It rains here every day in Hato Mayor. Clamoring thunder accompanies the rain that floods the streets and muddies the dirt roads. Women can be seen with trash bags over their heads so that their hair does not get wet. Straight hair is a luxury here, and both Dominicans and Haitians take pride in presenting themselves well. As we arrive in a small community outside Hat Mayor, I spot a child pushing a tire with a stick, laughing hysterically as the raindrops splatter against his high cheekbones.
Sitting under a tin roof, the rain pattering against the metal dripping off all sides, I am surrounded by a group of Haitians during a loan meeting. Today, the women must pay back the money they borrowed. Switching fluently between Creole and Spanish, they are arguing amongst each other. They do not have enough money to pay back the loan, and are in danger of losing their contract with Esperanza.
The rain has made many businesses very difficult to conduct productively. There are fewer customers outside, and the rain can sometimes ruin the clothes people are trying to sell. Therefore, the group is unable to reap any profits, let alone repay back the loan. The people are arguing furiously. Words are exchanged but nothing is resolved. We leave the impoverished community both discouraged and heartbroken. As much as we would like to help them, they did not hold up their end of the bargain. The chances of Esperanza giving them another loan remain very slim.
Despite the disappointment of today, I remain very positive. Microfinance has helped thousands ease the suffering of poverty. It is not, and never will become, solution to poverty but it propagates a sense of pride and honor for the people that participate. The Haitian community still has a chance to succeed, but the rainy season makes it very difficult. This experience has taught me that I need to take the good with the bad. Nevertheless, the pouring rain, and the grey clouds seemed to capture the emotions of that day.
