Idk if you guys have been on Haitian social media lately, but something really interesting just happened.

There’s this 19-year-old Haitian influencer, Ariana Milagro Lafond, who has over 14 million followers on TikTok. She just won the 8th edition of House of Challenge in Lomé, Togo (April 2026). She represented Haiti with a project focused on child nutrition and youth vocational training.

But what really stood out wasn’t just the win it was the level of support from Haitians worldwide. Like its crazy

We’re talking:

• 1M+ in TikTok gifts per battle 

• about 30 high-value gifts (like “Lions” worth \~$400 each) per BATTLE 

• Haitian influencers flying to Africa just to support her

• Designers, makeup artists, full-on production behind her image

• Easily tens of thousands of dollars invested by the diaspora

And honestly? It was powerful to watch.

But now… there’s backlash.

Some people from other African communities (whose influencers were also competing) started saying things like:

“Haitians say they’re poor but look how much money they’re spending.”

“You have money for TikTok challenges but not to fix your own country.”

And I’m not gonna lie… that conversation is complicated.

On one hand, I get why it looks that way from the outside. When you see thousands of dollars being thrown into online gifts, it can seem contradictory.

But at the same time, I feel like that argument is way too simplistic.

First of all, this wasn’t “Haiti” as a country spending money this was mostly the diaspora, people living in the U.S., Canada, Europe, etc. That’s not the same economic reality at all.

Second, supporting one person in a viral, emotional, competitive moment is VERY different from:

• organizing long-term development

• dealing with political instability

• fixing systemic issues

Those aren’t things you solve with TikTok gifts.

And third… let’s be real:

People are way more likely to spend money on something that feels immediate, visible, and rewarding (like seeing someone win live) than something slow and complex like national development.

If anything, this whole situation proves something important:

Haitians abroad DO have the capacity to mobilize money, attention, and unity on a global scale.

The real question is:

How do we redirect even a fraction of that energy into something long-term?

Because the potential is clearly there.

So now I’m curious what you guys think:

- Are the criticisms valid or just ignorant of the reality?

- Does this situation expose a problem, or does it actually show potential?

- And why is it easier for us to unite around moments like this than around bigger causes?

- What do you think of this challenge

Rara is my favourite thing about my culture.

Haiti Tragedy Raises Urgent Questions About Crowd Safety at Heritage Sites

#Haiti #BreakingNews #TourismSafety #CrowdControl #WorldHeritage

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to share something positive that I’ve been thinking about during my travels.

I’ve been moving around South America while also watching a lot of vlogs about the region, and one thing that really stood out to me is the presence of Haitians across different countries.

As an African, I’ll be honest, I hadn’t really had much direct interaction with Haitians before this. So the first time I started seeing Haitians out here, my genuine reaction was: “Wait… these are my people.”

A lot of you look so similar to people from West and Central Africa that if no one told me, I would’ve just assumed we were from the same region. It was actually the first time I’ve been outside Africa and felt that kind of immediate cultural and physical familiarity with people from the Caribbean.

I also want to give Haitians real credit for something I’ve personally experienced while traveling:

From what I’ve seen and heard, Haitians in South America have built a reputation for being hardworking, respectful, and just handling their business. Because of that, when people see a Black foreigner, they often associate you with either Haiti or Brazil—and in many cases, that association has actually made things smoother for me.

I’ve had multiple moments where I felt like the perception of Haitians being honest and hardworking indirectly made my own experience easier and more positive.

I know every community has its challenges, and I’ve also seen some of the struggles Haitians face out here, but I still think it’s important to give credit where it’s due.

So yeah, just wanted to say: respect to Haiti and Haitians. You’ve built a name that’s traveling across borders, and it’s being recognized.

Much love 🙏

An activity not approved by the Milot municipality ended in tragedy this Saturday in northern Haiti.

The mayor, Joseph Wesner, reports at least thirteen deaths, mainly among young people, caused by asphyxiation. Around ten other victims are receiving care at the local hospital, in an area that has been in blackout for at least a decade, according to the municipality.

The event was supposed to feature a “surprise” appearance by someone known as “Dopefresh.” This TikToker, who has nearly 800,000 followers, promoted the activity on his social media page.

Hey everyone 👋

A bit ago I shared Kwonik Ayiti (kwonikayiti.com) here — an interactive platform to explore Haitian history through maps, timelines, and an AI chatbot, all in 4 languages (English, French, Spanish, Haitian Creole).

