Making it Happen: A Father’s Day Story from Haiti
All photos provided by the author.
At Heartline, we’re always sharing stories from the Maternity Center: happy days and sad ones, the stories of mothers and babies and the teams that care for them. But what about the dads?
This Father’s Day, we spoke to Stéphanie, a recent graduate of our maternal healthcare program, about her partner Jean-Max; and we spoke to Jean-Max himself, about what fatherhood looks like in Haiti today.
Jean-Max is a 33-year old father of two, but with his thin build, long hair, and easy smile, he could pass for a man ten years younger. Jean-Max grew up just to the northwest of Port-au-Prince, but came to the city to study radio and television production. It was here, while they were both in their early twenties, that he met Stéphanie. Now, a decade later, they have a ten-year-old boy and a six-month-old girl together.
“In June 2023, we were forced to leave our home in Tabarre because of the gang war,” explains Stéphanie. “He had just lost his job, I was pregnant and our boy had to go to school every day. Things had become so difficult that we didn't know what to do.” It was a moment that required immediate action, despite the chaos, and Jean-Max had to step up to the plate. “So he got up one morning and took to the streets of Port-au-Prince in search of work. Fortunately for us, he didn't come back empty-handed.”
Jean-Max looks young, but his character is that of a devoted father and dependable worker. Curious by nature, always on the lookout for new knowledge and new opportunities, he informs us he is, depending on the day and hour, a radio host, refrigeration engineer, mechanic and truck driver. Such is the Haitian economy at this moment in time. It requires flexibility.
When we had our son,” Stéphanie says, ”we were very young and I was still living with my parents. He wasn't around much, and couldn't be around much even if he wanted to. Now that we're living together, he's playing his fatherly role to the hilt. If I had to choose a father for my children, I'd choose him a thousand times over,“ she declares with pride.
In the eyes of a growing child, a father is a hero who knows everything, who rises to any situation. In reality, fathers must combine tenderness with firmness, be a stabilizing element but also a catalyst for growth, be different from Mom but be on the same team. It’s a role that requires delicate balance and emotional intelligence. Jean-Max assumes this role well, and intends to play it for the rest of his life.
“I fight every day to be a role model for my son,” he says. “He's almost a teenager now. I know that he's watching me and that he can imitate everything I do. So I do everything I can to stay on the straight and narrow and take care of my family.”
Today,” he continues, ”I have a 6-month-old daughter. When I was younger, little did I know that one day I'd be changing diapers, giving bottles, then taking my son to school, and then picking him up. It’s true that you give up your life as a young person to devote yourself to your children. But every moment spent together strengthens our family bond. I've regretted not being at home enough since my son was born. I believe that, at the end of the day, being a good father also means being at home with your family.”
It's our duty to celebrate Father's Day in Haiti in the same way as Mother's Day. Dads like Jean-Max deserve to be recognized for their undying sense of responsibility and the crucial roles they play in their families. This Father’s Day, we recognize that good parenting isn’t limited to one sex, and that fathers across Haiti – present, devoted, committed – are on the front lines of the fight to build a better future for the next generation.
About the Author
Aljany Narcius
Haitian journalist Aljany Narcius is currently pursuing a Master 2 in Media Management, online from France’s University of Lille. With ten years of experience in the fields of journalism and communication, Aljany is a linguist who uses the Creole language as her weapon in the fight against social inequalities, exploitation, and all kinds of violence.
