Haitian man living in Cork appeals for help to return

A HAITIAN man living in Cork has appealed to the public to donate money to Haven Partnership so he can return to help his people.

Karl Louis was born in Haiti and still has family in the country.

Mr Louis hopes to go to the city with the Haven Partnership in April to assist in the rebuilding project and offer his assistance in any way he can.

“Haiti and Ireland have a connection I feel. Both countries have had to deal with de-colonisation. Haiti, like Ireland, has a beautiful spirit and culture and I hope that is not forgotten. Much of the media has focused on how poor Haiti is, but not on the reasons why it is in that situation,” he said.

Mr Louis says the effects of policies imposed by the French and the US governments, which led to a large number of people moving from the surrounding countryside into Port-au-Prince, were part of the problem.

The capital city has a population density more than seven times that of London, and the large death toll is largely attributed to poor infrastructure and planning.

Mr Louis left Haiti with his mother at a young age and was raised in St Martin before going to university in France. Despite this, he has a number of family members in Haiti and said it will be a number of weeks before he is fully aware of their situation.

“My little cousin Patricia had left the university in Port-au-prince seconds before it collapsed. She was living on the streets for a number of days before her father found her.

“I called my mother. She has two cousins there, but she does not know how they are. It’s a major catastrophe so it will be a number of weeks before we can find out,” he said.

Mr Louis said people could donate money in his name through the website: www.havenpartnership.com