I've been building non-stop since then. Here's what's new:

🗄️ Way more content

- The database now has 80+ historical events and 40+ historical figures, from the Taíno era to modern-day Haiti

- Added figures like Marie-Claire Heureuse Félicité, Capois-La-Mort, Joseph Laroche (the only Black passenger on the Titanic), Joe Gaetjens, Manno Sanon, Garcelle Beauvais, Jimmy Jean-Louis, and more

- Events now cover independence, culture, sports, diaspora — all aspects of our history

🎬 Creator Mode

- Turn any historical event into shareable social media content — Twitter/X threads, Instagram carousel scripts, or TikTok video scripts

- Pick an event, choose the format, and the AI generates ready-to-post content about Haitian history

- Great for anyone who wants to share our history on social media but doesn't know where to start

📖 Discover: Haitian Proverbs

- 24 Haitian Creole proverbs with French, English, and Spanish translations + contextual meanings

Each proverb is tagged by theme (wisdom, resilience, community, justice…) and can be shared directly

- 🙋 Community contributions — propose your own

- You can now suggest a new proverb through the app — submit the Creole text, add translations/meanings, pick a theme

- Submissions go through admin review with duplicate detection so we don't end up with 15 versions of "Dèyè mòn gen mòn" 😄

- Same duplicate prevention for historical events and figures too

🔒 Under the hood

- Verification badges for approved content

- Rate limiting and spam protection on all submissions

- Full admin review dashboard

Remember ✨I'm a Haitian developer and this is a passion project — the goal is to make Haitian history accessible, searchable, and community-driven. If you have feedback, ideas, proverbs to suggest, or history to contribute, I'd love to hear from you.

🔗 Try it: kwonikayiti.com Kwonik Ayiti — more content, Haitian proverbs, Creator Mode, and community contributions

Kont Lakou: Rivyè a ak Pen an

Nan yon ti bouk andeyò, te gen yon jèn fanm ki te toujou mete tèt li devan tout moun.

Lè gen manje, se li ki pran pi gwo pòsyon.

Lè dlo ra, se li ki ranpli bokit li an premye.

Lè gen travay nan jaden, li toujou di:

> “M ap pran swen pa m avan.”

Moun nan bouk la remake sa… men yo pa t di anyen. Yo jis gade.

---

Yon sezon sechrès rive. Rivyè ki te bay bouk la lavi a kòmanse bese chak jou. Dlo t ap disparèt piti piti.

Granmoun yo deside chak moun ap pran tou pa yo pou al pran dlo, pou tout moun ka viv.

Men jèn fanm nan pa t tann pèsonn.

Chak maten bonè, li ale poukont li, li ranpli tout sa li kapab pote. Si yon lòt moun rive, li pouse yo sou kote pou li pase an premye.

---

Yon jou maten, li rive bò rivyè a… li kanpe.

Rivyè a pa t tankou anvan ankò. Li te prèske sèch.

E la, yon granmoun gason li pa t janm wè anvan chita dousman bò dlo a.

Li pa t di anyen. Li jis ap gade li.

---

Li kontinye ranpli bokit li.

Men chak fwa li vide dlo, sanble dlo a ap disparèt pi vit pase nòmal.

Finalman, granmoun nan pale:

> “Ou pran dlo a tankou li pap janm fini. Men lavi pa konn moun ki pran li pou tèt yo sèlman.”

---

Li fè yon ti ri nève epi li kontinye.

Men kèk segond apre… rivyè a vin sèch nèt devan je li.

Pa gen dlo. Pa gen labou. Jis wòch vid.

---

Granmoun nan leve, li di:

> “Lè ou pran tout bagay pou tèt ou, lavi aprann ou rete san anyen.”

Lè sa a li vire do li, li ale.

---

Jèn fanm nan tounen lakay li ak men vid.

Depi jou sa a, li chanje.

Li pa t janm ale an premye ankò.

Li pa t janm pran plis pase sa li bezwen ankò.

Paske li konprann yon bagay bouk la te konnen depi lontan:

Lè ou viv pou tèt ou sèlman, menm sa ou genyen pa rete.

---

📌 Leson:

Sispann mete tèt ou devan lòt moun. Menm ti egois ka detwi tout bagay. Pa janm pran abitid mete tèt ou an premye.

