By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Mona Augustin is a musician, a world traveller – and perhaps deepest in his heart, a child of God from the country of Haiti.
It’s what led him on a mission to the United States last year in an attempt to raise $50,000 for 126 families in Haiti who were displaced by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010.
Called Village Mozayik, the citizens displaced were helped by Augustin, who wanted to purchase land on which the families could relocate. That purchase of 3.2 acres has taken place with the $50,000 that was raised last year, as well as the foundation placed for a community center.
But with between 375 to 500 people ready to move to the land, there is so much more to be done – which is why Augustin is back in the United States to try and raise $15,000 to complete the community center.
The center will also house a church, a school and medical services for the community. Until that is complete, Augustin said the village is waiting to move.
On Monday, Augustin held a clinic for Burlington High School choir students and staff, playing several of his songs and teaching students some of the music and lyrics in addition.
He also performed at The Coffee House at Chestnut and Pine Friday as well as at Plymouth Congregational Church Sunday.
At the end of the performance, Candice Schneider – a Madison woman helping Augustin raise funds – told students how they could help … and it wasn’t by contributing money.
Schneider wanted the students to use their social media savvy to spread the message of the current Indiegogo campaign to raise the money – and also rate Augustin’s music online on Youtube and spread awareness of Augustin’s music.
“We want this to go outside of our network,” said Schneider, adding that she and the group working to raise the funds hope to find a new audience to help fund the project.
Augustin’s CD, “Mamamee” was also on sale at the end of the session.
Looking at Haiti now
Augustin said he was lucky to survive the quake in 2010. He called in sick at a school where he was supposed to be teaching that day – and the school collapsed and killed the students who were there.
More than one million people were displaced by the earthquake, and tent villages sprung up across the small country. Augustin’s village occupied a vacant lot, using tiles from the wreckage of their homes to form a mosaic – hence the name “Mozayik.”
The citizens were eventually forced out of that lot to government-appointed land for refugees, which happened to be a former medical waste dump without running water or shelter. They were later forced off that land as well.
Now, the village owns 3.2 acres of land. Still, with the number of people in the village, it amounts to roughly 1,040 square feet for each family. There are hand-dug toilets on the site, but still no running water. Water is hauled from a nearby river. The $15,000 would allow the village to complete the community center.
The residents of Mozayik have already constructed a portion of the building, with two-foot high walls and a foundation.
Singing about hope
And yet, singing in front of roughly 50 students Monday morning in the BHS auditorium, Augustin spoke of hope and singing with the joy of a child.
The final song, called “Na Na Na,” he used to tell students to “sing like a kid.”
“Forget all your cares,” he said. “Enjoy yourself.”
And in the lyrics of the song, students were told to do just that.
“Forget your misery for just one moment,” Augustin sang. “Won’t you join with me and sing.”
To get more information on the donating to the Indiegogo campaign, go to indiegogo.com and search for “Village Mozayik.”
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