Subscribe to RSS“There isn’t much of a future for us”
School’s out.
Johnny was in class when the earth started trembling. The shaking was so strong that they couldn’t walk out the door. Johnny had the instinct to climb on a chair and jump out of a window; a few other students followed him. Most didn’t get a chance to escape.
His cousin Emmanuel was just outside the building; he’d been getting some food. The two met in shock, not understanding what had happened. Amongst the chaos, the cries, and the dust they ran to find their families.
They haven’t found their folks – yet.
Today I accompanied them back to the “Batiment B” of the Université Hautes-Etudes to see what was left of it. It was very emotional and got them thinking about their future, their studies, their goals in life.
As we sort through the rubble, Emmanuel is stunned to find a card amongst the broken bricks: “it was someone’s birthday”.
It’s a poem, in French:
Yesterday has passed
Tomorrow is mystery
Today is a gift
This is why we call it present
The biggest day of your life is today
You future is based on today
enjoy your gift of today
for success and flawless joy
may the master and architect of the universe
show you the path to follow
Happy birthday
It was from a fellow student, to the principal of the school.
We sit down on the side of the building and talk for awhile.
“Haiti was already very difficult before the earthquake, but we could study and hope for a future. If we can’t finish our studies, there isn’t much of a future for us. We can’t leave the country; we have no money, no family.”
Emmanuel and Johnny hope a foreign state will help Haiti by providing them with student visas. They tell me they want to “finish [our] education, to move forward, to make something of this life”.
With the amount of destruction, they don’t see how the building can be fixed; it will take years to rebuild the schools.
They want to finish their education now, as young men. Emmanuel had saved up for years to be able to go to university – and now it is all gone. Both of their parents sacrificed a lot to help them through school, and that’s why they don’t want to let go of it.
Emmanuel wants to go abroad, finish his studies, work hard. He wants to come back here and find his parents alive, so he can repay them and help rebuild the country.
But all the school’s papers are lost: Johnny has no certificate to show for his the three years he’s spent on a four-year economics program.
Johnny wants to go abroad to study, and come back for his country: “I love Haiti, it has a beautiful sun,” he says. “I want my country to one day breathe an air of hope and freedom. I want to be here when this happens”.
He wants to be part of the people who will make a difference for Haiti. He wants to come back rich, to invest in his country and people.
“Everything has to be rebuilt from scratch. Maybe we can rebuild a better country than before, but how long will it take? We want to finish our education, so we can be in a position to help our country.”
Related video: Nico meets Emmanuel outside the Canadian Embassy
Can you help Emmanuel and Johnny? Share this story with Canadian Governor-General Michaëlle Jean or help us spread the word in your community by sharing this post with friends and family.
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7 Comments
2010-01-25
07:46:44
ils ont la vie la santé la jeunesse et leurs rêves. ils leur faudra encore beaucoup de courage et d'énergie pour reconstruire leur vie et Haïti .
2010-01-25
08:53:51
Nico, Thank you for sharing Johnny and Emmanuel's story with us. We are pulling for them and you as you continue your important work in this devastated country.
2010-01-25
11:42:53
Cher Nicolas,
heureusement que l'être humain a un fromidable instinct de vie qui lui permet de garder une incroyable force de vivre, lui permettant d'affronter des situations aussi désastreuses qui auraient pourtant tout pour détruire mentalement les survivants. Je trouve super que tu arrives aussi à nous montrer ces gens qui gardent malré tout leur dignité et leur énorme espoir de vivre. Espérons que cela les aidera à entamer le long chemin de la reconstruction de leur pays et de leur vie personnelle.
A toi, je souhaite beaucoup de courage et d'énergie pour aller au bout de ta nouvelle "mission" .
Verena (d'Avully)
2010-02-06
00:06:33
C'est triste, j'ai des amis qui etudiaient labas à Haute-Etudes, je ne sais pas jusqu 'à qui est vivant ni qui sont mort .. Il ya le l'Université GOC, tout pres des Hautes-Etudes, de 6 étages, j'ai fait des études labas en architecture, juste avant de laisser le pays, je voudrais savoir si c'etait écrasé? Merci bien mes chèrs pour ces beaux reportajes, vous faites un travail formidable! Je vous felicite. vous etes en train d'écrire avec nous l 'Histoire du demain, des histoires de toujours. Haití ... ¡Ánimo! bon courage Haitiens, on va reconstruire notre chère Patrie, on va prendre en main l'avenir de Notre Pays ", pour le mieux et pour la vie Durand: ``Haití Cherie`` , Haití pour toujour!
2010-02-12
13:00:38
[...] Port-au-Prince – Since the day I met Emmanuel and Johnny in front of the Embassy, we have continued working together. They are the students you can see in the blog from January the 24th, “There isn’t much of a future for us”. [...]
2010-02-18
12:24:05
[...] was not alone this past month. I want to thank Emmanuel Midi and Johnny Pierrot for relentlessly and courageously supporting and accompanying me to all the crazy places we went to [...]
2010-03-18
20:32:40
[...] Port-au-Prince – Since the day I met Emmanuel and Johnny in front of the Embassy, we have continued working together. They are the students you can see in the blog from January the 24th, “There isn’t much of a future for us”. [...]