On January 12, 2010, Haiti experienced one of the greatest natural disasters in its history. A 7.3 magnitude earthquake brought the world’s first independent black republic to its knees. Everything changed in less than 30 seconds of shaking. This cataclysm took with it thousands of lives, homes and a part of the soul of the country. Fifteen years later, Haitians still rehash this bad memory. This tragedy remains a gaping wound in the hearts of certain citizens. Between painful memories and hopes of resilience, Port-au-Princiens recount this day which turned their lives upside down, forever engraved in the collective memory.
Thousands of shattered lives, broken families, lost memories… January 12, 2010, Haiti experienced one of the darkest chapters in its history. Fifteen years later, citizens of the country are not ready to forget this day, like Pouchon. Crossed at Bois Verna, he still remembers with sadness this terrible earthquake :
« It was the first time I attended such an event. It brought a lot of sadness, a lot of tears. Every year on this date, we, the Haitian people, when we remember this event, we feel a lot of stress. When you have many family members who were helping you who died in this event, it brings sadness and grief. »
January 12, 2010 remains a deep scar in the hearts of the Haitian people. For Julio, the pain is very personal. His cousin, a pillar in his life who helped him pay for his schooling, did not survive the cataclysm: “ It was one of the days that affected me the most, because I lost friends, members of my family, including a cousin who I loved very much. Unfortunately, I will never see her again. It was a day that had a profound impact on me.. »
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« The house started shaking with us inside »
Another striking testimony to this tragedy: that of Paulémond. Aged 63, he is a foreman. He was working with his friends in a two-story building when the earthquake surprised him. He remembers how he managed to escape:
« I had just laid down a few blocks of stone, and as I was chatting with my friends, the house started to shake with us inside. Everyone ran in a different direction. The tremors paralyzed me and threw me upwards, then immediately, I fell with my clothes covered in dust. »
Also readHaiti: 12 years after the 2010 earthquake, memory and prevention
Just like Paulémond, Daphné also experienced the horror of this moment. She confides that this traumatic event cost her a loved one and that she never wants to relive such a tragedy: “ The earthquake of January 12, 2010 was a traumatic event for almost all Haitians, a moment that we will never forget in our history. Personally, I lost a friend who was very dear to me. We would never wish to relive such an experience. »
And after fifteen years, the scars left by the earthquake of January 12 still have not healed. Each testimony is a poignant reminder of this shared pain, but also of the resilience of a people who continue to struggle to rise from the rubble of their history.
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