All language subtitles for Carib2

I'm on an incredible
Caribbean adventure

through two of the most intoxicating
countries in the world.

Cuba and Haiti.

Why don't you tag along?
Take it away, boys.

Huh!

THEY PLAY
AND SING IN SPANISH

So far, I've travelled
the length of Cuba.

Along the way I've met some
fascinating people.

DRUMMING

Have you ever made your own cigars

and rolled them on your leg
like this?

JOANNA LAUGHS

Before leaving Cuba,
there's one more place I must visit.

Across there and behind me
is Guantanamo Bay.

Then over the water lies Haiti,
the land of voodoo.

There's a skull up there!

Allo?

Oh!

It's both surprising...

I'm going to lean forward
to bite this out of your hand.

..and demanding.

Look at this fabulous bay.

It breaks your heart
to see so much plastic.

It's a unique country,
born of a slave revolution.

SHE GASPS
Look at the Citadelle!

Come with me
through Cuba and Haiti,

two gems of the Caribbean
that'll leave your spirits soaring.

Here in the south of Cuba
is somewhere

you will definitely have heard of.

But you might not even
know it's in Cuba.

We've driven up to this beautiful
sunny mountain top

and across there and behind me
is Guantanamo Bay.

There's a ten-mile exclusion zone

so this is the closest
we can possibly get to it

and that's
where the detention centre is.

ALL: Close Guantanamo Bay!

The detention camp at Guantanamo Bay

is part of a US naval base
that America acquired in 1903

and despite Cuba's protests,
has held onto ever since.

Today, it houses 40 inmates,

including the five men accused
of masterminding

the 9/11 terror attacks.

You know, it's a strange thing
about names

cos some of them
are completely magical.

Names like Xanadu and Persepolis.

Other names just bring
a chill to your heart

and a sense of disquiet,
a sense of unease.

One of those names is Guantanamo.

With such a sinister facility
nearby,

it'll be intriguing to see
what the town itself is like.

This is Guantanamo,

I mean, what was I expecting?
I don't know, a sort of prison camp?

It's absolutely gorgeous.
Look, it's just beautiful,

sort of Spanish influence.

And I've just learnt something
absolutely astonishing

for those old hippies like me
from the sixties.

One of the songs we always sang
was Guantanamera.

Guantanamera means a girl,

a country girl from this region,
from Guantanamo.

Guantanamera, you must remember it.
Sort of...

# Guantanamera

# Guajira guantanamera

# Guantanamera... #

We were all swinging,
like, "Fantastic!"

That's Guantanamera! Here, wow.

With the addition of lyrics by
revolutionary poet, Jose Marti,

the song has become a Cuban classic.

MUSIC: 'Guantanamera'
by The Sandpipers

23-year-old Lisnet
is a part-time English teacher

who dreams of becoming
a professional singer.

And today she's recording
her version of the song.

SHE SINGS 'GUANTANAMERA'

CONTINUES SINGING 'GUANTANAMERA'

SHE HOLDS LONG NOTE

That was beautiful, Lisnet.

On the way to her home,
Lisnet explains

that her mother is working
in Africa as a doctor.

LISNET: I live here for ten years.

She and her sister now share this
small flat with her older brother.

It's lovely, Lisnet.

This is my sister.
Nice to meet you.

It's lovely to meet you.

We are twins,
but we are not look like.

She's more fat than me!

SHE GIGGLES

My sister and my brother
are studying medicine.

No. Three doctors?
Yeah, three doctors.

Lisnet, who can pay for things?
Because you're not a doctor yet

and you're still graduating,
so where does your money...

Does your mother send you
some money? No.

With my work...
Is it enough?

No, but I don't want to say...
No, no, no.

We live like we can.

PUPPY WHINES

Will you take me round
and show me the house?

Lisnet, just finishing
the end of her bed.

Do you want me to get round
and pull the end of it? Yeah.

THEY CHUCKLE

Just tidying up.
She hadn't made her bed!

Oh, look. Hairdryer.

And your bits and pieces
out there.

Oh, cool, those are beautiful,
look at those!

LISNET GIGGLES
This is one of Lisnet's costumes

for singing in.
Look at that. Yeah.

With that fabulous zip
all down the front.

Do you have jewellery you wear
with it? What do you wear?