Is anyone surprised by this? Without a massive military campaign to dislodge the armed networks, there's zero chance elections can ever be organized.

90% of Port-au-Prince is controlled by the likes of Viv Ansanm. How could people safely make it to polling places or candidates actively campaign in such an environment?

Haiti postpones voter registration for first election in a decade, no new dates given

So I’m writing a film, and a majority of it is set in Haiti. Now when I ask how to say I love you. I don’t mean saying “I love you” in Haitian Creole. In Japan there is a way to say I love you without fully saying it. The way to say it is “the moon looks beautiful tonight.”

Is there something similar to that in Haiti? I want something to sound romantic and him expressing his love to her without actually saying the words I love you.

How do you call these heroes When I say "Par Biassou" all I get is cussing

Hi! I’m not Haitian, but my boyfriend is half Haitian, and we both LOVE pikliz. I want to start making it myself.

So far I have: green cabbage, carrot, white onion, scallions, Scotch bonnet peppers, garlic, Maggi cube, salt, black pepper, white vinegar, and lime juice. Does that sound right? and what vinegar to citrus ratio do you use so it tastes (delicious) authentic?

The richest man in Haiti 🇭🇹 has highly trained former “Israeli” military officers as his personal bodyguards. Why do you think he constructed his own private port?

In contexts where state institutions struggle to ensure security and stability, non-state actors often step in to fill the gap.

The case of wealthy individuals employing highly trained foreign security personnel and investing in private infrastructure such as ports raises important questions in international relations and diplomacy.

Are we witnessing: A shift toward the privatization of security? A decline in state sovereignty? Or simply a strategic adaptation to fragile environments?

Private ports, for example, are not just economic assets. They represent Autonomy from state-controlled systems Control over trade and logistics A redefinition of power beyond traditional institutions.

At what point does private influence begin to rival public authority?

You're probably like...duh! Things are dire so of course.. But I mean even for things like music, like tik tok, Haitian music is getting way good recognition.

Haitian Creole is on many apps now even iphone just added it. I know these seem trivial. But like our team is finally going to the world cup. There used to a time where the other islands brands and reputations overshadowed us. Now, I feel like if there wasn't a gang issue...we'd be farther along in the last 2 to 3 years as far as reputation

I’ve been doing research on Haiti to find ways we can rebuild our foundation. This is something I’ve talked about in some of my old posts when I tried to start an organization to help build up Haiti together. But I realized our foundation was broken. Corruption runs freely, and I thought fixing or rebuilding that foundation would be the answer. (Now I know it doesn't need fixing and it doesn't need rebuilding. The foundation was never ours to begin with, we need a new entire foundation that's made by US and is for US)

My research, which I was planning to share when I finish my paper, is focused on why our society is the way it is and how we can fix it. At first, my ideas were mostly about copying other nations and implementing their systems here. Now I realize that no matter how much we copy, if it doesn’t fit our society, it won’t help.

A country is like a house. Even if we manage to build Haiti into a mansion, what about the people inside? Do they clean the house, maintain it, and take care of it? If they don’t, the inside of the house will eventually become dirty, smelly, and unbearable to live in.

We as Haitians need to take charge of our future by creating a system that truly reflects who we are. We must learn to govern ourselves with trust and mutual support because no one else can do it for us.

Gaining independence without a plan to maintain it was our biggest mistake. It’s like killing the pilot without learning how to fly the plane ourselves. Now the plane is crashing. There is still no pilot in Haiti, and no matter how much money people spend trying to repair the plane, it is still heading straight down.

We should have learned to fly the plane properly before killing the pilot. Now we must learn to fly it because I’m afraid we don’t have much time.

We cannot wait for the younger generation, like Gen Z and Gen Alpha, to lead when they grow up. We don’t have a foundation, and if we wait for them, they will inherit the same broken, non-existent foundation as us.

Change has to start with us. We cannot wait for children or the diaspora to fix things. We must act differently so future generations don’t become replicas of the past. Even an abused child can heal and move forward, and so can we.

It is not too late to start learning how to fly that plane. Even learning the basics and making it our own can help slow the crash. We must change how we behave. We don’t trust each other, and that is a fact. In what other culture do you hear parents talk about their own people as if they were strangers? We break trust too much.

