'Voices From Haiti Vault' to aid in French nation's disaster recovery

Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

THEIR SILENCE speaks through the lens of a camera, their pain is cushioned in the hearts of many and their resilience is tested by uncertainty and yet, the Voices From Haiti Vault book captures Haiti's unyielding hope for better days ahead.

The engaging journey of emotions in this book, authored by Salvation Army's Major Allen Satterlee, is not only an excellent historical keepsake, but it is an extraordinary commitment to charity.

All the royalties Satterlee would have earned from this book will go towards Salvation Army's efforts to assist the earthquake-ravaged nation. In addition, the publisher is donating a portion of the proceeds earned from the book to the Salvation Army.

"This was my most difficult book to put together, emotionally, because there were several times I paused and literally broke down into tears," Satterlee, who has authored five books, confessed.

Stunned by devastation

As a humanitarian and an author, having gone to Haiti to witness a first-hand view of the devastation caused by the 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12 this year, Satterlee was stunned.

"Nothing I have experienced in the past (and I have gone to countries where there's devastation) compared to what I saw in Haiti. Devastation and trauma was everywhere. There was nowhere, not a little corner, room, shop, etc, that you could go and not see evidence of trauma. As a Christian missionary, sometimes there are not words to tell to offer comfort in such circumstances. Listening and something as simple as a hug can be the best reassurance."

Voices From Haiti Vault will be available at Sangster's Book Stores; and to endorse the philanthropic effort of the Salvation Army, the store will not add a mark-up to the price of the book, which will go for $3,000. This is an affordable piece of history that is explored largely through photography and survivors' interviews, and solicits a deeper connection to the situation in Haiti that readers can appreciate.

The book, Satterlee noted, took a month to be completed and is largely pictorial, a move he said was very intentional. "There was so much happening all at once that cannot be said with words and, therefore, the decision was made to make the book 75 per cent photos and 25 per cent words (most of which are interviews done with survivors). I wanted to give voice to who didn't have an avenue to be heard."

The message he, however, hopes that other countries, including the Caribbean, will take from this documentation of disaster is that corruption kills people.

"Everyone can't only be looking out for themselves and their interests. While no one could have ever prepared for the disaster that Haiti experienced, the problem there was made worse because of poor governance and corruption." Satterlee said.