16751: Jacqui charcoal

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

>From Jacqui Labrom voyageslumiere@haitelonline.com

I’ve just refilled my Propane tank of gas and it cost H$68 which at
today’s rate = US$8.50.

A sack of charcoal = about H$70 which is US$8.75. Not much difference in
it
BUT it’s the outlay for the gas Tank which makes it difficult for
people
to start buying Propane.



Strangers to the country cannot understand that even if it costs 1 gourde
more
– this is too expensive for most of the poorer people. I explain
this
each time I have tourists in – especially when they start on about
‘the deforestation’ and ‘don’t people realize that
in
20 years time there won’t be any good soil left’. I explain
that
the poor people do not have the luxury of thinking about 20 years –
only
20 hours - when they need to feed their children. Its inconceivable for a
foreigner to realize that the poorer Haitians do not have any money to
fall
back on. I always say to them ‘don’t criticize until you walk
in
their shoes’. They then get the point.

Jacqui Labrom