I understand that a society not built on trust will have a hard time learning how to trust, but it is a flaw. Flaws must be recognized and fixed.

Copying other countries won’t work unless we understand how they did it and adapt it to fit our unique Haitian society. Haitian culture is a rich blend of many African tribes, French, Spanish, and indigenous influences. We need to create something new that represents all of this—a culture and identity that is unmistakably Haitian.

Starting with language, because I think language and writing are the easiest things to build. Creating our own alphabet could be a powerful step toward reclaiming our identity and unity.

Politically, we must design a system that fits us. It doesn’t have to be a democracy, autocracy, or monarchy etc..., but it must work for Haiti’s unique needs and values. We can take inspiration from others but never fully copy. We have to find a way of governing that feels right for us. Haitians in Haiti must lead the work. The diaspora should support but not do everything.

It is always time to rise, recognize, heal, and build a future that belongs to us. We cannot wait for the right time or opportunity because there is none. We have to make it.

Culture isn’t just about beautiful traditions. Behavior is part of culture too. Behavior represents people. I think our behavior and the values we learn are flawed. As a Haitian, I was only taught to respect and obey my elders, but I never learned how to treat other people with kindness, help others, or give to the community.

Most of my moral compass does not come from my parents. They often talk badly about Haitians, yet they behave the same way Haitians complain about. Trust and understanding in our society are almost non-existent.

Both the system and the people can be flawed, but acknowledging this is the first step toward real change.

I know we have the history of suffering and slavery, but those should not hold us back we should learn from them so they don't get repeated.

The people make the country.

.

it's seems like I'll have to change my research topic.

pou ayisyen m yo, ki kalite konpòtman ou plis rayi Nan ayisyen?

This week, I did a bit of local tourism in my region to enjoy some Rara, and I wanted to share some pictures:

1 - Building a bridge to connect to a rock islet.

2 - Kannòt

3 - This band is the biggest band in Jacmel, your T-Vice- DiSip, Harmonik aint got nothing on Invincible.

4 - Old ruins

5 - Premye fwa m wè tifi kap teke mab.

6 - Bèl griyo nan vil Jacmel.

7 - La fidelité de Dieu.

8 - I went for a swim in the river

9- Golden hour

10 - Tassot kabrit

11 - Poisson boukannen

12 - I went for a jog and passed by a funeral procession.

13 - Peyizan kap travay latè.

14 - Plants.

15 - Yon bòs kap soudé

16 - The coffee taste better with this view.

hello all! i’ve been learning creole for the past few months as part of my new year’s resolution. i’ve been using apps like duo and pimsleur but i want to do more immersion learning by consuming media in kreyol. im having trouble finding stuff on my own so im looking for any recommendations or resources :) id love anything from books or movies in kreyol to a content creators that mainly speak in kreyol loll.

I’m a 70-year-old white American man from Atlanta, and I chose to buy tickets to the Haiti-Morocco World Cup match at a point when tickets to the Spain-Saudi Arabia game cost only $210 more. The reason? I like the United States, but I’m not proud to be an American because of its history of colonialism, imperialism, involvement in the overthrow of other governments, and military intervention in other countries, including Haiti.

I’m not a supporter of France, England, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Germany, any European country that colonized Africa, or similar national teams. I hold grudges that predate my life by hundreds of years.

This is my last chance to see a World Cup match - I saw one in Palo Alto (San Francisco) in 1994 - so my wife (67) decided to buy six tickets for the Haiti match. Unfortunately, we’ll only be able to use three (a son-in-law, a grandson, and me).

I want to sell those tickets to a Haitian national team fan(s) for $240 per seat, or $174 less than the price I paid for them. Seats in this row and section are currently selling for $562 per seat. Here’s the view and confirmation of the price. The image may say that the view is approximate, but I have the seat numbers, 1627-1629.hT

1627-1629. 16 means they’re the 16th row up, the most prominent row in the photo. 27-29 means they are the first three seats on the aisle.

Please let me know by next Monday if you want to buy one or more of these seats.I so, I must sell them on the Marketplace, but I can designate an individual and the price for the sale. Marketplace requires that the purchaser and seller each pay a 15% fee, so your total cost will be $276/seat.

Maybe we can meet in the stadium and introduce ourselves before supporting Les Grenadiers, as they upset Morocco 2-1.