Haiti was devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on January 12. The two families, which have ties to Guyana through the patriarch of the homes, were brought here with the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Manickchand, according to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, said that government is committed to assisting these families and possibly having them resettled here at their request.
Haitian-born children Trevor and Tommy Ali were received by their grandmother while their parents Raymond and Haitian Darlene Ali remain in Haiti.
The children’s grandmother Bibi Ameena Ali explained that their home in Haiti was not destroyed during the earthquake. Trevor and Tommy were sent here to resume their schooling. Speaking to the media briefly, Trevor said that he has begun to make new friends at school but misses his homeland.
The children, Bibi said, have an older brother here and are supported by their father who is a marine captain of a cargo vessel. Raymond Ali, according to her, has indicated an interest in resettling his family here.
Meanwhile, Leonard Fraser, his wife Jocelyne and seven-year-old daughter Alicia were separated after the earthquake hit. Leonard, who is also a marine captain, was in Guyana renewing his passport at the time. The man said he spent weeks trying to locate his wife and daughter but it was only after contacting the Foreign Affairs Ministry that he was able to get in touch with them. Leonard spent the last 13 years in Haiti but said he is willing to settle here provided that both he and his wife find suitable employment.
While responding to queries about other Haitians attempting to reunite with Guyanese relatives, Manickchand said there was an issue with travel documents. “Haiti is still a sovereign nation and has asked for travel documents. We had suggested that the documents be processed through Jamaica but the Haitian Government has opted to do it so we have to respect that,” GINA quoted the Human Services Minister as saying.
Guyana has already dispatched 21 containers of food, clothing and other essential supplies through the National Committee for Haiti Relief, GINA said. Manickchand, who chairs the committee, disclosed that $110M has been garnered through donations from Guyanese. Some of the proceeds, she explained, will be used to provide seeds to Haitian farmers as requested by their president, Rene Preval.
