A Supportive Community Rallies Round for Bereaved Family

8th February

As I mentioned yesterday we had sad news of the death of a relatively young employee of one of the RJM schools here in the Jean Rabel area on Monday. His funeral will take place later today and its been heartening to see how the whole community has rallied round the children who have lost their father.

The school community has been particularly helpful along with neighbours helping out where they can.

Typical Haitian Cemetery

Typical Haitian Cemetery

But this is nothing new in Jean Rabel; the community is well known for looking out for people when misfortune occurs, as it does regularly. Despite lack of services in so many areas of life, people survive the most awful circumstances with the help of their friends, neighbours and communities.

This I believe is what keeps life ticking by for so many when tragedy strikes in Jean Rabel; nobody lives alone, there are huge families living in the smallest of houses, and extended family and friends are all around the area. Its like ‘olden’ times in Ireland in that sense, and its good to know that people care for others, despite their own difficulties and daily struggles.

In Jean Rabel, I have seen that people don’t have to suffer alone, there are people nearby who will lend a hand of support when necessary, which is just as well as official support in any form is so very lacking.