In a capital controlled by gangs, informing is a challenge. And yet access to information is essential for understanding the situation, making the voices of the victims of the abuses of these gangs heard, but also because information and the media are today one of the only sources which connects Haitians to the outside world when there is almost no other cultural activity possible in Port-au-Prince.
3 mins
From our correspondent in Port-au-Prince,
In Haiti, when you are a journalist, you are faced with multiple challenges. But lately, the most important thing is security. My travel is limited, and getting to the field is very difficult. I usually travel by motorbike, because it’s easier to escape if there’s a problem, and when the roads are blocked, it’s the only way to get to certain neighborhoods.
I don’t go into the field without telling my loved ones where I’m going. And before going somewhere, I find out about the area, or I am accompanied by someone who knows it. I make sure I have my badge and my work equipment to be clearly identified. Even if sometimes people are very aggressive towards journalists.
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Report the facts and give Haitians a voice
The other challenge is that of access to information and its verification. Some areas of Port-au-Prince are no longer accessible. We cannot travel to the provinces either. Before this crisis, accessing information was already a real headache, but now it’s even worse. I am motivated by the desire to help others convey their messages, tell their stories. I learn every day in this profession through these stories and the research carried out for my different subjects.
Each story is unique and has this incredible power to touch us, to awaken our sensitivity. One story particularly struck me: that of a woman I met in a school transformed into a displaced persons camp. She lived in Carrefour-Feuilles. She told me she had been raped and beaten during gang attacks. She showed me a scar on her back and the side of her face. After this nightmare, she was forced to take refuge in a camp because her house had been burned down. She was on the verge of tears during the interview. That day, I spent the rest of the day thinking about his testimony and it saddened me.
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Keep your daily life as normal as possible
To manage the pressure and stress related to work, I rely on my loved ones who support me a lot. To relieve the pressure, we organize outings with friends, because despite everything, there are restaurants that still operate in Port-au-Prince and some even dare to organize cultural activities, but they close their doors at 8 p.m. When I can, I go there with my friends who are also journalists. To manage stress, sometimes I meditate. Music is also very present in my life, I listen to a lot of it. The series also help me escape from Haitian daily life.
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