Haiti prepares for first cruise ship call in quarter century

February 22, 2012

Thierry Mayard-Paul, Haiti's minister of the interior, said the earthquake-ravaged, French-speaking country may soon receive the first cruise ship to berth there for more than 25 years.

Mayard-Paul described the upcoming event as another instance of progress for the beleaguered economy.

"Haiti is at a turning point as a nation," said Mayard-Paul at the retreat of Praisefest Ministries, a non-profit group, which throughout the year, organises 'Cruise with a Cause', a series of mission cruises that transport volunteer workers to various places in need of support.

Praisefest said it is planning to take its experience to Haiti via a 4,000-person 'Cruise with a Cause' in 2013.

It said passengers would participate in projects that include building homes, repairing schools, and installing new water-purification systems throughout Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital.

"When you sail into Port-au-Prince, my friends, you will be making history. Yours will be the first cruise ship to visit our capital in a quarter of a century. This will be a milestone to remember. So let me thank you now for breathing new life into our tourism sector," Maynard-Paul said.

The interior minister said Haiti has made this project a priority and is "diligently working to evaluate and prepare the port" in Port-au-Prince for the cruise ship's arrival.

Praisefest Ministries said it comprises pastors and church representatives who give the group access to millions of homes and more than 60,000 churches.

"The goal here is to get these organisations to adopt the communities they serve in," said Dr Matthew Dunaway, the group's leader. "They will continue to resource and help develop these communities in the years ahead.

"We will continue to bring these efforts to Haiti, setting the stage for tourism in the future to bring income," he added.

Mayard-Paul said Haitian men and women are "not looking for a handout but for a hand up.

"And this is what you will be bringing to Haiti, a powerful and loving hand up," he said, adding that the government's plan for Haiti's development is based on laying out the framework for the economy to take off on its own, as it progresses in its reconstruction efforts after the January 2010 earthquake that killed an estimated 300,000 people and left more than a million others homeless.

Warren P

The Jamaica Gleaner

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