Look at these.

Very interesting, isn't it?
Because there they are,

both of them studying.

Just making ends meet.

So full of optimism and
kind of longing for opportunities.

I wish it were easier
in this beautiful country,

because it is a beautiful country.

It'll come, the time will come.

I hope it comes in time
for these two.

So sweet.

Back in Santiago de Cuba.

And before I leave the country,

there is one thing
I simply must do.

Ah! Bar Daiquiri.

In Cuba, a daiquiri is an essential,
so for research purposes only,

I slip into a bar
that's famous for them.

This is just such a classic
Cuban drink that it's quite odd

to think that, in fact,
it was invented

in a small region round here

which was a mining district
called Daiquiri.

And then, 45 ml.

Havana Club.
A kind of splosh of that.

I think a pretty...
Obviously a very...

very generous splosh of that!

There you are.
Muchas gracias!

Ernest Hemingway,
who liked to lap up a few cocktails,

once apparently drank 16 in a day.

He was called Papa Doble because
he drank everything in doubles

16!

I think I'm just gonna
stick to one today.

One or... or two today.

That's fantastic.
You're welcome.

It seems that I've travelled almost
the entire length of Cuba

and some things are just undeniable.
It is fabulously beautiful.

It's a baffling country.

It's well, well worth coming here,
just finding out for yourself.

It will change, but not in the way
people dread it changing,

saying, "Oh, well, the buildings
will suddenly be high-rise blocks".

That's not gonna happen
in a hurry because it's too poor.

Anyway, what's quite exciting is
that across there is Haiti

and I'm closer here,
in Santiago de Cuba,

I'm closer to Haiti
than I am to Havana.

That's where I'm going next.

It's 57 miles
across the strip of water

called the Windward Passage
to Haiti.

We land at Cap-Haitien
on the northern coast.

Haiti is the poorest country
in the Western Hemisphere.

PERCUSSION

Very few tourists visit here
at the moment,

but there's one tiny corner
of the island

where thousands arrive every week.

Holy smoke! Will you look at that?!

SHE EXHALES HEAVILY

This is a part of Haiti
that is completely untypical

of the rest of the country.

This huge cruise ship has moored
at a place called Labadie.

It is just luxury
on a scale you cannot imagine.

It does look rather enticing.

Royal Caribbean has got this lease
until 2050

and that ship holds 7,000 people.

It brings in masses of money
from this tiny piece of land.

For the passengers,

this is an idyllic stop
on their Caribbean cruise,

but some of them may not be aware
that they are even in Haiti.

Well, this is strange,
I'm now down at the waterside,

and there behind us,
I can't tell you,

a massive metal wall,

absolutely shielding you off,
you cannot get in, they've got CCTV.

I hate these gated communities.
I hate the idea of them and us.

The tourists are clearly
having a wonderful time.

But most never venture beyond
this fence to see the real Haiti.

Our Foreign Office at the moment
is saying, "Don't go to Haiti,

it's a no-go area, only go
if it's absolutely essential."

We're here because,
for you, my lovely viewers,

it IS essential that you see
what it is.

We've seen where the vast majority
of people go when they visit Haiti.

But now I'm travelling
through the rest of the country

where very few tourists tread.

Just 20 minutes down the coast
from the Labadie resort

is the historic city of Cap-Haitien.

300 years ago, this whole area
was a French colony

and Cap-Haitien was its capital.

Known as the Pearl of the Antilles,
its wealth was only made possible

by the toil of hundreds of thousands
of African slaves

and it was once the richest city
in the whole of the Caribbean.

I can smell those. Those are the
ripest pineapples you'll ever smell.

This is a fabulous part of town,
this is the old part of town.

Lovely French architecture,
lovely coloured doors.

Lovely old French balconies.

A bit like New Orleans, I guess.

I've never been,
but it's probably a bit like this.

Lovely, lovely colours.

Cap-Haitien has, in theory,
a great deal to offer,

but the sad truth is,
it's in a bad way.

Look at this fabulous bay.

It's just terribly sad
that this lovely foreshore

is completely covered with litter.

It breaks your heart to see
so much... SO much plastic.

Since the catastrophic earthquake
of 2010

which killed over 160,000 people,

an outbreak of cholera contaminated
Haiti's mains water supply.

