22973: Pilling: Personal story of the effects of current unrest

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Sara Pilling <sara.pilling@verizon.net>

As background, for the last 9 years, I&#8217;ve sorta run [gradually
turning
more and more of the decisions, policy etc. over to my Haitian partner] a
small
non-profit, committed to proving financial resources for 80 kids form City
soleil area of P-Au-P to go to school &#8211; as well as developing a
sewing
empowerment program for young women living in LaPlaine.

I&#8217;m not sure whether it is a sign of success [we&#8217;re visible],
or a
curse, but recently there have been 3 attempted kidnappings of my Haitian
partner &#8211; she&#8217;s afraid to go home and her parents are locked
in and
attempting to guarding our site. When the zenglendos couldn&#8217;t grab
G.
they took some of the women!! Allegedly, there&#8217;s a contract out on
me
&#8211; they knew my name, arrival date etc and said they&#8217;d be
waiting
for me! My partner asked me not to come at this time &#8211; out of
respect for
her, I&#8217;m staying home &#8211; and that makes me feel perfectly
dreadful.

It&#8217;s a lose-lose situation!

I just feel so badly that one young woman, who used to be a paid worker,
but
who broke the rules and was let go is wreaking revenge and spoiling it for
the
rest.

No fixing please. It somehow makes it less painful to share this first
experience of feeling threatened and the anger of having one person
endanger
others.


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Sara Pilling|