The Benefits of “Eating Trees”
Weather Channel meteorologist Jennifer Delgado recently made controversial remarks about deforestation In Haiti. Her exact words on the Weather Channel were, “They take all the trees down, and they burn the trees. Even the kids there, they’re so hungry they actually eat the trees.” Haiti is a third world country and does need a lot of help after all the natural disasters such as the 2010 earthquake and hurricane Matthew. Over the years, the media has only captured Haiti’s troubles, drawn conclusions, and often misunderstood and glossed over the beauty of the island.
Delgado’s remark, however, begs the question… Are trees even edible? Hell no! Unprocessed plant based food, absolutely! How else would you explain these Haitian delicacies?
Fritay- Because Haitians love fried food! Not burned trees.
Diri djon djon- To be 100% Haitian, you must eat rice on a daily basis.
Pate kode- Do not underestimate the power of these patties!
I’m sorry, did she say trees?
A few young adults who were born and raised in Haiti shared their love for their country and why that will never change.
Bianka, 22-
“I don’t even know where to start! I love the way Haitians are able to go through so much and still have a smile on their faces. Haitians are also so hard working. I love our culture and our food. Haitian songs give me life! Kanaval (carnival) is my favorite holiday! Haitian art is unique! Also the fact we were all raised speaking two languages because our country speaks two languages. Not many people are able to say that. Plus the other simple stuff, such as unprocessed food, and we can drink under 21! That’s a perk!”
Sarah, 22-
“What I love about Haiti is the sense of solidarity and resilience that we possess. We have tight family bonds and we truly believe that it takes a village to raise a child. We have a sense of pride for our country even when it hits rock bottom.”
Axel, 21-
“The best part about living in Haiti I probably how warm Haitian people are. They have such joyfullness and resilience!”
Kassandra, 21-
“What I love the most is our music and spirit! We have issues such as social class divisions, skin color prejudices, but music seems to always find a way to link us under the same roof. Our sense of humour is also another element I cannot live without it, and living away from home, I always seek my little dose of Haitians. What I loved about growing up in Haiti was the environment, its beauty as much as its poverty and corruption. Growing up there, it was practically impossible to avoid the poverty, it screamed at you every single day and as sad as it is to admit, you have to develop a blind shield in order to live in such a place, because if you start feeling bad for every single person, you will never be happy. What it taught me, though, is to be appreciative, and treat others with the same respect. The education in Haiti is well known for teaching respect and I will always cherish that. Haiti is such a beautiful place, and the South was by far my favorite to travel to. Its beaches, coconut trees, food and the kindness of the people are really indescribable. I get it that many want to move on from the commentary of the weather channel girl, but what you have to understand is that people don’t even have any sort of respect for Haiti, just NONE. Can you imagine anyone, even as a joke, saying an American eats trees? This is not something to be taken lightly, we are being talked about, and treated like savages in the freaking 21st century.”
Steven, 20-
“I love Haiti because it’s a mysterious place. I love telling people about Haiti because they’re automatically fascinated, almost like Haiti is a mystical place. Life there is so creative, so laid back. Living there, you learn how to face real life problems and you have to learn to face adversity everyday. I love living in Haiti! The people, the culture, the history! These all shaped me, and the way I see the world.”
Jonathan, 23-
“I miss the Haitian community because of the family conception and the solidarity. Also, I feel like some Haitians have been through so much that we don’t take life for granted. We were forced to grow up quickly and keep our eyes open. Not everything was handed to us and we know loss.”
Christina, 22-
“Haitian provinces are friendly and always ready to help compared to here (Canada), where you can’t even make eye contact with strangers. Then of course there is the fact that you can go to the beach all year long and wear shorts and dresses. Also, the cities are so small! Everybody knows everybody and you always have a cousin somewhere.”
And finally… Haiti needs help! Signing a petition to get a woman fired for her ignorance will not change what the country is going through. If you want to help Haiti rebuild and be a better place, reaching its full capacity once again, click on any of these trustworthy links and help a family or at least one person.