People now have to buy
drinking water in plastic containers

which creates huge amounts of waste.

But not all Haiti's problems
are the fault of Mother Nature.

The country has a long catalogue of
disastrous regimes and politicians.

NEWSREEL: '1945, the election of
President Dumarsais Estime,

'but he was ousted by revolution
in 1950.

'His successor is Paul E. Magloire,

'a leader backed by the military
who was overthrown in 1956.

'In 1957, the National
Palace in Port-au-Prince

'was occupied
by Dr Francois Duvalier.'

Duvalier,
famously known as Papa Doc,

was one of the most
corrupt and oppressive dictators

in modern history.

NEWSREEL: 'Two years ago,

'he declared himself
re-elected President

'in an election for which
he never proclaimed a candidacy.'

Along with his son, Baby Doc,
he terrorised the country

and ripped it off for billions.

Haiti's political turmoil
has continued to the current day.

But to understand
the country's extraordinary story,

you have to go back over 200 years.

RHYTHMIC DRUMMING

20 miles into the mountains
is a fortress

that is a symbol of the Haitian
people's fight for freedom.

SHE GASPS
Look at the Citadelle!

Oh, wow!

Allons-y, Toyoto!

Being up close to it,

it's like being under the bows
of an enormous ocean-going liner.

The Citadelle took 20,000 men
over 15 years to construct.

This astonishing fortress boasts

external walls 130 feet high
and 10 feet thick,

making it practically unassailable.

DOOR CREAKS

Ooh, it's cool in here.

This citadel was built
to ensure that an enslaved people

would never again be put in chains.

For over 170 years,
people of African descent

had been used as slave labour
on this land.

But in 1791, after centuries
of brutal exploitation,

a rebellion erupted

when half a million people
rose up to seize their freedom.

The revolution took 12 bloody years
to win,

but it ended slavery here

and led to the creation of the first
black republic in the world.

Look at these cannons!

The Citadelle bristles with cannons
seized in battles with the French,

Spanish and English who all wanted
this fertile land for themselves.

Oh, look, this is an English cannon.
SHE GASPS

1742.

And here we have
the leopards of England,

but, you know, the thing is
that although all these cannons

were captured and brought up here,

this huge citadel
was never besieged.

You can understand why they wanted
to build something so huge,

just to say to the French,
indeed the Spanish and the English,

"Never come here again."

Haiti's slave revolution
sent shockwaves around the globe.

And the story has a cruel twist.

After the revolution, France,
with the complicity of its allies,

demanded payment for the so-called
theft of their slaves,

the equivalent today
of 21 billion dollars.

It took Haiti until 1947
to pay off this crippling debt.

I'm beginning to understand
Haiti's complex story.

Back in Cap-Haitien,

I want to get a present-day
perspective from a local.

Lolo, Lolo! Mwah!

Lolo, a local entrepreneur,
has confidence enough

in Haiti's future to have opened
a new restaurant in Cap-Haitien.

You've got this unbelievably
cool restaurant.

Thank you.
Fabulous.

We are very third world
and there's a lot

to be done in my country to make it
a better place for its people,

but it is a beautiful,
beautiful place.

This is a city that was built
for about 80,000 people.

There are 800,000 people
living in it

and it multiplied really fast
after the earthquake. Yeah.

People left their villages
all around and came to the city,

which is why it got
so dirty, so fast.

Apparently, 30 years ago,
this was the cleanest city

in all of the Caribbean.
It was.

You have such fabulous high hopes.

Are you realistic about how quickly
Haiti can get on her feet?

These are challenging times now

and we understand that
we are the future of our country.

It's up to us, it's up to us.
Listen, Haiti's got hope.

And we're resilient people.
And you've got courage

and you've got staying power.
Yeah.

And you've got brilliance
and talent. And we're beautiful.

And you're beautiful.
Yes!

BOTH LAUGH

The next morning, I'm on a mission.

To understand a country, you first
have to understand its bread.

So at a bakery across town

I've come to find out
about Haiti's famous Cassava bread.

It's gluten-free and is reputed
to contain

anti-cancer and, more importantly,
anti-Alzheimer agents.

This is something
I've always wanted to see.

I can smell it already
and the heat...

I tell you, Haiti is hot,
this is boiling

because this is open charcoal
everywhere.

