Albert Saint-Cyr lives in Anse-à-Veau, in the department of Nippes. His house collapsed during the earthquake of August 14, 2021. How to get up after having lost everything? Testimony. 

Earthquake in Haiti: "If I do not hold on, mine may die"

Albert Saint-Cyr in front of the rubble of his house, in Anse-à-Veau, in the department of Nippes, in Haiti.

Text by: Stefanie Schüler Follow |

Nicolas benita

7 mins

Albert Saint-Cyr lives in Anse-à-Veau, in the department of Nippes.

His house collapsed during the earthquake of August 14, 2021. How to get up after having lost everything?

Testimony.

Advertising

From our special envoys in Les Nippes,

When we meet Albert Saint-Cyr, he is sitting on an old mattress in the shade of the rubble of his house, a farmer's pickaxe placed at his feet.

Albert Saint-Cyr:

The morning of the earthquake, I was there, under this coconut tree. My wife and two of our children were sitting under the porch of the house and another of our daughters slept inside. The earth began to shake and the house collapsed. My wife and the children narrowly escaped by jumping from the gallery. My twelve-year-old daughter was under the rubble. We thought she was dead. We shouted. I started to remove the rubble with all my might to make my way to her. I dug like crazy. But after ten minutes, she managed to get out of the rubble on her own. It was covered with white dust. And she collapsed to the ground. She was bleeding from the nose. I grabbed her and took her on a motorbike to the hospital in Miragoane. She was hospitalized for six days. When he left the hospital,I was consulted by a healer called Inaès. When we arrived at this healer, there were already more than sixty wounded. Last week, a helicopter picked up the most seriously injured.

How are you and your family accommodated at the moment?

We have erected a small tent with the neighbor opposite.

Here, when it rains, our yard is flooded.

We try to take shelter while we wait.

This is how we live with our children.

There are seven of us. So far we have not received any help.

Not even a bag of water.

►

To read also: Haiti: in the department of Nippes, the inhabitants feel forgotten

What are you living on ?

We live on what grows in our fields.

Since yesterday, I have been planting banana trees.

This is what we live on.

For the past week, I've only been cutting bananas.

Vegetables are added to make a soup.

And then we eat.

I will continue like this.

You are the first to come and ask us questions.

Can you already assess your losses?

We have lost a lot of things. A lot of my wife's belongings are still under the rubble. I am in the process of contacting a few friends to help me with the clearance. It's part of my worries. So I'm thinking: how do I get some money so that she can buy back what is needed? Everyone needs their little personal belongings. It reassures. It's the same with children. Many things that belonged to them were also lost. Soon it will be

back to school

This morning, I bought seven yards of fabric on credit that I gave to the tailor to make school uniforms for my children.

Children have to go to school at all costs.

Because school is life.

After that I had to convince the tailor to start the job, although I couldn't pay him straight away.

I told him, "

Get over it, I'm coming back to you."

So I sat here this morning thinking about how to feed my family.

They must eat… Today and tomorrow too.

►

See also: Haiti: a week after the earthquake, rural areas still left to their own devices

You are sitting in the shade of the rubble of your house in which you have invested a lot of time and a lot of money.

How do you feel looking at this rubble

I am very sad and aware of our losses.

We lost our home.

I must arm myself with courage to face this situation.

I wonder how I will clear away.

In the meantime, I must install a shelter worthy of the name built with tarpaulins and sheets to house us.

So every once in a while I come here, I sit down to think.

And after that, I go back to my fields and I organize myself.

How do you manage to find so much courage?

I have to.

I am the head of the family.

If I let go, the others will fall apart.

I have to be brave because I am a man.

I resign myself so that I can support the rest of the family.

If I lament instead of holding on, mine may die.

►

To read and listen also: Haiti: how to distribute humanitarian aid equitably?
[reporting]

Earthquake in Haiti: "If I do not hold on, mine may die"

Earthquake in Haiti: "If I do not hold on, mine may die"

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest