a writer and illustrator in world problems... can I help out the world with these skills? is it valid? is it worth doing?
- to connect myself with my neighbor, who regardless of how many blocks away they live, I desire to care about.

My friend, Josele, who has been translating when I talk to kids, has been such a great example of the dilligent and hard working Haitian community that does not get press. Instead the gangsters, the thugs, and the destitute are what we learn about in the media. Josele was driving all day long to take me out to the country, volunteering his time on his day off, in order to help a stranger. I found out that he works with kids in Port au Prince, and helps with programs in the interior as well. He is a great, massive, football player looking dude, with badass sunglasses and a brilliant smile that erupts in warm laughter at the last second. I did not have any Haitian money yet and so he bought me some groceries. He insisted I not repay him. Later I found out he and his wife were living in a tent because their home was destroyed in Port au Prince. His wife now lives with her mother outside the city because she is pregnant and many neighborhoods there are just not safe for anyone to drive through, period. Traffic in the city, he told me, is now worse than ever because nobody drives through certain areas at all.

I will try hard to get more pics and vids tomorrow. So far, I have not wanted to ruin these fantastic connections by trying to can them. But I know that getting more documentation is important to share, and so I will strive for it.

Thanks to all my people for their thoughts and prayers. It is a beautiful country, with people so strong and wonderful, I cannot express it in words. Much love to any of you kiddos who are checking out this blog from Hinch. Come play soccer with me again tomrorrow, eh?

hot beautiful hot beautiful

2010-09-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

Short post, as my internet is more difficile to find than I had hoped.

A. Road construction. Crazy Port au Prince was sharply contrasted by a lonnnnnnnnng drive into the interior, up to the high plateau, to a city called Hinch.

Today, after an eleven second rest (no sleep for me on the overnight flight. doh) I went to a youth center and had an AWESOME visit with around 24 kids from Hinch. We read the book in Kreyol, talked about Haiti and America, and I ended up asking them lots of questions, and they asked me lots of questions. Tomorrow we meet to play soccer and distribute the equipment you guys helped me bring. They are very smart kids with cutting, insightful questions. I got video but perhaps the sound will be poor because of the need for like ten fans going the entire time.

It is hot. It is beautiful. It is hot.

Sweatily yours,

jesse

Up up and away

2010-09-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you, everyone who joined in with me in buying soccer equipment for the trip. My bags are ridiculous. Let's just hope I can carry them across the terminals.

As I reflected in my other blog, flying out on this particular date has some symbolism and trepidation for me, but I insist on fighting hatred with love, violence with peace, bigotry with tolerance, ignorance with understanding, and fear with hope. And, I do have hope for my country. Hope that we can strive to come together somehow, despite the great divides. Hope that we can sacrifice ourselves for the greater good.

Ok, I have gotta go to the airport. I will try to update this blog with a few posts from Haiti, so check back sometimes.

Peace,

Jesse

Haiti bound

2010-09-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

I am flying to Haiti this month. I will be traveling with a friend from World Vision up into the rural areas NE of Port au Prince, as well as spending a few days in the city with my friend, Bryn Mooser, of Artists for Peace and Justice. I am very excited.
One of my primary purposes in this trip is to connect with kids, educators, and child service folks. I want to learn from them and listen to their stories so that when I am doing my school and library visits around the US this year, I will be able to convey the Haitians' own words to the kids and teachers here.

I will be working with Pearson Foundation in bringing this interaction to educators and students in the states. Click here for more info on Pearson Foundation.

My hope is to make connections so that for the anniversary of the earthquake, I can come back to Haiti and do live Skype classroom visits between classes in Haiti and classes in the states. (Please email me, teachers or administrators, if you are interested. I am looking for select classes to do this with.)

I am also very excited because some good friends have chipped in money with me to buy soccer equipment that I will be hauling down there. To join them, click here. It is not about being able to afford huge cash donations, but more about the act of joining hands together to share each others' burdens, celebrate each others' victories, and be united in the small things.

One love,

Jesse

At Press with Hope for Haiti

2010-08-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Susan Kochan, editor for this book, and Cecilia Yung, art director, we have a visual treat to share with you. Here are photos of the printing of the book. When I come to your school or library, I can share the entire process more specifically, but for now, take a look at a simple run through of the printing process.

This printing is done using a four color process. My original art is scanned on a big drum scanner that gets a very high resolution file of the art. Then the printer separates the file into the four colors, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. CMYK. (As opposed to the RGB, or Red, Green, Blue, that you find on your monitor. We can get into a delightful conversation about the difference between the two types of color during a workshop sometime. But for now, suffice to say that the printed page is usually done with the CMYK process.)

