How I found my mum in Haiti's streets.

How I found my mum in Haiti's streets
March 30, 2008 | By Alan Lander

Any adopted child will know the secret pain of feeling abandoned, even if the facts indicate they are being irrational. But for Coast resident Jonas Ramone, thousands of kilometres separated him from the truth – until last November.

That’s when the inspiring 26-year-old Haitian-Australian, urged by a friend and mentor, took the plunge to search for the mother he last saw and heard from 20 years ago.
That meant a trip to his native land, Haiti, to find her and hopefully meet his brother, sister and extended family in the poverty-ravaged country.

Jonas’s wife, Ada, said she would take care of their kids Maliq, 6, and one-year-old Naimah while he was away, and mentor Tony Wehl set up a sponsorship so the once drug-and-alcohol addicted young man, now a successful business operator, could complete his growth to manhood.

Having confirmed his mum was alive, Jonas anticipated an emotional reunion but didn’t know exactly what to expect.
“I got to the airport – and my feelings were not what I expected at first,” he said. “I didn’t feel emotional and thought, is this it?”

The public had no access to the airport terminal so Jonas had to get through the far side, with no mother there to meet.

“People were outside begging for money – Mum was somewhere out there,” he said.

Then, suddenly, she was in front of him.

“It was absolutely amazing – that moment of communication I hadn’t experienced in 20 years,” Jonas said. “I just lost it – I wasn’t prepared for it – I gave her a huge hug – there was chaos all around us. It was a really weird experience.

“She was exactly as I remembered her, if a little older.”
They were driven to the missionary where Jonas’s adoption had been arranged.

He had many questions to ask his mum – but language was in the way, as he no longer spoke French and Creole.

And then came another shock – his mum had to trek a full day to return with Jonas’s 19-year-old brother, Jeanwell, and 16-year-old sister, Viola.

“She left me – again – it took me back to being six years old,” he said.

But she returned, and the family was able to spend time together at the missionary.

“I pretty much spent every waking moment with mum – it just felt so comfortable,” Jonas said. “With money generously raised from the people of the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, I took mum and my siblings on a shopping spree.”

Later, Jonas spent time in a flood-devastated part of the country, working with relief forces.

“It was really tough to see the poverty, especially the kids,” he said.
“It became easier to understand why my mum put me up for adoption.”
He said she had always tried to find out how he was.
“My (adopted) family here had trouble with that.”

Jonas has opened a direct credit bank account for his mum, requiring steps to ensure she would not be robbed.
She was even ripped off exchanging some Australian currency he gave her.

“She lives on the streets over there. I can now send her money – she is much better off than before,” he said.

“Haiti is very shaky, the UN and US are there but it’s still very volatile, very corrupt.
“It’s dysfunctional; there are no rules.”

He had initially decided against trying to bring his family to Australia but has changed his mind.

“I wanted to build her a house there, to get her off the streets – bringing them here would tear them away from all they know,” he said. “But now I will at least try to get them over here. It doesn’t matter how much money I send, with the situation there.”

Jonas arrived back on the Coast in December and is continuing to digest the experience.

He knows his mum is at least safe while he works to bring the family here. And he is philosophical about his life experiences.

“If it didn’t happen I would not be here now,” he said.
Jonas’s story will feature in ABC Television’s Can We Help, at 6.30pm on April 4.

Extrait de: Daily news Australie

http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/mar/30/how-i-found-my-mum-haitis-streets/a.

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