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Haitians in Miami urge Obama to let
family come to U.S. on parole visa peal to President Barack Obama
at the center for Haitian Women of Miami, leaders
urged Obama to allow family members to come to
the United States for a better life.
A group of religious, political and business lead-
ers pressed the issue at the FANM Center, 181 NE
82nd St., an issue they say has been put on the back
burner since an earthquake ravaged Haiti more than
two years ago.
At the time, Obama pledged to help Haitians get
back on their feet. Miami leaders say the answer is
opening the doors to people who continue to live
in disaster areas who want to reunite with relatives
in the U.S.
The Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program,
if signed by Obama, would allow 112,000 visa pe-
titioners to be in the U.S. as they wait for a family-
based visa. A similar program was approved twice
by Obama in the past two years for Cuban immi-
grants who needed to be with their families in the
U.S.
Marlein Bastien, founder and executive director
of FANM, said the reunification parole program is provide aid after the earthquake, and she was in
While President Obama was in town for a cam- “low-hanging fruit.” charge of the Miami warehouse where food was
paign event, Haitian advocates took the opportunity Members of both parties in Congress have ex- stored before being sent to the destitute nation.
to speak up on an immigration issue that has preoc- pressed their support, but it’s up to the president to “It’s been proven that the best way to help Haiti re-
cupied the group since the earthquake ravaged the sign off on approval. cover after an earthquake that killed 250,00 people
country in 2010. White House hesitation has been criticized by city is to facilitate legal migration,” Bastien said. “And
leaders around the nation. Grass-roots organiza- it’s the best way to keep people from taking to the
People holding up signs at a news conference to tions like FANM also are focusing on the issue. sea in rickety boats and risking their lives.”
urge President Obama to approve visas for more On Tuesday at the organization, children held signs Two weeks ago, 13 Haitians, including seven chil-
than 100,000 Haitian immigrants. that read “President Obama: Let the children come” dren, died at sea on the coast of Abaco as they fled
Haitian advocates in Miami made an emotional ap- and “Haitians deserve equal treatment.” Haiti.
Bastien worked with local and national efforts to

CNM - Raynald tell us about this new technol- CNM - You specified $60.00 for Haiti. Does this
ogy that you make available to Haitians abroad. app work outside of Haiti?
RD - With the advent of smartphones and smarter RD- It works all over the world. Presently, we have
phones, I started researching last year in a way to specific plans for Haiti and the Dominican Repub-
use that technology to create an app that could help lic where many people have relatives in Port Rico.
my community cut their phone communication As a matter of fact, someone who has this service
cost. Development in technology has and should in Haiti and who is going to the DR can just get a
always have one purpose, the improvement of the local data sim card in the DR and use that phone
quality of life of Human beings. If this is not the there in the same way. We are presently reaching to
final quest, then there is no use for that technol- the African, South American and other Caribbean
ogy. Great improvements have been done in the markets.
past few years with internet technology over the CNM - How does one apply for or get this ser-
world. With the purchase of Teleco, the state-run vice from your company?
phone company, by Natcom, Haiti saw new lights RD - www.palenetcellular.com or www.haitidek-
in internet access all over the country, specially 3G abes.com or 305-942-8348.
wireless access. I decided to develop an app called CNM - Thank you Mr. Delerme and your last
“Dekabes” that runs on Android smartphones. words?
CNM - How does “Dekabes” work? RD - The world is just a big village today. At
RD - The app “Dekabes” is owned by a company Palenet Cellular, we want to help improve the qual-
that I own in the US called Palenet Cellular, inc. ity of life for people living in different regions of
It is registered in Florida. What this app does? It that village by helping them save money for better
provides cell phone communication between some- things.
one in Haiti, anywhere on the island, to any phone
in the US, Canada and Porto Rico for a flat monthly
One Haitian entrepreneur devel- rate instead of per minute rate, that which signifi-
oped an app for the Android market cantly reduces the cost of staying in contact with
which is greatly cutting the cost for families and friends abroad. We call the service
Haitians abroad to stay in contact. “Dekabes” because the phone number that is on
this smartphone is either a US or a Canadian num-
Caribbean Network Magazine asked ber, depending on where that person purchases the
Mr Raynald Delerme President of service. What that does is it allows anyone in the
“DEKABES”, a few questions about US or Canada to call that person in Haiti without
this New technology. having to purchase long distance minutes or calling
cards. It is actually a local call for the person in the
US or Canada since they are calling a local number.
“Staying in contact with their families in Haiti can CNM- And that technology works, Mr Delerme?
be a very costly thing for Haitians living abroad. RD - Just as if you were calling the person next
Compared to neighboring Dominican Republic door.
where the average long distance call from the US CNM - May we ask how much this service cost?
or Canada to DR is around 10 cents a minute, call- RD - Flat rate, $60.00 a month for Haiti. That’s
ing Haiti is more than 30 cents a minutes. With the it. Unlimited, anytime calls between Haiti, the US,
advance of technology in the field of communica- Canada, both ways.
tions since the introduction of Smartphones” said
Mr Delerme. CNM | CARIBBEANNETWORKMAGAZINE.COM 117