(task) Local mission worker survives riots in Haiti

Haiti RS

4 cover

social unrest, humanitarian

> http://news10.com/2017/01/13/local-mission-worker-survives-riots-in-haiti/ <http://news10.com/2017/01/13/local-mission-worker-survives-riots-in-haiti/>
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> Local mission worker survives riots in Haiti
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> HADLEY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – One local woman was right in the middle of dangerous rioting in Haiti over the past week.
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> Haitians are taking to the streets after the United States extradited a man who was just elected there on years-old drug charges.
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> Kate Bartow has been documenting her days in hiding in the Haitian city of Jeremie on a blog while her family in the Capital Region prays for her safety.
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> “There were people that told me I was going to get killed. And there were people that told me they would protect me.”
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> Lisa Bartow and her family help with relief services in places like Haiti.
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> “The Haitians themselves were protecting her.”
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> Her daughter Kate went to the city of Jeremie to help after Hurricane Matthew hit.
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> That’s when the U.S. extradited Guy Philippe, who had just been elected senator, on drug charges a decade-old.
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> “Haitians took to the streets and were angry at the United States.”
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> Kate was in the middle of all of it.
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> A story you'll see only on @WTEN <https://twitter.com/WTEN>. A Hadley woman is in Haiti during the recent riots and has an incredible story.
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> — Ayla Ferrone (@AylaFerrone) 4:19 PM - 13 Jan 2017 <https://twitter.com/AylaFerrone/status/820017452952285193>
> “Every other American in the town left.”
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> NEWS10 ABC’S Ayla Ferrone had a chance to talk to Kate on the phone. She said she hid for nearly five days as riots went on in the streets.
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> “The Haitians were saying that if the Americans took their Haitian then they were going to take Americans.”
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> That’s when she decided to contact the leaders of the riots. They agreed to meet her at night.
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> “I ended up going through this dark alley and a dark hallway and I entered a room and there was all the main leaders of these huge riots sitting in a circle.”
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> She asked to join them.
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> “So they said absolutely. They were excited and she stood with them and nicknamed her Soldad, which means soldier.”
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> Kate says this was dangerous for her to do, but she knew it was the right thing.
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> “For Grand’anse Province to already have lost so much through Hurricane Matthew, now lost their leader as well.”
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> Lisa couldn’t be more proud of her daughter.
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> “If things had gone differently and she hadn’t been alive today. I’d still be proud.”
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> Guy Philippe is currently in Miami and was set to appear in court there on Friday. It’s still unclear if that has happened.
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