SHE GASPS

And look, here it is, it's cooking.
I just want to see how it's made.

Verdieu has been baking
this magical bread for 15 years now.

Moi, je suis Joanna.

Will you show me how it is made?

Cassava, or manioc,
is a root vegetable

that's grown all over the tropics.

Once it's plucked from the ground,
it's peeled...

It's got the most gorgeous, fresh...
It's lovely, it reminds me

of farmyards and barns.

Gosh, look at this machine.

...and then fed through
this lethal-looking contraption

that shreds it into powder.

Look how fine it's become.
Light as feathers.

Ready for the next stage.

It just goes onto this, baking hot.
Just the cassava flour.

Cassava is grown in 80 countries

and is the primary component
in the diet of 800 million people.

Is the cassava that you buy
grown locally?

Blimey, it's hot!

I'm going to lean forward
and bite this out of your hand

because it's too hot for me to hold!

Mmm!

I can't tell you
what this tastes like.

Half mince pie, half...
Half Weetabix.

I think Weetabix
is pretty much up there.

It's got the most unworldly taste.
It's absolutely delicious.

The bread is wrapped up
in brown paper,

giving it a lovely,
old-fashioned feel.

Oh, Monsieur Verdieu, voila!

Another plus is that
it keeps fresh for weeks,

making it ideal for travelling.

That weighs a lot!

That's not like being given
a loaf of bread,

it's like being given food
for a hungry crew for a week.

But, actually, it's mine.

It's time to leave Cap-Haitien
and see some more of Haiti.

The distance as the crow flies
across the country

is less than 100 miles,

but on twisty mountain roads,
it takes forever.

Suddenly, through the palm trees,
we glimpse a pristine beach.

Here's a lovely little
Surf Haiti shop.

Surf Haiti surf lessons.

The surf school was set up
by a Hawaiian charity worker

who noticed the quality
of the swell.

Today, it's run by locals.

SURF MUSIC PLAYS

It's lovely to see this because

quite a lot of Haitian children
can't swim

so one of the first things they
do here is to teach them to swim.

Yay, he's off!

SURF MUSIC CONTINUES

And is this all the people
who surf here?

Are there more than this?

The beach is very clean.
Do you keep it clean?

We... We clean it.
That's good.

Everywhere, it brings it in.

Yeah. Excellent!

SHE CHUCKLES

I really do hate to act my age,
but in this case,

I'll leave it to the boys.

There's just something so easy,
so many people do it

and they seem to be able to continue
surfing right into late middle age

and even old age,
people are out surfing.

It's a lovely thing,
I just completely missed out.

I've missed out on plenty of stuff,
I can still walk.

And as a doctor said,
who once examined me...

In the report, it said,
"Can still cut own toenails."

For the next part
of my Haitian adventure,

I've hitched a ride
with a flotilla of boats.

We set sail from Haiti's
great southern peninsula,

bound for the tiny island
of Ile-a-Vache,

which was significant
during Haiti's swashbuckling past.

300 years ago,
this part of the Caribbean

was swarming with buccaneers.

The Spanish, French and English
were all fighting

over the spoils of the New World.

This whole island was once
a stronghold

for the English privateers,
or pirates.

They established themselves here
specially to torment and harass

the French and Spanish
who occupied the main island.

Some of you may know the pirate
Captain Henry Morgan

from the rum that bears his name.

He chose this island
and its spectacular natural harbour

as the base for his operations.

Lovely leaning out,
cos I'm obviously quite heavy,

sitting here on this side.

The island is only eight miles long
and has only one dirt road,

so two wheels are by far
the coolest way to get around.

This is beautiful, we go along
this fabulous coastline.

Port Morgan, Captain Henry Morgan's
phenomenal bay.

You can see why it was
just captivating for him.

Bonjour!

I'm on my way to a voodoo ceremony.

I'm so excited.

RHYTHMIC DRUMMING

Voodoo is practised all over Haiti,

but because of its remoteness,
Ile-a-Vache is a stronghold.

I have preconceptions
of pins in dolls,

zombies and blood sacrifice,

but I have Jean-Daniel on hand
to keep me straight.

He's not only our fixer
and translator, but brilliantly,

he's also a voodoo priest.

HE GREETS HER IN NATIVE LANGUAGE

We're both welcomed
into the ceremony

by the priestess, or mambo,
Ilene.

