Update from Croix Des Bouquet: I Survived and I'm Back From Haiti

Ezili Danto Note
(Image by Ezili Danto)   Details   DMCA

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<sup>Carl's call for help to Ezili's HLLN from Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti

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Photos From Carl Thelemaque's artwork fundraising - "I Survived and I'm Back From Haiti Back" by Spring Break In Ayiti http://bit.ly/bF1yV1</sup>

^{Photo Album}

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Podcast of interview with Ezili Dantà ² of HLLN on Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Feb. 8, 2010 (mp3)}
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Thank you to all those in the Ezili/HLLN Network and those who read our piece on Oped News and the Ezili Danto blog who answered the call and sent help for Carl Thelemaque at Croix Des Bouquet.

Our call, and your response, is the sort of people-to-people solidarity that actually works and without taking away the victims' dignity, healing and sense of self.

Carl has written this brief note to you at the Ezili Network to thank everyone personally:

--- On Sun, 2/14/10, Carl Thelemaque, MPA wrote:


From: Carl Thelemaque, MPA
To: "zili danto"
Date: Sunday, February 14, 2010, 8:30 PM

"Zili,

I would like to take a small opportunity to thank you for the kind of help you provided to me to help our brothers and sisters in need in Haiti. I am happy to have you as sister and a fellow soldier for Haiti. The network has been so responsive to our calls.

I would like to extend my thanks to a few individuals : Lynn, Coze Joseph, Yveline Momperousse, etc...

Please share my satisfaction to them for their assistance."

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So thank you to all who helped Carl Thelemaque and the children with their families that he is helping to provide emergency relief to in Croix Des Bouquet at the Lila Voix area in Haiti. Of course the need is still great. Carl told me the other day he helped to deliver a baby himself. Carl's number in Haiti is 3 676 7676 in addition to the 3 711 1771 we gave out on the original appeal. I spoke to Carl a few days ago.

After I spoke to Carl, I wrote this email update to the HLLN donors who had been writing to us about updates on Carl. I wrote:

"I spoke to Carl and asked him if he would kindly drop the Ezili Network a note. Let us know the sort of help he's gotten from the HLLN appeal. I know it's difficult for him to find the time and Internet access at this point but he says he will try.

During our conversation, Carl told me that the Ezili Network has been very helpful and that he is getting some help, including medical relief. Carl said that our appeal reached doctors who came to help him. He is now sending the injured directly to the Haitian doctors - HLLN's AMHE doctor collaborators and they are helping him. He also said some folks from NGO's came to look. But those from HLLN who gave medical help and donations, that was immediate and it wasn't about coming over to "review the situation" as many of the others have done without yet providing anything concrete.

Also, when I finally spoke again with Carl, he had this really wonderful guy named Bernado Rubie on the phone. Apparently Bernado has friends in the Dominican Republic and was the first to locate Carl and start helping him with the children and people in his neighborhood at Croix Des Bouquet. I actually met Bernado in New York later at public gathering where I'd invited him to come meet with me after Carl introduced us on a three-way conference call from Haiti.

I was on a panel on Haiti at the Greenspace performance center in SOHO, New York. When Carl first called HLLN, truly in need and needing help, we didn't ask why he was going to the Dominican Republic for medical relief. But later on, I thought about it.

Turns out that in the United States, Carl Thelemaque teaches art to Bernado's son, and others who have Down Syndrome.

Didn't know that about Carl.

Anyway, I am sharing this story because I think it's precious. Bernado says Carl is like a member of his family because he takes care of his son so well and gets him to communicate so much better and that he knew Carl was in Haiti with the DreamForHaiti children program when the earthquake hit.

When Carl finally called to say he was alive, but needed food, water and medical help, in New York, Bernado called his friends in the Dominican Republic. They got supplies, water, food, blankets, medicine together and drove it to the nearest Haitian border to where Carl is at Croix Des Bouquet, which is the Jimani border - about 3-hours away from Carl's location in Haiti. (I thought before that Carl was driving the 10-hour to the border at Cap Haitian to cross into the DR. I supposed because that's what we did initially, back and forth since the earthquake to catch a plane back to the States.)

Anyway, it is very precious that folks in the DR where going back and forth like that for Carl and Bernado. It just underlines what we say at the Network - that we have to ignore the corporatocracy governments and go people-to-people. Because they just sometimes don't represent us, only Wall Street.

Bernado was an exceptional human being, very nice, kind with a big heart. When I met him, I said to him that Ezili's HLLN has about 15 different sectors throughout Haiti that we are working logistics for, sending monies to and to bringing some medical help to in Haiti and since we can't micromanage them, next time someone writes us about Carl and ask how he is doing, we'll refer them to Bernado Rubie and his volunteers in New York. Because the are working only on Carl's camp and could give better details and attention than we, who are juggling with so much.

So folks, Bernado's number in the United States is 646 261 5334. His email is at "mauricio donaldson" <bmrubie@gmail.com>. Just cc us at "HLLN" <erzilidanto@yahoo.com> and keep us in the loop. Thanks again to all who answered our call for Carl and who are continuing to help the Lila Voix people. Your efforts helped someone eat, drink and suffer less today. That's a wonderful thing."
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Also, when next Al Jazeera called our office, we sent them to Carl in Haiti to do a story on what he is doing. We know also that our appeal allowed for Free Speech radio to cover Carl's camp.

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Carl traveled to the United States this week to attend a fundraiser, featuring his art work, that Bernado and others helped him set up to help the Croix Des Bouquet camp. The even took place in New York on Thursday, Feb. 18th at the Bread and Roses gallery, 1199 Building.



In his absence, the folks answering the Carl Thelemaque's Haiti numbers above are well able to receive your continued help.

Below are some photos from Carl's gallery exhibition. The people of Lila Voix, Croix Des Bouquet still need our help. The camp has grown to over 15,000 people now and with the rainy season upon us and the shock wearing off, thinking time provided, there are a lot of suicides happening everyday as well as children to bury. So please continue to help this community in need. Call Bernado or the Haiti number if you're in Haiti. Buy a painting from Carl to help him rebuild his own house, his own family and be better able to help those he's become a lifeline for. Mesi anpil.

Men anpil chay pa lou - Many Hands Make Light A Heavy Load.

Ezili Danto/HLLN
February, 2010

^{Carl Thelemaque, Patrick Lacroix, Bernado Rubie
Patrick Lacroix introducing artist/activist/community leader and HLLNetwork member,
Carl Thelemaque: I Survived the earthquake and I'm Back From Haiti}
_{Photo Credit: Springbreak in Ayiti}

_{Photo Credit: Springbreak in Ayiti}
^{Bernardo Rubie- our hero!}

^{Carl' daughter, Carl Thelemaque, with his art work all around, speaking about his community and relief work to help his neighbors at Lila Voix, Croix Des Bouquet, Haiti}
_{Photo Credit: Springbreak in Ayiti}

_{Photo Credit: Springbreak in Ayiti}
^{Carl Thelemaque, Ezili Dantà ², Famous Haitian artist/choreographer, Patrick LaCroix}

_{Photo Credit: Springbreak in Ayiti}
<sup>Carl Thelemaque, Ezili Dantà ², Patrick LaCroix
- in the zone: moving and praising the Ancestors for all of Ayiti.</sup>

_{Photo Credit: Springbreak in Ayiti}
^{Carl Thelemaque, Patrick LaCroix and Ezili Dantà ² (paying tribute to Carl's amazing humanitarian efforts bringing hope, healing, dignity and saving lives in Lila Voix at Croix Des Bouquet Port-auPrince, Haiti and urging support for his art fundraising.)}