busy with men and women buying and selling goods Voices speaking Haitian Creole the French-based language used by most Haitians floated through the markets like gentle waves The streets were filled with greetings casual conversations and bartering A steady flow of bodies and chatter filled the space as people carried on with business as usual Since only 50 percent of Haitian children went to school many youngsters spent a typical day helping their parents or looking in nearby areas for work to bring home money Those who attended school learned about their ancestors proud accomplishments including becoming the second nation in the Americas after the United States to secure its freedom from colonial rule With a population composed almost entirely of descendants of African slaves gaining independence made Haiti the first black republic in the modern world The Haitian people had weathered many natural disasters including multiple hurricanes in 2008 that killed hundreds of local residents and demolished thousands of homes and businesses But today the sun shone brightly through a clear sky and there seemed no reason to worry as
people continued with their work
1 JUST ANOTHER DAY A hillside community built on the hills above Port-au-Prince 2009
Wismond Exantus Port-au-Prince Haiti January 12 2010 4 50 p m Wismond reached across the counter and handed change to the women The 24-year-old had been standing for several hours behind the counter at the small grocery store in the Napoli Hotel in Port-au-Prince He helped customers with their purchases as they passed through his line Thank you he said with a smile before wishing the customer a good day Bon jounen In Haiti a good job was a precious thing Wismond did not have to go far to find people in desperate situations brought on by poverty The streets were full of people trying to sell anything that might bring them a little money plastic water bottles refilled with juice used baby clothes and fruit People walked among the traffic wiping down vehicles as they passed hoping the drivers might hand over a little money for the work He smiled at the next customer in line as she set her canned goods on the counter Bonswa he said using the Haitian Creole word for good evening
