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(The
following statements were taken from Ms. Geri Benoit's paper
"Harnessing History to Development: The Story of Cazale."
Ms. Geri Benoit is a native of Cazale and has represented
the Haitian Government at the OAS Sustainable Development
Commission, its Social Development Commission and Commission
on Caribbean Affairs.)
If
someone were to say that he or she is from Cazale, three
associations from national life would likely spring to mind:
people of Polish descent, the massacre of 1969, and the
visit of Pope John Paul II in 1983.
But
where exactly is Cazale, the place, to be found? To answer
properly, one must first understand the administrative subdivisions
of Haiti. There are nine departments, with 41 districts
and 135 towns, each divided into communal sections or villages.
Cazale is one of four communal sections of Cabaret, which
was declared a town in 1934 and kept this status under the
1987 Constitution that prompted the law on decentralization.
Cabaret
continues to be relatively deprived, despite its proximity
to the capital (35 km away) and despite being situated on
the main national highway. Although predominantly agricultural,
the area has no Ministry of Agriculture branch office, making
do with an agronomist who also tends to daily administrative
matters. In addition, Cabaret has administrative and judiciary
offices, including a police station.
Cabaret
covers an area of approximately 226.85 km square and has
a population of about 80 thousand. Most recently, the population
of Cazale was estimated to be about 25,000 living on 111
kilometer square divided in 11 habitations. The population
is very diverse, getting older, with children who have migrated
to cities for school or in search of employment.
The
Côtes des Arcadins is near, with some of the country's
finest beaches and most important resorts. The Ministry
of Tourism has designated the area as the nation's most
promising site for development of the tourist industry.
While most villages around Cabaret are on the coast, its
most famous, Cazale, is inland, 11 km from the national
highway. The road to Cazale is often impassable when there
are heavy rains.
The
story of how Cazale came to be where it is begins almost
200 years ago, during the climactic stages of the struggle
for independence. During the slave uprising in Saint Domingue,
Napoleon sent Polish troops to the colony to help the French
army repress the revolt. Surprisingly, the Poles changed
sides and fought alongside the slaves. Once Haiti won its
Independence, some decided to stay and make it their home.
Legend has is that in 1805 General Jean-Jacque Dessalines,
then chief of state, personally gave the 111 km square of
Cazale to the Polish soldiers to settle, making it the largest
and most accessible Polish settlement in Haiti.
Because it was off the main road, Cazale was considered
a safe place for these new citizens. And since the flora
and fauna of Cazale were rich and the Poles were believed
to be peasants before being forced to become soldiers, historians
seem to think that this was a most fitting site. Indeed
to this day, the village's soil is very rich and though
no special care is given to its agriculture, it produces
the best mangoes in the country and a large yield of bananas.
Citrus is also a major crop, sold in the weekly Tuesday
market. Poor transportation and roads, though, hinder timely
access to larger markets.
Since March 1999 electricity, telephone service, and running
water have been available. Yet there is no clinic and no
medical personnel, and residents must go to Cabaret for
the most elementary care. Education is also a major concern.
The
springs feed the river Bretelle are only a few kilometers
away. The river is an inconstant friend. It runs through
the village, yet peasants lack the infrastructure to properly
divert its water for irrigation.
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