Jardin Fleuri: then & now

My aunt Yolaine in Haiti knows a lot of people in a surrogate mother kind of way. She ran a pre-school and kindergarten in Port-au-Prince, Jardin Fleuri de Yolaine, for forty-two years before passing the torch along to her daughter Patricia, a brilliant educator with the vision and energy to keep carrying the school forward. I’m amazed when middle-aged men and women will approach my aunt  to say hello, recognizing their former principal of long ago, and she’ll say something completely personal to them, some detail about their lives or something she remembers about their parents.

Yolaine -- "Tati Yole" to me --with students early in her career.
My aunt with students; 1972.

My aunt being a big-hearted but stern woman, there was a strong emphasis on detail and order on the school grounds–especially because at the school, she also ran a boarding house for students and children of all ages whose parents lived out of the country– but there was also an undeniable devotion to merriment for the little ones. When carnival came around each Lenten season, the students were there to celebrate the occasion in style, decked out in Jardin Fleuri shirts, festive headgear, carnival garb, and face paint. Before Christmas break, there was always a celebration. Graduation Day was always a big deal come June, students dressed in cap and gown, the children performing long-practiced dance routines and poetry readings, the works. All of these occasions remained a family affair at heart–any relatives visiting when such things were going on automatically became participants, and my grandparents, Erna (an educator herself) and Dantes (a busy attorney), were always on hand to give students their diplomas, to help emcee events, and simply to provide moral support.

Founding ceremony and blessing for the opening of the school; my grandparents in the center of the photo--grandmother on the left in the cat-eye glasses, grandfather on the right.
Opening ceremony and blessing
Students in costume for carnival festivities
A small part of the school's contingent getting ready for a street procession.
March 2, 1973; students and teachers march down Rue Capois during carnival
February 2, 1981; the school's float
Jardin Fleuri's students in the street for carnival
December 1974; the students out of uniform, getting ready for Christmas festivities
Jardin Fleuri's boarders at my aunt's former vacation house in Fermathe for a celebratory getaway weekend; summer 1972.
My grandmother doling out a diploma and a kiss.
My grandfather...see description from previous photo.
An afternoon at the school; the holiday season, 1996

Life at Jardin Fleuri continued much the same through the 90s and the 2000s. Needless to say, everything changed on January 12, 2010 with the earthquake. With that earthquake, 2010 has become a veritable Year Zero in Haiti. We used to discuss Papa Doc’s Haiti and Baby Doc’s Haiti, Aristide’s Haiti and post-Aristide Haiti. My cousin now speaks of life “avant Douze Janvier/apres Douze Janvier” (before January 12th/after January 12th). The school–a cement fortress, a friendly home base for many loved ones, and a decades-long fixture of Port-au-Prince–sustained terrible damage and was eventually razed to the ground.

For the very first time in my life, I saw my aunt, an indestructible woman who has seen and been through so much, display exhaustion and dejection. I felt a heavy sadness for my cousin Patricia who had launched her entire being–heart, mind, and soul–into this school for the last few years after my aunt had chosen to semi-retire. Jardin Fleuri had been Yolaine’s legacy, and Patricia had meant to leave her mark in it as well. Despite losing everything, true to form, neither my cousin nor aunt had a ‘woe is me’ moment, or if they did, they never voiced it aloud–they’re not complainers, even during the most dire of circumstances. There was never any doubt that the school would endure. There wasn’t even a question of how it would endure. The only question was “When?”

What was salvaged of the toys for the students is tucked away in a tent for safekeeping from the elements; my aunt sits back in a corner..
Some of the students at play these days. Tarp still hangs in plenty of spots.

The students first came back to class outdoors under propped-up plastic tarps, set up by my aunt and cousin on a nearby piece of undeveloped, tree-dotted land owned by my aunt. Next came class in tents, while they waited for UNICEF to build small modular units, which is where the students are now, better removed from the elements. Rebuilding is sure, but proceeds at a glacial pace due to a number of factors outside most people’s control: lack of resources, bureaucracy, and corruption, among others. And Haiti continues to move neither backwards nor forwards, but in its own direction, at its own speed, always in its own dimension, its people as tired yet brilliantly resilient as ever.

A part of Jardin Fleuri after the rubble was cleared away; Joel, one of the school grounds' longtime staff members flashes a smile. He was on the second floor of the school when the earthquake struck; he survived by jumping over the balcony ledge down into the center courtyard on the first floor; fortunately, he landed without any injuries.

