Haiti Overcrowded Cities - Is Decentralization Possible?

Updated October 30, 2012 6:10 PM

How did the population of Port-au-Prince grow from 200,000 people just a few decades ago to more than 3 million?

Keep this in mind while reading this article:

People move in search of a better life, people move to a place where they can feel safe and secure, people move where their children have a future.

In Haiti, they call it "La paix nan tet, la paix nan vant."

Question: If things are worse where you are going than of were you have been...

Do you STAY or do you GO?

With that in mind, here's what triggered me to write about this...

I was reading an article recently and the Duvalier dictatorship is to blame... Well... In part, they say...

The article says:

"Part of the reason [for Port-au-Prince being so overcrowded] was that Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, the late dictator, shut down ports and tore up roads to undermine his opponents in the countryside. And in the 1980s, new factories lured farmers to the city from fields where they were struggling to survive." (The Associated Press)

KEYWORD: they were struggling to survive...

Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Eyewitness News - Growing up as a kid in Hinche Haiti in the 70's, it was amazing to notice the amount of people who came to town during election time. Truck loads of "Habitants" (countrymen) came to the city for some FREE 'kleren/tafia' when mayors, prefets, and deputes were being elected. They were brought in by the truck loads, the politicians thew a hell of a party, got them drunk, and they voted to pay the bill.

Some of them never left Hinche...

If this was happening in Hinche Haiti back in the 70's, imagine how many people were heading to Port-au-Prince from all over the country.

Port-au-Prince is the hub... To Haitians living in Haiti, Port-au-Prince is like New York City, the city of dreams, If you can make it here you can make it anywhere!

Is it really possible to encourage the sons and daughters of these people to go back home?

The only way, I think, is to promise them a BETTER life...

How is life on the country side?

Reply with your comments

Moulin Kann - Moulin A Canne - Old fashion wooden Sugarcane mill in Haiti

Plantation Mais - A Corn Field in Mauric Haiti

Anba Kolonbye - Under The Granary - Haiti Countryside, Maissade

ANDEYO Haiti - LAKOU LAKAY - Little House on the Countryside

This looks like the Countryside of Haiti, just a few minutes from the city...

Haitian plantains, straight from the countryside

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All Comments (9)

Yvrance Unelus says...

Yes, Decentralization is possible.

Port au Prince is overcrowded.

The poor people of Port au Prince live in very bad conditions, They are hungry because food is expensive in Port au Prince and in some cities.

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Gigie says...

Just thinking

Why we

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Sergo Jean says...

I do believe people move because they want to.And I believe to be safe and secure, we have to create it for ourself, for our children and to have a future.

I know if we always think good things in our mind, good will come to us and also if we think bad things, worse will come to us. After 55 years, Duvalier was on power, I do believe we need to blame ourself, because we are the one who vote for the president and congress.

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Josy says...

Decentralization is the only solution, and the city cannot sustain so many people.

Port au Prince is too crowded, and we should go back to agriculture.

We cannot all be doctors, or lawyers and need farmers to work the land. The international community, and the government should encourage the farmers.

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Bernard says...

Oh boy! Here we go again, blaming Duvalier for the over population! Well its amazing how people forget.

Jean Claude left Haiti in 1986, are you kidding me?

aristide was the one that made a deal with Clinton when he was ousted the first time to allow Clintons brothew to bring in Rice, turkey wings and every thin else and he encourage the people that were farming to come to the capital.

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Frantz Dorismond says...

there are a lot of truths in those statements, but i won't aggree with everything; because there are some
exgerations there.but what is important, is that all haitians that love their country and would like to
live there, must unit and encourage the actual gov't in place to take appropriate steps to curve security in the country, specially in p-au-p, in other to encourage the diaspora to go back to the motherland to help devellopments and to invest while retireing in haiti by returning with their saving.

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Pat says...

Toulimin, you make a lot of sense.

Thanks for the education.

The anamacity is not necessary.

They want people like you to talk like that to us. Unfortunately we do not invest into research like you. You should keep teaching us but remember they love it when we live "Neg kont Neg".

Please keep teaching us. Each one teach One!!! Mesi anpil vye

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Cam says...

SI CA CONTINUE MEME LES HAITIENS QUI VIVENT A LA CAMPAFNE AURONT BESOIN D UN VISA POUR CIRCULER DANS NOTRE PRORE PAYS. HAITI EST MISE AUX RNCHERES OU SEULS LES BLANCS ONT ;E DOIT DE FAIRE DES OFFRES OU D

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Jean Pierre Alexandre says...

Hey Animal, if you don't have anything constructive to say"just shut you stinking mouth.

I have a better topic for you to discuss.

Feel free to talk about it and i will support you.

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