Haitians say thanks, Jamaica says goodbye

BY ERICA VIRTUE Observer writer virtuee@jamaicaobserver.com

Monday, March 22, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- As news spread that the Jamaica/Caribbean Community (Caricom) contingent would leave earthquake-damaged Haiti last Thursday, Haitians came to the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) camp to say thanks, some with small tokens of appreciation, even as the leadership of the Jamaica contingent said its own goodbyes and thank yous.

Alexandre Saint-Juste, director of the non-profit organisation Haitians Helping Haitians, visited the camp to personally thank the soldiers.

"We want to thank you for your help, Jamaicans. We appreciate what you have done for the Haitian people, and we want to tell all Jamaicans that you are the real people," he said before moving to shake hands with as many soldiers as he could.

Saint Juste's organisation currently helps shelter and feed 48 adults and 16 children between three and 15 years old. He said they were local Haitian refugees, all without parents, family or other support .

On Wednesday two young men -- Vladimir Vital, who runs Vitality Organisation and Robert Pointgour -- came to the camp with small tokens showing their appreciation.

Vital presented a small sculpture to the JDF which was accepted by Corporal Adolph Perry.

The Observer was told that the soldiers were instrumental in helping to provide food to the organisations to help with the people they were caring for.

JDF's commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Desmond 'Desi' Edwards said the Haitians had been thanking the soldiers for their efforts, and said he was both pleased and surprised that given the situation, they made the trip to the camp to say thanks in person.

The commanding officer said the Jamaica contingent also presented tokens to the Canadians and other individuals from the United Nations who assisted with transportation and other logistical support. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) also provided a small RSS aircraft which made numerous trips out of Kingston to Port-au-Prince.

Edwards said the service given was greatly appreciated.

Nearly 10,000 persons were assisted by the Caricom contingent during the two months' operation which began 48 hours after the earthquake hit on January 12.

According to the Haitian government, as many as 230,000 people were killed.

Jamaica was the face of the region's response in that country and nearly 200 medical personnel responded from the Caribbean. Medical personnel from Jamaica were deployed through the Mnistry of Health. They were rotated every seven days and the final set of personnel left Haiti on March 5.

The region's response was assisted significantly by the Canadian government, who collaborated early with Caricom and provided transportation of both military troops and supplies from Jamaican to Haiti and within Haiti.

Canada took home the first of three sets of military personnel and supplies last Tuesday and the second on Wednesday night.

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Haitians say thanks, Jamaica says goodbye