THEY CONVERSE IN OWN LANGUAGE

JD explains that this is a seasonal
celebration held in early July

where people offer thanks
to the spirits.

Limes, mangoes, bananas.

PERCUSSION

I know nothing about voodoo.
Will you tell me a bit about it?

It's a culture.
Yes.

DRUMMING

THEY CHANT IN UNISON

Voodoo's roots go back
over 6,000 years to West Africa.

During the time of slavery,
the French tried to ban voodoo,

seeing it as a threat
to the colonial system.

Slaves were forced
to convert to Christianity.

But voodoo survived, adopting
Christian icons and practices

to disguise the true purpose
of their ceremonies.

DRUMMING AND CHANTING

There's a saying that Haiti
is 70% Catholic, 30% Protestant

and 100% Voodoo.

DRUMMING INCREASES IN TEMPO

Are they always girl dancers?

Most of the time, it's the ladies.
Yes, the ladies.

Yes. Yes, yes.

PERCUSSION AND CHANTING

FRANTIC DRUMMING

The women dance for hours
to reach a trance-like state

that enables them
to speak to the spirits.

PERCUSSION CONTINUES

FRANTIC DRUMMING
AND RHYTHMIC CHANTING

PERCUSSION CONTINUES

DRUMMING

There are strange things
in this bottle, but here goes.

FRANTIC DRUMMING

PERCUSSION CONTINUES

We go in to one of the room
of the spirits.

The inner shrine
is where many of the icons are kept

and where prayers
and offerings are made.

There's an altar and there are
several little Catholic statues

and then there are pictures
of the mother of Jesus, Mary,

Jesus himself...

And JD has been given
a big flagon.

He's toasting
different corners of the room.

This is a sign of respect
to all the spirits.

It's quite heavy.

It is heavy and I'm going
to stand here

and show respect
to all the spirits like this.

And then I'm going to pour,
three times.

A little bit there.

A little bit here.

And a little bit here.

This is a special liquor
for the spirit...

..to the four cardinal points,
and the four elements.

So we've got North, South,
East and West

and we've also got Earth,
Air, Fire and Water

all recognised in those four
movements. In those four movements.

I made one wish.
One wish? Yes.

You're coming back to Haiti soon,
Joanna!

I wish, I wish!

That was my wish.
That's wonderful, you are wonderful.

DRUMMING

I've heard that voodoo ceremonies
can go on for days.

I have to make my excuses and dash
to catch the boat to the mainland

as we're off to Haiti's capital,
Port-au-Prince.

It's at least a four-hour drive.

I've heard Port-au-Prince
described as hell on earth.

However, it once rivalled Havana
as an exotic Caribbean destination.

Cruise ships dropped off tourists

eager to stroll the boulevards
of this stylish city.

NEWSREEL: 'Port-au-Prince,
an excellent harbour

'and the imposing twin-towered
Notre Dame cathedral there

'is the spiritual centre
for most of the citizens.

'The impressive national palace
where the President lives

'represents political authority.'

When you're flying
into Port-au-Prince

it all looks like
a beautiful little city.

And then, boom, the impact hits you.

It's suffered such catastrophes.

Today, Port-au-Prince has changed
beyond all recognition.

I feel so sorry for the people
selling fruit and veg here,

standing ankle-deep in muddy water.

Decades of neglect
and corrupt political regimes

have taken their toll.

But, most obviously,
it's a city still recovering

from the earthquake of 2010.

The dead are venerated
in Haitian culture

and, through voodoo,
this permeates everyday life.

Jean-Daniel is taking me
to a part of the city

that's occupied by a movement
called Atis Rezistans.

I'm longing to see
the objets trouves,

the things that are found,
being put together.

Before the earthquake, all sorts
of things were manufactured here

and the artists used the scrap
material for their creations.

Bonjour, bonjour, bonjour.

These are the corridors.

You know, in a one-block radius
there is hundreds of them. Bonjour!

Everywhere's just a hive
of activity, isn't it?

Absolutely.
Bonjour, bonjour Monsieur.

Do people sleep down here
or is it just workshops?

No, no, people sleep here,
they live here. Live here? Yeah.

You see there is an art school here
for children.

Oh, look at this!
These are made from tyres.