Then "plates" are created that will be the point of contact between the inks and the paper. They are fastened onto a roller where the paper will pass by and collect the four colors from each plate.

Here we have the Cyan plate:

and the Magenta plate:

and the Yellow plate:

and the Black plate:

Ink is distributed to the specific plate:

The paper is fed into the press, and the fun begins. These machines crank a lot of paper, very quickly. The rolls weigh more than my car:

Each page in the book has been run through each of the four color inks, until the combination of these inks create the full color image you see on the paper:

The covers go through a wrapping machine that wraps the printed cover over the hard surface underneath. The endpapers are also glued to the cover board:

The pages are folded, the bindings are stitched:

Some really cool stuff goes on in there... (maybe that is where they give it the coating of awesomeness, I am not sure.)

And as the copies begin flying from the end of the press, the spectacular art director of the book is there, in person, to ensure the color exactly matches that of the artwork. Bless her heart:

I have been on press a few times and it is a nerve wracking thing. You feel like you have to hurry up with your color correcting because the press is roaring away, and people are all standing around kind of quietly willing you to decide already, and bins are filling by the second with printed paper. My art director, Cecilia Yung, thankfully, is not the type to get intimidated. She kept at it until the skin tones were rich, the shadows full, and the whites sparkling. Here she is with the press supervisor, color correcting:

Cecilia really knows her stuff. She has overseen and directed some of the best picture books in print. Here she is employing a secret trick of the trade. She checks color upside down. That way the person trying to match colors is not distracted by the subject matter, or the familiarity with the piece that comes from months of working with the images. Also, you can notice mistakes or questionable elements very quickly upside down. (Or in the mirror.) Try it out sometime if you are wondering what to do to finish off your piece of art. You may notice you still have work to do if you take a peek upside down.

Once the art director gives her thumbs up, the press steams ahead until the books are printed:

Here are the full sheets before they are trimmed and bound together. Just think... you can make that stack disappear by helping get the word out.

I would love to give a big thank you to Putnam (Penguin) for the rush printing on this project. They made it possible for the book to come out much faster than most books ever do, and ensured its message and purpose would be effective in its timeliness. The book, in fact, is something of a miracle baby. Usually picture books take up to two years, pen to product. But this book will be complete, from first spark of idea to finished book, in less than nine months.

Thanks to Rubin Pfeffer, my admirable agent and friend. When I told him I was the fastest painter in the west, he told me I may just have to prove that someday. After we signed Hope for Haiti, he reminded me that this was that very time. Right around two months later, the entire book was painted, cover and all.

Thanks to Cecilia Yung for her eagle eye for color and the way she carefully birthed this book into existence, from written word, to final product. And, a special thanks to Susan Kochan, for her editing acumen, her out of the box thinking, and her trigger finger camera skills in documenting this part of the process of Hope for Haiti.

October, here we come.

-Jesse

Haiti Love in Brazil

2010-08-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

Beleza, Brasil!

Now Hope for Haiti will be published in Portuguese for all of my wonderful Brazilian friends and big-family to read.

Here is some heavy, heavy wisdom from the minds of Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso. Here, Caetano plays with Pedro Abrunhosa, the song that links similar political and economic problems with Brazil and Haiti.

Artists for Peace and Justice!

2010-07-22T15:26:00.001-07:00

I found this link and must share it. Artists for Peace and Justice is an organization that is on the ground in Haiti, doing great work to help the lives of Haitians.

Visit their site and make a donation now. 100% of all donations go directly to the relief effort.

Hope for Haiti linking up with We Give Books

2010-07-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

I am proud to announce that Hope for Haiti will be teaming up with We Give Books. Click the link and visit their amazing site. Below is a little info on the organization. Check back soon for more details and ways to help!

We Give Books is a new digital initiative that enables anyone with access to the Internet to put books in the hands of children who don’t have them, simply by reading online.

We Give Books combines the joy of reading with the power of helping others, providing a platform for caregivers and educators to inspire children to become lifelong readers and lifelong givers.

We Give Books also helps some of the world’s best, most inspiring, literacy organizations by spreading the word about their great work and by providing books to the young people these organizations support.

2010-07-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Hope for Haiti, the blog

2010-07-14T14:43:00.001-07:00

This will be the official blog for the children's picture book, Hope for Haiti (Putnam, October 12, 2010).

I will be updating this blog with news about the book, about Haiti reconstruction, and with opportunities to help raise awareness, support, and funds for the efforts to build a strong and self reliant Haiti.

Please follow this blog and pass the word to friends and family. We can move mountains if we work together.

Thank you,

Jesse Joshua Watson

2010-07-14T14:14:00.000-07:00