22456: jedidiah reports on inundation visits (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: J.David <his_voidness@yahoo.com>

Well, I myself haven't visited the disaster areas, altho friends of
mine have, saying that you can get thru to Fond Verette now, altho not
easily.

I've been off the list for three weeks since my laptop was stolen by ex
police at gunpoint (M-16's and pump guns, six of them), so I do not
know what the discussion on this has been.

Janie Wynne went up to Fond V last week. I wanted to go but they went a
day early. Her interest was as an eco farmer. SHe was quite
discouraged. Everyone is talking about planting trees, and not cutting
down trees, but the problem is more complex than that. Terrain can be
conserved without much tree cover if you terrace properly.

She says that the farmers are burning off the hills RIGHT NOW to plant
more maize and pitimi. This is the fundamental problem in the
overpopulated hill country. Burning naked hillsides rather that
building terraces.

Other friends have gone with the local aid effort, distributing clothes
 and household goods. Mob scenes are reported.

They say that folks from all over are converging on Fond Verette to
collect booty and the local priest cannot do anything about it. DOzens
of different groups are doing their own thing and not coordinating
anything with the local official. The parish priest in this case. They
say that the protestant pastors are working with the roman priest in
this event.




=====
J. David Lyall,
http://www.lyalls.net/