So these are children's work?
I'm dazzled by that.

How far is this?
I'm losing my sense of distance.

A few yards,
just simply a few yards.

This warren of back alleys
doesn't seem like the place

where famous artists
would live and work

but JD assures me they do.

Oh, this is a courtyard!

Guyodo calls his space
the cavern of Ali Baba.

THEY LAUGH

BANGING

HE SHOUTS IN NATIVE LANGUAGE

This is Guyodo's son
and my very good friend.

Yeah.

Guyodo's cats.
Adorable!

Nice to meet you.
Bonjour, lovely to meet you, Guyodo.

Guyodo is a co-founder
of Atis Rezistans

and has exhibited
in Europe and North America.

How many cats have you got, Guyodo?
Some are baby kittens. Ten? Yeah.

KITTENS MIAOW

Cat chases the rats, so...

Guyodo, how is the situation
in Haiti,

in Port-au-Prince particularly,
at the moment?

SHE GASPS
Yes.

Guyodo, will you show me
this beautiful... Ah, spoon!

Look, it's just a spoon?
Show me, look! Yeah.

Wow.
THEY CHUCKLE

Quite a catty smell.

Haitian art is just starting to be
noticed on the art world's radar.

Look at this fabulous painting here.

Quite frightening arms
with faces on them.

Guyodo is, in my opinion, the most
versatile of all these artists

because he doesn't only do
paintings, sculpture, theatre,

he also does clothing,
so in a way he's a designer.

Look, there's a skull up there!

Gosh!

Look at these little carved skulls.

Where did the skulls come from, JD?

You know they always did use skulls.
Yeah.

But the recent, I would say,
pollution, of skulls

came after the quake.
Yeah.

Because you could find bones
and skulls all over.

And the remains, people started
using them more in their artwork.

Nobody's offended by that, cos...
Absolutely not! No, no.

It gives a second life to the skull.
I think the skulls like that.

I'd like that,
I'd like my skull to do that.

Would you like that? I would
love that, I would love that.

Look at these barrels
which have been made into faces.

It feels as though I've walked into
a parallel world

filled with weird
and surreal creations.

MUSIC BOX CHIMES

I don't know where that music box
is playing.

Oh, my Lord!

My heart is sort of racing in here,
I have to say that.

It's terribly strange.

It's as if all these creatures
are alive.

Allo?

Oh! Bonjour.

There are so many works of art here.
I'm just wondering who buys them

and how do these artists
make a living?

Across town,
there's a chic operation

that champions Haitian art
and artists.

Wow!

Some things I recognise,
look at this.

And the spoons, of course.
We met Guyodo

with spoons round his wrists.

Pascale, what a pleasure.

This has honestly astonished me
and I'm so thrilled

that this morning we were able to go
to the Atis Rezistans

and to see them at work,

and then to see evidence
of their work here.

Pascale studied in France,
but returned to Haiti

to set up
this extraordinary business.

She collaborates with artists
and puts her spin on their work,

selling on to international brands
such as DKNY and Kenneth Cole.

It's just... Look at these.
Look at these!

Atis Rezistans,
they recycle everything.

And this is... cereal boxes.
No! Yeah.

Just opened out and spread flat?

Exactly, and as you noticed
it's always red and blue

because they are selling
on the street very cheap, erm...

The biros? Mm-hm.

So this is done in biro?
Yes.

That is just incredible!

What I love is that,
working with the artists,

ideas come along and they make me
change my way of working

and they also change
their way of seeing things.

Of course, they told me this morning
that's how they make their art.

Is that the voodoo influence,
what is it?

Well, it's also the situation,
you know.

Reflecting what's going on.
Yeah, what's going on.

It's dark.
It's dark.

And the art reflects all that.

The artists, they're becoming
a model for the young.

When they see these artists
are going to Brooklyn,

are going to London or Paris
for exhibitions,

for them it's like a role model.

What is incredible with Haitian art

is that it's so powerful sometimes,
you know?

The head... I was sitting here,
the head was looking at me,

I was sitting...
I couldn't concentrate and work!

They seem alive.
Yes!

And I said, "Please come and cover
the head because I cannot work!"

So he came and put the...
SHE GIGGLES

It was a very powerful face!

It's dawn in Haiti's beleaguered
capital city, Port-au-Prince.

