Charcoal

This is a common scene in Haiti. This man is making charcoal to sell on the streets. The Haitians cook on open charcoal fires to make their rice and beans, fry their chicken and fry their potatoes. This food is delicious! There are a couple of things about this technique that make me think about the further consequences of this choice however. Haiti's mountains and land is largely deforested. This is determental to it's landscape, farming, and overall economic status. The charcoal makers cut down trees and make charcoal from the bark. This is a consistent activity that takes place on a daily basis. The trees are not replaced. So, now there is a problem with few trees here in Haiti. When it rains, the blessing of the rain washes away the nations rich topsoil into the ocean. This in turn affects the farmlands and farming gets harder and harder in this country. Food becomes more and more scarce and a source of income for farmers, merchants and families becomes scarce. Do you see the vicious cycle???

As a physical therapist (and mom!), these open charcoal fires scare me. I have seen many many many children with burns from these open stoves. The children get too close to the fire, and often they are burned on their hands and faces. The large pots are often spilled and feet and legs are often affected. The medical care in this country is often difficult and there are few doctors that have access to the appropriate tools to complete skin grafts. Therefore, we are faced with debilitating injuries.

This is just one more aspect to the daily living here in Haiti. It is interesting how one small daily chore can have such an impact on a whole nation and the way that it functions.