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PROFILES

Louis Elneus
Founder of HLD

Richard Jeanty
Author & Entrepreneur

Leslie Demangles
Author & College Professor

Danielle Legros-George
Haitian Poet & Autor

Margaret Papillon
Haitian Author

Myrtelle Cherry
Haitian Artist & Painter

Carole B. Joseph
Mass Bay Community College President

Gashford Guillaume
Mozayik Drummer

Pascale Auguste
Haitian Association Against Cancer

Andy Jacques
Haitian Fashion Designer

Phillip J. Brutus
State Representative

Yvecar Momperousse
Haitian Student Alliance

The Maroons
Haitian Writers & Poets

Evans Thesee
Founder HaitianConnection.com

Abdias Charles
Founder of Repair Haiti.org

Mecca AKA Grimo
Haitian Hip Hop Artist & Activist

Fania Simon
Writer, Lecturer & Activist

Nadege Fleurimond
Owner of Fleurimond Catering

Interview: Abdias Charles

		Abdias Charles is a graduate of Rutgers University as well as the chairman of RepairHaiti.org. Abdias left Haiti at the age of 9, yet feels like he never left his beloved homeland. "It seems like I never left because my heart is still there," he said, "I can honestly say that not a day go by that I don't think about Haiti, and its past grandeurs" he concluded. Abdias sole mission is to improve Haiti's tourism industry as well as to preserve its historical sites which would significantly improve the country's economical dilemmas.
Abdias, first off, I am very excited about your project. It's great to see that young Haitians with a mission and who are willing to lay it all on the line for their country. And secondly, thanks for agreeing to do this interview with us. I greatly appreciate the time you set aside to chat with us.

Blake Seide: Give me some background information on your organization such as how long it's been in operation? What inspired you to start this organization?

Abdias Charles: RepairHaiti.org, which is also our website address, is an online operation aim of bringing awareness to Haitians and their lack of effort, over the years, in helping stabilize Haiti. We have been operating for six months now. Our mission is to bring economical growth to Haiti through educational, environmental, historical and tourism initiatives.

BS: What's the current state of the tourism industry in Haiti?

AC: According to recent studies tourism accounts for less than one percent in Haiti. This is a great contrast to the 50's 60' and 70's where tourism accounts as one of the major boost to our economy.

BS: Name some of the tourist sites, major roads and major cities they are working on?

AC: Some of the sites we are looking at are Crete a Pierrot, where one of the last battles was fought in Haiti, few places in Cap Haitian that signifies a lot to us, but we are open to fixing as much as sites as possible.

BS: What regions are considered safe for a tourist site?

AC: I think right now that the government of Haiti should take advantage of Jacmel relative safeness and build a tourist pilot project on that. There are a few other small places to choose from. Therefore, we can build an airport, and hotels around these places to start out with. I often talk about a seclusion method used by major tourism industries in other island. Well, we can do the same. That means monitoring the flow of human traffic going in and out of the tourist zones. I have always thought that the tourism industry should have its own security officials. Heck we should even be passing legislation protecting tourist in Haiti. After all we are not an industrialized country and heavily rely on tourist.

BS: It takes time, dedication and a lot of money to achieve just about anything in this world. How do you plan on finding fund for this project? Are you working with any investors? How are you approaching these investors? What's in it for them?

AC: You are right Blake; funding takes time; therefore, you have to establish some sort of rapport with investors. Often investors often ask what's in it for me, in much polite wording. You have to be able to give them something beneficial for their company. If Haitians support what we are doing we can easily tell the Coca Colas and Pepsis that we are giving them the Haitian people as clients. We are also providing them with advertisement. I mean all businesses crave on that. We have been approaching investors using a business approach. We have also been advising them on how beneficial it will be to their business if they would take this social journey with us.

BS: Haiti has a lot of political uncertainties which to a certain extent can dissuade a prospective investor, how do you re-assure your sponsors to visit the country and invest in your endeavors?

AC: Preval said, "There cannot be any democracy without economical development," which I am in complete agreement with. I think Haiti's biggest problem is economic, and then our inability to separate different branches of government. Why are we persecuting judges and police officers simply because we disagree with a president? Well that's something we need to work on. Take a page of the 2000 American election. Most of us dislike Bush, but we did not destroy houses, courts, and police stations. That was a great testimony to the American people. Also, the system they have established over the years. I think if given the chance and aid to work Preval can be very special to Haiti. He is the only president in modern time that have left the presidency and stayed to help rebuild Haiti as a civilian. He is a great listener. Hopefully he will not make the mistake as past presidents by having too many corrupt individuals around him. Relatively speaking, only economical investment will bring that stability we all have been waiting for. There is a direct correlation between poverty, and crime. I'm not saying poverty is the cause of crime, but there is a direct link. Their investment will actually bring some sort of halt to the insecurity in Haiti.

BS: I understand that you will set up a scholarship fund for those students in Haiti who are willing to help further this mission. Tell me about the scholarships that are being offered? Who is eligible to receive them? What is the selection process like?

AC: We are willing to give scholarship to any children in Haiti providing that they will help us with giving back to Haiti by doing community service. There is not a set requirement apart from a letter of intent we require all scholarship recipients to sign stating that they will donate some time helping us clean Haiti as well as plant palm trees around their neighborhood. Of course, recipients have to show financial restraint that they are facing. That can easily be done in Haiti judging from the current situation. Also, we will use the schools to guide us to the children who are receiving great academic marks, but are missing school days due to financial constraint. Apart from the minor request that we are asking, we will distribute the scholarships on a first come first serve basis.

Continue with Abdias' interview...