Attended this session by Jessica Heckert, Graduate Student, Dual-degree program in Human Development and Family Studies and Demography on:

“Youth Transitions and Youth Migration: The Haitian Experience”

Glad to have the opportunity to talk to Jessica before her presentation. I always think that it is nice when a speaker is comfortable enough to talk in advance of the presentation. It shows me that they have a personal side and that they are not so wrapped in their content that they won’t make accommodations for their audience.

Jessica did a great job of accommodating for her audience. She made sure that she was clear that she wanted to make sure that her presentation fit the needs of her audience. She didn’t want to use a too technical approach and lose the interest and understanding of the audience.

A little more background about Jessica. She went to Haiti from 2003 to 2005. Then she went right across the boarder to the Dominican Republic for another two years as a part of the peace corps. I can identify with this type of volunteerism since my Mom and a couple of my aunts have done volunteer work for Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS). Personally, I wanted to do the same but was discouraged since it might have bitten into my student aid. Not sure how true that was, but I decided to pass on it.  Ultimately, I have engaged in volunteer activities through out my life. It’s nice to see someone who is taking the experience and now entering the realm of education to help understand trends.

In this study, Jessica is studying migration from the rural areas of Haiti to the more urban areas (Port-au-Prince, Jacmel) of Haiti by youth. As I listened to Jessica and asked questions, I couldn’t help but learn a little more about Haiti. There were a few towns that Jessica referred to (can’t remember the names). They looked so close on the map but were difficult to reach from one another because of the mountainous terrain. I also learned that parents had to pay to send their children to school (20% public schools/ 80% private). But most of the public schools say that they will pay their teachers but don’t. So teachers quit or only come in a few days a week. I was interested to know if they had a 1-1 laptop initiative idea there, but it appeared that the most technology used was the cell phone (<$6). The were charged by solar power and only needed to incur calls for outward placed calls. Much of what is learned in schools is based on influences from the French (dress and appearance) and theoretical v. technical training. If anyone wants technical training, they have to do it on their own at their own expense.

Migration has become important since families feel that this experience will allow for their kids to have a chance at success. The reality is that instead of money coming from the kids who have migrated to the urban setting that most of the money is going the other way (80% from rural to urban).

The methods that Jessica used to get data were interesting. She spoke with kids who had finished 6th grade in two waves, right around completing 6th grade and about a year out. Since many of the students would migrate between those dates, she made sure that she would get approval to talk to relatives that may point them to the kids. Most of what Jessica did to get the data relied on rapport that her assistance could garner with the kids and parents.

This presentation is just another reminder of how much we should appreciate the educational and fiscal opportunities that we have in the US.