Original subtitles

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!

Subtitles by ITV SignPost