Many of the city's homeless children
spend the night in the main square.

In Cuba, people were poor,
but they could survive.

Here it seems that the most
vulnerable slip through the gaps.

Very soon, I come across this boy.

Tell me, do you have a home?

Do you have enough to eat?

And are you alone in the daytime,
do you have friends?

Will you bring them?

CAR HORN BEEPS

I wonder when was the last time
that 14-year-old boy smiled?

His eyes were lost in a kind of...

That unblinking...

..hopelessness, actually.

Today he's gonna beg
so he can get some clean water

because of course, the water here,
you can't drink.

It's... awful.

Jean-Paul, why are all
these children on the streets,

have they no families?

Most of them have no families
and often with no father, no mother.

How many do you think?

In Port-au-Prince,
there are more than 2,000.

For the last eight years,
Jean-Paul has helped run

a safe haven
for vulnerable kids called Sakala.

Bonjour, ca va?

Bonjour. Mm-hm.

And so, Jean-Paul,
this is my friend

who we've been talking to
just earlier.

So now, how old are you?

Fifteen.

How was it that you
ended up on the street?

Where was your family,
what happened?

You just don't know.

Jean-Paul,
you have an organisation

which helps such boys,
such children. Yes.

Yes, they say yes.

Shall we do that? Yeah.
Tres bien. Let's go, OK?

The thing about homelessness is that

we talk about it at home a lot,
in the UK,

and it's people sleeping rough
and we think, this is awful.

What notches it up a grade here

is that children are being abandoned
from their homes at the age of five.

And then they just become
little creatures

who somehow exist on the street
and that's their life.

Sakala is based in a notorious part
of Port-au-Prince

called Cite Soleil.

It has a frightening reputation,
even by Haitian standards.

Pigs, goats, rubbish.

For years it was controlled
by violent gangs

and has some of the worst poverty
and overcrowding in the world.

Here are the great gates to Sakala.

Over 200 kids regularly drop
into the Sakala Centre

to enjoy the protection
it gives them

from the dangers of the street.

We like this space.
Very good.

We know how to play soccer
and we see the soccer field.

Let's play!

Just at once,
their faces have changed,

they're smiling,
they suddenly look alive.

Yay!

They've just turned into
different boys, it's extraordinary.

At the moment, only half
of Haiti's children attend school

and the country's level of literacy
is one of the lowest in the world.

So it's great to see a place
where learning is encouraged.

Here's the wall.

One of Sakala's philosophies
is to try and give every child

dreams and ambitions.

So here we have Francois Alex Abdul

who's written he wants
to be a doctor by 2035.

What would you write, to be,
if you wrote on the wall?

Alors, artiste?

Avocat? This one wants
to be a lawyer. Yes. Excellent.

Pilot!
Fantastic.

It's a lovely idea
and to have a focus like this.

You see, if you give
children a chance...

If you give people a chance,
you know...

Port-au-Prince is one
of the grimmest

and most extraordinary cities
I've ever been in

all around the world.

It's so challenging,
so lawless, so unpredictable.

The place is so dangerous

and it's ghastly to see the children

often amongst all the struggles
of all the grown-ups

trying to make stuff work.

Children completely abandoned
and neglected.

It just breaks your heart.

And then you come to somewhere
like Sakala

which is just a haven of peace,
of normality.

The government doesn't support it,

this is completely
charitable donations.

I sometimes... This is awful
and it may have to be cut out,

I sometimes can't think
what the government does here.

Anyway, what Sakala is doing
is giving a place of peace and love

and comfort to these kids.

It's fantastic.

This last month,
travelling through the Caribbean

has been a whirlwind of emotions.

But now, I've come to the end
of this extraordinary journey.

MUSIC: 'Guaglione' by Perez Prado

Cuba and Haiti are two of the
poorest, most challenging counties

I've ever visited.

But they've given me
some of the best experiences.

Both defined by revolutions.

Haiti's nearly 200 years ago,
Cuba, only 60 years ago.

Gracias!

Show me!

And fabulous people.
Sweet, so full of hope,

so full of pride in their countries.

Would you want to visit it?
Of course, if you're adventurous.

It's not easy, but then,
travelling often isn't easy.

Cheers, darling!

I didn't even mind
sweating like a pig. Fabulous!

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