 

*** Thanks to my cousin Patricia for sharing some of these pictures. ***

18 Comments

  • Anthony Kimber

    June 4, 2011

    Sad, tres triste mais plein d’espoir, non? What a remarkable story of perseverance, and dedication….We should all have a fraction of this sort of mettle….Merci, ma belle, tu m’inspire!

    Reply
    • sunnyglobaldiva

      June 5, 2011

      Un grand merci, mon ami 🙂

      Reply
  • Erin

    June 7, 2011

    Thank you for sharing this story. I wish stories like this about Haiti had wider coverage. Your aunt and cousin sound like wonderful, resilient, inspiring women. What an amazing legacy and school; I hope it only continues to get better.

    Reply
    • sunnyglobaldiva

      June 8, 2011

      Thank you for reading, Erin. Trying to get some stories of positivity in Haiti out there!

      Reply
  • Vero

    June 7, 2011

    Lise,

    Awesome post. I have no doubt that your aunt and cousin will the school back on it’s feet.

    Reply
    • sunnyglobaldiva

      June 8, 2011

      Thanks, Vero =) They inspire me!

      Reply
  • Patricia R.Lamothe

    June 8, 2011

    I am very emotional reading this and looking at these pictures that I have seen hundreds of times before. We went through many stages. First looking at the reality of what had happened and what could be done, denial, hopelessness, a little hopeful yet skeptic and slowly able to have the strength to put in the effort and mind set to do what she had already done ( my mother Yolaine Rameau) start from scratch as it had been done 43 years earlier and simply take it one day at a time… You have just added some more drops of faith and hope to this dream! thank you to my beautiful cousin

    Love
    Patricia

    Reply
    • sunnyglobaldiva

      June 8, 2011

      I’m so proud of you every time I see the progress, and whenever I think about how despite how badly off things were, you took it–as you say–one day at a time, and always tried to make the atmosphere as pleasant for the students as you could. You and your mom have the strength of two armies!

      All my love,
      Lise

      Reply
    • M. Ketsia Theodore-Pharel

      January 28, 2021

      Thank you for writing this. I left Haiti when I was 10 years old, but my fondest memories take me back to that school. I didn’t expect to find anything when I googled the name.

      Reply
  • Junior Beneche

    June 8, 2011

    I actually went there as a kid, i can’t believe you are her niece. We were in school together all these years. Her daughters,i remember everyone,wow….Such wonderful memories.If i can give a hand somehow,a dollar,a can of paint to help rebuilt,i would love to be part of that.Thank you for the post.

    Reply
    • sunnyglobaldiva

      June 8, 2011

      Junior, I’m glad the post reminded you of good times! Everyone has their own fond memories from there =) Thanks for reading.

      Reply
  • Rose M Jean Pierre

    June 8, 2011

    OMG good morning there was tears of joy and sadness and my heart. This post brought so much memories cause there’s time in ur life that u can never forget; my favorites was carnival parade time in the street. Thank u Patricia, thank madame Yolaine , thanks dad for giving me the best of all.

    Reply
    • sunnyglobaldiva

      June 8, 2011

      Rose M, carnival was a special time, wasn’t it? 🙂

      Reply
  • Krichna J. F-Venant Marseille

    September 5, 2011

    Your blog about le “Jardin Fleuri de Yolaine” is a nice tribute to what the kindergarden did for so many children in Haiti-including myself back then-I will always cherish Madame Yolaine for the education provided @ her school, without forgetting all the good times. May God bless Madame Yolaine, her family & the ones committed to start over.

    Reply
    • sunnyglobaldiva

      September 8, 2011

      Krichna, thank you so much for your kind words. I will be sure to pass your well wishes along 🙂

      Reply
      • Farah

        December 27, 2021

        I commented to my family chat that sitting outside on the balcony today in December 2021 feels like early mornings in Jardin Fleury. And what should pop up as I was verifying the spelling of “fleury”? Such wonderful memories of youth. I recognized more than a few people in the photos. Beautiful retrospective.

        Reply
  • patricia deshommes

    April 15, 2012

    This is really moving. I love seeing classy, resilient and inspiring things like this … thank -you for representing the beauty that still exists in Haiti– it’s people…

    Reply
  • Philippe Jean-Louis

    November 6, 2012

    I always wanted to see my godmother after this longwhile, she remains my hero in every way Sunny I was there in Jardin Fleuri. I lost sight of my godmother for a long time, I love her dearly I tried to keep in touch with her but somehow I moved from state to state. I need to get in touch with her, please share my email address with her what a TRIBUTE! Tell her that she was always in my heart, and tell her I still play the Piano and that chopin piece I played for her has become a constant memory for me.

    Reply

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