agricultural producers and businesses on a voluntary basis to middle-income countries and emerging democracies.” The program was established in 1985 by Congress “to provide for the transfer of knowledge and expertise of U.S. I am visiting Haiti as a volunteer with USAID (United States Agency for International Development) Farmer-to-Farmer program. With a history of ship wrecks, revolutions, earthquakes, and political struggles (past and present), “mountains beyond mountains” could easily also represent the centuries long struggle between the people of Haiti, their country and their land. His palace was destroyed by an earthquake shortly after. He was widely disliked as an autocratic monarch and he committed suicide in 1820 before his visions were ever realized. Christophe, together with Jean-Jacques Dessalines, launched the world’s first successful slave rebellion, dramatically overthrowing the French - who were outnumbered by a factor of more than ten.Ĭhristophe’s rule was mixed with Napoleanic ambitions and European ideals. The Citadel and nearby ruined palace of Sans-Souci represent the lost dream of the Haitian king (and former slave), Henri Christophe. Eddie points to where Columbus’s Santa María ran aground, the point of colonization. The mountains jagged in every direction until the land hits the sea, the Northern Coast of Haiti. The land here is beautiful, lush and tropical. It reminds you not to think you are that important there is always someone greater than you.” Looking out at the mountainous landscape surrounding the ruins of the Citadel of Henri Christophe, I find myself wondering about other interpretations. “Beyond the mountains, more mountains” Our guide, Eddie, gestures broadly to the horizon.
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